Middle East & North Africa

AMMAN, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Thursday urged Israel to engage in direct and serious peace talks after a peace deal was announced between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel.

The remarks were made by Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, who said Israel has to choose either the just peace that ends the occupation and resort to the two-state solution or continuing the conflict that is exacerbated by Israel's violations to the legitimate Palestinian rights.

Safadi said in a statement that the deal would be associated with Israel's actions in the post-agreement period.

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s judicial investigation of the Beirut port explosion started with political wrangling over the naming of a lead investigator, military threats to jail leakers and doubts over whether a panel appointed along sectarian lines could be fully impartial.

So for many Lebanese, their greatest hope for credible answers about the blast that wrecked much of their capital may lie with outsiders: the French forensic police who have joined the probe and FBI investigators are expected to take part.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned a historic deal establishing full diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, calling it a stab in the back to all Muslims, state TV reported Friday.

Iran, in the ministry statement, called the normalizing of ties between the two countries a dangerous, “shameful” measure and warned the UAE against Israel interfering in the “political equations” of the Persian Gulf region.

TEHRAN, Aug 13 (NNN-IRNA) – Senior Iranian officials, said that, the U.S. bid to renew a UN arms embargo against Iran lacks a “legal” basis.

In a telephone conversation with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, Iran’s President Rouhani said, the United States has “no right” to use mechanisms of the landmark Iranian 2015 nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), for its objectives.

13 Aug 2020; AA: Turkey's telecommunications giant Turk Telekom posted net profits of 1.64 billion Turkish liras ($253.6 million) in the first half of 2020, up from 745 million liras ($132.5 million) in the same period last year.

The firm's net sales were 13.27 billion Turkish liras ($2.05 billion) in the January-June period, increasing from 11.16 billion ($1.98 billion) in the first six months of 2019, according to the firm's statement on Thursday.

RIYADH, Aug 13 (NNN-SPA) – A declaration of the eighth meeting of the Friends of Sudan, stressed yesterday the importance and full support to the stability of Sudan.

Hosted by Saudi Arabia, the online meeting aimed to promote peace and prosperity of Sudan.

The declaration reaffirmed full political support for Sudan’s civilian-led transition, from a group of governments and multilateral organisations, known as Friends of Sudan.

It also reiterated support for the transitional government led by Sudanese Prime Minister, Abdalla Hamdok.

13 Aug 2020; AA: Turkey and Libya signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to boost trade and economic ties, the Turkish trade minister said Thursday.

The deal will lay the groundwork for resolving ongoing issues between Turkish firms and Libyan employers, setting new investments and undertaking new projects, Ruhsar Pekcan said at a meeting held in Turkey's capital Ankara.

13 Aug 2020; AA: Turkey's president on Thursday blamed Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration for increasing tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean by excluding Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

13 Aug 2020; MEMO: Israeli warplanes at dawn launched renewed air raids on the besieged Gaza Strip, causing only material damage to a school and some homes.

One missile struck an UNRWA-run primary school in the Shati refugee camp, which is one of the most densely populated areas in the Strip.

Interior Ministry spokesperson, Iyad Bozum, said the building was evacuated while explosives experts and security officials work to remove the remnants of the explosives.

13 Aug 2020; MEMO: Israel tried to expel 60,000 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Uruguay after reaching understandings with the government of the South American state in 1969, Israeli Public Broadcaster (Kan) has revealed.

According to Al-Hadath news website, Kan said that the late Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, who served from 1963-1969, laid down the basis of this plan.