Middle East & North Africa

Sudan’s Hamdok unveils new cabinet

KHARTOUM, Sept 6 (NNN-ANADOLU) — Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok on Thursday announced there will be a new 20-member Cabinet for the transitional period, Anadolu Agency reported.

“We have taken a long time in consultations for the formation of the Cabinet as we need to address the geographical, gender and youth representation,” Hamdok told reporters .

He announced the names of 18 Cabinet ministers and said that there was a need to discuss the appointment of the ministers of the livestock, and the infrastructure and transportation.

US-Canada plan to resettle 100,000 Palestinian refugees in Canada

5 Sep 2019; MEMO: Canada is “to receive 100,000 Palestinians”, including 40,000 from Lebanon and another 60,000 from Syria as part of the US peace plan dubbed the “deal of the century”, Palestinian official source has revealed to the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar.

The Lebanese newspaper said that this came as a result of an American-Canadian understanding on this issue.

Qatar unveils its Official Emblem for the FIFA World Cup 2022

5 Sep 2019; MEMO: Amid widespread speculation and anticipation by football fans, Doha has launched the official logo of FIFA World Cup “Qatar 2022.” The emblem was started by simultaneously being displayed on several buildings and towers in Doha, Qatar and several Arab and international capitals.

Hundreds of people gathered in areas of Souq Waqif, Katara, and Doha towers to witness the launch of the logo, which is considered an important milestone on the road to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Erdogan says it’s unacceptable that Turkey can’t have nuclear weapons

5 Sep 2019; MEMO: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday it was unacceptable for nuclear-armed states to forbid Ankara from obtaining its own nuclear weapons, but did not say whether Turkey had plans to obtain them, Reuters reports.

“Some countries have missiles with nuclear warheads, not one or two. But (they tell us) we can’t have them. This, I cannot accept,” he told his ruling AK Party members in the eastern city of Sivas.

Saudi diplomat: UAE betraying us in Yemen under pretext of Muslim Brotherhood members

5 Sep 2019; MEMO: The President of the Saudi-American Public Relations Affairs Committee (SAPRAC), Salman Al-Ansari, attacked on Tuesday the United Arab Emirates, considering that it is “fooling” Riyadh under the pretext of Muslim Brotherhood members, for “expansionist ambitions” in the region.

Egypt: Morsi’s son dies of alleged heart attack

5 Sep 2019; MEMO: The youngest son of late Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi died of an alleged heart attack Wednesday at a hospital in Cairo.

A Morsi family sourced confirmed Abdullah Morsi’s death to news agencies. However, the Egyptian Health Ministry has yet to comment on his death.

Abdallah Morsi, 24, began to feel spasms while driving in Cairo with a friend and died shortly afterwards, his brother Ahmed told Reuters.

Turkish, U.S. senior officials discuss safe zone in Syria over phone

ANKARA, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin and U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton held a phone conversation Wednesday over the safe zone plan in Syria, the presidential office said in a statement.

The Turkish presidential aide told Bolton that Turkey has completed its preparation for the implementation of the joint Turkey-U.S. operations in Syria without delay, according to the statement.

The two officials also discussed bilateral trade, fight against terrorist and the last situation in Syria, it added.

Iran says U.S. sanctions on space agency "ineffective"

TEHRAN, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Wednesday that recent U.S. sanctions against the Iranian Space Agency are ineffective, Tasnim news agency reported.

"The Americans are addicted to sanctions," said Zarif, who is on an official visit to Bangladesh.

"These U.S. sanctions have no effect and the world is also beginning to ridicule the United States," he said.

On Tuesday, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump announced sanctions against the Iranian Space Agency.

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