Middle East Experience

Religious violence is growing despite the pandemic..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Christian Victims in Nigeria Fear Future Attacks

Exercise Friendship Bridge 2020 will involve aircraft and ship-based artillery, Russia's Defense Ministry said
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Egypt, Russia to hold joint naval drills in Black Sea, Moscow says

In a joyful atmosphere and with regional and international participation, the Juba peace agreement was finally signed between Sudan and a number of armed factions at Freedom Square in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Will Juba Agreement achieve peace in Sudan?

The most recent Arab Youth Survey shows the United States is gaining ground on Russia and China as perceived "allies."
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: For Arab youth, the future is in the Gulf

Beginning Sunday, a curfew will run from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Oct. 24.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Oman returns to nighttime curfew as COVID-19 cases climb

A fire broke out at a metro station in the west of the Iranian capital on Saturday, the semi-official Mehr news agency said, adding that there were no casualties.A spokesman for the state emergency services, Mojtaba Khaledi, said no trains were damaged in the 7.45 a.m. blaze at the Ekbatan station but did not immediately specify its cause.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The CEO of the Tehran Metro said the station will be closed until further notice, according to Mehr news agency.Read more:Iran diplomat warns of retaliation over Belgian bomb plot if found guilty: DocumentIran disrupts internet in Tehran after protests by fans of late musician Shajarian
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Fire breaks out at Tehran metro station, no casualties: Iran’s Mehr

Armenian and Azerbaijani forces accused each other of bombing civilian areas on Saturday morning ahead of a ceasefire agreed to end nearly two weeks of heavy fighting over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.The region’s ombudsman Artak Beglaryan said Azerbaijan had fired missiles on civilian areas of its main city Stepanakert, which has been under regular rocket and artillery fire.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“Baku uses the same style of #WarCrimes by the very last moment,” Artak Beglaryan said on Twitter, adding that there was no information yet on casualties.An AFP journalist in the city reported hearing two explosions in the morning, after Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to the ceasefire from noon Saturday (0800 GMT).Azerbaijan’s defense ministry said Armenian forces were shelling civilian areas of the country.“Armenian armed forces are intensively shelling populated areas in Geranboy, Terter, Agdam, Agjaberdi, and Fizuli districts. Azerbaijan is taking reciprocal measures,” the ministry said in a statement.Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to the ceasefire in the early hours of Saturday, after 11 hours of Russian-mediated talks in Moscow.Read more:Azerbaijan, Armenia agree ceasefire from midnight October 10: LavrovArmenian, Azeri officials meet at Russia-sponsored talks on Nagorno-KarabakhWhere Russia, Turkey, Iran stand in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflictThe bitter fighting in the Caucasus region has claimed hundreds of lives, forced thousands to flee, and stirred fears of a full-blown war that could suck in regional powers Turkey and Russia.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the two sides had agreed at the talks to begin “substantive negotiations” to end the conflict over Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave that broke away from Azerbaijan during a war in the 1990s that claimed some 30,000 lives.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Azerbaijan, Armenia accuse each other of attacking civilian areas ahead of ceasefire

Saudi Arabia launched a new green campaign to reduce desertification in the Kingdom and help develop natural habitats by planting 10 million trees by the end of April 2021, Environment Minister Abdulrahman al-Fadley announced on Saturday.The head of the Kingdom’s Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture announced the start of the campaign – called “Let’s Make it Green”– on Twitter, which will run from October 10 until August 30, 2021.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“Today I was happy to launch a campaign “Let’s Make it Green” in cooperation with our partners in the public and private sectors to reduce the effects of desertification, develop natural habitats, and improve the quality of life,” al-Fadley wrote.The ministry will be working closely with the National Center for Development of the Vegetation Cover and Combating Desertification throughout the campaign, al-Fadley added.Desertification occurs when natural or human causes reduce the biological productivity of drylands.Environmental factors that could lead to desertification include climate change, deforestation, or overgrazing.The new initiative falls under the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan to achieve environmental sustainability by the end of the coming decade.The sweeping set of programs, launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2016, aim to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy and reduce its dependence on oil revenues as well as achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals 2030.Read more:Guinness World Records confirms al-Ahsa Oasis largest in the worldIn this Saudi Arabian farm in al-Ahsa, rare hassawi rice is ‘as precious as gold’ “We will seek to safeguard our environment by increasing the efficiency of waste management, establishing comprehensive recycling projects, reducing all types of pollution and fighting desertification,” the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 reform plan states.Ahead of the announcement, Saudi Arabia’s different ministerial departments tweeted tree emojis to celebrate the campaign and encourage sustainable development in the country.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia launches green campaign to plant 10 mln trees in seven months

The United Arab Emirates reported 1,129 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, its highest daily toll since October 3.The UAE, which conducted over 136,430 tests in the past 24 hours, also recorded one death and 1,070 recoveries, according to the country’s ministry of health.Infections in the country have hovered above 1,000 per day since October 5, when the UAE reported 932 new cases.Last week the UAE recorded its highest daily total - 1,231 new cases – on October 3.On Tuesday, the country’s total coronavirus cases surpassed 100,000.The country’s National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management (NCEMA) announced Monday the formation of seven inspection teams - one in each emirate - to monitor the application of precautionary COVID-19 measures.NCEMA also called on the health sector to prepare vaccination campaigns nationwide for a potential flu outbreak.Read more:Congressman requests UK strip Prince Harry, Meghan of titles for election remarksFive questions: Meet the Hebrew-speaking Emirati building bridges between Israel, UAESaudi Arabia launches green campaign to plant 10 mln trees in seven months
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: UAE reports 1,129 new cases, one COVID-19 death

Saudi Arabia recorded 405 new cases of the novel coronavirus and 22 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed infections in the Kingdom to 338,944 and the COVID-19 death toll to 5,018, the Ministry of Health announced on Saturday.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.The highest number of new infections were reported in Medina, where officials confirmed 40 cases of the coronavirus.Mecca reported 36 new cases, Riyadh reported 32 new cases, while Jeddah reported four new cases.The other new infections were detected in cities and provinces around the Kingdom.Meanwhile, the total number of recoveries in Saudi Arabia rose to 324,737 after 455 people recovered from COVID-19.Read more:Saudi Arabia launches green campaign to plant 10 mln trees in seven monthsCoronavirus in Saudi Arabia: 4,000 workers, 100,000 facemasks to ensure safe UmrahNo coronavirus cases recorded among Umrah pilgrims so far: Officials
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia records 405 new COVID-19 cases as death toll passes 5,000