Middle East Experience

Over 100 soldiers had tested positive for the virus
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Source of Kfir Brigade corona outbreak: furlough at home

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday confirmed the presence of Turkish troops in the Gulf state of Qatar, TRT Arabi reported.Turkey’s military presence is to ensure stability and peace in Qatar and the region, according to the president.“The presence of Turkish troops in Qatar is to ensure peace and stability not only for Qatar but also for the Gulf region,” TRT Arabi quoted Erdogan as saying.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.No party should be bothered by Turkey’s military presence except for those seeking to spread chaos, he said.The president added that Turkey will not be staying in Syria forever and will end its presence there once a permanent solution to the crisis is found, TRT Arabi reported.Read more:Turkish lira hits record low on possible US sanctions, EU tensions, Karabakh conflictUS senators urge sanctions on Turkey over Russia’s S-400 missile system
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Turkey’s Erdogan confirms presence of Turkish troops in Qatar: Report

A coronavirus vaccine could be rolled out in the UK next month, according to a report by British newspaper The Sun, citing leaked documents from the National Health Service (NHS).The UK’s NHS has sent out provisional plans asking staff to be ready to begin mass vaccination next month, according to unspecified documents allegedly seen by The Sun.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.The vaccine will reportedly require two injections, with 28 days apart, creating potential logistical problems to ensure that millions of people remain protected from the disease between the jabs.To roll out the vaccination program, the NHS plans to establish five mass vaccination centers including in London, Leeds, and Hull, according to the Sun.These centers will be supported by mobile vaccination units and homecare visits for vulnerable residents, with the aim to roll out the mass vaccination program between three to six months.The Sun quoted an unnamed health source in support of its article.“The earliest we are likely to get the first trial results is in a month’s time - which means the best case scenario for a potential roll out is just before Christmas,” the source reportedly said.“But planning is well under way, so there will be no delay in vaccination once we have a working jab,” it added.The country is currently experiencing a resurgence of the coronavirus, with cases rising at a rate of about 14,000 per day.Read more:Coronavirus: UK considering more local curbs as COVID-19 spreadsCoronavirus: UK to shut north England pubs and restaurantsCoronavirus: UK’s Boris Johnson defends COVID-19 strategy as infections soar
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: UK could roll out COVID-19 vaccine next month, say NHS documents

The second presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden will take place virtually amid the fallout from the president’s diagnosis of COVID-19.However, President Trump, who is still being treated for the coronavirus, said Thursday he will refuse to take part in the presidential debate next week after it was switched to a virtual format.“I’m not going to do a virtual debate,” he told Fox News, saying this was “not acceptable to us.”He accused the bipartisan debate commission of trying to “protect” his opponent Joe Biden.The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates debates made the announcement Thursday morning, a week before the two were scheduled to face on in Miami, “in order to protect the health and safety of all involved with the second presidential debate.” The candidates will “participate from separate remote locations,” while the participants and moderator remain in Miami, the commission said.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.Trump was diagnosed with the coronavirus a week ago and but in a Tuesday tweet said he looked forward to debating Biden on stage in Miami, “It will be great!” he tweeted.Biden, for his part, said he and Trump “shouldn’t have a debate” as long as the president remains COVID positive.Biden told reporters in Pennsylvania that he was “looking forward to being able to debate him” but said “we’re going to have to follow very strict guidelines.”Trump fell ill with the virus last Thursday, just 48 hours after debating Biden in person for the first time in Cleveland. While the two candidates remained a dozen feet apart during the debate, Trump’s infection sparked health concerns for Biden and sent him to undergo multiple COVID-19 tests before returning to the campaign trail.Trump was still contagious with the virus when he was discharged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday but his doctors have not provided any detailed update on his status. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those with mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19 can be contagious for as many as — and should isolate for at least — 10 days.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Second Trump-Biden debate to be virtual, Trump refuses

