Middle East Experience

This week we focus on a 'disappointing' decision by the UK to resume….
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Yemen in Focus: British MPs slam 'outrageous' decision to resume Saudi arms sales

Iran has suffered a series of six fires, explosions and chemical mishaps since June 26, waged by an unknown perpetrator.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Multiple attacks on Iran by unseen adversary send clear warning to regime

Child amputees return to the sport they love as coronavirus restrictions are lifted in Gaza..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Gaza: Amputee children play football again as virus curbs eased

Palestinian-American model Bella Hadid has slammed Instagram's 'censorship' of her father's birthplace..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Cancelling a culture: Bella Hadid accuses Instagram of 'silencing' Palestine’s history

The volunteers all had coronavirus more than a month ago and after their recovery tested negative for the virus but positive for antibodies, meaning they are immune to getting corona.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Hadassah pilot: Recovered COVID patients volunteer to assist the sick

Turkey hopes visitors from the United Kingdom will help offset the deep losses its coronavirus-hit tourism industry is expected to suffer this summer season and is pushing the European Union to reconsider its "safe list" that excluded the Mediterranean destination.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Britain extends lifeline to Turkish tourism by lifting quarantine rule

Achieving herd immunity to coronavirus through natural infection is “unethical,” “unachievable,” and risks a second wave of COVID-19, according to two scientists who analyzed recent studies of immunity levels in infection hotspots.Writing in the scientific journal the Lancet, Isabella Eckerle and Benjamin Meyer analyzed recent studies regarding the level of immunity reached in countries that witnessed significant outbreaks including Spain, Switzerland and China.Visit our dedicated coronavirus site here for all the latest updates.According to their assessment, the studies undermine the idea that a form of natural resistance to COVID-19 could be developed through the majority of the population catching the disease and then developing immunity to it – the strategy known as “herd immunity.”“The key finding from these representative cohorts is that most of the population appears to have remained unexposed to SARS-CoV-2, even in areas with widespread virus circulation,” wrote the authors.Read more:Coronavirus: Largest COVID-19 study finds age, gender, diabetes increase death rateCoronavirus: New research suggests doctors are treating COVID-19 patients wrongly WHO warns travelers on coronavirus: Keep an eye ‘If it’s anywhere, it’s everywhere’Low level of spread even without lockdownThe two authors added that only low levels of “seroprevalence,” or exposure to the disease, had been found even in countries that did not impose lockdown measures, such a Sweden, which attracted attention for its strategy to try to achieve some form of herd immunity.The authors further argue that detecting seroprevalence does not mean that people who have been infected with the disease are immune to being infected again, and that scientists still do not know whether humans will develop lasting and strong immunity to COVID-19.Considering all these factors, the scientists concluded that any attempt to allow COVID-19 to spread through the population is dangerous and could lead to a second wave of the virus, such as waves seen in Serbia and the Australian city of Melbourne, where lockdown measures were lifted and then re-implemented after a rise in cases.“Any proposed approach to achieve herd immunity through natural infection is not only highly unethical, but also unachievable. With a large majority of the population being infection naive, virus circulation can quickly return to early pandemic dimensions in a second wave once measures are lifted,” they wrote.However, they added that seroprevalence studies were of some use for authorities to calculate exposure rates to the disease, especially in areas where they lacked testing.Read more: Coronavirus: One COVID-19 vaccine not enough to tackle outbreak, Fauci says
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Natural herd immunity ‘unethical’ and ‘unachievable,’ says Lancet study

Dubai’s Emirates airlines announce Thursday that it would resume flights to six more cities around the world following a period of shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.The cities are Geneva (from July 15), Los Angeles (from July 22), Dar es Salaam (from August 1), Prague and Sao Paulo (August 2), and Boston (from August 15).The announcement brings the airline’s total network to 58 cities by mid-August, as Emirates builds up destinations following a period of closure due to the coronavirus.“We've seen an uptick in customer interest and demand since the announcement of Dubai's re-opening, and also with the increased travel options that we offer as we gradually re-establish our network connectivity,” said Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates, in a statement.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app“We continue to work closely with all stakeholders to resume flight operations while ensuring that all necessary measures to safeguard the health and safety of our customers and employees are in place,” he said.Borders begin to openDubai opened its borders to international tourists on July 7, as the emirate continues to ease lockdown measures put in place to contain the spread of the coronavirus.On Wednesday, the airline said that it would be making a negative COVID-19 test mandatory for passengers traveling back from specific countries effective July 10.The following countries listed are the countries where passengers must submit a negative coronavirus test before departure: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Russian Federation, Sudan, Tanzania and the US.For the US, the airlines specified the following airports: Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Orlando (MCO), including passengers originating from California, Florida and Texas connecting to an Emirates flight to Dubai.Earlier on Thursday, media reports began circulating that Emirates had instituted another round of job cuts as the airline shrinks its workforce due to the coronavirus pandemic.“Like other airlines and travel companies, COVID-19 has hit us hard, and as a responsible business, we simply must right-size our workforce in line with our reduced operational requirements,” an Emirates spokesperson told Al Arabiya English at the time.“Our people have always been a big contributing factor to our success, so this is not an action that we relish, nor one that we take lightly. We continue to take every possible action to reduce costs, restore revenue streams, and preserve jobs,” the spokesperson added.Read more:Coronavirus: Emirates lays off more pilots, crew in latest job cuts, sources sayCoronavirus: Emirates makes negative COVID-19 test necessary on some flights to DubaiCoronavirus: Dubai opens to tourists July 7, all travelers need to know from Emirates
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Dubai’s Emirates resumes flights to 6 more cities, bringing total to 58

The United Arab Emirates administered an additional 49,000 COVID-19 tests that detected 532 new coronavirus cases, raising the total to 53,577, the health ministry announced on Thursday.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.The total number of recovered cases in the country has reached 43,570 after 1,288 individuals who had previously tested positive for the virus recovered.The health ministry also announced one new fatality due to COVID-19 complications, raising the death toll to 328.At least 12,066,880 coronavirus cases have been registered in 196 countries and territories worldwide, according to an AFP tally. Of these cases, at least 6,431,400 have recovered as of July 9.Read more:US COVID-19 outbreak worsens as new daily cases hit global recordEmirates makes negative COVID-19 test necessary on some flights to DubaiDubai’s Emirates resumes flights to 6 more cities, bringing total to 58
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: UAE confirms 532 new COVID-19 cases after 49,000 additional tests

Some 46,000 Palestinians are now lodged on construction sites in Israel; they must stay where they work for three weeks before going back home.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Palestinian workers stay in Israel for three weeks in a row