Middle East & North Africa

25 Oct 2020; MEMO: A Palestinian teen was beaten to death early Sunday by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, according to eyewitnesses and a medical source, Anadolu reports.

Amer Snobar, 18, from the town of Yatma, south of Nablus city, was attacked by settlers guarding a Jewish settlement and died of his wounds, witnesses said.

A medical source said the teen was admitted to hospital with signs of assault on his body.

25 Oct 2020; MEMO: The hashtag #BoycottFrenchProducts trended on Twitter accounts in Morocco on Friday, following the publication of offensive caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad on the walls of buildings in France.

In a phone call on Friday with Pope Francis, Palestinian Authority (PA), Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and Fatah President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated his commitment to peace and his readiness to resume talks with Israel, Wafa News Agency reported.

Abbas discussed the importance of developing bilateral Palestine-Holy See relations to the benefit of both sides and the prevalence of peace in the region and worldwide.

24 Oct 2020; MEMO: Iraq’s Rasheed Bank has reportedly begun offering loans worth $8,400 (10 million dinars) to any male state employee who wishes to take a second wife.

The bank’s spokeswoman Amal Al-Shuwaili who was quoted by Rudaw yesterday stated “Due to an abundance of requests from people for loans to marry a second wife, Rasheed Bank decided to loan 10,000,000 dinars to any employee wanting to marry a second wife”

24 Oct 2020; MEMO: A Palestinian prisoner on hunger strike for more than 85 days since his arrest by Israel is entering a medically “critical phase”, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced yesterday.

DOHA, Oct 23 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Qatar expressed Thursday its strong condemnation and denunciation of the attack that took place in Zamfara state in northern Nigeria which led to number of deaths, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs renewed in a statement stating Qatar’s firm position of rejecting violence, terrorism, and criminal acts regardless of the motives and reasons.

It also expresssed Qatar’s condolences to the families of the victims, the government, and the people of Nigeria.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran on Friday blacklisted the U.S. ambassador in Iraq and two other diplomats following a similar move by the United States against Iran’s envoy to Baghdad, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.

“US Amb(assador) to Iraq, Matthew Tueller, has had a central role in coordinating terrorist acts in Iraq & beyond, in ... assassination of Gen. (Qassem) Soleimani... Today, Iran designated him & two other officials involved,” ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Twitter.

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan confirmed on Friday that Turkey had been testing the S-400 air defence systems that it bought from Russia and said U.S. objections on the issue did not matter.

Washington says Ankara’s purchase of the Russian systems compromises NATO defences, and has threatened sanctions. An apparent firing test of S-400s test last week prompted a furious response from the U.S. State Department and the Pentagon.

DUBAI (Reuters) - The Saudi-led coalition fighting against Yemen’s Houthi movement intercepted and destroyed two explosive-laden drones launched towards Saudi Arabia by the Houthis on Friday, Saudi state TV reported.

There was no immediate comment from the Houthis on the report, which cited a coalition spokesman.

Yemen has been locked in conflict since 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa, the capital, and then much of the country’s north.

23 Oct 2020; MEMO: Sheikh Muhammad Adnan Al-Afiouni, the senior Sunni Muslim mufti of Damascus province was killed in a roadside bombing yesterday which is believed to have been a targeted assassination.

The explosion happened in the town of Qudsaya, west of the Syrian capital. The mufti was initially reported to have been wounded but was declared dead soon after.