Middle East Experience

If the documents are released, they are likely to shed more light on Maxwell's dealings with Epstein, as well as Epstein's own conduct.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Judge orders release of documents related to Ghislaine Maxwell

Jean-Yves Le Drian, on the first such visit of a top foreign politician in months, made no secret of his exasperation with Lebanon's leadership..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: French FM scolds 'passive' Lebanon leadership

Syrian refugees are found guilty over an attack that fuelled anti-foreigner sentiment..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Ten men convicted over gang rape in Germany

Creator and screenwriter Reshef Levy called on the members of the industry not to work with Ivgy.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Israeli actors fume, Moshe Ivgy given 'lenient' sentence for sexual assault

The UAE repatriated 73 individuals who were stuck in Qatar due to the coronavirus pandemic through Kuwait, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday.The COVID-19 pandemic left people stranded abroad for months due to flight disruptions and countries closing their borders and airspace.Visit our dedicated coronavirus site here for all the latest updates.“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation completed the air repatriation of Emirati citizens and their companions from Qatar through Kuwait to the UAE, where 73 people were repatriated, of which 41 were Emiratis along with 32 of their companions,” the ministry said in a statement.“The repatriation included humanitarian cases, elderly citizens, pregnant women and several people with chronic diseases,” the ministry added.The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Khalid Abdullah Humaid Belhoul, thanked Kuwait for its cooperation in repatriation the Emirati citizens on Kuwait Airways.The UAE stated in mid-July that its airspace will remain closed to Qatar flights and that it will present to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) the legal case supporting its right to close its airspace to Qatari aircraft.The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt had severed diplomatic, trade and transport ties with Qatar in June 2017, accusing it of supporting terrorism – a charge Doha denies.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Read more:Coronavirus: COVID-19 PCR test needed to travel to UAE, here’s all you need to knowUAE: Airspace still closed to Qatar flights, case to go before global aviation bodyCoronavirus: UAE to open registration for COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials nationwide
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: UAE repatriates 73 individuals from Qatar through Kuwait

“Usually around this time we would have about 50 excavations organized by universities from abroad...[but] this year everything got cancelled," said Gideon Avni.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Another victim of the coronavirus in Israel: archaeological excavations

Oman recorded 1,145 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, raising the total to 73,791, the health ministry announced on Friday.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.Of the newly detected cases, 1,047 are Omani nationals and 98 foreign nationals.The death toll also increased to 359 after four fatalities were recorded.Meanwhile, the total number of recoveries have reached 53,007 after 1,658 individuals who had previously tested positive recovered.Health Minister Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed al-Saidi warned on Thursday that the virus will continue to spread if people do not comply with safety and precautionary measures, adding that COVID-19 is “quickly spreading” between family members, workplaces and in the community.Read more:WHO sees regulators cooperating to speed COVID-19 vaccine approvalIndia COVID-19 death toll passes 30,000, exceeds FranceVacuum cleaner bags may be best alternative to medical masks, study says
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Oman reports 1,145 new COVID-19 cases, four fatalities

The United Arab Emirates recorded 261 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 as the total recoveries near 88 percent, the health ministry announced on Friday.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.An additional 46,000 tests were administered as part of the country’s efforts in mass testing, according to the ministry.The death toll reached 343 after one person infected with the virus died due to complications.Meanwhile, the country’s total recoveries reached 51,235 after 387 individuals who had previously tested positive for the virus recovered after receiving treatment, the health ministry added.In light of Dubai, one of the UAE's emirates, welcoming back visitors after coronavirus lockdowns, Emirates airlines on Thursday announced it would offer free coronavirus medical and quarantine coverage for its travelers in the country and around the world.The airline said in a statement that passengers can claim medical expenses of up to 150,000 euros ($173,799) and quarantine costs of 100 euros ($115) per day for 14 days if a traveler tests positive for the virus.Coverage is effective immediately and is valid for 31 days for travelers flying on the airline until October 30, 2020, according to a statement.Read more:Oman reports 1,145 new COVID-19 cases, four fatalitiesWHO sees regulators cooperating to speed COVID-19 vaccine approvalIndia COVID-19 death toll passes 30,000, exceeds France
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: UAE COVID-19 cases increase by 261 as recoveries near 88 pct

