Middle East & North Africa

30 April 2020; MEMO: The volume of electronic commerce (e-commerce) in Turkey has grown 39 per cent in 2019, according to a report published by Turkey’s Informatics Industry Association (TÜBİSAD) yesterday.

In the report, the association stressed the upward trend of the sector despite global trade wars and uncertainties in global political conjuncture.

TRIPOLI, April 30 (NNN-Xinhua) — Libya’s east-based army announced on Wednesday cessation of military action in the country during the holy month of Ramadan.

DUBAI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates called on Thursday on all Libyan parties to commit to the U.N.-supervised political process to end the war, while at the same time saluting the eastern Libya based-army led by general Khalifa Haftar.

The UAE statement did not comment directly on Haftar’s declaration on Monday that his army would take power, ripping up a 2015 political agreement that has been the basis for all international peacemaking efforts.

ABU DHABI, Apr 30 (NNN-WAM) – The United Arab Emirates (UAE), yesterday, sent an aid plane, containing seven metric tonnes of medical supplies to the Philippines, to bolster the country’s efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The aid will assist approximately 7,000 medical professionals, as they work to contain the virus.

ADEN, Apr 30 (NNN-SABA) – Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC) declared a three-day 24-hour curfew, in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country’s southern port city of Aden.

Responding to five confirmed cases of COVID-19, the STC that’s controlling Aden and the neighbouring southern cities, announced a series of measures to curb the spread of the disease in the main cities.

29 April 2020; MEMO: Iraqi protesters gathered in Tahrir Square in the capital Baghdad after the government scaled back some of its anti-coronavirus measures during the month of Ramadan, Anadolu Agency reported

The protesters held photos of Prime Minister-designate Mustafa Kadhimi with a red “X” on his face in rejection of his candidacy for the role.

29 April 2020; MEMO: Turkey hopes to restart its economy in late May after a sharp slowdown due to measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak, the spokesperson of the ruling AKP party Omer Celik said yesterday.

Meanwhile, the head of a group of Turkish malls announced the shopping centres are preparing to gradually reopen from 11 May, depending on demand from retailers and approval from the health advisory board.

29 April 2020; MEMO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi issued a decree extending the state of emergency across the country “due to the critical security and health situation,” the official gazette reported.

29 April 2020; MEMO: A video hailing the role of Arab medical professionals in Israel’s fight against coronavirus has gone viral. The 55 second clip shows health care workers in scrubs and wearing masks, which are removed at the end of the video, under the slogan “Partners in fate. Partners in government”.

29 April 2020; MEMO: Despite the deal between the Likud and the Blue and White alliance to form a coalition government in Israel, politicians, and journalists close to the Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu have hinted that Israel is heading for a fourth election, Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported yesterday.