Middle East & North Africa

TEHRAN, May 10 (Xinhua): The U.S. government of President Donald Trump dare not wage a war on Iran despite its threats, a senior Iranian commander said Friday.

"Negotiations with Americans will not take place, and Americans will not dare take a military action against us," Yadollah Javani, head of the political bureau of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, told Tasnim News Agency.

11 May 2019; DW: Houthi rebels are withdrawing from three ports in line with a ceasefire deal that was agreed to in December. Diplomats hope that the move could pave the way for a peace agreement.

Yemen's Houthi rebels began pulling back from three ports on Saturday, the first steps on the ground since a ceasefire deal was agreed.

10 May 2019; MEMO: Israeli settlers carried out 13 attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank over a two-week period 23 April-6 May, reported United Nations OCHA.

According to the monitoring body, the attacks “resulted in the injury of three Palestinians” as well as in “damage to Palestinian property across the West Bank”.

Baghdad, May 10, IRNA – Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said on Thursday that Iraq will never be part of the US anti-Iran sanctions.

Tehran, May 10, IRNA - The Ambassador of Iran to the United Nations, Majid Takht Ravanchi, in response to US president's claim to negotiate with Iran for non-acquisition of nuclear weapons, said that Trump appears to be unaware of Iran's lack of interest in nuclear weapons.

TEHRAN, May 10 (Xinhua): Thousands of people in Iran's capital Tehran on Friday rallied in support of recent Iranian government's decision to suspend the implementation of some of its commitments under the nuclear deal in response to the U.S. withdrawal from the deal last year.

According to local media, similar rallies were held in other Iranian cities after the Friday prayers.

In Tehran, people chanted slogans and held placards in support of the Iranian government's decision.

HMEYMIM /Syria/, May 9. /TASS/: About 750 personnel of the Russian military contingent in Syria and the Syrian government troops and around 20 items of military hardware took part in the parade at the Hmeymim airbase to mark the 74th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s Victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.

BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua): One year after the United States withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear accord and took a string of hostile measures against Iran, Tehran responded in kind by announcing Wednesday that it would suspend some promises it made under the tension-defusing deal.

In addition to stepped-up sanctions, Washington has designated Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps as a "foreign terrorist organization," vowed to counter the so-called "Iran threat," and announced the deployment of a U.S. aircraft carrier group and bombers to the region.

ANKARA; 9 May 2019; AA: The coalition government in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) collapsed after the People's Party (HP) announced its withdrawal on Wednesday.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kudret Ozersay, who is HP leader as well, announced his party's decision to withdraw from the coalition on Wednesday, according to Turkish Agency Cyprus (TAK).

Khartoum, May 8 (AFP/PTI) Sudanese protest leaders on Wednesday threatened to launch a nationwide campaign of civil disobedience after accusing the country's military rulers of delaying the transfer of power to a civilian administration.

Thousands of people remain camped outside the military headquarters in Khartoum nearly four weeks after the armed forces toppled autocratic president Omar al-Bashir as demanded by a months-long protest movement.