Middle East Experience

The Street Band plays music for free in Gaza's public places, in a attempt to help Gazans forget their daily sufferings.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Gaza band plays music to uplift spirits, bring hope

Advancing the East-Med project one step further, Israel’s government ratified the agreement signed last January with the governments of Cyprus and Greece.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: East-Med undersea pipeline project now ratified by Israel

Coronavirus genes have been found to have mutated 590 times so far in Bangladesh, research conducted by the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) found, according to local media reports.The BCSIR, a Bangladeshi government scientific research and regulatory body, based its findings on 171 cases of gene sequencing. The type of virus found in Bangladesh was found to most closely resemble the coronavirus in Europe, Bangaldesh-based news The Business Standard reported Sunday.“In Bangladesh, the virus so far has mutated 590 times at the gene level, and more than 273 times at the protein level,” Dr. Salim Khan, the head of genomic research laboratories at the BCSIR lab told the Standard.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Experts have previously noted that the mutation rate of COVID-19 is similar to that of other coronaviruses.In April, Emma Hodcroft, a co-developer of Nextstrain, a platform that uses open-source data to examine scientific and public health potential of pathogen genome data, told Al Arabiya English that while COVID-19 is mutating, it is not doing so at an alarming rate.“The two most different types of strains still have less than 40 mutations, and the whole genome is 29,000 bases long. So that’s 40 out of 29,000. If you pick two strains at random, they’d be more like 10-20 variations,” she said.Genome sequencing of the coronavirus can provide clues to researches on how to prepare a vaccine, Khan explained. Global health authorities and pharmaceutical companies are currently in a worldwide race to develop treatments and a cure for COVID-19, with research taking place at a breakneck speed as many standard restrictions on development are lifted.“In Bangladeshi samples, we have detected strains of all countries, but mostly from the European ones,” Khan told the Standard.Infections have been on the rise in Bangladesh, which so far has over 200,000 confirmed cases. Khan pointed to one strain, protein number 614, as the particular culprit behind the spread of the virus in the country.“In 95 percent of cases, the D614G strain was detected during sequencing. This is the key reason for infections in Bangladesh,” he said, according to the Standard.Read more:Bangladesh, Nepal warn of rising rivers as monsoon death toll climbs to nearly 200Gilead’s coronavirus drug remdesivir starts selling in BangladeshBangladesh police arrest three over Dubai sex trafficking operation
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus has mutated 590 times so far in Bangladesh, government research shows

Uman’s Mayor Oleksandr Tsebriy caused a major storm after he announced that Israeli-Jewish pilgrims would be barred from the city this year.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Israelis to be barred from Jewish New Year pilgrimage to Ukraine

The Jerusalem District Court decided that the next phase in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trail will take place in January 2021, with witnesses called to the court three times a week.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Calling of witnesses in Netanyahu's trail fixed for January 2021

Saudi Arabia and Iraq signed investment agreements on energy and sports, the Kingdom's state TV reported on Monday.An Iraqi delegation, led by Finance Minister Ali Allawi, arrived in Saudi Arabia on Sunday for an official visit. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi was due to arrive on Monday but his trip was canceled after King Salman was admitted to hospital for medical checks.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia and Iraq sign investment agreements on energy and sports

The United Arab Emirates has confirmed 271 new coronavirus cases as the country’s recovery rate nears 87 percent, according to the latest numbers revealed by the health ministry on Monday.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.The number of recoveries has reached 49,621 out of a total 57,193 confirmed cases as of July 20.Meanwhile, the death toll reached 340 after one fatality was confirmed over the past 24 hours, the health ministry announced.The new cases were confirmed after an additional 27,000 COVID-19 tests were administered, according to official WAM news agency.Read more:Dubai launches ‘Dubai assured’ stamp for tourism, retail establishmentsThere are six types of COVID-19 with different symptoms, study revealsHong Kong reports 73 new COVID-19 cases, 66 locally transmittedThe UAE has the second lowest number of confirmed cases in the Gulf region ahead of Bahrain which has the lowest number as of July 19.The country was the first in the wider Middle East to record a case of coronavirus, a 73-year-old Chinese woman on January 29. The announcement was followed shortly by several other cases, most of whom were also Chinese tourists.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: UAE detects 271 new COVID-19 cases, recovery rate nears 87 pct

Saudi Arabia has confirmed 2,429 new coronavirus cases and 5,524 recoveries over the past 24 hours, raising the total number of cases to 253,349, the health ministry announced on Monday.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.Of the new cases, 254 were confirmed in the city of Jeddah, 195 in al-Hafouf and 169 in Riyadh.Meanwhile, the death toll reached 2,523 after 37 new fatalities were recorded, according to the health ministry.The Kingdom has 47,567 active cases with 203,259 total recoveries as of July 20.Health ministry spokesman Dr. Mohammed al-Abd al-Ali said on Sunday that “unlimited support to the health sector has contributed to the Kingdom achieving levels of health security for all those in need in all regions and for all groups.”Read more:UAE detects 271 new COVID-19 cases, recovery rate nears 87 pctSaudi Arabia, Iraq postpone PM Kadhimi’s visit due to King Salman’s hospitalizationSaudi Arabia says pilgrims begin 7-day COVID-19 isolation before HajjIn June, Saudi Arabia was ranked among the top 20 safest countries in the world during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to a comprehensive data analysis by Hong Kong-based Deep Knowledge Group.The Kingdom came in 17th place in Deep Knowledge’s COVID-19 Safety Assessment. It was classified within the “Tier 1” category - 20 countries that ranked highest “in terms of regional safety and stability” in the era of COVID-19.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia records 2,429 new COVID-19 cases, 5,524 recoveries

Saudi Arabia has announced the Eid al-Adha holiday dates for private and public sector employees, official Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Private sector employees will get a four-day holiday starting from the end of the workday on July 29 through August 2.Public sector employees will enjoy a two-week period off that is set to begin at the end of the workday on July 23 through August 8 and are expected to return to work on August 9, according to SPA.A member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences announced in June that the Eid al-Adha holiday is expected to begin on Friday, July 31.According to labor laws, if the holiday dates fall on an employee’s usual weekend, he or she shall be compensated for the days before or after the holiday, according to a Ministry of Labor and Social Development statement carried by SPA.Eid al-Adha is celebrated by Muslims around the world one day after the annual Hajj pilgrimage ends. It also commemorates the day prophet Ibrahim was willing to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God’s command.Read more:Eid al-Adha expected to begin on July 31, astronomer saysCoronavirus pictures: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr amid restrictions, lockdownsSaudi Arabia records 2,429 new COVID-19 cases, 5,524 recoveries
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Eid al-Adha: Saudi Arabia announces holiday dates for private, public sectors

Tourists are back on Tunisia’s beaches after charter flights resumed to the North African country following a break of more than three months due to the coronavirus pandemic..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Tunisia welcomes back tourists after pandemic lockdown, national carrier lagging