Middle East & North Africa

05 Feb 2021; MEMO: For Turkey to secure its status as an economic power and have a voice in the international arena, it needs to continue investing in its defence industry, a senior Turkish official said today.

The defence industry serves as an engine for both the economy and national security, Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank stressed during the opening ceremony of defence contractor Teknokar's new factory in Ankara.

05 Feb 2021; MEMO: The organisers of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Gulf State's National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) to enhance the legacy of the football tournament, the Peninsula Qatar has reported.

05 Feb 2021; MEMO: The Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday summoned Spain's ambassador to Rabat to protest the Spanish police aggression against Moroccan minors in an immigration detention centre.

This came after Spanish media published a video last Sunday showing Spanish security officers aggressing Moroccan adolescents in an immigration detention centre in the Spanish Canary Islands.

05 Feb 2021; MEMO: Scores of political prisoners detained in Egypt have urged US President Joe Biden to look into human rights violations in Egypt and end their suffering in prison.

04 Feb 2021; MEMO: Israeli occupation forces yesterday demolished a home and an electricity network in the West Bank's southern city of Hebron.

WAFA reported that Israeli bulldozers raided Beit Awwa town, near the city of Hebron, and demolished a 180 square metre house sheltering a Palestinian family including five children with social needs. The bulldozers also destroyed an electricity grid that was supplying ten homes in the area.

04 Feb 2021; MEMO: A Conservative Party MP said on Thursday that Britain regards a commercial partnership with the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as one of its top priorities post-Brexit. Dr Liam Fox made his comments in an interview with Asharq News.

04 Feb 2021; MEMO: Three parties have agreed to continue to run in Israel's upcoming elections as one bloc; the Joint List.

The Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash), the National Democratic Gathering (Balad) and the Arab Movement for Renewal (Ta'al) yesterday agreed to run as a united list in the March election.

by Anadolu Agency

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is proud of the fact that he was one of the first people called by Donald Trump when he entered the White House four years ago. However, he is still waiting for a call from new US President Joe Biden.

04 Feb 2021; MEMO: There are indications that deaths are rising again in detention centres due to coronavirus, reports We Record, after three detainees died within 24 hours of each other.

Mahmoud Al-Ajami was arrested and detained in Talkha Police Station where he asked to be referred to hospital after suffering covid symptoms, but the request was refused until his situation had deteriorated.

He died in hospital yesterday, 39 days after his arrest.

04 Feb 2021; MEMO: Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri arrived in the Egyptian capital Cairo yesterday on an official visit during which he will meet President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and a number of Egyptian officials.

Hariri and his accompanying delegation are also scheduled to meet Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, as well as Arab League Secretary-General, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, to discuss the latest regional developments and the formation of a new Lebanese government.