Middle East & North Africa

TEHRAN, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Monday that the U.S. administration must know the continuation of former President Donald Trump's mentality would only result in "maximum failure."

Addressing a weekly press conference, Saeed Khatibzadeh noted the United States should come to Vienna with a real agenda for continuing the talks over the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, commonly known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and completely fulfill its commitments under it.

ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa reached 7,910,086 as of Monday afternoon, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.

The Africa CDC, the specialized healthcare agency of the African Union, said the death toll from the pandemic across the continent stands at 199,500.

Some 7,143,322 patients across the continent have recovered from the disease so far, it was noted.

06 Sep 2021; MEMO: Israel will fully open its crossings with Gaza and facilitate ending the crises in the besieged enclave, the Qatari envoy said this morning in a statement.

The Israeli decision comes after meetings were held over the past few days in an effort to stablise the situation and deescalate tensions in Gaza, Mohammed Al-Emadi said. There were positive results from the meetings and these would form a foundation for resolving all other outstanding issues relating to improving the lives of Palestinians.

06 Sep 2021; MEMO: A commander in the powerful Shia Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) was killed in an attack in central Iraq yesterday, Anadolu reported.

The news agency quoted a local police officer, who asked not to be named, as saying that the car carrying the PMF commander in Babil province, Asif Hassan Karim, was targeted with an explosive device which led to his death.

According to the source, two of Karim's companions sustained moderate injuries.

06 Sep 2021; MEMO: The French company TotalEnergies signed a $27 billion contract with Iraq on Sunday to invest in the country's gas, oil, and solar energy industries. The deal was announced by Iraqi Oil Minister Ihsan Abdul-Jabbar Ismail during a joint press conference with TotalEnergies CEO, Patrick Pouyanne, in Baghdad.

Ismail said that the deal aims to reduce Iraq's reliance on fossil fuel. "This is the largest investment by a Western company in Iraq," he added. "Implementing these projects is the challenge we now face."

06 Sep 2021; MEMO: The Israel "Defence" Forces handed over orders to Palestinian farmers on Sunday in the village of Battir on the outskirts of Bethlehem, giving notice that soldiers will be razing their farms to the ground and destroying their grapevines, Anadolu has reported.

06 Sep 2021; MEMO: Libya will provide financial support to young couples who wish to marry, interim Prime Minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, announced yesterday.

"I officially announce the launching of the electronic grant application service through which the administrative and financial procedures are completed within 24 hours," Dbeibah said at a joint press conference with Youth Minister Fathallah Al-Zani and members of his cabinet.

06 Sep 2021; MEMO: Libyan authorities released Saadi Gaddafi, the son of former leader Muammar Gaddafi, a government official said.

During the 2011 uprising, Saadi Gaddafi fled for Niger but was extradited to Libya in 2014 and has been imprisoned in Tripoli ever since.

06 Sep 2021; MEMO: Qatar yesterday condemned the Syrian regime's "brutal attack" on Daraa, saying it led to the displacement of dozens of families.

06 Sep 2021; MEMO: Six Palestinian prisoners have escaped from the high-security Gilboa Prison in northern Israel, the prison authorities reported today. The six are believed to have dug a tunnel to get out of the prison, which was built in 2004 for the "most dangerous" Palestinian prisoners.

According to the Israel Prisons Service, the escape started at about 1:30 am this morning. The police received reports about suspicious persons near the prison at around 3 am.