Middle East & North Africa

Egypt lifts assets-freeze on ex-president Hosni Mubarak's sons

30 Sep 2021; MEMO: Egyptian authorities yesterday unfroze the funds of Alaa and Gamal, the sons of the late President Hosni Mubarak, and their families, after a decision issued by the Examination and Investigation Commission.

The ruled included: "Ending the prohibition order No. 3 of 2011, related to each of Muhammad Hosni Al-Sayed Mubarak, and his wife Suzanne Saleh Mustafa Thabet, Alaa and Gamal Mubarak."

Assad regime funds war through its embassies in Europe: Report

30 Sep 2021; MEMO: Large fees from Syria's diaspora, who evaded obligatory military conscription, have become a major source of revenue for the cash-strapped Bashar Al-Assad regime, said a recent report produced by an international consortium of investigative centres, Anadolu reports.

"Men who don't pay face the threat of their family's assets in Syria being seized," said a report released by Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) on Tuesday.

Scores of Tunisia lawmakers reject president's new appointments

30 Sep 2021; MEMO: Tunisian parliamentarians yesterday expressed their rejection of the exceptional measures taken by President Kais Saied, calling for the resumption of parliamentary work to get out of the crisis the country is facing, local reports have said.

The deputies called for a general meeting and to resume the work of parliament in order to start establishing new legislative elections. They said they consider that "all exceptional measures are void, and are nothing but the foundation of an individual dictatorship."

Lebanon: Hezbollah shoots down Israeli drone in southern Lebanon

30 Sep 2021; MEMO: Hezbollah today said it shot down an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle in southern Lebanon, Anadolu reports.

In a statement, the group said its fighters downed the Israeli drone with "suitable weapons" in the Maryamin valley.

The Israeli army also admitted that one of its drone fell inside Lebanon.

"A short time ago, during routine activity, an IDF (Israeli army) drone fell within Lebanese territory," an Israeli army spokesperson said.

Israel sends Gilboa prison escapees to different jails

01 Oct 2021; MEMO: Israeli authorities yesterday transferred the six Palestinian prisoners who escaped from the Gilboa maximum security prison in early September to solitary confinement in various prisons.

Lawyer Khaled Mahajna said in a statement that after occupation forces completed their investigations, they transferred the detainees to solitary confinement in different prisons.

Bahrain Launches Fast Sea-To-Air Logistics Hub

MANAMA, Sept 30 (NNN-BNA) – Bahrain, yesterday launched a fast sea-to-air logistic hub, which has a two-hour turnaround time for all containers, the kingdom’s transportation ministry said.

The “Bahrain Global Sea-Air Hub” can move goods at twice the speed and only 40 percent of the cost, comparing to the regular routes, the ministry said.

The launch of the hub makes better use of Bahrain’s strategic position, midway between Europe and Asia, as well as, its proximity to regional markets.

Israel investigating after Lebanon's Hezbollah says it shot down Israeli drone

BEIRUT, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Israel said it was investing an incident on Thursday after Lebanon's Hezbollah group said it had shot down an Israeli drone in the south of Lebanon.

A statement by the armed group said it had brought down the drone on the outskirts of the village of Yater by targeting it with "suitable weapons".

“A short time ago, during routine activity, an IDF drone fell within Lebanese territory. The incident is being investigated,” IDF spokesman on Twitter.

Tunisia's first woman prime minister raises spirits despite power grab

TUNIS, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Nurse Amina Ben Hammou beamed with pride when President Kais Saied named Najla Bouden Romdhane as Tunisia's first woman prime minister on Wednesday.

"I am optimistic about a woman being prime minister, so let's try it," she said.

"And I imagine, according to my opinion, that a woman will make Tunisia succeed because women are serious, combative and patient, and these three things are very important."

Iraq's Sadr calls to arrest participants in Israel normalisation conference

30 Sep 2021; MEMO: Iraq's popular political figure and leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada Al-Sadr, yesterday called for the implementation of arrest warrants issued against those who took part in the Israel normalisation conference in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdish region in northern Iraq, last week.

Kuwait lawmakers condemn 'atrocities' against India's Muslims

30 Sep 2021; MEMO: Members of the Kuwaiti National Assembly have condemned the atrocities committed by the Indian authorities and Hindu extremist groups against the Muslim community.

The lawmakers said in a joint statement that in the wake of the wave of violence and discrimination committed against Indian Muslims, including killing, displacement and burning, the lawmakers stand in solidarity with Muslims in India.

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