Middle East & North Africa

17 July 2021; AA: At least nine more young officers of the Afghan National, Defense, and Security Forces graduated from Turkey’s elite National Defense University in Istanbul, said an official statement on Saturday.

According to the Afghan Embassy in Ankara, the graduated officers received training in ground and air combat operations among other elements of security and defense.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as well as other dignitaries, attended the graduation ceremony.

KESRA, Tunisia (AP) — Soldiers hold rifles to guard the health center in the traditional Tunisian village of Kesra, while inside, military medics use other weapons to combat COVID-19: vaccines.

Tunisia is facing its worst coronavirus surge since the pandemic began, further stressing the North African country’s already crowded hospitals and health system. That has forced some regions to go back into lockdown and prompted waves of donations of vaccines or medical aid from China, France, Turkey, Italy, the United Arab Emirates and Algeria.

18 July 2021; MEMO: Turkey on Sunday slammed a ruling by a top European Union court allowing the banning of headscarves under certain conditions as a "clear violation of religious freedoms", adding the move would exacerbate prejudices against Muslim women in Europe, reports Reuters.

18 July 2021; MEMO: Iran insisted on Sunday that a prisoner swap deal has been agreed with the United States, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said, a day after Washington denied such an agreement had been reached, reports Reuters.

"'Outrageous' = the US denying the simple fact that there IS an agreed deal on the matter of the detainees. Even on how to announce it," Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a tweet.

18 July 2021; MEMO: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Saturday the main impediment to investment in the country was money stuck in ailing Lebanese banks, reports Syria.

In a speech after being sworn in as president for a fourth term, Assad said estimates suggested the frozen funds were worth between $40 billion and $60 billion.

"Both figures are enough to depress an economy like ours," he said.

18 July 2021; MEMO: Protected by heavily armed Israeli occupation police, 1,371 Israeli Jewish settlers accompanied by Knesset members stormed Al Aqsa Mosque and clashed with Palestinian Muslim worshipers inside the third Islamic holy site.

Media sources and eyewitnesses reported that the Israeli settlers stormed Al Aqsa Mosque early on Sunday morning to celebrate their fast day which commemorates their alleged day of temple destruction thousands of years ago.

BEIRUT, July 17 (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Saturday the main impediment to investment in the country was money stuck in ailing Lebanese banks.

In a speech after being sworn in as president for a fourth term, Assad said estimates suggested the frozen funds were worth between $40 billion and $60 billion.

"Both figures are enough to depress an economy like ours," he said.

17 July 2021; MEMO: An Israeli army drone today crashed inside Lebanon, the Israeli military said, Anadolu Agency reports.

In a Twitter post, Avichay Adraee, the army spokesman said: "A while ago, during a regular activity, an Israeli army drone crashed inside Lebanese territory as a result of a technical malfunction."

"There is no fear of information leakage," he said, without giving further details.

There was no immediate comment from Lebanese authorities in this regard.

17 July 2021; MEMO: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) contracted an Israeli security company specializing in making drones to enhance its security services and shorten emergency response times, Anadolu Agency reports.

An Israeli defence website said today that the Dubai police have signed a deal with an Israeli aerobatics company to use its drone system for security services to secure the Dubai-based World Expo 2020 in October.

17 July 2021; MEMO: Following Israeli lobbying for intensifying raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas warned Israel not to test its patience because it is ready to defend the Palestinian holy sites, land and property.