Middle East & North Africa

BAGHDAD, Aug 18 (NNN-NINA) – At least 18 militants from the outlawed Turkish Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) were killed yesterday, in an airstrike by a drone, near the town of Sinjar in northern Iraq, a Kurdish security source said.

The airstrike took place in the afternoon, when a Turkish drone bombed a school building used by PKK members as a clinic, in a village near the town of Sinjar, some 100 km west of Nineveh’s provincial capital, Mosul, Luqman Gally, commander of the Kurdish Peshmerga security forces in the area, said.

TEHRAN, Aug 18 (NNN-IRNA) – Iran’s President, Ebrahim Raisi, yesterday said, relationship between Iran and Iraq are beyond merely neighbourly relations.

“The nations of Iran and Iraq have common aspirations,” said Raisi, in a telephone conversation with Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

“A strong, independent, united, secure and prosperous Iraq is not only our dream, but also an agenda of the two countries, by developing bilateral and regional cooperation,” he was quoted as saying.

TRIPOLI, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan Ministry of Health on Tuesday announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Turkey for cooperation on healthcare and medical sciences.

The deal was signed by Libyan Health Minister Ali Zanati, who was visiting Turkey, with his Turkish counterpart Fahrettin Koca, the Libyan health ministry said in a statement.

The MoU includes cooperation on hospital management, short-term training of medical staff, development of medical services, and combating the COVID-19 pandemic, the statement said.

AMMAN, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Jordan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi said Tuesday that Jordan and Turkey approved of an agreement to boost economic cooperation.

He made the remarks in Amman following a meeting with his visiting Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Safadi said specialists from the two countries' ministries of foreign affairs, as well as relevant ministries, would build up a road map to identify priorities for future economic cooperation as part of the agreement, according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

TATVAN, Turkey (AP) — Fearing a new refugee crisis, Turkey is sending soldiers to reinforce its border with Iran in order to stop a potential influx of Afghans fleeing the Taliban insurgency.

Irregular arrivals are already up as Afghans who fled weeks and months ago show up at Turkey’s rugged border area after a long trek across Iran. A group of Afghans encountered by The Associated Press near the border said they had deserted the Afghan military and fled the country as the Taliban offensive accelerated.

AMMAN, Aug 17 (NNN-XINHUA) – Jordanian Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, said, his country is continuing the coordination with Qatar, to support the Palestinians, to find a political horizon and improve its economy.

Safadi made the remarks, when meeting with his visiting Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Amman, where the two diplomats discussed ways of advancing bilateral ties in various fields.

17 Aug 2021; MEMO: The Syrian regime of Bashar Al-Assad has reportedly sent an envoy to the United States to discuss the resumption of ties between the two countries, as a result of an alleged rift between the regime and its long-time ally Russia.

ADEN, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Abdulrahman Tayeb, a Yemeni doctor, was shocked when his hospital in southern Saudi Arabia told him his contract would not be renewed, leaving him with a difficult choice: go home to a nation at war or try to find work in another country.

He is not alone. Hundreds of medical staff, academics and other professionals in the kingdom's southern region bordering Yemen have in recent weeks been told they are being let go, several Yemenis told Reuters.

17 Aug 2021; MEMO: The diplomatic crisis between Israel and Poland has escalated with the Polish Ambassador to Israel being told by his government not to return to his post after his family holiday, agencies have reported. Ambassador Marek Magierowski will remain in Poland until further notice.

This followed the recall of Israel's envoy from Warsaw for consultations. The Times of Israel said that the Israeli Foreign Ministry has also advised Magierowski to stay in his country.

TUNIS, Aug 17 (Reuters) - At the Sidi Bahri market in Tunis, shoppers were pleased with the president's attacks on corruption and high prices since he seized control of the government last month in moves his foes called a coup.

President Kais Saied has criticised Tunisia's economic policy, urged traders to charge less for food and medicine and accused unnamed businessmen of stealing billions of dollars while police are investigating corruption in state industry.