Middle East & North Africa

JERUSALEM, Mar 8 (NNN-MA’AN) – The Israeli political crisis is deepening over the weekend, as the two main rivals remain entrenched in their positions.

Days after a third consecutive election ended in similar results to previous elections, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Blue and White leader, Benny Gantz, each ruled out the other, making a unity government look like an unlikely solution to the country’s lengthy political deadlock.

Alone, each party cannot garner the majority needed to form a coalition.

CAIRO, Mar 8 (NNN-MENA) – EgyptAir, the flag carrier of Egypt, announced, it will suspend flights to Kuwait until further notice.

In a statement, EgyptAir said that, the decision came after Kuwait decided to suspend all flights with seven countries, including Egypt, for one week, as part of the precautions against the spread of the COVID-19.

EgyptAir also requested its customers, who wish to review and change their reservations to visit the company’s offices, or arrange the issue with their tourism agents or through EgypAir’s website.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Shares of Saudi state oil company Aramco (2222.SE) slumped below their initial public offering (IPO) price on Sunday for the first time since they began trading in December, after OPEC’s pact with Russia to restrict oil supplies fell apart on Friday.

Aramco shares were down 6.2% at 30.85 riyals ($8.22) at 0852 GMT, their sharpest percentage fall in a day, and below the IPO price of 32 riyals. The Saudi market .TASI was down 7.4%.

BEIRUT, March 7 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced on Saturday that Lebanon will not be able to repay Eurobonds due on March 9 and it has decided to restructure its debt, Al Jadeed local TV channel reported.

"Our foreign reserves have dropped to a dangerous level. We need our money to finance the basic necessities of the Lebanese," Diab said following a meeting at Baabda Palace with top leaders and the central bank governor, and another meeting later for the cabinet to discuss options amid prevailing financial deterioration.

TEHRAN, March 7 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday slammed what he called U.S. "medical terrorism" against the Islamic Republic.

The U.S. President "Donald Trump is maliciously tightening U.S.' illegal sanctions with the aim of draining Iran's resources needed in the fight against COVID-19 while our citizens are dying from it," Zarif tweeted on Saturday.

"The world can no longer be silent as U.S. Economic Terrorism is supplanted by its Medical Terrorism," he added.

CAIRO, March 7 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Chairman of Sudan's Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan underlined on Saturday the need to consolidate bilateral relations.

The remarks were made during a phone conversation between al-Sisi and al-Burhan, Egyptian Presidency's spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement.

During the conversation, both leaders exchanged views on the overall bilateral relations and all issues of common concern.

TRIPOLI, March 7 (Xinhua) -- A spokesman of Libya's UN-backed government's forces Saturday said its forces targeted units of the east-based army in south of the capital Tripoli.

"Our forces destroyed an ammunition store and gatherings of the militias (belonging to the east-based army) in Qasr Bin Ghashir (southern Tripoli)," Mohamed Gonono said in a statement.

DAMASCUS, March 7 (Xinhua) -- As many as 22 civilians lost their lives and 70 others got wounded on Saturday in an accident on the Damascus-Homs highway, state news agency SANA reported.

The accident happened when a fuel tanker hit two passenger buses and 15 other cars on the Damascus-Homs highway, said the report.

It said the accident took place near the Jisr Bagdad area between the capital Damascus and Homs province.

Citing Syria's Interior Minister Mohammad Rahmoun, the report said the civil defense units were removing the cars off of the road.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Bahrain’s Formula One race this month will be run without spectators over fears about the new coronavirus, the island kingdom announced Sunday, as Mideast stock markets fell sharply amid plummeting demand for crude oil and OPEC’s inability to agree on a production cut.

The decision by Bahrain is just the latest disruption felt by the Mideast over the virus and the COVID-19 illness it causes. The wider Mideast now has over 6,200 confirmed cases of the virus, the majority in hard-hit Iran.

EDIRNE, Turkey (AP) — A group of migrants on Saturday tried to bring down a fence in a desperate attempt to bust through the border into Greece while others hurled rocks at Greek police. Greek authorities responded, firing volleys of tear gas at the youths.