Lebanon appealed to more friendly states on Saturday to help it import essential goods as it wrestles with an acute economic crisis and hard currency shortages, the office of caretaker Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said, Reuters reports. Hariri wrote to the leaders of Germany, Britain and Spain on Saturday...

The Taliban on Saturday resumed formal peace talks with the US in the Qatari capital, Doha, the group confirmed in a statement, Anadolu reports. Suhail Shaheen, the insurgents’ Qatar office spokesman, said on social media that Mualla Baradar Akhund, the group’s deputy head, led the Taliban delegation. “Talks with...

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has 65,000 troops costing over NIS 3.5 billion ($1 billion) in 2018, Shehab News Agency reported. According to Shehab News Agency, the data revealed that the general revenues of the PA contributed to 74 per cent of the PA budget. These revenues are mainly collected...

Some 25,000 civilians were displaced in northwestern Syria last week after the attacks of regime and Russia on the Idlib de-escalation zone, according to a Syrian NGO on Saturday, Anadolu reports. Mohammad Halaj, director of Syria’s Response Coordination Group, told Anadolu Agency that thousands of civilians were displaced in...

Oman’s Sultan Qaboos will travel to Belgium on Saturday for unspecified medical checks, his court said, Reuters reports. Western-backed Qaboos, 79, has ruled the Arabian peninsula state since he took over in a bloodless coup with the help of Oman’s former colonial power, Britain, in 1970. He has travelled...

The death toll in an attack by armed men at Baghdad’s main protest site on Friday night rose to 23 on Saturday, police and medical sources said, the deadliest incident to hit the capital in weeks, Reuters reports. More than 127 others were wounded by gunfire and stabbings targeting...

Greece has given Libya’s ambassador to Athens 72 hours to leave the country, in protest against agreements with Turkey, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias announced on Friday. According to Anadolu Agency, Dendias confirmed that the decision indicated Greece’s dissatisfaction with Libya’s UN-recognised government in Tripoli, and was taken because of...

The Iraqi Ministry of Interior denied reports regarding deaths among protesters on Friday, Anadolu Agency reported. Spokesman of the Ministry of Interior, Khalid Al-Mahna, announced in a statement: “A number of agencies reported fake news stating that the Ministry of Interior had documented deaths and violations during the protests.”...

Israeli Defense Forces have tested a new rocket propulsion system, Israeli media reported, noting that the test was conducted from an airbase in Israel. The Israeli Defense Forces did not issue more detail, according to Israeli media. All that has emerged on the topic was that the test had...

A Saudi Air Force second lieutenant killed four people and wounded eight others on Friday in an unexplained shooting rampage at a US Navy base in Florida where he was training, US officials told Reuters. Sheriff’s deputies responding to the early-morning incident shot and killed the gunman, who was...

Israeli foreign minister, Israel Katz, called on Thursday for a Western-Arab alliance headed by the US against Iran, in order to curb its missile development and “aggression”. This call came following a letter sent by France, Germany and the UK to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, warning that “Iran’s developments...

Despite efforts made to postpone payment deadlines, the late payment of dues threatens thousands of Moroccan companies with bankruptcy, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported on Friday. The reason behind the late payment of dues, which could lead to the liquidation of companies, is the difficulties relating to financing. Credit insurance company,...

Saudi foreign minister, Adel Al-Jubeir, announced on Friday that all Yemenis including the Houthis, could have a role in the future of the country, news agencies reported. Speaking at the Mediterranean Dialogues conference on the future of the Mediterranean in Rome, Al-Jubeir affirmed that there could be a settlement...

The People’s Movement Party and the Democratic Current Party officially announced on Friday that they will not participate and vote for the government of Habib Jemli. Mohammed Abbou, secretary-general of the Democratic Current Party, announced to Arabi 21 “the party will not participate in the government, and this is...

A Chinese-American detained in Iran in 2016 and later charged for spying will soon be united with his family while an imprisoned Iranian will be released by Washington in return, Iran’s foreign minister said on Saturday, Reuters reports. “Glad that Professor Massoud Soleimani and Mr. Xiyue Wang will be...

