Middle East & North Africa

ISTANBUL, May 17 (NNN-ANADOLU) – The construction of a bridge, which will connect Asia and Europe in northwestern Turkey, advanced to a next phase on Saturday with the completion of its towers.

A ceremony was held for the installation of the last steel block of 318-metre towers of the Canakkale 1915 Bridge, in the Canakkale province.

Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, attended the ceremony via video-conference from Istanbul.

TEHRAN, May 17 (NNN-IRNA) – The United States would be practically unable to block shipments of fuel from Iran to Venezuela, at a time when the two countries need to cooperate, to mitigate the impacts of American sanctions on their energy sectors, Hamid Hosseini, spokesman for the Iranian Association of Exports of Crude Products, said on Saturday.

Washington is extremely angry about Iran’s delivery of fuel to a location near its borders, despite various sanctions it has imposed on Tehran’s shipping and energy sectors, Hosseini was quoted as saying.

JERUSALEM, May 17 (NNN-MA’AN) – Israel’s Ministry of Health, reported 19 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, bringing the total cases to 16,608.

One of the new patients is an educational staff member, at an elementary school in the central city of Rehovot.

As a result, the school has been closed until May 27, and 52 pupils from two classes, as well as staff members, were instructed to undergo home quarantine until that date.

RIYADH, May 17 (NNN-SPA) – Saudi Arabia’s COVID-19 cases reached 52,016 on Saturday, with the registration of 2,840 new infections, health authorities said.

The health ministry tweeted that, ten more died from the virus, raising the death toll to 302, and 1,797 individuals recovered, bringing the accumulated number of recoveries to 23,666.

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, recently said that, the virus would reshape the global commercial shape.

TRIPOLI, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Serraj on Saturday said he hoped to cooperate with NATO, the U.S.-led military alliance, to achieve stability and security in Libya.

Serraj made the remarks during a telephone call with the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, said a statement of the UN-backed government.

It said the prime minister stressed firm stance and willingness to "defeat the aggression with all means possible," and expressed hope for working with NATO.

BAGHDAD, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on Saturday said that the Iraqi forces will launch a major offensive to eradicate Islamic State (IS) militants, and that the paramilitary Hashd Shaabi fighters will be at the forefront of the security forces in the upcoming offensive.

A statement by his office said that al-Kadhimi made his comment during a visit to the headquarters of the Hashd Shaabi Command, in which he said "we are about to conduct a final offensive to root out IS organization, which is trying to reorganize its remnants."

ISTANBUL, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The construction of a bridge which will connect Asia and Europe in northwestern Turkey advanced to a next phase on Saturday with the completion of its towers.

A ceremony was held for the installation of the last steel block of 318-meter towers of the Canakkale 1915 Bridge in the Canakkale province.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the ceremony via videoconference from Istanbul.

BAGHDAD, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Minister of Health Hassan al-Tamimi on Saturday praised China's instrumental role in supporting Iraq in fighting against the spread of coronavirus, as the health authorities are preparing for a major campaign across the country.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Even as U.S. sanctions, unemployment, inflation and low oil prices batter the Iranian economy, there seems to be at least one refuge for investors.

The Tehran Stock Exchange has seen gains of 225% in the last year, with sharp increases even as the country struggled with one of the first serious coronavirus outbreaks outside of China.

Encouraged by a government eager to privatize state-owned firms, average people now have access to the market and can trade shares, earning returns they’d never see in a savings account or a certificate of deposit.

16 May 2020; MEMO: The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) broadcasted on Thursday evening what it claims are the “confessions” of Daesh fighters, who have been recently arrested.