Middle East Experience

The international supermodel is a controversial person in Israel due to her avoidance of mandatory military service, as well as the trial.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Israeli top model Bar Refaeli found guilty in tax evasion case

President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi discussed the Nile dam dispute with Ethiopia as well as the Libya war by phone today.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Intel: Trump, Sisi address Nile dam dispute and Libya war

Satellite imagery shows possible marine mammal pens at Russia's naval base in Syria during late 2018.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Russia’s combat dolphins may have been used in Syria: report

The coronavirus outbreak continues to rise in Oman as the Ministry of Health on Tuesday recorded 1,487 new cases of COVID19, which brings the total number of confirmed infections in the country to 69,887.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.Oman will be imposing strict restrictions ahead of the Eid al-Adha holiday, which is set to begin July 30, pending the moon sighting. Muslims often mark the holiday with large feasts and family visits, which may cause the virus to spread between people.A total lockdown will be imposed on all the governorates, the Supreme Committee for Dealing with COVID-19 decided.All public spaces and shops will be closed during the lockdown, which will be enforced every night from 7 a.m. to 6 a.m.All gatherings will be prohibited, and Eid prayers, going to Eid markets, visiting relatives,and group Eid celebrations will be banned to prevent the virus from spreading.Patrols and checkpoints around the country will be intensified to ensure that the public comply with the new restrictions, the committee added.The majority of the new cases that the ministry reported on Tuesday were detected in Omani citizens, the ministry added.A total of 1,159 Omanis and 328 non-Omani expatriates tested positive for the virus in the past 24 hours.Eleven people died due to complications caused by COVID-19, according to the health ministry. This brings the total number of fatalities to 337.Meanwhile, the number of recoveries in Oman rose to 46,608 after 1,458 people recovered from the novel coronavirus.So far, 279,446 people have been tested across the country.Read more:Eid al-Adha: Saudi Arabia announces holiday dates for private, public sectorsCoronavirus: UAE to open registration for COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials nationwide
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Oman records 1,487 new COVID-19 cases, imposes lockdown ahead of Eid

Face masks can remain contaminated with coronavirus for days, meaning wearers should treat their masks with care to prevent becoming infected with COVID-19, a US researcher warned.Previous research has indicated that the coronavirus could remain infectious on surfaces for up to several days after first contact. While face masks are generally meant to be for single use in a medical setting, a shortage of personal protective equipment worldwide has many reusing their face masks, which could lead to infections.“By design, the mask could really be contaminated, so we recommend that people think of their masks as a biohazard,” Professor Kelly Reynolds, the department chair of community, environment and policy at the University of Arizona Public Health College explained to US-based news ABC15 last week.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the appThe exterior of the mask, which can prevent infected droplets from causing the wearing to catch coronavirus, could continue to be infectious for days after first contact, and washing the mask is problematic, Reynolds explained.“You can’t just throw them in the washer machine – that would destroy their fibers,” he said.Reynolds instead suggested that the best course of action would be to let the virus naturally die off, recommending users place their mask in a paper bag and wait seven days before using it again.When removing the mask, it is also important to try to prevent moving potentially infectious particles onto your fingers, Reynolds explained. If the wearer must touch their mask with their fingers, then use the pinkie fingers to remove it, as these fingers are less likely to come into contact with your face.“If you think about why we are wearing the mask in the first place, it is to prevent our exposure … Making sure you know how to properly care for your mask, and how to properly take it off and put it on is really important to reduce your risk of exposure,” Reynolds concluded.Read more:Coronavirus: France makes wearing masks indoors compulsory amid COVID-19 pandemicMasks prevented coronavirus outbreak at US hair salon: StudyCoronavirus: UAE’s first local mask manufacturer can produce 90,000 masks daily
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: COVID-19 can live on face masks for days amid pandemic, scientist warns

The United Arab Emirates reported 305 new cases of the deadly coronavirus, raising the total number of confirmed infections in the country to 57,498, the government announced on Tuesday.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.One person died due to complications caused by COVID-19, the Ministry of Health and Prevention said. This brings the virus-related death toll in the country to 341.Meanwhile, the total number of recoveries in the UAE reached 49,964 after 343 people recovered from the coronavirus.Vaccine trials The UAE announced on Sunday plans to open registration to the public for the third phase of clinical trials for a possible coronavirus vaccine.“The Ministry of Health and Department of Health – Abu Dhabi are coordinating to open registration for nationals and residents across the UAE who wish to volunteer for Phase III clinical trials of inactivated vaccine, and to specify locations for receiving volunteers,” the media office tweeted.Volunteers of any nationality can apply to participate if they are between the ages of 18 and 60, and they can register their information on the dedicated website: www.4humanity.ae, the media office said.Read more:Coronavirus: UAE to open registration for COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials nationwideWatch: UAE launches Hope Probe in landmark space mission to Mars
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: UAE reports 305 new COVID-19 cases, 343 new recoveries