Iraq’s top Shia cleric, Ali Al-Sistani, called on Friday for the formation of a new government away from external intervention. This came in a statement read by his representative, Sheikh Abdul Mahdi Al-Karbalai, during Friday’s prayer sermon in the southern city of Karbala, quoted by Anadolu Agency. “We hope...

A drone has reportedly targeted the home of Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in the southern Iraqi city of Najaf, a leader of his movement said Saturday, Anadolu reports. In a statement, Saleh Muhammad al-Iraqi, who is close to the Shia cleric, said the attack came “in response to orders...

The US military believes that an unarmed American drone reported lost near Libya’s capital last month was in fact shot down by Russian air defenses and it is demanding the return of the aircraft’s wreckage, US Africa Command says, Reuters reports. Such a shootdown would underscore Moscow’s increasingly muscular...

The Palestinian president said Friday he would not allow a US field hospital to open in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu reports. “Such steps show that Deal of Century is being realized section by section,” Mahmud Abbas said at a meeting of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Ramallah. The...

Member of the Egyptian House of Representatives and journalist, Mostafa Bakry, claimed in a statement that the engineering student of Helwan University, Nader Mohammad, who recently threw himself off the top of Cairo Tower, belonged to the Muslim Brotherhood and committed suicide to “fuel the protests” against the ruling...

READ: Libya’s Haftar hopes to have normal relations with Israel ...

Turkey will block final publication of a NATO defence plan for the Baltics and Poland until allies agree to designate the Syrian Kurdish YPG a terrorist group, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday, Reuters reports. Two days after a NATO summit at which alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg announced that Turkey...

Prominent Shia cleric Ali al-Sistani on Friday urged the formation of a new government away from outside interventions, Anadolu Agency reports. In a statement read by his representative Abdul-Mahdi al-Karbalai during Friday sermon in Karbala province, the cleric said: “We hope that the selection of the new prime minister and his members come...

The United States on Friday blacklisted three Iran-backed Iraqi paramilitary leaders over their alleged role in killings of anti-government protesters in Iraq, the US Treasury Department said, Reuters reports. They are the latest US sanctions to target Iraqi individuals or armed groups with close links to Tehran as Washington ramps...

The US is not considering the deployment of additional troops to the Middle East, Pentagon chief confirmed on Friday, Anadolu Agency reports. “As the Department has stated repeatedly, we were never discussing or considering sending 14,000 additional troops to the Middle East,” Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in a statement. “Reports of...

The Council of Europe commissioner for human rights said Friday that conditions in migrant camps in Bosnia and Herzegovina are “embarrassing”, Anadolu Agency reports. Dunja Mijatovic visited migrant camps in different cities across the country and met with authorities and aid agencies to discuss possible solutions. Speaking at a news conference in...

The Higher Commission of the Great March of Return and Breaking of the Siege of Gaza warned Israel on Friday against targeting the marches, scheduled to resume on Friday after a three-week halt, Anadolu Agency reports. The commission which was formed by Palestinian factions in Gaza said in a statement that...

General elections are intriguing times in British politics. Parties make headlines with spending commitments, their leaders are constantly on the airwaves hammering home their message and the public are treated to a never ending array of sound bites about various policies. “Get Brexit done” and “For the many not...

US Democratic Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar have been subjected to far-right, Islamophobic fake news that is being composed and spread on Facebook by an Israeli group, reported the Guardian.  The investigation revealed how 21 far-right Facebook pages were used to disseminate the hate-fuelled disinformation to more than...

The US State Department has recently rejected a proposal to train the Saudi intelligence services due to concerns over the kingdom’s lack of judicial accountability and security restraints. The proposal made by the US global service provider and aviation company DynCorp International was refused as the kingdom does not...

Considered the most popular boys’ name in the world, Muhammad has now made the list of top ten baby names for boys in the US for the first time. According to the parenting website BabyCenter’s annual list, Muhammad along with the girls name Aaliyah (Arabic for “exalted”) have replaced...

A delegation for the government-run National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) has carried out a PR visit to Minya Prison just days after a political detainee died of medical negligence. Ibrahim Hosni Bassiouni died last Friday yet prison authorities left his body in the cell until Saturday morning. Witnesses...

