Middle East Experience

In the wake of the August 4 port explosion, people say their resilience is a finite resource..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Testing the limits of Lebanese resilience in Beirut

The widow of late Palestinian President Yasser Aafat lashed out at the Palestinian Authority, accusing it of threatening her because of her position on the UAE-Israel normalization deal.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Yasser Arafat’s widow lashes out at PA over criticism of UAE-Israel deal

The Arab Coalition intercepted and destroyed an explosive-laden drone launched on Tuesday toward Saudi Arabia by the Iran-backed Houthi militia, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Spokesman for the Arab Coalition forces, Colonel Turki al-Maliki, confirmed in a statement carried by SPA that the drone targeting civilians had been intercepted and destroyed.Cross-border attacks by Iran-aligned Houthi forces have escalated since late May, when a truce prompted by the coronavirus pandemic expired. In late June, missiles reached the Saudi capital Riyadh.- With Reuters
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Arab Coalition destroys explosive-laden Houthi drone targeting Saudi Arabia

A wedding in the US state of Maine has been linked to 147 coronavirus cases and three deaths, according to a local media report.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.The outbreak started at the wedding held on August 7 and later spread to a nursing home and a prison located more than 100 miles away from the venue, WRAL reported.“The wedding outbreak investigation as of Thursday was still at 56 cases among the guests and their secondary and tertiary contacts.Secondary contacts are people who had close contact with someone who attended and tertiary contacts are people who had close contact with a secondary,” according to the media report.Seventy-two people, including inmates and workers, tested positive at the York County Jail. A further 16 infections were detected at a nursing home after an employee, confirmed as a secondary contact, tested positive.“What we are dealing with is a giant tube of glitter. You open a tube of glitter in your basement then two weeks later you are in the attic and all you find is glitter and have no idea how it got there,” Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah was quoted by WRAL as saying.The wedding reception of 65 guests was held in violation of the state's 50-person capacity for indoor events, WRAL reported citing the CDC. The CDC added that it had issued an imminent health hazard citation to the venue.Read more:Bahrain announces two COVID-19 fatalities, death toll passes 200Lack of child care pushes US mothers out of workCalifornia wildfires: Record 2 million acres burned during 2020 fire season
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Wedding leads to 147 COVID-19 infections, three deaths

Egypt has detected more than 100,000 Covid-19 infections and reported 5,541 deaths from the virus disease, the health ministry said Tuesday.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.The North African country of more than 100 million people had imposed a night-time curfew from March to June to curb the spread of the illness but since eased restrictions.Daily life has since returned in the largest Arab country, with cafes, restaurants and tourist sites again open to the public.Prayers in mosques and churches have also resumed, with social distancing and mask-wearing enforced.The new school year is set to start in October with a mix of classroom and online teaching.The total number of reported cases reached 100,041 Tuesday, including 79,008 recoveries, the ministry said.Read more:Wedding leads to 147 COVID-19 infections, three deathsUAE approves National Policy on Vaccinations amid coronavirus pandemicThe UAE names 80,000 COVID-19 health heroes for new support programs
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Egypt COVID-19 cases top 100,000 with 5,541 deaths

The first official Israeli trade delegation arrived in the UAE on Tuesday, including the CEO of the biggest bank in Israel.Dov Kotler, the head of Bank Hapoalim, landed in Dubai and is set to meet with government officials and the heads of the largest banks in the UAE, according to Reuters.It is the first ever official Israeli trade delegation in the UAE.Kotler said the visit is “a unique opportunity to establish economic relations and cooperation between our countries and their financial systems, which will yield economic growth for both parties,” according to Reuters.First Abu Dhabi Bank, the UAE’s largest bank, said last week that it will open discussions with “leading financial institutions in Israel, namely Bank Hapoalim and Bank Leumi,” following last month’s historic agreement between the UAE and Israel.“The discussions will look to establish banking relationships that will strengthen financial and economic cooperation between UAE and Israel, focusing on correspondent banking, bilateral trade, and technology and innovation,” First Abu Dhabi Bank said in a statement on Twitter.The visit follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on September 1 between the two countries on banking and finance.Next Monday, a second delegation from another leading bank in Israel, Bank Leumi, will travel to the UAE. The group will be led by Chairman Samer Haj Yehia.Bank Hapoalim and Bank Leumi are Israel’s number one and two banks, respectively.An Israeli minister said Monday that annual trade between Israel and the UAE is expected to reach $4 billion.“Within three to five years trade between Israel and the United Arab Emirates will reach $4 billion,” Israeli Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen told Israel’s Reshet Bet radio station.The UAE issued a decree abolishing a previous law that mandated an economic boycott of Israel on August 29.Read more:‘Big shame’: Turkey’s Erdogan, European Court of Human Rights meeting under fireIsrael agreement ‘not a political treaty, it’s a treaty of coexistence’: UAE officialIsrael, UAE foreign diplomats meet publicly for first time in Africa
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: First official Israeli trade delegation visits UAE with CEO of Israel’s biggest bank

Libya's National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) recorded on Tuesday 749 new coronavirus cases and 18 deaths from the virus over the last 24-hours amid fears COVID-19 could spread uncontrolled across the war-torn country.Libya's official coronavirus tally had remained suspiciously low until this week, likely a reflection of the lack of testing and recording in the country, where control is split between warring factions.The country recorded its first daily rise in cases above 100 on July 18, months after the coronavirus pandemic had already infected millions and killed hundreds of thousands globally, according to data from Worldometer.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.However, the number of daily cases began to rise sharply in mid-August, increasing further to around 600-650 cases per day in early September. This number then jumped massively on Monday, with an increase of 1,085 cases reported in a 24-hour period.Tuesday's increase brings the official total number of cases to 19,583. The percentage of these active total cases is far higher than in other countries, with only 2,247 having recovered.The 18 additional deaths also bring the official death toll in the country to 314.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Fears over spread amid conflictThe NCDC announced the numbers on Facebook, where it also gave a breakdown of the cases.According to the post, the NCDC received test samples at laboratories in locations across Libya in territories controlled by rival groups.Libya has been in conflict since the fall of dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi in 2011. The western half of the country is currently controlled by the Government of National Accord, based in Tripoli and backed by a range of militias and Turkish forces, while the east is governed by the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by commander Khalifa Haftar and backed by international actors including Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.The World Health Organization has voiced alarm over the uptick in infections and warned that the virus is likely far more widespread in the country.“Compounding the situation, Libya’s health care system has been badly disrupted by years of conflict,” the WHO said.“Given the acute shortages of tests and laboratory capacity, the real number of (Covid-19) cases is likely to be much higher.”With AFP.Read more:Coronavirus: Libya reports highest COVID-19 cases for single dayCoronavirus: Libya to resume Tripoli flights out of Mitiga airportLibya’s warring sides hold talks in Morocco
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Libya records 749 COVID-19 cases amid spike in war-torn country

Salons and kitchens are hotspots of a change that is sweeping Egypt as women reject European beauty standards and celebrate their hair as it is.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Egyptian women embrace natural hair in identity revolution

Driven by some peculiar dynamics, demand for imported cars has grown in Turkey despite the coronavirus pandemic, leading Ankara to hike taxes to suppress a trend that has worsened the country’s currency woes.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Turkey pumps brakes on car imports

The test remains free of charge for those suspected to have contracted the virus..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Coronavirus: Hospitals, clinics across UAE slash prices of Covid-19 PCR tests