Tag Archives: Middle East

The vice president for science and technology says Iran is to export diagnostic kits that it has indigenously produced for identification of the new coronavirus patients to Germany and Turkey. Speaking to IRNA on Monday, Sourena Sattari identified the devices as serologic test kits developed by Iranian science-based companies that …

Lebanon’s government on Friday signed a request for assistance from the International Monetary Fund, a statement from Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s office said. “This is a historic moment in the history of Lebanon. We have taken the first step on the path of saving Lebanon from the deep financial gap; …

Sudan has outlawed female genital mutilation (FGM), in a move that has been hailed by women’s rights campaigners. The country’s transitional government approved an amendment to its criminal legislation on 22 April and made it public on Friday. The new law states that anyone who performs FGM, whether inside a …

Israeli helicopters fired several rockets from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on targets inside southern Syria, Syrian state media reported on Friday, in what intelligence sources say is part of an increase in strikes against Syrians. Opposition sources in the area said several militia posts near Quneitra were targeted in the …

The Lebanese governments endorsed an economic reform plan on Thursday aimed at dealing with the nation’s deepening financial crisis, President Michel Aoun said. “Today is a historic day because for the first time an economic and financial plan has been endorsed after a lack of planning and prospects almost brought …

More than 180 Palestinian, regional and international human rights campaigners and organizations have called upon the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda, to investigate the crimes being perpetrated by Israeli forces in the occupied territories. The rights groups, in a joint open letter initiated by Palestinian …

Human Rights Watch has urged the Egyptian authorities to release two translators, women who were arbitrarily arrested and “forcibly disappeared” last week. According to the HRW, security forces arrested Marwa Arafa, 27, and Kholoud Said, 35, at their homes on April 20 and 21, respectively. They are held in undisclosed …

At least a dozen Lebanese banks across the country were torched and vandalized during the second consecutive night of angry protests fuelled by frustration over the national currency’s unfettered depreciation. Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets from Beirut to southern Sidon along with Nabatieh, the Bekaa Valley, and Tripoli …

Lebanon’s central bank governor defended himself Wednesday against scathing criticism by the government, claiming there is a “systematic campaign” meant to hold him responsible for the country’s recent financial crisis and the collapse of the national currency. Speaking in an hour-long video conference, Gov. Riad Salameh, who has held the …

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi ordered a three-month renewal for the long-running state of emergency in the country on Tuesday, citing health and security concerns. Egypt has been under a state of emergency since April 2017, when twin church bombings claimed by an Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) affiliate group …

More than 700 people in Iran have died after ingesting toxic methanol because false rumors it helps cure the coronavirus, officials have said. In a desperate search for a curative, many families have turned to fake remedies spread across social media – including a powerful form of bootleg alcohol banned …

Violent protests against growing economic hardship erupted again in the Lebanese city of Tripoli on Tuesday, with banks set ablaze after a night of rioting that left one demonstrator dead, according to security and medical sources. A collapse in the currency, soaring inflation, and spiraling unemployment are convulsing Lebanon, which …

Saudi authorities are reportedly seeking to produce a movie aimed at tarnishing the image of a dissident tribal activist, who was fatally shot earlier this month in the kingdom’s northwestern Tabuk region as he resisted leaving his home to allow construction of a controversial megacity project. Local sources told the …

A three-day curfew will be implemented in Turkey as part of measures to contain the spread of coronavirus. The curfew from the 1st to the 4th of May will involve 31 cities. The curfew will follow a 4-day lockdown declared by the Turkish Interior Ministry in 31 cities due to …

The American naval coalition in the Gulf creates insecurity, the Iranian military said in a statement on Monday, according to the official IRNA news agency. “The false coalition from outside the region led by America disrupts regional order and security rather than help preserve stability and security in the region,” …

Iran’s Health Ministry says the country has recorded a two-digit rise in the number of new coronavirus cases for the first time in more than a month, which indicates the declining curve of the COVID-19 disease in the country. Kianoush Jahanpour, the head of the public relations and information center …

Thousands in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv where ‘Black Flag’ protesters are gathering to oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies amid the coronavirus pandemic, which they perceive as a consolidation of his power to avoid a corruption trial. The public protest comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the …

Saudi Arabia has abolished flogging as a punishment, the state human rights commission said Saturday, hailing a “step forward” in the reform programme launched by the king and his powerful son. Court-ordered floggings in Saudi Arabia — sometimes extending to hundreds of lashes — have long drawn condemnation from human …

Nine people were wounded in a shooting in the Arab village of Yafia, outside Nazareth, in Israel on Saturday, police told local media. Two of the victims are in critical condition. No arrests have been made at this point, and it is yet unclear how many people were involved in …

Iran President Hassan Rouhani says a recent successful launch for a home-made satellite was proof that Iran has pursued a sound policy to develop its space sector. In comments published on Friday, the Iranian president hailed the launch of Noor military satellite earlier this week by the Islamic Revolution Guards …