TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s leaders vowed to overcome the coronavirus outbreak in upbeat messages marking the Persian New Year on Friday, even as the Health Ministry announced 149 more fatalities, bringing the country’s death toll to 1,433.
Iran is battling the worst outbreak in the Middle East, with nearly 20,000 confirmed cases, and has been widely criticized for its slow response.
JERUSALEM, Mar 21 (NNN-XINHUA) – Israel’s Ministry of Health, reported the first COVID-19 death in the country, on Friday.
The patient, aged 88, suffered from many other diseases. He was in a serious condition, when admitted, at the hospital’s quarantined ward, a week ago.
During his hospitalisation, he underwent a cardiac event, said the ministry.
Earlier on Friday, the ministry said, a total of 705 COVID-19 cases have been diagnosed in Israel, so far.
RIYADH, Mar 21 (NNN-SPA) – Saudi Arabia predicted that the deficit of the 2020 state budget will range between seven and nine percent, amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
At a press conference, Saudi Finance Minister, Mohammed al-Jadaan, stressed the country’s financial and economic capability, to deal with the virus crisis with flexibility, by means of reducing expenditures or borrowing, according to the report.
JERUSALEM, Mar 21 (NNN-MA’AN) – Israel has decided to allow only 30 percent of workers to enter workplaces, in both business and public sectors, the state’s finance ministry announced.
The Israeli government has approved emergency regulations for this purpose.
The government has moved to an emergency mode, that will provide essential services, such as food, medicine and financial services.
The ministry noted that private businesses could remain open, if they follow current regulations.
DAMASCUS, Mar 21 (NNN-SANA) – Cautious calm is prevailing in part of Idlib province in northwestern Syria, as a cease-fire has been in place for 15 days, a war monitor reported.
The cease-fire, which was brokered by Turkey and Russia and went into force on Mar 5, is still holding, in spite of some violations, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The UK-based watchdog group said, the areal bombardment has stopped during the last 15 days.
TEHRAN, Mar 21 (NNN-IRNA) – Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, urged the American people, to press the U.S. government, to lift sanctions against Iran, as the country is fighting against COVID-19, according to Iran’s presidential website.
“U.S. sanctions targeted major sectors of Iran’s financial and economic system, which has inflicted hundreds of dollars of losses to Iran’s economy and people,” Rouhani said.
BEIRUT, Mar 21 (NNN-NNA) – Hezbollah leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, said, the resistance has nothing to do with the decision issued by the military court in Lebanon, to acquit Amer Fakhoury, former head of an Israeli-linked prison.
Nasrallah made the remarks in a broadcast on al-Manar local TV channel.
Lebanon’s Military Tribunal issued a decision, to drop charges against Amer Fakhoury, who has been accused of collaborating with Israel, in torturing prisoners in Khiam, in southern Lebanon.
20 Mar 2020; MEMO: Saudi Arabian authorities have stopped Muslim worshippers from entering and praying at the two holy mosques in Makkah and Medina in a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, Anadolu reports.
20 Mar 2020; MEMO: Qatar has removed exit visa requirements for an additional segment of its foreign labour force, including some of those working in the oil and gas industry, according to official tweets posted on Friday, Reuters reports.
Qatar in 2018 eliminated exit visas for many foreign migrant workers. But the reform did not apply to domestic workers, government and public institution staff, the oil and gas sector, and workers employed at sea and in agriculture.
20 Mar 2020; MEMO: Nearly 1,600 trees have been vandalised by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank since the start of 2020, according to UN OCHA.
According to the agency’s latest fortnightly report, during the period 3-16 March, Israeli settlers vandalised at least 385 Palestinian-owned trees and vehicles in the West Bank.
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