Middle East & North Africa

DUBAI (Reuters) - Boeing’s 737 MAX took center stage at the Dubai Airshow on Tuesday as the U.S. planemaker prepared to announce orders for dozens of aircraft as it seeks to restore confidence in the jet amid a worldwide grounding, people familiar with the matter said.

Boeing was expected to announce the orders, which could be worth $5-6 billion, a day after securing the first firm order for the aircraft since the grounding from Turkey’s SunExpress.

Global regulators banned commercial flights of Boeing’s fastest-selling jet in March after two fatal accidents.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese security forces scuffled with protesters as they sought to prevent lawmakers from attending a session of parliament on Tuesday, continuing a month-long wave of demonstrations against politicians blamed for taking Lebanon toward economic collapse.

Queues built at banks that reopened after a one-week closure, with police deployed at branches and banks imposing tight restrictions on hard currency withdrawals and transfers abroad.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran on Monday alternatively downplayed and demonized ongoing protests across the country that have killed at least five people and renewed pressure on the government as the country struggles under the weight of U.S. economic sanctions.

DUBAI, Nov 18 (NNN-WAM) – The United Arab Emirates (UAE’s) Vice President, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Sunday, opened the Dubai Airshow 2019, at the Dubai World Centre.

Airbus and Boeing are set to battle for new orders from local and regional carriers, at the Dubai Airshow, in the wake of Boeing’s 737 MAX grounding, slow global economy and gloomy geopolitical situation.

18 Nov 2019; MEMO: The Israeli occupation authorities have renewed their threats that they will take even more Palestinian-owned land and farms around the West Bank city of Salfit, Maan news agency reported on Sunday.

18 Nov 2019; MEMO: Saudi Arabia and China yesterday launched a joint naval exercise dubbed “Blue Sword 2019” at the King Faisal Naval Base on the Red Sea, Saudi Press Agency reported.

According to SPA the Royal Navy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the Special Forces of the Western Fleet in Jeddah, and its counterpart of the Chinese People’s Navy took part in the exercise.

The drill is scheduled to last three weeks at the King Faisal Naval Base in Jeddah.

18 Nov 2019; MEMO: Police in Cyprus confiscated a van on Saturday with high-tech surveillance equipment inside, news agencies have reported. Police officers took its Israeli owner for questioning after reports that the vehicle was used to spy on people.

18 Nov 2019; MEMO: Palestinian prisoner Nael Barghouthi yesterday entered his 40th year in Israeli jails yesterday and was placed in solitary confinement for seven days, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said.

Barghouthi, the longest-serving Palestinian prisoner in Israeli jails, had spent 33 years in Israeli jails before being released in the Egypt-brokered prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel in October 2011.

DUBAI/United Arab Emirates/, November 18. /TASS/: Transfer of shares of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) to Rostec is scheduled to be completed in the first half of 2020, CEO of Rostec Sergei Chemezov told reporters on Monday.

"Transfer of UAC shares to Rostec is in progress. It will take some more time, but I hope that we will complete it in the first half of next year. After that, we must reorganize the entire air cluster, make three or maybe four divisions. There will be civilian, military, transport division, and possibly the fourth, strategic aviation," he said.

DUBAI/United Arab Emirates/, November 18. /TASS/: Russia has launched production of S-400 missile defense systems for India and the contract on their delivery will be fulfilled by 2025, CEO of Russia's state hi-tech corporation Rostec Sergei Chemezov told Dubai Airshow 2019.

"The advance payment has been made. I don’t want to specify an exact figure, but there is an advance payment. We have launched production and the work is underway, and everything will be implemented as scheduled. The contract will be fulfilled by 2025," Chemezov said.