The coronavirus recovery rate in five Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is much higher than the global average, according to new data from CoronaTracker.com, a community-driven project that analyzes COVID-19 trends.The average recovery rate in five of the six GCC countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Oman – was 81 percent, according to the data, which is significantly higher than the global average of 57 percent.Bahrain had the highest recovery rate at 89 percent, followed by the UAE (86 percent), Kuwait (84 percent), Saudi Arabia (80 percent), and Oman (62 percent).Visit our dedicated coronavirus site here for all the latest updates.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the appThe study takes the recovery rate as the percentage of coronavirus cases who have been reported to have made a full recovery.The coronavirus pandemic first reached the countries of the Arabian Gulf in February, with the UAE reporting its first cases in Chinese tourists visiting the company. The virus subsequently took hold across the Gulf, with Bahraini officials reporting many of the initial cases as having arrived from Iran, which was one of the first major hotspots for the virus following the original outbreak in China.Latest: Coronavirus: UAE reports 305 new COVID-19 cases, 343 new recoveriesGulf countries coronavirus responseAn analysis of the data by management consultancy firm APCO Worldwide pointed to the high levels of testing in the UAE and Bahrain.The UAE has been conducting tens of thousands of tests every day, with authorities previously saying they aimed to test everyone in the country.Bahrain was one of the first countries outside of China to enter lockdown, closing schools and universities in February.By the end of March, almost all GCC countries had suspended international flights. The UAE emirate of Dubai has now resumed international travel, with tourists able to visit since July 7, provided they follow the necessary regulations.CoronaTracker.com sources data from a range of international media and public agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, according to APCO Worldwide, who analyzed the data.Qatar is the sixth member of the GCC, but since June, 2017, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt broke off relations with Doha over its alleged funding of extremism.Read more:Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia records 2,429 new COVID-19 cases, 5,524 recoveriesCoronavirus: UAE to open registration for COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials nationwideCoronavirus: Entering Abu Dhabi now requires booking appointment for a COVID-19 test
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Gulf Arab COVID-19 recovery rate above global average, reveals data

Iraq's agriculture sector has been revived in the past few months, after the government closed its borders and banned the import of agricultural produce as a preventive measure against the coronavirus outbreak.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Closing borders due to COVID-19 revives Iraqi agriculture

Saudi Arabia detected 2,476 new cases of the deadly coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed infections in the Kingdom to 255,825, the Ministry of Health announced on Thursday.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.The city of Jeddah recorded the highest number of new cases, with 284 infections in the last 24 hours. The capital Riyadh recorded 158 new cases, while Taif recorded 143 new infections.The other cases were reported in cities and provinces across the Kingdom.A total of 4,000 people recovered from the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, the ministry added. This raises the number of recoveries in Saudi Arabia to 207,259.Thirty-four people died due to complications caused by COVID-19, raising the virus-related death toll to 2,557.The risk level of the novel coronavirus outbreak in Saudi Arabia dropped in last week, according to a COVID-19 risk level map developed by a team of health experts.The map, which was developed by teams at Harvard’s Global Health Institute and Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, determines the severity of an outbreak in a given country based on the number of new daily reported cases.The coronavirus outbreak in Saudi Arabia had ranked at the orange risk level earlier this month– the second highest risk category – which means the virus is quickly spreading, data developed by a network of health research experts showed.The outbreak in the Kingdom now ranks at the yellow level.Read more:Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia says pilgrims begin 7-day COVID-19 isolation before HajjCoronavirus: Gulf Arab COVID-19 recovery rate above global average, reveals data
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia detects 2,476 new COVID-19 cases, 4,000 recoveries

Vote counting was underway Tuesday in Syria after reruns in five polling stations delayed the results of parliamentary polls, hailed by Iran as “successful” and denounced by Washington as “rigged..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Reruns delay Syria vote results