Middle East & North Africa

23 Mar 2020; MEMO: An Egyptian online opposition campaign has accused President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi of failing to deal with the coronavirus crisis that has swept the world in the past weeks, calling on Egyptians to confront Al-Sisi just like they need to confront COVID-19 because they are both dangerous for Egyptians’ lives and future.

The “Batel” movement said in a post on its Facebook page, which has more than 260,000 followers, that Al-Sisi and the coronavirus “are two sides of the same danger.”

PALMYRA, March 23. /TASS/: The Syrian city of Palmyra, which is being rebuilt after its liberation from the terrorists, greets the first refugees from the Rukban camp, located near Syria’s border with Jordan.

RAMALLAH, Mar 23 (NNN-WAFA) – A Palestinian man was declared dead Sunday night, after being shot by Israeli soldiers, near the West Bank city of Ramallah, Palestinian Ministry of Health, said.

Another Palestinian was hospitalised after being injured by Israeli gunfire, in the same incident, the ministry said in a statement.

The two men were driving to their home, in the village of Nilin, west of Ramallah, before they saw a military checkpoint at the village’s entrance, where they were shot at.

BEIRUT, Mar 23 (NNN-NNA) – Lebanon on Sunday, received at least 22 billion Lebanese pounds (about 14.5 million U.S. dollars) donated by citizens, expatriates and officials to combat COVID-19, MTV reported.

The donation will be delivered through Bank Audi, to the Rafic Hariri hospital and other public hospitals involved in the fight against COVID-19, in addition to the Lebanese Red Cross and vulnerable people, who are in dire need to secure daily income to make a living, it said.

ADEN, Mar 23 (NNN-SABA) – Yemen’s government forces declared that, nearly 20 members of the Houthi rebel group were captured, during battles near the northeastern province of Marib.

According to a statement, government forces aborted an attempt by the Houthis, aimed at advancing into the western part of oil-rich Marib.

Groups of Houthi fighters tried to infiltrate into a military position, located in the western part of Marib, but the government forces clashed with the rebels and besieged them in the area, the statement said.

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish authorities will seize factories of mask-producing firms unless they agree to sell products to the government by Monday night, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu was quoted as saying, as Ankara seeks to contain the local coronavirus outbreak.

Turkey’s death toll from the virus increased by nine to 30 on Sunday, with 1,256 confirmed cases after a surge in the last two weeks.

TEHRAN, March 22 (Xinhua) -- An Iranian official on Sunday criticized World Bank for failing to invite Iran to a recent regional meeting related to the novel coronavirus outbreak, official IRNA news agency reported.

On Thursday, World Bank Vice President for the Middle East North Africa (MENA), Ferid Belhaj, convened finance ministers and central bank governors' meeting from the MENA region to discuss their needs and the response to COVID-19.

TEHRAN, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian military recently forced an intruding F-18 fighter jet out of the country's southern airspace, Press TV reported on Sunday.

In a video released by the Iranian state TV on Sunday, Iran's air defense force warned the jet several times to leave the country's airspace immediately.

If the jet maintained its course inside Iran's airspace, it would be targeted by the country's air defense missiles, according to the warnings.

ADEN, Yemen, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's government forces declared on Sunday that nearly 20 members of the Houthi rebel group were captured during battles near the northeastern province of Marib.

According to a statement released by the state-run Saba News Agency, the government forces aborted an attempt by the Houthi rebels aimed at advancing into the western part of the oil-rich Marib province.

RAMALLAH, March 22 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian man was declared dead Sunday night after being shot by Israeli soldiers near the West Bank city of Ramallah, Palestinian Ministry of Health said.

Another Palestinian was hospitalized after being lightly injured by Israeli gunfire in the same incident, the ministry said in a statement.

The two men were driving to their home in the village of Nilin, west of Ramallah, before they saw a military checkpoint at the village's entrance, where they were shot at.