Middle East Experience

Three men who were filmed sexually assaulting a Syrian child in Lebanon have caused outrage after the video was posted online..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Lebanon outraged as video of trio sexually assaulting Syrian child emerges online

Business jets have seemingly come to the rescue of those who can afford to spend that amount..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Coronavirus impact: Stranded residents willing to pay up to Dh15,000 for a one-way ticket to UAE

Antibody testing had been delayed for more than a month due to “logistics” in the Health Ministry, the CEO of Maccabi, Ran Sa'ar, told The Jerusalem Post.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Israel launches coronavirus antibody testing at last

The profound lack of seriousness with which the leaders appear to take the variety of crises does not bode well.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Our leaders need to stop behaving like children and act responsibly

In Israel, according to Sheba Medical Center’s Dr. Eyal Zimlichman, the average age of people being infected is around 40.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Why are so many younger people catching coronavirus?

432 new patients since midnight * Netanyahu, Katz unveil new economic incentives
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Coronavirus cabinet reinstates restrictions as cases climb

This building was made in the 1960s, and is registered as property of the US government since 1962.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Ambassador Friedman's Herzliya home is on sale for NIS 300 million

Air conditioning use could be a key indicator in the spread of the deadly coronavirus disease, a Harvard professor warned.While experts have previously suggested that air conditioning itself may not cause infection, the use of air conditioning suggests more people are confined in small spaces, creating a perfect breeding ground for the virus to spread.“The [US] states that, in June, are already using a lot of air conditioning because of high temperatures are also the places where there’s been greater increases in spread of COVID-19, suggesting more time indoors as temperatures rise,” Edward Nardell, a professor of medicine, global health, and social medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS), said, The Harvard Gazette reported Monday.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the appNardell, who is also a professor of environmental health, immunology and infectious diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, added that the same dynamic is normally seen in cold winters as people flock indoors for warmth.A significant portion of viral spread has been generally attributed to large water droplets that are expelled when an infected person coughs, talks or sneezes, but there is also evidence that airborne transmission could be causing infection, Nardell said.Droplets containing coronavirus can be suspended in the air for a short period of time before settling on surfaces, allowing for infection to occur.Coronavirus and contaminated airStudies conducted after the SARS outbreak in 2003 suggest that some infections occurred in high-rise buildings as contaminated air rose through the buildings’ airshafts into different apartments. COVID-19 is from the same family as SARS, known as coronaviruses.In a closed room with the windows closed and the air conditioning on, people tend to rebreathe the same air in the room and from each other, allowing for airborne transmission to occur.“As people go indoors in hot weather and the rebreathed air fraction goes up, the risk of infection is quite dramatic,” Nardell said, according to the Gazette.In April, Dr. Maher Balkis, associate staff physician of infectious diseases at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi told Al Arabiya English that air currents caused by air conditioning could also exacerbate this effect.“It is possible that air currents caused by air conditioning may have allowed droplets in the air to spread further than they otherwise might,” Balkis explained. “These findings are backed up by what we know of other viruses such as influenza, which are not known to spread through air duct systems, rather, they spread through close contact and infected droplets.”Read more:‘Very real’ fear that people may never fully recover from coronavirus, scientists sayCoronavirus found in sewage water from March 2019 in Spain, COVID-19 research showsCoronavirus: Bill Gates says US COVID-19 response ‘embarrassing,’ outlook more bleak
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Air conditioning use could spread COVID-19, Harvard scientist warns

