Middle East & North Africa

AMMAN, Nov 11 (NNN-PETRA) – Jordan, on Sunday said, there will be no extension or renewal of an agreement which leases part of Jordan’s lands to Israel.

Early Sunday, King Abdullah II of Jordan announced the official termination of an agreement, which leases part of the kingdom’s lands to Israel.

“Today, I also announce the expiration of the Peace Treaty annexes on Baqoura and Ghumar, and the imposition of our full sovereignty over every inch of those lands,” the king said.

11 Nov 2019; MEMO: In the presence of the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation Ali Akbar Salehi Russian officials and contractors, Iran laid down the cornerstone of the second Bushehr Nuclear Plant, the New Khaleej reported yesterday.

Salehi had previously announced that construction of the second Bushehr Nuclear Plant would start yesterday and work on the third facility would begin soon.

11 Nov 2019; MEMO: The number of civilians and security forces killed in protests in Iraq since last month has risen to 319, the Iraqi Human Rights Commission said on Friday.

In a statement released yesterday, the commission said it was able to document the death of these people through official sources, noting that it could not ascertain the number of those wounded during the protests. However, independent human rights organisations confirmed earlier that 8,000 people had been wounded.

11 Nov 2019; MEMO: A plurality of Israelis back the formation of a Benny Gantz-led unity government with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, the results of a new poll published yesterday has found.

11 Nov 2019; MEMO: Qatar Petroleum (QP) yesterday announced the launch of the Egyptian Refining Company (ERC)’s in the Mostorod refinery plant located in the north of the Egyptian capital city of Cairo.

“QP is pleased to announce a successful launch of the ERC’s refinery project in Mostorod,” the company told Russia’s Sputnik. QP owns 38.1 per cent of the Arab Refining Company, which in turn owns 66.6 per cent of the ERC.

11 Nov 2019; MEMO: Israeli occupation forces clashed with far-right settlers yesterday during an attempt to arrest a so-called “hilltop youth” activist in the notorious illegal settlement Yitzhar.

According to the Jerusalem Post, Israeli border police officers arriving at the settlement yesterday night were “pelted with stones, paint bottles and other objects”, with “a number of security vehicles…also damaged” by the settlers.

11 Nov 2019; MEMO: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has confirmed the return of 365,000 Syrians to homes in the “safe zones” setup by his forces in northern Syria.

In a speech delivered in Ankara yesterday, Erdogan said that Turkey’s military operations against armed factions in Syria had been successful and led to securing an area of ​​more than 8,100 square kilometres.

11 Nov 2019; MEMO: Saudi Arabia’s Human Rights Commission (HRC) has introduced new regulations for domestic workers, local media reported yesterday.

“HRC has introduced new related contractual, financial and health rights for the domestic workers in Saudi Arabia,” the commission said on Twitter.

The rights commission explained that it was “forbidden” to employ domestic workers in a job that “threatens their health, safety or dignity.”

11 Nov 2019; MEMO: Tunisia’s Ennahda movement has announced that it has decided to nominate Rached Ghannouchi as speaker of the parliament.

Tunisian media quoted the chairman of Ennahda’s Shura Council, Abdelkarim Harouni, saying: “Ennahda insists on retaining its right to nominate the new Prime Minister from within the party, as well as the nomination of the movement’s President Rached Ghannouchi for the post of speaker of parliament.”

11 Nov 2019; MEMO: Declaring property rights over Syrian oil is the real occupation, Turkey’s ruling party spokesman said Saturday.

“Those who say that they will transfer the resources of the Syrian people to SDG are in favor of terrorism against the Syrian people,” Omer Celik, a spokesman for the Justice and Development (AK) Party, said in a tweet.