Middle East & North Africa

DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has proposed a framework to end the latest standoff in southern Yemen between nominal allies under a Saudi-led coalition, three sources said, as violence escalates with the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in the north of the country.

Previous clashes between Yemen’s Saudi-backed government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist group, have complicated U.N. efforts to end Yemen’s ruinous conflict and protect its fractured health sector from COVID-19.

18 June 2020; MEMO: A key partner in a high-profile corruption case in Kuwait, which involves the son of a former senior official, is one of the founding owners of a New York-based investment company that runs portfolios and investment funds, local media has reported.

18 June 2020; MEMO: The 17th joing Turkey-Russia patrol in northwestern Syria’s Idlib province was “lightly damaged due to detonation of an unidentified explosive”, Turkey’s Defence Ministry said onTuesday.

Turkish-Russian forces were attacked during a joint patrol on the M4 highway in Syria’s Idlib province, no personnel were harmed in the attack, the ministry added.

Turkish and Russian forces carried out their 17th joint patrol along the highway, the ministry added.

18 June 2020; MEMO: The Chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya and Prime Minister of the internationally- recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), Fayez Al-Sarraj, has called on the United Nations to provide his government with “technical assistance” to gather evidence and document violations committed by militias affiliated with renegade General Khalifa Haftar.

WASHINGTON, June 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The World Bank said it would provide $400 million to support universal health coverage in Egypt as the country struggles with rising numbers of new Coronavirus cases.

The funding will help Egypt increase the reach of its universal health insurance system in six governorates and offer temporary financial protection to those hit by high out-of-pocket health expenditures linked to the coronavirus outbreak, the bank said in a statement.

BAGHDAD, June 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Rockets hit Baghdad’s Green Zone, home to the US embassy, on Thursday, the fifth such attack in 10 days, security sources inside the high-security district said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

Like previous attacks, there was no claim of responsibility.

Since October, at least 32 attacks have targeted American interests in Iraq that the US has blamed on Iran-backed factions among Iraq’s security forces.

17 June 2020; MEMO: Iran has announced its support for the Turkish-backed Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) based in the capital Tripoli.

17 June 2020; MEMO: The Russian United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) said yesterday that it had sent two Be-200ES amphibious planes to Turkey on firefighting missions.

17 June 2020; MEMO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he would never recognise a Palestinian state, senior Likud MK Miki Zohar revealed yesterday.

According to the Times of Israel, Zohar tweeted: “The prime minister announced yesterday [Monday] at the faction meeting that in no constellation will the government or the Knesset recognise the principle of establishing a Palestinian state.”

Netanyahu, according to Zohar, stressed: “We will never recognise a Palestinian state!”

RAMALLAH, June 17 (NNN-WAFA) – The Palestinian Foreign Ministry, accused Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of misleading the world, regarding his government’s plan, to annex Palestinian lands.

“Netanyahu is trying to mislead the world’s public opinion, and the international officials, to facilitate the process of marketing his planned annexation of parts of the West Bank,” the ministry said.

“He wants to soften international reactions and positions, and dismantle international consensus that clearly rejects the annexation plan.”