Saudi Arabia has confirmed 2,378 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours as the recovery rate hits 82 percent, the health ministry announced on Friday.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.Most of the new cases were detected in the city of Mecca. Riyadh had the second highest with 139 cases followed by al-Hafouf with 135 new cases.Meanwhile, 37 people died due to complications, raising the death toll to 2,672, according to the health ministry.Recoveries reached 215,731 with 2,241 individuals having recovered over the past 24 hours.Health ministry spokesman Dr. Mohammed al-Abd al-Ali warned during a press conference on Thursday against Eid al-Adha gatherings to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.“During these days, there will be several occasions and meetings, we don’t want this to be the cause of misfortune,” the spokesman said.As part of the Kingdom's plan to prevent the spread of the virus during the holiday, the Grand Mosque in Mecca will be closed to worshippers on the upcoming Arafat day and Eid al-Adha.Despite lifting several lockdown measures, there is no date set set for the resumption of international flights to and from Saudi Arabia as of July 23, according to Kingdom’s General Authority of Civil Aviation.Read more:Saudi Arabia’s King Salman undergoes successful gallbladder surgery: SPACOVID-19 PCR test needed to travel to UAE, here’s all you need to knowUAE COVID-19 cases increase by 261 as recoveries near 88 pct
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia reports 2,378 new COVID-19 cases, recovery rate hits 82 pct

United States Senator Ted Cruz said it was his belief that the Iranian regime should be collapsed and advocated that the US “irreversibly end what remains of the disastrous [Iran nuclear] deal” in a video posted Wednesday.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.While the US unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2018, there were waivers that kept aspects of the deal alive, including one that allowed Iran to sell 1 million barrels of oil a day and another for civilian nuclear facilities. The Republican lawmaker from Texas explained how both those waivers were ended and called for the UN arms embargo set to expire in October to be extended in the video posted on his Twitter account.Cruz called for the Trump Administration to invoke the snapback sanction mechanism in UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that he said would “shred the nuclear deal once and for all.”While the US withdrew from the deal, it retains its ability to initiate a snapback of sanctions, and while invoking Resolution 2231 wouldn’t necessarily shred the deal, it would reimpose all international sanctions – including those related to arms deals – that existed against Iran as of June 2015, prior to the deal’s signing.Cruz said that without extending the arms embargo or invoking Resolution 2231, the door would reopen for Russia and China to sell weapons to Iran. From 1995 to 2005, more than 70 percent of Iran’s imports came from Russia, data from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute shows.Read more:If arms embargo on Iran isn't extended, Tehran will arm its proxies: US envoy to UNSaudi asks world to heed Iran nuclear threat, extend arms embargo, urges firm stanceAs Iran has become increasingly isolated, seeking trade partners, Tehran has turned to China. With China-US relations at a low point amid the ongoing trade war and heating up recently, China has little incentive to keep the US happy.“In isolation, it makes perfect sense. The two [China and Iran] share a comprehensive strategic partnership that highlights defense cooperation. They have long standing-diplomatic ties and historic relations going back across centuries,” an Atlantic Council blog post read. This relationship has been highlighted during the coronavirus pandemic.Withdrawing from the JCPOA was in line with the Trump Administration’s strategy of “maximum pressure” on Tehran – a departure from President Barack Obama’s more diplomatic approach.“It is my belief that we need to collapse the regime”“When we talk about the future of Iran, it is my belief that we need to collapse the regime,” Cruz said. “You know this used to be a straightforward and broadly accepted idea. The Iranian regime unremittingly seeks our destruction. Death to America, the Ayatollah chants, and we will not be safe until it’s gone.”The US lawmaker said the idea had fallen out of favor in recent years, especially during the Obama Administration, as it became synonymous with regime change followed by “endless nation building that we have needlessly, foolishly and catastrophically pursued in Iraq.”Read more:Pompeo warns of world falling into 'Iranian crosshairs' if arms embargo expiresUS warplane fly-by of Iranian airliner risked possible ‘disaster,’ says ZarifAmerican nation building efforts in Iraq have for decades been heavily criticized across both sides of the political aisle as efforts to instill stability have typically resulted in greater instability in the country.“The US is at a critical juncture in our relationship with Iran,” Cruz said. “The nuclear deal forced us to give up the most powerful sanctions against these behaviors and the Trump Administration has taken significant and meaningful steps to reverse course and apply maximum pressure on Iran and diplomatically isolate Iran, including taking out [top Iranian General Qassem] Soleimani – a designated terrorist responsible for the deaths of at least 603 US service men and women. We must do more.”Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Quds Force, an arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was killed in an airstrike at Baghdad International Airport on January 3, along with Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, the deputy commander of Iran-backed militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces. The US had designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization in May.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: ‘It is my belief that we need to collapse the regime,’ US Senator Cruz says on Iran