Qatar is set to reopen restaurants and museums in tourist areas from Wednesday, July 1, according to the official Qatar News Agency (QNA) on Twitter."Restaurants will be allowed to resume operations starting tomorrow in following tourist areas: Souq Waqif, Al-Wakra Old Souq, the Pearl, Katara Cultural Village,restaurants and kiosks in sports clubs and tourist area, Qatar museums, Al-Hazim and Msheireb Downtown Doha.#QNA," tweeted QNA on Tuesday.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.The news comes the day after the number of infections in the country topped 90,000.COVID-19 rules for Qatar restaurantsFacilities will be required to follow COVID-19 health rules, said the QNA.The rules limit restaurant capacity to 50 percent, with parking spaces also reduced to 50 percent.Social distancing of two meters is also required for all guests.Dining at a restaurant requires pre-booking, and guests must have their Ehteraz app checked before entry.Only guests with a green health rating on Ehteraz will be allowed in, reported QNA.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Smoking banned outside Qatar mallsThe guidelines include barring smoking at mall entrances and removing all containers designated for cigarette waste, and preventing the gathering of visitors and limousine or taxi drivers at the entrance to malls, said QNA.Qatar has reported 95,106 cases of coronavirus following 693 new cases on Monday.The death from the virus toll is 113 so far.Read more:Coronavirus: UAE suspends flights from Pakistan, special COVID-19 test lab plannedCoronavirus: Gradual opening at UAE mosques, places of worship as COVID-19 rules easeNew pig ‘flu’ virus, G4 strain of H1N1, has human pandemic risk: Chinese research
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Qatar to reopen restaurants in tourist areas under COVID-19 measures

Interest from buyers and renters in villas throughout Dubai skyrocketed throughout the emirate’s coronavirus lockdown, data compiled by UAE property portal Bayut showed.Between February and March, interest in villas ready for sale jumped by 42.6 percent, Bayut said, with searches for villas continuing to rise by 25.6 percent month-on-month in April.“It’s understandable why this segment has captured consumer interest at a time when there has been a heightened need for private living arrangements with safe, outdoor spaces,” Bayut said in a statement.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the appAuthorities have been attempting to curb the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, and have introduced large stimulus measures to encourage the economy to continue to grow. Analysts and experts have predicted that the UAE is likely in a better position to grow once the COVID-19 crisis has dimmed.“With the increased loan-to-value (LTV) rates which were announced in the first half of March 2020, it has also become easier for first-time buyers to get onto the property ladder. The initial financial outlay has significantly reduced and the buyer-friendly environment has enabled people to negotiate more favorable prices with sellers,” Bayut added.Bayut found that buyers were most interested in villas located in Arabian Ranches, The Villa and Palm Jumeirah, with a majority of potential homeowners looking at units with a budget of 2.4 million dirhams ($654,000).Interest also registered an uptick for more expensive properties priced between 3-8 million dirhams between March and April compared to the two months prior, Bayut added.In the villa rental segment, searches by prospective tenets increased 13.1 percent and 11.4 percent in March and April, respectively. Renters typically were looking for units priced under 120,000 dirhams in family-friendly areas including Mirdif, Jumeirah, Akoya Oxygen and Arabian Ranches.Dubai apartments for sale up, rentals downInterest in apartments in Dubai for sale also increased throughout the pandemic, but at a lower rate than villas, the data showed, with interest increasing 4 percent in March and 9.4 percent in April.Well-established communities saw the most interest including Dubai Marina, Downturn Dubai, and JVC with affordable prices under 600,000 dirhams.Apartment rentals, however, were the one segment that did not see searches increase, Bayut said.Searches for rental apartments in Dubai went down 2.2 percent in March, and 8.9 percent in April. Prospective tenants were looking for affordable units between 45,000-65,000 dirhams in areas including JVC, Dubai Marina and Al Nahda.“While this is expected to recover in due course when more viewings are possible, it could also indicate a fundamental shift in housing priorities for end users. The current situation has highlighted the importance of safety, privacy and the sense of personal space. Having luxuries like a private garden or private beach access can significantly enhance your ability to cope in such challenging times,” Bayut concluded.Read more:Dubai property group Limitless hires advisers to work on restructuring: DocumentDubai property prices are falling to 2010 levels amid coronavirus crisis: S&PDubai’s oversupplied property sector to add more new homes in 2020
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Dubai property: Buying and renting villas skyrockets during coronavirus crisis