Middle East & North Africa

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran recorded over 34,900 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, setting the nation’s single-day record for cases as vaccinations lag, public complacency deepens and the country’s outbreak spirals further out of control.

The previous record of 31,814 infections had been set only a day earlier, providing a sense of how quickly Iran’s latest surge, fueled by the contagious delta variant, is mounting. Health authorities recorded 357 COVID-19 fatalities on Tuesday, bringing the total death toll to 89,479 — the highest in the Middle East.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Human Rights Watch on Tuesday accused the Israeli military of carrying out attacks that “apparently amount to war crimes” during an 11-day war in May against the Hamas militant group.

The international human rights organization issued its conclusions after investigating three Israeli airstrikes that it said killed 62 Palestinian civilians. It said “there were no evident military targets in the vicinity” of the attacks.

26 July 2021; MEMO: Tunisian security forces have stormed the offices of Al Jazeera and expelled its staff, the media group announced on social media.

"Security forces involved in the raid said they were carrying out instructions and asked all journalists to leave," it added on its website.

26 July 2021; MEMO: Hundreds of Egyptian journalists have called for the release of all political prisoners, local media reported yesterday.

In an official note, the Journalists Syndicate called on the country's public prosecutor, the attorney general and the administration of the western Cairo Tora prison to free their colleague Hisham Fouad, who they said has been on a hunger strike for two weeks.

"Egyptian authorities must urgently intervene to provide the necessary health care to Fouad and save his life from danger," they said.

26 July 2021; MEMO: Lebanon's Sunni leaders, including former PM Saad Hariri, yesterday endorsed wealthy businessman and former Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, to form the next government, local media reported.

Parliamentary consultations are due to be held today.

According to Lebanon's political system, the post has to be held by a Sunni Muslim, while the presidency is held by a Maronite Christian.

26 July 2021; MEMO: Hamas has condemned the African Union (AU)'s decision to grant Israel observer status, calling the move "shocking and reprehensible."

In a statement released on Saturday, Hamas criticised the decision the AU took last week following almost two decades of Israel's attempts to gain observer membership after the organisation's predecessor – the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) – was disbanded in 2002.

26 July 2021; MEMO: Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah said there will be no more wars in Libya and that his government will provide Sabha, a region in the south, with all necessary services to alleviate the people's suffering, local media reports.

Dbeibah said at a cabinet meeting in Sabha yesterday that his government is committed to securing the southern region with a plan in place to support the security apparatus to fight crime and terrorism and secure the elections on 24 December.

26 July 2021; MEMO: The Tunisian army this morning prevented Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi from entering Parliament, while President Kais Saied was seen celebrating his decision to freeze the government.

Hours following Saied's announcement to freeze parliament and sack the government, Ghannouchi along with several MPs headed to the parliament building but they were stopped from entering by the army.

KUWAIT CITY, Jul 26 (NNN-KUNA) – Kuwait plans to establish logistic cities to support local economy and attract foreign investment, Kuwait Ports Authority (KPA) announced yesterday.

Sheikh Yousef Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, KPA Director-General, said, these cities will be built on an area of two million square metres and designed by global design agencies, to ensure high standards that will support e-commerce.

DAMASCUS, Jul 26 (NNN-SANA) – The Syrian forces yesterday brought reinforcement to its positions in Daraa province, in southern Syria, following a deal with the armed men there, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

Parts of the military reinforcement was sent to the city of Daraa, while the others to areas in the western countryside of that province, which was the birthplace of the anti-government movement in 2011, it said.