Middle East & North Africa

23 May 2019; DW: World football's governing body was hoping to expand the competition to include 48 countries. However, that would have needed another Gulf country to host games along with Qatar, amid deteriorating ties in the region.

FIFA finally abandoned its hopes to fast-track its expansion of the World Cup on Wednesday, announcing that it had run out of time in its bid to find a way to accommodate 48 teams in Qatar and the wider region in 2022. 

22 May 2019; MEMO: The Israeli government has retracted its claim that two journalists “led a riot” in Nabi Saleh in 2015, “and that their beating by soldiers was therefore justified”, reported Haaretz.

According to the article, “this is the gist of a compromise reached between the Jerusalem district attorney and the two photographers, Abbas Mumani and Haim Schwarczenberg”, who had sued the Israeli military over the assault.

22 May 2019; MEMO: The United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s Vice President and Prime Minister and the Ruler of Dubai, Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, yesterday launched a new scheme which grants permanent residency to expatriates.

22 May 2019; MEMO: Some 13,500 patients in Israeli hospitals died or were infected by illnesses while receiving care in 2017, an internal Ministry of Health report revealed yesterday.

ANKARA; 22 May 2019; AA: Turkey decided to reduce by half the additional duties levied on 22 products originating in the U.S. in a reciprocal move, the trade minister said on Wednesday.

The move came after the U.S. government announced that it decreased tariffs on Turkish iron and steel imports to 25% from 50% last week.

ANKARA; 22 May 2019; AA: Turkish military personnel are currently receiving training in Russia for the use of the S-400 air defense system, Turkey’s defense minister told reporters in Ankara.

"We’ve sent personnel to Russia for S-400 training that will begin in the coming days and will span the following months," Hulusi Akar said on Tuesday.

22 May 2019; DW: Jokha Alharthi has become the first Arabic-language writer to win the Man Booker International Prize with her novel "Celestial Bodies." The book focuses on three Omani sisters and the country's history of slavery.

22 May 2019; DW: German-Tunisian UN diplomat Moncef Kartas, who was jailed nearly two months ago on suspicion of espionage, has been temporarily released on bail. But the case against him continues.

An appeals court in Tunisia ruled on Tuesday that UN diplomat Moncef Kartas be released from prison. But his lawyers said the case against Kartas "has not been closed and investigations will continue." It is unclear whether he will be able to leave Tunisia. 

21 May 2019; MEMO: Palestinian businessmen, economic and trade institutions and unions have received invitations to participate in the economic workshop organised by the United States in Bahrain next month, Anadolu Agency reported.

The White House announced in a joint statement with Bahrain that Manama will host an economic workshop entitled “Peace to Prosperity on 25 and 26 June.

21 May 2019; MEMO: Likud officials have warned that the failure to find a breakthrough in coalition negotiations could lead to fresh elections, reported Ynet.

According to the news site, the unnamed officials are frustrated at what they believe are “unreasonable demands” from Likud’s natural coalition partners.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has until 28 May to form the next government, having already received the permitted, one-off 14-day extension from President Reuven Rivlin.