Middle East & North Africa

Iran injects gas into advanced centrifuges, violating deal

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran has begun injecting uranium gas into advanced centrifuges in violation of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, a spokesman said Saturday.

Behrouz Kamalvandi of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran made the remarks in a news conference carried on live television. He spoke from a podium with advanced centrifuges standing next to him.

'Economic terrorism’: Tehran’s top diplomat blasts US sanctions against Russia and Iran

TEHRAN, September 6. /TASS/: US sanctions against Cuba, Russia, Syria and Iran serve as an attempt to achieve illegitimate political objectives through intimidation of innocent people, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stated on Twitter on Friday.

Lebanon's Aoun warns Israel would bear results of any attack

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun warned on Friday that Israel would bear the consequences of any attack, days after a flare-up at the border between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.

The frontier between the two countries has remained calm since Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah traded fire on Sunday.

Lebanon PM Hariri: France says satisfied with investment plan progress

BEIRUT (Reuters) - France’s president is satisfied with Lebanon’s progress on starting an infrastructure investment program, the Lebanese Prime Minister’s office said on Friday, a day after a French envoy criticized the speed at which Lebanon is reforming its economy.

Foreign governments and donor institutions last year pledged $11 billion in financing to Lebanon for a 12-year infrastructure investment program at the “Cedre” conference in Paris, on condition that it carries out reforms.

Somalia wins first ever football World Cup qualifier

6 Sep 2019; MEMO: Somalia beat Zimbabwe 1-0 in a football World Cup qualifier played in Djibouti on Thursday, in the country’s first ever win in the qualifier, Anadolu Agency reports.

Somalia is the lowest-ranked team in Africa and the match was played in Djibouti, as Somalia does not host any international match due to security reasons.

Iran: I would not have signed nuclear deal: Ahmadinejad

6 Sep 2019; MEMO: Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad described the nuclear deal between his country and the P5 + 1 in 2015 as a series of unilateral commitments.

Ahmadinejad, who held office for two consecutive terms (2005-13), before the current president Hassan Rouhani, said: “I would not have signed such an agreement at all if it had been up to me.”

Egypt: Abdullah Morsi’s body buried at night, amid tight security

6 Sep 2019; MEMO: The son of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi was buried last night after authorities allowed the body to be released from the morgue amidst tight security.

Abdullah Morsi was released from the Zeinhom morgue in Cairo after prayers were held for him in the absence of his body.

His brothers Ahmed and Omar and his mother Najla Mahmoud accompanied the corpse to his final resting place alongside his father who passed away on 17 June.

Thousands rally in Aden to support UAE anti-terror role in Yemen

ADEN, Yemen, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Yemenis gathered Thursday in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden to show their support for the anti-terror role played by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the war-torn country.

The rally's organizer, the pro-secession Southern Transitional Council (STC), said in a statement that the rally aimed at "expressing gratitude for the UAE armed forces that firmly stand with the southern forces in confronting terror groups such as the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch and the Islamic State (IS) group."

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