A financial, economic and currency collapse in Lebanon could be a heavy recipe for a crisis, easily escalating to a public rebellion that could either lead to a revolution of change or a surrender to crisis postponement settlements; leaving the country at risks of harsh economic and political concessions,...

READ: Palestinians in Hebron repeatedly attacked by Israel settlers, soldiers...

READ: Jordanian military training reflects rising tensions with Israel...

READ: UK prince made ‘unbelievable’ racist comments against Arabs...

Iraqi’s Kurdistan Regional Government is transferring 250,000 barrels of oil per day to the federal government in Baghdad, the minister of finance said yesterday. Awat Sheikh Janab said this comes as part of a deal between Erbil and Baghdad which would see the KRG receive its share from the...

Israeli soldiers arrested a Palestine TV crew in Jerusalem this morning after confiscating their cameras and broadcast equipment. A producer with Palestine TV Nader Bibars reported that Israeli intelligence officers broke into the film set during the broadcast of “Good Morning Jerusalem” on the Mount of Olives in occupied...

Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz has issued a royal decree to grant citizenship to distinguished professionals in scientific, legal and cultural fields, local media reported. The move aims to attract distinguished and creative professionals from around the world to live in the kingdom and contribute to promoting development there....

Ministry of Agriculture in Gaza Strip has announced that a quantity of strawberries was exported to Gulf countries as a test sample. Ministry Director, Adham Al-Bassiouni, said in a press statement that three tonnes of strawberries were exported on Wednesday as a sample to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain....

An Egyptian man has set himself on fire in his wife’s family home in Giza Governorate after failing to persuade her to return to their marital home. According to Muraselon he poured petrol over himself and then self-immolated, killing himself instantly. The suicide comes just days after a 20-year-old...

Former heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua said he would “definitely be bothered” if his world title rematch against Andy Ruiz Jr was being used to “sportswash” Saudi Arabia’s dismal human rights record. The previously undefeated British fighter is hoping to reclaim three of the Heavyweight world titles tomorrow, which...

Hundreds of pro-Iran militia supporters organised a protest in the Iraqi capital Baghdad near Tahrir Square, the stronghold of anti-establishment protesters, raising fears of clashes between the two sides, Anadolu Agency reported. According to the news site, the participants raised the flags of the pro-Iran Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF)...

Qatar and Sudan have held a joint military drill in the Red Sea province to the east of Sudan, the Qatari Defence Ministry announced in a statement. The head of Qatar’s Colleges and Institutions Authority, Rashid Nasser, and the Sudanese Governor of the Red Sea state Governor Major General Hafiz El...

The Syrian regime has defended China after the US Congress condemned the People’s Republic for its human rights violations and abuse of the Uyghur Muslims. Syria’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement yesterday defending China following the US condemnation, stating that it is a “blatant interference by the US in...

The Palestinian Archbishop of Jerusalem’s Greek Orthodox Church, Atallah Hanna, has spoken out against the Israeli occupation and stressed his support for the Palestinian people and cause, urging Christians around the world to do the same. Speaking exclusively to MEMO at the “First Global Conference on Israeli Apartheid”, which took...

Mohamed Ali, 45 years old, is an amateur actor whose company was involved in the Egyptian army’s contracting investments for 15 years until a dispute arouse over a few million dollars. This resulted in him flying to Spain, taking with him what was left of his wealth, to expose...

The Israeli government yesterday signed a deal with the Czech Republic to sell radar systems used in the Iron Dome missile defence system. The deal, inked by the two country’s respective defence ministries, is worth an estimated $125 million, reported AFP, with delivery set for 2021-2023. According to the...

The United States Congress advanced a new resolution supporting a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, which can be brought to the floor for a vote. According to a report in the Hill, lawmakers “adopted two amendments meant to satisfy Republican and Democratic demands to achieve bipartisan consensus”. Ultimately,...

The director of Israel’s Central Elections Committee yesterday warned that it is unprepared for a likely third vote in less than a year, reported the Times of Israel. “We don’t have staff, offices, equipment. The storerooms are empty. This is the current situation,” Orly Adas said during a press...