Middle East & North Africa

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Lebanon and Israel, formally still at war after decades of conflict, launch talks on Wednesday to address a long-running dispute over their maritime border running through potentially gas-rich Mediterranean waters.

The U.S.-mediated talks follow three years of intense diplomacy by Washington and were announced less than a month after the United States stepped up pressure on political allies of the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah.

RAMALLAH, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye on Monday urged the European Union to play an active role in the future political process related to the Palestinian cause.

Ishtaye made the call during his online meeting with the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, attended by 80 people representing different countries and parties in Europe, according to a press statement by the prime minister.

TEHRAN, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian Judiciary's High Council for Human Rights has urged the world to oppose U.S. "crimes" of embargoes barring Iranians' access to medical and humanitarian supplies.

"The enforcement and intensification of unjust, illegal and inhumane embargoes by the U.S. regime ... have not only caused problems for Iran's normal economic, financial and banking relations, but also made purchase of medicines, diagnostic kits and laboratory equipment practically impossible," the council said on Sunday in a statement, Tasnim news agency reported on Monday.

BAGHDAD, Oct 12 (NNN-NINA) – The Iraqi Foreign Ministry said yesterday that, Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, is expected to pay an official visit to Britain.

A statement by the ministry said, Iraqi Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, received in his office, the British Ambassador to Iraq, Stephen Hickey, and the two discussed al-Kadhimi’s visit to Britain, without giving further details about the date of the visit.

“They also touched on developments of issues of common interests in the region and the world,” the brief statement said.

12 Oct 2020; MEMO: Israel and Qatar have been discussing the transfer of $100 million to the besieged Gaza Strip in return for a six-month ceasefire deal between Hamas and the occupation, Israeli media reported.

HAIFA, Israel (Reuters) - The ship-to-shore crane paused above the cargo ship just arrived from Dubai, then set its load down on the pier in Israel.

One after another, eight containers filled with electronics, cleaning supplies, iron and firefighting equipment were unloaded off the MSC Paris, one of the first cargo ships to make the journey between the United Arab Emirates and Israel.

Just a few months ago, such a journey from Dubai’s Jebel Ali port to the northern Israeli port city of Haifa would have been unthinkable.

12 Oct 2020; MEMO: Palestinian Prime Minister, Muhammad Shtayyeh, yesterday announced that Kuwait has offered $1.2 million in financial support for Palestinian hospitals in East Jerusalem through the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD).

Shtayyeh said the offer is part of a financial aid package worth $5.7 million designated to projects in the occupied city.

The Al-Maqasid Charity Hospital, Augusta Victoria (Al-Mutlaa) Hospital and St. John Eye Hospital will benefit from the Kuwaiti funds.

12 Oct 2020; MEMO: The final decision of former Lebanese Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, to run for the post once again depends on the parliamentary blocs’ willingness to cooperate with him, a senior source in the Future Bloc said.

TRIPOLI, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Sunday that a total of 390 illegal migrants have been rescued off the Libyan coast in the past 48 hours.

"In the past 48 hours, 390 migrants, among them women and children, have been intercepted and returned to Libya," IOM Libya tweeted.

"While our teams are present at disembarkation points to provide emergency assistance, we reiterate that no one should be returned to Libya," IOM Libya said.

CAIRO, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Egypt hosted on Sunday a new round of negotiations between Libya's two rival administrations represented in members of Libya's Tobruk-based House of Representatives and the High Council of State.

During the talks, sponsored by the United Nations, Director of Egypt's General Intelligence Service Abbas Kamel reiterated Egypt's commitment to the UN-led efforts for a peaceful settlement in Libya, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported.