Middle East & North Africa

Rabat, Jan 30 (AP-PTI) Scores of Moroccan health workers streamed to a spacious white tent erected outside the Avicenne University Hospital in the capital Rabat to get their first dose of COVID-19 vaccines, as a mass vaccination effort began Friday in the North African country.

The bustling vaccination center one of 600 set up in Rabat alone aims to inject more than 4,000 health professionals with vaccine doses within three weeks. That's an example of the ambitious targets set by Morocco, which has one of Africa's most advanced coronavirus vaccination plans in place so far.

ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese ambassador to Ethiopia Zhao Zhiyuan and Mayor of Ethiopia's capital city Adanech Abiebie agreed on Friday to enhance the economic partnership between the two countries.

In a press statement, Abiebie said she has reached an agreement with the Chinese ambassador to Ethiopia on the need to add new Chinese built projects that improve the economic and social lives of Addis Ababa city residents.

29 Jan 2021; MEMO: Tunisian Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi has declared that any attempt to harm President Kais Saied means targeting Tunisia and its people.

29 Jan 2021; MEMO: Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz on Wednesday slammed Army Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Aviv Kochavi, for publicly criticising the United States and threatening to attack Iran.

"A nuclear Iran is a danger to the world, to the region, and is a challenge to the security of Israel. Of course, Israel must be prepared to defend itself in any way, but red lines are drawn in closed rooms," Gantz told reporters.

29 Jan 2021; MEMO: The Israeli army yesterday destroyed a natural reserve and uprooted at least 10,000 trees in a military campaign in the northern West Bank in a move that Palestinians termed a "crime".

JERUSALEM, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that the U.S. decision to suspend the sale of F-35 warplanes to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will not affect Israeli ties with the UAE.

"We have passed the point of no return," Netanyahu said during a press briefing broadcast on his Facebook page.

"Everyone understands that there are huge benefits to having ties with Israel," he added, noting he believes the arms deal will finally go through.

JERUSALEM (AP) — As he seeks reelection, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has turned to a straightforward strategy: Count on the rock-solid support of his ultra-Orthodox political allies and stamp out the coronavirus pandemic with one of the world’s most aggressive vaccination campaigns.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — After opening itself to New Year’s revelers, Dubai is now being blamed by several countries for spreading the coronavirus abroad, even as questions swirl about the city-state’s ability to handle reported record spikes in virus cases.

The government’s Dubai Media Office says the sheikhdom is doing all it can to handle the pandemic, though it has repeatedly declined to answer questions from The Associated Press about its hospital capacity.

28 Jan 2021; MEMO: Armenia's territorial integrity is a "red line" for Iran, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned yesterday.

Zarif's remarks came during a meeting with his Armenian counterpart, Ara Aivazyan, in Yerevan during a trip to the capital city before he sets off to Azerbaijan and Russia.

Officials reportedly discussed "bilateral relations between Armenia and Iran, as well as other regional issues."

Israeli intelligence services have started to warn Hamas officials in the occupied West Bank not to participate in the upcoming Palestinian elections, sources within the movement revealed on Wednesday.