As the Omicron variant of Covid-19 continues to drive new infections around the world, Israel has become one of the first countries to start rolling out a fourth dose of the vaccine. The so-called "second" booster jab is currently available to the over-60s, health workers and anyone considered medically vulnerable.
Staying in Israel, an outbreak of avian flu has killed more than 5,000 migratory cranes in the country. There aren't yet any reports of the disease passing to humans, but authorities have ordered thousands of chickens to be culled as a precaution.
When the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011, thousands of people sought refuge in neighbouring Lebanon. Many are still there, afraid of returning to Syria and struggling to survive in often squalid conditions, exacerbated by Lebanon's economic crisis. Our correspondents Sally Farhat and Zeina Antonios went to the Arsal refugee camp to meet some of those who are thinking about making the perilous journey to Europe.
Finally, in Oman, a country with 3,000 kilometres of shoreline, the vast majority of fishing is done by small, independent outfits. But authorities are hoping that a huge investment in fishing will help wean the country's economy off its dependency on fossil fuels.
