Middle East & North Africa

RAMALLAH, Palestine, Dec 2 (NNN-WAFA) – Palestine slammed Israel’s decision to build a new settlement in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, saying, it is a “clear result” of U.S. backing.

“Israel’s decision to build a new illegal settlement in occupied Hebron is the first tangible result of the U.S. decision, to legitimise colonisation; this cannot be taken out of the context of annexation,” said Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Dec 2 (NNN-SPA) – Saudi Arabia will host the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, in the capital, Riyadh, on Dec 10, it was reported, on Sunday.

GCC General Secretary, Abdullatif Al Zayani, announced that, the Gulf leaders will hold their 40th meeting in Riyadh, saying that, the summit will be chaired by the Saudi King, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The ministerial preparatory meeting before the summit will be held in Riyadh on Dec 9.

RAMALLAH, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Sunday slammed Israel's decision on building a new settlement in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, saying it is a "clear result" of U.S. backing.

"Israel's decision to build a new illegal settlement in occupied Hebron is the first tangible result of the U.S. decision to legitimize colonization; this cannot be taken out of the context annexation," said Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

BEIRUT (AP) — Nadyn Jouny’s sister taped up two messages in her memory inside a closet at the family home — one of motherly love tinged with pain, another of defiance.

The first Jouny wrote to her 9-year-old son on the one day a week she was allowed to see him under a custody ruling by a Shiite religious court. “Peace be upon the holy nights when you fall asleep near me,” she wrote. “Peace be upon the trace of love painted on your face and features ... This is my night.”

KUWAIT, Dec 2 (NNN-KUNA) – British Prince William, arrived in Kuwaiti City, Sunday evening, as part of his first official trip to Kuwait and Oman.

Minister of Kuwaiti Royal Affairs, Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al Sabah, and his deputy, Sheikh Mohammad Al Sabah, welcomed the British royal upon his arrival.

The Duke of Cambridge’s visit to Kuwait comes, on the 120th anniversary of the signing of a friendship treaty between Kuwait and Britain.

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s parliament on Sunday formally accepted the prime minister’s resignation, but the path to replacing Adil Abdul-Mahdi was clouded with legal questions that one lawmaker described as a “black hole in the constitution,” which does not clearly spell out the next step.

Meanwhile, anti-government demonstrations went on in the capital, and one protester was shot dead. Demonstrators closed roads, including those leading to a major commodities port in southern Iraq. A special judicial committee was formed to investigate demonstrator deaths.

TASS, December 1: The Syrian Arab Republic has accused the United States of interfering in the constitutional committee’s work and attempting to impose its own agenda, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, according to SANA news agency.

"The US State Department’s statement on the Geneva meetings of the constitutional committee definitely confirms Washington’s attempts to meddle in other states’ affairs and impose its own agenda on the constitutional committee," the document reads.

01 Dec 2019; MEMO: Turkish and Russian troops have completed the 12th round of joint ground patrols in northern Syria under a deal reached last month, Anadolu reports.

“Turkish and Russian units have completed their twelfth joint land patrol according to plan. A total of eight vehicles comprising of four from each side participated in the twelfth joint land patrol along with UAVs in the Qamishli-Derek sector,” Turkey’s National Defense Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

01 Dec 2019; MEMO: Iran on Saturday disputed death tolls issued by foreign human rights groups for protests that erupted in the country over fuel prices, Anadolu reports.

Demonstrations broke out across Iran in mid-November after the government imposed petrol rationing and hiked fuel prices at least 50%.

CAIRO (Reuters) - Islamic State said the London Bridge attack on Friday was carried out by one of its fighters, the group’s Amaq news agency reported on Saturday. The group did not provide any evidence.

It added that the attack was made in response to Islamic State calls to target countries that have been part of a coalition fighting the jihadist group.