Middle East Experience

At least six people were killed when a convoy of oil workers was….
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: At least six killed in attack on Pakistan oil workers: officials

The Democratic presidential candidate has also vowed to repeal Trump's so-called 'Muslim ban' on his first day he is elected..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Joe Biden pledges to employ Muslims 'at every level' of his administration

Former Housing and Construction Minister Ya'acov Litzman met with Public Security Minister Amir Ohana to protest the police actions at the wedding and in general during the COVID crisis.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Political reverberations continue from violent Givat Ze’ev wedding

The approvals took place as the Knesset passed a historical peace deal with the United Arab Emirates, which had required Israel to suspend West Bank annexation.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Israel advances plans for 3,122 settler homes on day of Israel-UAE vote

Online, Armenian channels are rife with support for troops on the frontline, as a Russian-brokered ceasefire has failed to stop the fighting this week. But privately, the war is taking an emotional toll on families as the conflict claims tens of new lives daily.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.After Armenia and Azerbaijan declared martial law on September 27, soldiers and reservists were deployed to the frontline. In Armenia, volunteers also signed up, including ethnic Armenians from the diaspora.Families in Armenia shared their experiences of the ongoing war with Al Arabiya English, revealing a mixed picture of their hopes and fears about the conflict and the future of their country.“My cousin was completing his mandatory service and was called in. His father rushed to volunteer, they are now both on the frontline,” said Varduhi Movsisyan, a 19-year-old resident of Yerevan.“We have to fight for peace to be restored. Artsakh is a symbol of our patriotism and independence,” said Nina Shahverdyan, 20, a student in Yerevan who is from Nagorno-Karabakh, referring to the territory’s self-declared republic of Artsakh, which is run by ethnic Armenians.But this is coupled with anxiety as calls to uphold the ceasefire agreement were ignored, and hostilities continued for a third week.“Every day we read the news to hear that more people have died,” a Yerevan resident who declined to be named said. “I worry that my son, who just finished his military service, will be called in.”A war of attritionThe disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but has been controlled by ethnic Armenians since 1994. Armenians say they have a historic claim to the land, which was an Armenian-majority republic during the Soviet Union.Since September, Azerbaijan has sought to reclaim the territories militarily, citing the failure of diplomatic processes to resolve the dispute. What has ensued is a war of attrition, with heavy losses on both sides, and disputed claims about the extent of Azerbaijan’s advances.Despite the ceasefire coming into effect on October 10, an operation to transfer dead bodies and exchange prisoners was postponed due to continued fighting. This was exacerbated by an information war between Azerbaijan and Armenia, about the realities of the frontline.The current Armenian death toll for soldiers is over 300, and Azerbaijan has not declared its casualties.For the families of frontline combatants, news is long-awaited and scarce. “My mother and my grandmother are waiting all day for news, I have to stay strong to keep comforting them,” said Movsisyan.“We cannot call them, they call us. We don’t ask for information about their whereabouts. For now, no news is better than bad news,” said Shahverdyan.Some expressed concerns that reports of military victories were prioritized, while losses were underreported. A dispatch published in investigative newspaper Novaya Gazeta, found that up to 300 military officers may have been gathered in a cultural center in Shushi, when it was shelled by Azerbaijani forces.But overall, many people trust official government communications about the conflict. “I know that what is confidential now will be revealed eventually,” said Movsisian.The revolutionary governmentThis decades-long territorial dispute has already plagued families, and Armenia’s economy, for generations. Shahverdyan’s uncle fought in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the 1990s, in which over 30,000 people were killed and a million displaced. “Now his son is on the frontline,” said Shahverdyan.This new war plunges the country into further uncertainty.It has shifted the priorities for Armenia’s revolutionary government, which came to power in 2018 promising economic reforms and to crack down on corruption. Now, it is focused on fighting a war on its borders, in the midst of a global pandemic.Nonetheless, public support for Pashinyan’s premiership has remained high since the start of the conflict.A new generation of Armenians, as patriotic as the last, appears ready to support their country by whatever means available. “I’m hopeful that there will be justice, and that the [international community] will base their decisions on the facts,” said Movsisian.“A lot of people are ready to go to Artsakh and help rebuild,” said Shahverdyan, “They’re just waiting for a ceasefire.”Read more:Turkish arms sales to Azerbaijan surged before Nagorno-Karabakh fightingNagorno-Karabakh military death toll rises to 604 since SeptemberTurkey trains 120 fighters in Libya, again denies sending troops to battle Armenia
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Families anxiously await news from Armenian soldiers on Nagorno-Karabakh frontlines

