Middle East & North Africa

10 Oct 2021; MEMO: Mustafa Ramid, a prominent leader in  Morocco's Justice and Development Party (PJD), announced his retirement from politics and party work, without revealing the reasons for his decision.

This came in a speech by the former Minister of State in charge of Human Rights and Relations with Parliament during a ceremony to pass on powers to his successor, Mustafa Baitas, the delegated minister in charge of relations with Parliament and government spokesman.

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq closed its airspace Sunday as voters headed to the polls to elect a parliament that, despite widespread skepticism, some Iraqis hope will deliver reforms after decades of conflict and mismanagement.

DUBAI, Oct 9 (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi and Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Rashid Al Maktoum on Saturday reiterated the resolve to further solidify the multifaceted bilateral relationship.

In a meeting held here at the Leaders Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020, the two leaders reaffirmed to strengthen the existing close fraternal relations between Pakistan and the UAE in diverse fields.

ANKARA, October 9. /TASS/: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu urged the US to abolish its "misguided policy" in Syria instead of accusing Ankara, commenting on the extension of US sanctions against Turkey.

"Instead of accusing Turkey, the US must cease its own misguided policy. They should be more honest to the US American people and the Congress," he said at a press conference Saturday.

TASS, October 9: Lebanon is facing large-scale power outages after two largest power plants stopped Saturday due to fuel shortage, Reuters reported citing official sources.

According to the report, the outage may last for "several days."

TEHRAN, Oct 9 (NNN-IRNA) – Iran dismissed as “baseless” the “allegations” made recently by Saudi Arabia and some European countries, pertaining to Tehran’s nuclear programme, a representative of the Islamic republic to the United Nations was quoted as saying yesterday.

CAIRO, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Taliban representatives asked the United States to lift a ban on Afghan central bank reserves at a meeting with U.S. counterparts in Doha, Afghanistan's acting foreign minister said on Saturday in remarks reported by Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television.

The minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, also said Washington would offer Afghans coronavirus vaccines, Al-Jazeera reported, after the first senior face-to-face meeting between the two sides since the hardline group took over the country in August following a U.S. troop pullout.

DAMASCUS, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- The visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian arrived in Syria's capital Damascus on Saturday, speaking about "comprehensive developments" in the relations between his country and Syria, according to the state news agency SANA.

Speaking jointly with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad to reporters upon arrival, Abdullahian said that over the past few weeks, Syria and Iran have reached "important agreements" for achieving comprehensive development in the relations in all fields.

09 Oct 2021; MEMO: Iran aims to continue sending fuel products to Lebanon in the future and hopes a bilateral agreement can be struck for that purpose, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said during a visit to Beirut today.

09 Oct 2021; MEMO: As reported by Anadolu Agency on Friday, Turkey condemned the terror attack targeting a mosque during Friday prayers in Afghanistan's northern province of Kunduz.

"It is with great sadness that we have received the news of the terrorist attack that took place today (8 October) during Friday prayers at a mosque in Kunduz province of Afghanistan, as a result of which many people lost their lives and many were injured," a Foreign Ministry statement said.