Middle East Experience

The New Arab learned that the mayor’s office will stray from previous years and rescind the presence of the Greater London Authority to observe the meetings at the Urban 20..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: London mayor Sadiq Khan boycotts G20 to avoid 'any implication' of support for Saudi government

Middle Eastern queer cinema has yet to achieve a commercial blockbuster, but its ideas are being embraced, writes Jad Salfiti in this preview of the Soura film festival..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Soura queer film festival: A quest for a Middle Eastern 'Call me by your name'

A second Iron Dome battery is expected to arrive by the end of the year.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Intel: First Israeli Iron Dome battery arrives in US

One third of those infected with coronavirus in the country are from haredi communities.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Coronavirus cabinet talks exit strategy, concerns about haredim, elderly

The European Union must stand firm against Turkey and this could mean possible sanctions, junior European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune said on Thursday.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“In the short-term there must be signals of resolve. We will see if there are sanctions,” he said on broadcaster France 2 television.EU leaders are set to meet in Brussels on Thursday for two days of discussions notably on tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean and relations with Turkey.Read more:Why the US Supreme Court is relevant to Arabs and the Middle EastMajor blast heard in Paris after fighter jet breaks sound barrierTurkish claims of PKK fighters in Armenia absolute nonsense: Armen Sarkissian
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: EU must stand firm regarding Turkey, says France’s Beaune

Coronavirus spreads mainly through a small group of superspreaders, especially children and young people, according to the conclusions of the largest contact-tracing study carried out to date.The study of more than half a million people in India found that just 8 percent of people infected with COVID-19 had spread the virus to over 60 percent of the new infections detected.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.These results highlight the role of superspreaders – people who infect a large number of others with a disease.“Superspreading events are the rule rather than the exception when one is looking at the spread of COVID-19, both in India and likely in all affected places,” said lead researcher Ramanan Laxminarayan, from the Princeton Environmental Institute (PEI).In contrast, 71 percent of the cases did not have any secondary cases linked to them, suggesting that the majority of people with COVID-19 do not spread it.Researchers also found that children and young adults were especially prominent in spreading the virus.“We identify high prevalence of infection among children who were contacts of cases around their own age; this finding of enhanced infection risk among individuals exposed to similar-age cases was also apparent among adults,” wrote the researchers.Researchers from PEI, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of California-Berkeley coordinated with officials in the southeastern Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh to carry out the study.They used contact-tracing – the process of identifying people who came into contact with a COVID-19 case – to track the spread of coronavirus in the two Indian states. The study considered 575,071 people who had been exposed to the 84,965 confirmed cases in the province.While the study said that contact-tracing has its limitations and may not be representative of the full population, it recommended further research using the technique to help slow the spread of the virus.“Surveillance and contact tracing are critical components of an effective public health response to COVID-19,” it said.Read more:Coronavirus: India’s COVID-19 tally hits 6.31 mln as authorities ease restrictionsIndia reports decline in coronavirus cases, VP tests positive EU warns about possible avian flu outbreaks, amid coronavirus pandemic
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Massive COVID-19 study in India finds children are superspreaders

The Egyptian government is currently developing the Golden Triangle area, which was recently designated as the richest in iron, copper, gold and phosphate minerals.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: How Egypt is developing its Golden Triangle

The United Arab Emirates has confirmed 1,158 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, the health ministry has announced, marking its highest daily count since the outbreak began.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.A further 91,234 tests were conducted as part of the country's efforts to expand its testing capacity. Meanwhile, an additional 1,179 recoveries and two deaths were also confirmed.Infections in the UAE have surged over the past two months after having reached a low of 164 on August 3, according to Reuters. Authorities have blamed the increase on people not adhering to social distancing requirements and preventative measures.Read more:UAE records over 24,000 COVID-19 violations in first half of SeptemberEngland’s weekly COVID-19 cases up 61 pctMillennials more likely to take financial hit from COVID-19 pandemic
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: UAE confirms 1,158 new COVID-19 cases, highest count since outbreak

Sudan might be ready to establish ties with Israel, but first it needs for the United States to remove it from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: US, UAE broker Israel-Sudan rapprochement

Lebanon and Israel have agreed to a framework for US-mediated talks aimed at ending a long-running dispute over a border that has been the frontline of several conflicts.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Lebanon and Israel, still in a formal state of war, have contested their land and maritime borders for decades, including an area on the edge of three Lebanese energy blocks. Washington been mediating in efforts to bring the two sides to the table.Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said the framework for talks had been agreed after US sanctions were imposed on his right-hand man for corruption and financially enabling Hezbollah, the heavily armed group, Iran-backed. Washington deems the Shia Muslim group a terrorist organization.Israel's energy minister confirmed that two sides would hold US-mediated talks.“This is a framework agreement, and not a final one,” Berri told a news conference, saying discussions would be held under the auspices of the United Nations in a base near the UN-monitored boundary with Israel, known as the Blue Line.He said the United States would push for an agreement as soon as possible but told reporters the agreement on a framework was reached prior to Washington's move to impose sanctions on his aide, Ali Hassan Khalil.Lebanon's change of tack has come when the country is facing a crippling crisis as its economy has been crushed under a mountain of debt. The crisis was compounded by a massive port explosion that ruined a swathe of Beirut on August 4.Read more:Hezbollah lashes out at France’s Macron after French initiative for Lebanon failsUS Senators request temporary sanctions waivers for LebanonLebanon’s Amal movement ‘surprised’ by France’s Macron accusations
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Lebanon’s Berri says framework agreed for Israel border talks