Middle East & North Africa

31 July 2020; MEMO: Israel on Friday confirmed another 1,786 infections from the novel coronavirus, Anadolu Agency reports.

According to the Health Ministry, the total count of cases in the country so far rose to 70,582, including 509 deaths, since the virus was first detected on Feb. 21.

A total of 43,813 people have so far recovered and been discharged from hospitals, the ministry said.

Anger has been rising in Israel over the government’s response to the virus.

31 July 2020; MEMO: Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, accused the United States on Friday of trying to stir anti-government protests by imposing sanctions that he said are aimed at bankrupting the country, Reuters reports.

Dubai, Jul 31 (AP/PTI) Saudi Arabia's King Salman was discharged from a hospital in the capital Riyadh after more than a week following surgery to remove his gall bladder, the Royal Court said.

The court said in a statement late Thursday the monarch, 84, left the King Faisal Specialist Hospital after a recovery.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ruled out negotiations with the United States over Tehran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programmes on Friday and urged Iranians to resist U.S. pressure.

“America’s brutal sanctions on Iran are aimed at collapsing our economy ... Their aim is to limit our influence in the region and to halt our missile and nuclear capabilities,” Khamenei said in a speech broadcast live on television.

“Relying on national capabilities and cutting our dependence on oil exports will help us to resist America’s pressure.”

DAMASCUS, July 30 (NNN-SANA) – Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, and the visiting Russian’s special envoy to Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, discussed the upcoming meeting of the Syrian constitutional committee.

Assad and Lavrentiev agreed that the committee, which will hold its meeting next month, should carry out its work without any external pressures.

In June, UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, said, he intends to convene a new session of the Syrian constitutional committee at the end of Aug.

AMMAN, July 30 (NNN-PETRA) – Jordan will hold its parliamentary elections on Nov 10, it was reported yesterday (Wednesday).

The date was set hours after King Abdullah issued a royal decree, ordering the parliamentary elections to be held.

Under the 2016 Elections Law, the Independent Election Commission will set the election date within ten days, after the royal decree orders the parliamentary elections.

30 July 2020; MEMO: A British gang leader accused of drug and weapons trafficking has been arrested in Dubai and extradited to the UK, local police said in a statement yesterday.

Craig Martin Moran, 38, the ring-leader of the notorious ‘Colin Gunn’ gang, who has been branded “dangerous” was arrested in Dubai under a red notice that was put out by Interpol.

30 July 2020; MEMO: The European People’s Party (EPP), the largest parliamentary bloc in the European Parliament, has called to secure the life of former Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Nayef and to immediately disclose his whereabouts.

30 July 2020; MEMO: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said yesterday it launched ballistic missiles from “the depths of the Earth” for the first time, international news agencies reported local media saying.

The launch took place, Al Jazeera reported, during the last day of military exercises near Gulf waters.

30 July 2020; MEMO: King Abdullah II of Jordan yesterday issued a decree to hold parliamentary elections in the country, the Royal Court announced.

“The Board of Commissioners of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Wednesday announced that parliamentary elections will be held on November 10th later this year,” Petra news agency reported.

The royal decree means the dissolution of the parliament, which was elected on 20 September 2016, and the imminent departure of the government.