Middle East & North Africa

31 Dec 2020; MEMO: The free trade agreement signed by Turkey and the UK on Tuesday will ease the two countries' bilateral trade target of $20 billion, said a top official, Anadolu reports.

After reaching the Brexit deal, the UK signed the free trade agreement with Turkey, just after one with the EU, a gesture which shows the strength of their commercial relations, Osman Okyay, head of the Turkey-UK Business Council of the Foreign Economic Relations Board, told Anadolu Agency.

31 Dec 2020; MEMO: U.S. President Donald Trump's pardon of four American men convicted of killing Iraqi civilians while working as contractors in 2007 violated U.S. obligations under international law, U.N. human rights experts said on Wednesday.

31 Dec 2020; MEMO: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu announced on Wednesday that his country would start negotiations with the US over the Russian S-400 missile defence system, news agencies reported.

31 Dec 2020; MEMO: The military wings of all Palestinian factions in Gaza, with the exception of Fatah, on Wednesday, completed a 24-hour military drill codenamed "Strong Cornerstone", simulating an Israeli offensive on the coastal enclave.

A statement issued by the Joint Command Room for the military wings indicated: "The exercise comes as part of efforts to boost the joint action and cooperation between the military wings of the Palestinian factions."

31 Dec 2020; MEMO: Libyan Foreign Minister Mohamed Taha Siala announced on Wednesday that his country has asked Russia for help evacuating foreign fighters from the country.

31 Dec 2020; MEMO: The Sudanese army announced that it has regained control over 80 per cent of Sudanese territory previously seized by Ethiopian militias, stressing that: "The confrontations were against members of the Ethiopian army, not militias, considering the use of large-scale and long-range weapons."

31 Dec 2020; MEMO: The Israeli occupation on Wednesday reimprisoned a Palestinian prisoner the moment he was released from Naqab Prison after completing his 19-year sentence, Wafa News Agency reported.

CAIRO, December 30. /TASS/: Three mortar shells exploded Wednesday in Yemen’s Aden International Airport simultaneously with the arrival of the new government, Al Arabiya TV channel reported.

TEHRAN, Dec 30 (NNN-IRNA) – Iraq paid “part” of its energy debt to Iran through a barter agreement, an Iranian official was quoted as saying.

“Iran has bought commodities as part of Iraq’s debt for electricity, and they will enter the country in the next few days,” Secretary-General of the Iran-Iraq Chamber of Commerce, Hamid Hosseini, declared.

JERUSALEM, Dec 30 (NNN-MA’AN) – Israel’s Tel Aviv Mayor, Ron Huldai, announced, he is running in the upcoming elections and has established a new party.

In a televised press conference, Huldai said, “We will not get used to a prime minister under indictments. I decide that I can no longer stand on the side-lines.”