Middle East & North Africa

TRIPOLI, Feb 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The east-based Libyan National Army (LNA) denied blocking United Nations planes from landing in the country:

It follows claims that forces loyal to eastern commander, Khalifa Haftar were hampering the UN’s aid and peace efforts.

“You (Salame) can use Misrata Airport, it is open for civil and private flights, and it receives dozens of flights daily” said, LNA spokesperson, Brigadier General Ahmed al-Mosmari.

ANKARA, February 14. /TASS/: Turkish officials have increased security at the Russian Embassy in Ankara in the wake of threats addressed to Ambassador Alexey Yerkhov due to an escalation of tensions in Syria’s Idlib, spokesperson for the Russian diplomatic mission in Turkey Irina Kasimova informed TASS on Friday.

"Yes, it is true, tensions have escalated lately. Due to this, we asked the Turkish officials to apply additional security measures," she said.

14 February 2020; AFP: A rocket slammed into an Iraqi base where American troops are stationed in the remote province of Kirkuk, Iraq's military and a US security source told AFP on Thursday night.

It was the latest in a string of nearly 20 rocket attacks since late October on US troops stationed across the country as well as on the American embassy in Baghdad.

BEIRUT (AP) — Over 140,000 Syrians have been displaced in the last three days alone by violence in the country’s northwest, bringing the total of those uprooted in a Syrian government offensive against the last opposition stronghold to over 800,000, the United Nations said Thursday.

The U.N. said at least 60% of the more than 800,000 displaced since Dec. 1 are children. The humanitarian crisis in the already overcrowded opposition-held enclave is compounded by freezing weather conditions, and existing severe needs.

CAIRO (AP) — Sudan’s transitional government said Thursday it has reached a settlement with families of the victims of the 2000 attack on the USS Cole in Yemen, a key step in having the U.S. remove Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism so it can rejoin the international community after years of exclusion.

Copies of the agreements obtained by The Associated Press show that $70 million will be split among families of 17 people killed, as well as 15 sailors who were injured and two of their spouses. In the agreement, Sudan makes no admission of wrongdoing.

13 Feb 2020; MEMO: Israel’s Ministry of Justice yesterday named three judges who will form the court panel of the Jerusalem District Court which will hear the corruption trial of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, local media reported.

According to the Times of Israel, the Jerusalem District Court said that Rivka Friedman-Feldman will head of the panel and Moshe Bar-am and Oded Shaham will be members.

13 Feb 2020; MEMO: Human rights advocates are not safe in Egypt, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said earlier this week, noting that they are regularly detained and tortured.

In a statement, HRW said that there has been a “serious escalation” against human rights activists and groups.

TRIPOLI, Feb 13 (NNN-Xinhua) — The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that there are over 650,000 illegal immigrants currently in Libya, many of whom lack medical care and basic needs.

“According to DTM (Displacement Tracking Matrix), at least 654,000 migrants from 40 countries of origin are currently present in Libya,” the IOM said.

“Furthermore, challenges related to water, sanitation and hygiene services, and regular access to sufficient amounts of drinking water were identified as major constraints for surveyed migrants,” it said.

RAMALLAH/JERUSALEM, Feb 13 (NNN-XINHUA) – The Palestinians hailed the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), for releasing a list of companies, that do business in Israeli settlements, in the occupied Palestinian territories, while Israel denounced the list as “biased” and “shameful.”

In a statement, Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammed Ishtaye, said, the UN list “is a step towards exposing the settlements and foiling attempts to legalise it.”

ANKARA, Feb 13 (NNN-ANADOLU) – Turkish president threatened to attack Syrian forces “everywhere,” if Turkish soldiers are targeted again in the Idlib province.

“If any harm comes to our soldiers in observation posts or anywhere (in Syria), I declare that we will hit (Syrian) forces everywhere, regardless of the Sochi deal,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in parliament.

Erdogan was referring to the 12 observation posts established in Idlib, aiming to monitor the cease-fire in the last rebel stronghold.