The coronavirus pandemic has been a major hit to the UAE’s performing arts and creative industries, but they are now starting to experience the first steps of recovery, according to a recent survey.The survey, conducted by the Dubai-based Dan Bolton Creative Management Agency, highlighted the industry’s contribution to the UAE and explored strategies for recovery.It found that 97 percent freelancers and small businesses in the creative industries alone reported a negative impact on their revenue, with a staggering 85 percent reporting no revenue since March this year at the start of the pandemic.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.Dan Bolton, the agency’s founder, pointed to the importance of the industry for broader economic recovery.“If there is anything good to come from this pandemic, it has highlighted that the performing arts industry and live events as a whole are a vital part of our economies and wider society and that more needs to be done to protect the industry from future disruption,” he said.Read more: Coronavirus: Dubai Tourism issues guidelines for entertainers at areas within hotelsBefore coronavirus, the UAE tourism industry made an estimated annual contribution to the economy in excess of $43 billion (160 billion dirhams), a significant annual GDP contribution of 12.1 percent.Events at the Dubai World Trade Centre alone account for 23 billion dirhams with a high 13.1 billion dirhams retained in the local economy.This retained revenue supports the event industry eco-system and supply chain that includes event production agencies, travel companies, staffing, entertainment, and everything in between.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the appThe larger picture is that over 80 percent of the UAE based-economy is made up of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and many are struggling to cope under the financial burdens imposed under the COVID 19 lockdown measures.These facts have come to light thanks to Bolton, whose agency was founded in 2015 and currently represents over 800 performance artists across the world, including 400 based in the UAE.The independent survey sought answers from around 150 people across the entertainment scene how their industry had been affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and what the industry could do to bounce back.The results indicated that two-thirds of industry professionals would be willing to perform immediately with the necessary safety measures put in place.And one in five in the entertainment industry have already put in place procedures using information from local authorities.Despite those advances, however, the outlook is far from certain for the creative industries in the UAE. The survey shows most respondents believe it will take at least three months for opportunities to return. And when they do return, restrictions will remain in place.Just under half of those surveyed believe that physical distancing will have an impact on their on-stage performances. And a quarter of respondents believe the quality of their performances will be affected by physical distancing measures.First steps of recoveryBolton spoke to Al Arabiya English on the economic fallout as a result of COVID-19 on the entertainment industry and the way forward, along with solutions being considered.According to him, those in the industry are “seeing a strong desire now from most Emirates and countries within the Gulf to start the first steps towards a resumption of some form of event /business activity.”“As the industry starts to reopen, we are seeing clients and brands hesitant to be the first out of the blocks and announce their events. However, we are pleased to announce that this week we secured approval and hosted a COVID-secure festival event on November 6 at Rove Downtown called Breakout DXB.”He said that “this is a great opportunity to now put into action all the hard work done over the shutdown period and show audiences and clients we have the ability to create events once more with the wellbeing of everyone at its core.”“It also means that we can finally take steps to get creatives back into paid opportunities. There is a lot of work still to be done but we are taking small steps back to recovery.”“If you look around the world, the performing arts industry is suffering globally and it seems we have been forgotten about by many governments. I often wonder if it’s because to some, the performing arts industry is still perceived as a hobby or a luxury rather than a necessity or in some instances, not even a real job.”Bolton, who has spent 21 years in live events in the entertainment and performance, predicted that arts will be called upon to help reinvigorate the economy and drive tourism.“... As the world starts to reopen, it will be the creative industries and performing arts, in particular, that will be called upon to help reinvigorate economies, drive visitor numbers and inbound tourism as well as generally entertain populations that have been prohibited from having any type of fun and tangible human interaction for over six months now,” he said.“The performing arts industries are vital for any society and economy to thrive and prosper.”Painful exodus of talentBolton told Al Arabiya English that the exodus of talented performers has been vast and difficult to come to terms with.“I arrived in 2008 when it’s safe to say we did not have the pool of talent or infrastructure available that we had pre-lockdown. Many people within our industry have spent decades building the foundations of the UAE performing arts industry and overnight a lot of that hard work was undone.”However, he said there was some hope that the art and events industry in the UAE, and Dubai in particular, will bounce back faster than most places in the world.“So as long as we can generate business opportunities, maintain a high level of standards and fair performance rates as well as the ability to host events safely, I believe we may have an opportunity to attract back not only those people which may have had to leave in the months since March but also a new generation of talent that might want to make the region their home.”“In all honesty, we have a lot of work to do to rebuild the industry not only how it was when we left it back in March, but even better for the next decade and beyond.”Dan and his agency have been doing their utmost to reach out to the various authorities and stakeholders to raise awareness about the crucial role that the entertainment and live performance industry represents in driving the UAE’s positioning as a global tourist and leisure center in the MENASA region.“The reality is that the authorities and people within organizations that are central to building the opportunities within the region know how important entertainment and live performance are to the UAE’s positioning as a global tourist hub. We could see that before the pandemic with the investment in infrastructure projects like La Perle, Coca-Cola Arena, Yas Arena, etc.”“I think the one thing that the pandemic has highlighted is that there does need to be a greater emphasis on the homegrown aspect of our industry. The people who have contributed a vast amount of time, energy, and resources into building a career, business, or home are within the UAE. We need to shift the perception that performers within the industry are a commodity to be easily imported from overseas.”
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Survey highlights importance of performing arts to UAE’s post-coronavirus recovery

Turkey and Azerbaijan often describe their relationship as “one nation, two states,” but their economic exchanges have remained relatively small despite their close political and ethnic bonds.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Turkey eyes economic gains in backing Azerbaijan against Armenia

Turkey is taking advantage of Russian dilemmas to claim a role in the Caucasus by backing for Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Erdogan dealt strong hand against Putin in Azerbaijan-Armenia war

India is seeking to remain involved in the development projects at Iran's ports, especially since Chabahar Port helps India gain access to an important geopolitical region.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: India works to boost influence in Iran as Beijing-Tehran ties warm

Shiites across southern and central Iraq are marching to Karbala for Arbaeen.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Despite COVID-19, political crisis, Iraqi Shiites march on Karbala

Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris took on Iran issues like the nuclear deal and the killing of Qasem Soleimani.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: US vice presidential candidates debate Iran policy