The United Arab Emirates’ Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan has received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, he announced in a photo shared on Twitter Friday.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.“Corona vaccination is our way to return to normal life,” Sheikh Abdullah said in tweet he shared along with a photo of a healthcare worker injecting his arm with what appears to be the vaccine.The UAE in September issued emergency approval for the use of the COVID-19 vaccine for frontline healthcare workers fighting the virus in the country.“The vaccine will be available to our first line of defense heroes who are at the highest risk of contracting the virus,” according to the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority.The vaccine is “fully and completely compatible with laws and regulations,” the UAE’s Minister of Health and Prevention Abdul Rahman al-Owais said during a televised press conference at the time. In September, Al-Owais was the first to be vaccinated against the coronavirus in the UAE.Other UAE officials have received the vaccine in recent weeks, including the foreign ministry’s Director of Strategic Communications Hend al-Otaiba, who said last week that the vaccine will “soon be available to all frontliners” in the country.She also shared a photo on Twitter captioned, “Receiving the COVID-19 vaccine that resulted from successful collaboration between the UAE and Chinese pharmaceutical group Sinopharm.”The vaccine is effective and has resulted in a “strong response” by generated antibodies in trial volunteers, according to the health minister.COVID-19 vaccine trialA total of 31,000 volunteers of 125 nationalities participated in the clinical trials held in the UAE, a government official said during the press conference.Doctor Nawal al-Kaabi said initial results of the ongoing trial are “encouraging” and only minor side effects were detected in volunteers who developed antibodies.“No serious side effects that require immediate medical treatment were recorded,” she added.Al-Kaabi also said the vaccine did not cause any complications on 1,000 volunteers who have pre-existing conditions.Health authorities have followed quality control procedures and safety measures to ensure the efficacy of the vaccine, according to al-Kaabi.Read more:UAE approves COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use for front line workersUAE officials expect vaccine to be available by end of 2020, early 2021UAE health minister vaccinated with first COVID-19 vaccine dose
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: UAE FM latest official to receive COVID-19 vaccine

Facebook’s Instagram has agreed measures to crack down on hidden advertising by paid so-called influencers on its photo and video platform, Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said on Friday.Influencers with thousands of followers can earn large fees from companies to promotes a product on Instagram.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the appIn what the CMA described as an important behavior shift by a major social media platform, Facebook Ireland, which operates Instagram in Britain, has committed to a package of changes.Facebook has committed to this “important behavior shift following an investigation by the CMA, the regulator said. “This will make it much harder for people to post an advert on Instagram without labelling it as such.”Read more:‘Are we not allowed to be Palestinian:’ Bella Hadid after Instagram deletes storyMore companies to boycott advertising on Facebook, InstagramInstagram bans influencers from promoting vaping productsThe watchdog said it has been investigating concerns that too many influencers are posting content about businesses without making it clear they have been paid or received other incentives to do so.Influencers will have to confirm and disclose if they have received any incentives to promote a product or service.Instagram will also use technology to spot when users might not have disclosed clearly that a post is an advertisement, the CMA said.The CMA opened its investigation in 2018, seeking to have adverts clearly labeled to avoid people being misled.Last year, 16 celebrities pledged to clean up their act on social media after CMA action, the watchdog said. A group of British celebrities, such as Ellie Goulding and models including Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Alexa Chung, agreed to tell shoppers upfront if they are being paid for social media posts.Failing to label posts properly may lead followers to believe that an endorsement is a star’s own view and to trust a product recommended by someone they admire, the CMA has said previously.Facebook didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.Instagram will have to regularly update the CMA on its progress. The regulator said it will continue to investigate the practices of other social media platforms and push for changes where needed.The changes will affect users in the UK and anyone directing posts toward Instagram users in the country.The regulator said it will continue to investigate the practices of other social media platforms and push for changes where needed.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Instagram agrees to crack down on hidden ads by paid influencers, says UK watchdog

The United Arab Emirates has reported 1,412 new coronavirus cases after conducting 116,470 tests over the past 24 hours, according to the NCEMA.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.Three COVID-19 related deaths were also reported on Friday. Meanwhile, 1,618 people who had previously tested positive for the virus recovered.The UAE recorded its highest increase yet on Wednesday after 1,431 new COVID-19 cases were reported in a 24-hour period.As of October 16, the health ministry has confirmed 112,849 positive cases, 455 deaths and 104,943 recoveries.Health officials continue to urge people to adhere to coronavirus prevention measures, including wearing a face mask and social distancing, in effort to slow the spread of the virus after the recent surge in infections.Earlier on Thursday, te UAE's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan announced that had received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine currently in trial in the country.“Corona vaccination is our way to return to normal life,” Sheikh Abdullah said in tweet he shared along with a photo of a healthcare worker injecting his arm with what appears to be the vaccine.The UAE in September issued emergency approval for the use of the COVID-19 vaccine for frontline healthcare workers fighting the virus in the country.Read more:UAE FM latest official to receive COVID-19 vaccineUAE approves COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use for front line workersUAE officials expect vaccine to be available by end of 2020, early 2021
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: The UAE reports 1,412 new COVID-19 cases as infections rise

Eighty parliamentarians voted last night in favor of the normalization deal with the United Arab Emirates, signed on Oct. 15 at the White House in Washington.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Knesset approves UAE deal with overwhelming majority

European powers on Friday condemned Israel's decision to approve thousands more settlements in occupied Palestinian territory, calling it a “counterproductive” move that undermines regional peace efforts.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“The expansion of settlements violates international law and further imperils the viability of a two-state solution to bring about a just and lasting peace to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” said a joint statement from the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Spain.“As we have emphasized directly with the government of Israel, this step furthermore undermines efforts to rebuild trust between the parties with a view to resuming dialogue,” they said, urging an immediate halt in settlement construction.The ministers said pushing ahead with more settlements would be a “counterproductive move in light of the positive developments of normalization agreements reached between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.”The UAE and Bahrain had in mid-September set aside decades of enmity with Israel to sign a US-brokered deal to normalize ties.Western powers had hoped the deals would bring regional stability and give a boost to hopes for peace.But the Palestinians have branded the shift by the Gulf nations as “betrayal.”Read more:Israel approves first West Bank settler homes since deals with UAE, BahrainIsrael lifts unpopular ban on outgoing flights for citizensIsrael’s parliament passes UAE agreement, bringing peace deal into full effect
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: European powers condemn Israel settlement approvals in Palestine