Middle East & North Africa

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia’s oil-producing company, Aramco, announced Sunday a net income of around $47 billion for the first half of the year, double what it earned over the same period last year when the coronavirus grounded travel and pummeled global demand for oil.

This puts Aramco back squarely where it was before the pandemic struck and sunk earnings to $23.3 billion in the first six months of 2020.

Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said the company’s second quarter results “reflect a strong rebound in worldwide energy demand.”

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran, grappling with its most severe surge of the coronavirus to date, reported more new infections and deaths across the country on Sunday than any other single day since the pandemic began.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s prime minister said Sunday he holds the Lebanese government responsible for rocket fire launched from its territory, whether the Hezbollah militant group launched the weapons or not.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s comments came days after one of the heaviest flareups in violence between Israel and Hezbollah in several years and indicated Israel could expand its response if the rocket fire continues.

“The country of Lebanon and the army of Lebanon have to take responsibility (for) what happens in its backyard,” Bennett told his Cabinet.

07 Aug 2021; MEMO: The Iranian authorities announced closing the Milk port on Friday, one of its most important border and trade outlets with Afghanistan. This follows the exodus of Afghans from the city of Zaranj, the capital of the Nimroz province, which has fallen into the hands of the hard-line Taliban movement.

07 Aug 2021; MEMO: The Turkish Coast Guard Command rescued 14 asylum seekers on Friday who were pushed back by Greek authorities, Anadolu Agency reported.

According to a Turkish security source, regional Coast Guard Command deployed teams after learning that a boat carrying a group of asylum seekers was sailing off the coast of Didim district in Turkey's Aydin province.

07 Aug 2021; MEMO: Tunisian President Kais Saied confirmed on Friday that he will never back down, in response to the requests, specifically from the Ennahda Movement, to retract some of the exceptional measures he issued earlier following the activation of Article 80 of the Constitution.

07 Aug 2021; MEMO: After an exchange of fire between the Israeli army and Hezbollah, Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz announced on Friday that the Israeli army does not intend to let Hezbollah "toy" with it, The Times of Israel reported.

Gantz also warned that Israel is ready to worsen the dire situation of Hezbollah and Lebanon if calm was not maintained in the south of Israel.

07 Aug 2021; MEMO: The National Food Security Initiative conference held last week in Tel Aviv revealed the names of five donors who have funded a food security programme, including United Arab Emirates (UAE) tycoon Mohamed Alabbar.

07 Aug 2021; MEMO: Ben & Jerry's decision to stop business relationships with the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories is "a legitimate and necessary response, in line with its responsibility to respect international law and human rights", Amnesty International said in a press

07 Aug 2021; MEMO: The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas on Friday hailed the Lebanese retaliation to Israeli attacks in the south of the country, a statement announced, a copy of which was obtained by MEMO.

"We congratulate and fully support the response made by the Islamic resistance in Lebanon this morning (Friday), and its bombing of sites belonging to the Zionist enemy in response to the crimes of the occupation and targeting Lebanese territories," the statement expressed.