Middle East & North Africa

CAIRO (AP) — Pope Francis on Saturday urged Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan to continue talks to resolve their years-long dispute over a massive dam Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile that has led to sharp regional tensions and fears of military conflict.

Francis, speaking to a crowd gathered at St. Peter’s Square on an official Catholic feast day, said he was closely following negotiations between the three countries over the dam.

BEIRUT (AP) — There can be no financial bailout for Lebanon, a senior U.S. official said Saturday, calling on the country’s political leaders to heed popular calls for change, real reform and an end to endemic corruption.

David Hale, U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, said the U.S. and its allies will respond to “systemic reforms with sustained financial support.” He also called for a thorough and transparent investigation into the Aug. 4 blast that killed nearly 180 people and wounded thousands.

15 Aug 2020; MEMO: Turkey’s ruling party on Saturday criticized the deal between the United Arab Emirates and Israel to normalize ties as a "political suicide" against the Palestinian cause.

It is also an attempt to eradicate two-state solution between Israel and Palestine proposed by international community, Omer Celik, spokesman for the Justice and Development (AK) Party said on Twitter.

15 Aug 2020; AA: The ancient Sumela Monastery in northeastern Turkey is ready to open its doors this Saturday to hold mass for the seventh time since resuming religious services after a pause of 88 years.

Overlooking a lush valley near the Black Sea coast, the monastery was reopened in 2010 for Christian Orthodox services to be held once a year.

However, mass could not be held for the past four years due to ongoing restoration works.

ANKARA, Aug 15 (NNN-ANKARA) — Welcoming a controversial deal between Israel and the UAE to normalise relations, the European Union (EU) on Friday called for Tel Aviv to abandon plans to annex areas of the West Bank, according to Anadolu Agency. 

“I welcome Israel-UAE normalisation; benefits both and is important for regional stability,” said EU Foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Twitter. 

Stressing that suspending the annexation was a positive step, he called Israel to abandon the plans altogether.

BEIRUT, Aug 15 (NNN-NNA) – Hezbollah Leader, Sayed Hassan Nasrallah, announced that, Israel will pay a heavy price, if investigations by the Lebanese judicial system prove that Israel stands behind the explosions at Beirut’s port, al-Manar local TV channel reported.

Nasrallah made the remarks in a televised speech, saying that, the whole Lebanese population and Lebanese parties, not only Hezbollah, will retaliate, if the blasts were an attack.

ISTANBUL, Aug 15 (NNN-ANADOLU) – Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, Turkey might suspend its diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), or call back its ambassador, over UAE’s deal with Israel.

“We stand with the Palestinian people. We have not let Palestine be defeated,” Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul. “I have given the necessary instructions to my foreign minister. We may either suspend diplomatic ties (with UAE) or recall our ambassador.”

(Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates has made a “huge mistake” in reaching a deal toward normalising ties with Israel, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday in a speech furiously condemning what he called a betrayal by the Gulf state.

The UAE-Israel agreement announced on Thursday, which U.S. President Donald Trump helped to broker, is seen as aimed at bolstering opposition to regional power Iran.

In his televised speech, Rouhani warned the UAE against allowing Israel a “foothold in the region”.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A senior U.S. official called on Saturday for a “thorough, transparent and credible” investigation into this month’s Beirut port blast that killed 172 people and injured 6,000.

“We can never go back to an era in which anything goes at the port or the borders of Lebanon that had to contribute to this situation,” David Hale, U.S. Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs, said.

15 Aug 2020; MEMO: Members of an Iranian heavy metal band called Arsames have fled their homeland after they were sentenced to 15 years in prison for playing “Satanic” music.