Middle East & North Africa

10 Dec 2019; MEMO: Saudi Arabia and Iran signed on Monday an agreement regarding arrangements for the next Hajj season of 1441 AH, after talks between the two sides.

The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that the Minister of Hajj and Umrah Muhammad Saleh bin Taher Benten held a meeting in Mecca with the head of Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organisation, Ali Reza Rashidian, to discuss arrangements and preparations for the service of Iranian pilgrims during the Hajj season 1441 AH.

10 Dec 2019; MEMO: Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said Monday that the maritime agreement his country had signed with Libya does not pose any threat to neighbouring countries, but aims “to preserve the rights and interests of Turkey and Libya”.

Akar considered Greece’s request for the Libyan ambassador to leave the country against the background of the maritime agreement, “evidence of Athens’ failure”, stressing that this would not affect the agreement.

10 Dec 2019; MEMO: Israeli authorities have denied Turkish singer Gizem Coskun entry into the occupied city of East Jerusalem, Turkey’s Yunus Emre Institute said today, Anadolu Agency reports.

The female singer was planned to attend a Palestinian cultural ceremony in the city later Tuesday.

“We apologize for cancelling the show due to circumstances out of our hands,” the cultural institute said on Twitter.

10 Dec 2019; MEMO: Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani will not attend the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, due to open in Riyadh today, Anadolu Agency reports.

Sheikh Tamim assigned his Prime Minister Abdullah bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al Thani with leading the Qatari delegation to the summit, the official QNA news agency reported.

10 December 2019; AFP: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed will collect his Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on Tuesday, but as ethnic violence rises at home he has kept festivities and meetings with the media to a minimum.

Hailed as a modern, reformist leader, Abiy's decision to skip all events with the press has dismayed his Norwegian hosts.

Africa's youngest leader at just 43, he is to receive the prestigious award at a ceremony in Oslo City Hall at 1:00 pm (1200 GMT), attended by the royal family and Norwegian public figures.

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accused the Nobel academy on Tuesday of rewarding human rights violations by awarding the prize for literature to Peter Handke, who has been criticized for backing late Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic.

Turkey has said it is joining Albania and Kosovo in boycotting the Nobel awards ceremony to protest the academy’s choice of Austrian Handke for the prize.

Mahabad, Dec 9, IRNA – Iran opened development of 40 hectares goldmine of Zarshouran in Takab, West Azarbaijan province, Deputy Director of Provincial Mines and Minerals Organization Parisa Abedpour said on Monday.

Parisa Abedpour said in an interview with IRNA that mining operations and the construction of a gold processing unit in the area of 100  hectares of Zarshouran gold mine in Takab have begun with an extra five 5 hectares going under the development plan.

Tehran, Dec 9, IRNA – Iran on Monday downgraded Israeli threat of air strikes, warning that any stupid act will cause regretful response from Iran.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said that the Israeli officials' threats and allegations against Iran indicate their weaknesses, warning that any Israeli stupid act will be dealt with regretful and destructive response. 

Mousavi branded Israeli military threat as sign of their weakness aiming to cover up crises and internal problems.

09 Dec 2019; MEMO: Lebanon’s leading Sunni Muslim politician, Saad al-Hariri, re-emerged as a candidate for prime minister on Sunday when businessman Samir Khatib withdrew his candidacy to lead a government that must tackle an acute economic crisis, Reuters reports.

09 Dec 2019; MEMO: Local politicians and national security officials have predicted that the “continuous government restructuring activities” carried out by the Egyptian regime president, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi across the military and police would include “all sectors that could pose a threat to his stay in power.”