Middle East & North Africa

HMEYMIM /Syria/, February 6. /TASS/: Officers of the Russian military police, doing their service in Syria as part of the Russian forces in the country, practiced repelling a militant attack at the Hmeymim air base and an enemy’s attempt to infiltrate the naval base in Tartus from the sea, Hmeymim Base Commandant Vitaly Alisevich has told reporters.

In his words, units of the military police, created ten years ago, are now fulfilling the widest range of tasks in the Syrian Arab Republic.

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya’s parallel eastern administration on Saturday welcomed Friday’s announcement of a new interim government to unite the country, but added it would only cede power if the eastern-based parliament approved.

Its qualified statement of support - leaving scope to oppose the move later - illustrates the challenges that may face the U.N.-led efforts to find a political solution to a decade of chaos, division and violence.

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya’s parallel eastern administration on Saturday welcomed Friday’s announcement of a new interim government to unite the country, but added it would only cede power if the eastern-based parliament approved.

Its qualified statement of support - leaving scope to oppose the move later - illustrates the challenges that may face the U.N.-led efforts to find a political solution to a decade of chaos, division and violence.

DUBAI (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by phone to Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister on Friday for the first time, Saudi state media said early on Saturday.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud congratulated Blinken on taking up his new appointment last week and said the kingdom hopes to work with the United States to face common challenges and maintain regional stability, state news agency SPA reported.

(Reuters) - Iran’s foreign minister urged Washington to act fast to return to the nuclear accord, pointing out that legislation passed by parliament forces the government to harden its nuclear stance if U.S. sanctions are not eased by Feb. 21.

Mohammad Javad Zarif also referred to elections in Iran in June. If a hardline president is elected, this could further jeopardize the deal.

ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The 34th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) kicked off virtually on Saturday amid COVID-19 concerns.

Speakers at the opening session include Cyril Ramaphosa, president of South Africa who is also the outgoing chairperson of the AU, Felix Tshisekedi, president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and incoming chairperson of the 55-member pan African bloc, as well as Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of the AU Commission.

06 Feb 2021; MEMO: Uyghur Turks who have not heard from their families living in East Turkistan staged a protest on Friday outside the Chinese Embassy in Turkey, Anadolu Agency reports.

They held banners saying: "Where is my family?" and "Release my family".

The spokesman for the group, Mirzehmet Ilyasoglu, called on the world to raise voice against those crimes against humanity.

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s president has ordered the establishment of two new departments in the country’s most prestigious university, which has been rocked by weeks of demonstrations protesting his appointment of a new rector with government links.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decision, published in the Official Gazette Saturday, says law and communications faculties are to be launched in Bogazici University. Critics say the establishment of new departments would allow the presidentially appointed rector to staff them with government loyalists.

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Emmanuel Conteh negotiates the muddy, rutted pathways in shorts and torn plastic flip-flops and says he can’t sleep in his heavy canvas tent at night because of the cold.

He laments the “hellish” conditions in ethnically divided Cyprus’ cramped Pournara migrant reception camp, where he’s been living for the past two months after flying to the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north and then clandestinely crossing into the internationally recognized south.

06 Feb 2021; MEMO: Border clashes between the Sudanese army and Ethiopian forces were renewed in Al-Fashqa Al-Sughra on Thursday. Sudanese sources have confirmed that the army has regained control of new lands previously seized by Ethiopian forces.