Middle East & North Africa

18 July 2020; MEMO: The chairman of the Association of University Heads in Israel stepped down on Tuesday due to recent alleged attempts by the government to politically control universities, Anadolu Agency reports.

According to Israeli daily Haaretz, Ron Robin’s resignation came after several decisions by Higher Education Minister Zeev Elkin, of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud.

18 July 2020; MEMO: Cyber-attacks were carried out recently against Israeli water infrastructure, however no significant damages were caused, the Israeli Water Authority has said.

According to officials, the two attacks were aimed at agricultural water pumps in the Upper Galilee and infrastructure in the centre of the country. No mention was given as to who carried out the attacks.

BAGHDAD, July 18 (NNN-Xinhua) — A commander of an Iraqi army’s brigade was killed on Friday in an attack by Daesh militants in the north of the capital Baghdad, the Iraqi military said.

“A terrorist act targeting a military vehicle in Tarmiyah area resulted in the killing of the commander of the Army’s 59th Brigade,” the media office of the Joint Operations Command said in a brief statement.

(Reuters) - President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that 25 million Iranians have been infected with the coronavirus and that another 35 million were at risk of acquiring it as Iran reimposed restrictions in the capital and elsewhere.

The figures Rouhani cited in a televised speech were far higher than Saturday’s official toll of 271,606.

His office said they were based on “an estimated scenario” from a report by the health ministry’s deputy minister of research.

18 July 2020; MEMO: A UN human rights expert today published a report urging Israel to immediately stop all crimes amounting to collective punishment against the Palestinian people.

18 July 2020; MEMO: The opening of Hagia Sophia as a mosque will not change anything for tourists, a Turkish lawmaker said on Friday, Anadolu Agency reports.

Veysel Eroglu, a lawmaker and the Turkish presidency’s special representative to Iraq, said there has been great excitement among Muslims and Turkish people over opening of Hagia Sophia as a mosque.

He stressed that tourists will continue to be able to visit Hagia Sophia.

18 July 2020; MEMO: Thousands of Sudanese Islamic groups and supporters of ousted president Omer Al-Bashir staged a protest on Friday in the capital Khartoum against a new set of laws that have scrapped various Islamic laws, Anadolu Agency reports.

The anti-government protests, which erupted from numerous mosques following Friday prayers, accused the government of apostasy and urged people to bring down the administration of Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok.

18 July 2020; MEMO: The Tripoli-based Libyan House of Representatives (HOR) renewed its demand for a comprehensive local and international investigation to uncover the fate of the forcibly disappeared MP Siham Sergiwa, and to bring her abductors to justice.

18 July 2020; MEMO: Turkish security forces arrested a Daesh terror suspect of French origin wanted by Interpol, security sources said on Friday, Anadolu Agency reports.

After receiving information that a terrorist would enter Turkey from one of the conflict regions in Syria, Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and security forces conducted a joint operation in the borderline between Turkey and Syria, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

17 July 2020; MEMO: The Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) called for a referendum on the political system and the amendment of the electoral law on Thursday.

The UGTT rejected the proposed amendment to the electoral law, which includes raising the electoral threshold (the percentage of votes required to obtain a seat in parliament to five per cent).