Lebanon PM scratches senior banking appointments from cabinet agenda
Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab scratched discussions of senior banking appointments from the cabinet’s agenda in a session yesterday. ...
Sudan quarantines soldiers returning from Yemen
Sudan has quarantined a number of soldiers who returned from their tour of duty in Yemen as part of the Saudi-led coalition, in a preventive measure against the spread of the coronavirus, SUNA news agency reported. ...
Iraq launches military operation against Daesh remnants
Iraqi forces yesterday announced targeting Daesh-dwelled areas in the country’s northern governate of the Saladin. ...
EU approves $262m aid package for Syria refugees effected by coronavirus outbreak
The European Union has agreed a $262 million package for countries hosting refugees and vulnerable persons from the Middle East, raising the total EU response to the Syrian crises to more than $2.2 billion. ...
Lebanon to bring back citizens stranded abroad from 5 April
Lebanon’s government agreed yesterday to facilitate the return of Lebanese citizens abroad starting on 5 April, Information Minister Manal Abdel Samad announced in a statement. ...
Libya’s GNA frees 466 prisoners to prevent spread of COVID-19
The Ministry of Justice of the internationally-recognised Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) has announced the release of 466 prisoners in the capital of Tripoli, as part of the measures taken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. ...
35,000 Syrians return to Idlib following ceasefire
Some 35,000 civilians displaced by the Bashar Al-Assad regime and its backers’ attacks have returned to their homes in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, following the ceasefire deal that was brokered between Turkey and Russia in March. ...
Daesh fighters break out of Syria prison over coronavirus fears
Detained militants suspected of belonging to Daesh – otherwise known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) – conducted a riot in a prison in Syria yesterday, with several inmates managing to escape. ...
Lebanon protests continue despite coronavirus lockdown
Residents in the north Lebanon city of Tripoli broke the curfew last night and took to the streets to protest about the lack of compensation from the government for businesses closed as part of the measures to combat the spread of coronavirus. ...
Coronavirus : more than 50,000 cases of in Middle East
On Saturday night, the number of cases of coronavirus in the Middle East increased to more than 50,000 and is rising everyday by thousands of cases. More than half the cases are in Iran where official numbers put cases at 35,000. However, the number in Iran is thought to be more than that. ...
Lebanese police remove Beirut protest camp
Lebanese security forces cleared away a protest camp in central Beirut on Saturday and reopened roads blocked by demonstrators since protests against the governing elite started in October, Reuters reports. ...
Middle East countries impose more restrictions amid growing coronavirus cases
Countries in the Middle East have taken more containment precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including strict curfew policies and work-from-home campaigns. ...
French Christian charity workers kidnapped in Iraq are freed
Four workers from a French Christian charity who were kidnapped in Iraq in January have been freed, President Emmanuel Macron's office said. ...
Rockets hit Iraq's Green Zone, US-led coalition leaves base
Two rockets slammed into the Iraqi capital's high-security Green Zone early Thursday, hours before US-led forces were set to pull out of a second base in the country. ...
Lebanon parliament goes online as PM warns state struggling to contain coronavirus
Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri announced that parliament will start holding legislative meetings online in a statement on Wednesday. ...
Coronavirus: Sudan issues nationwide curfew to combat spread of virus
Authorities in Sudan have said night curfews will begin on Tuesday in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus. ...
Coronavirus: 82% of Moroccans avoid leaving their homes
According to an opinion poll, 88 per cent of Moroccans are currently not considering travelling due to the coronavirus outbreaks in the country. ...
EU Iraq Mission: Formation of new government urgent for coronavirus battle
The European Union Mission in Iraq has called for expediating the formation of a new Iraqi government in order to urgently deal with the coronavirus pandemic. ...
Iran rejects US offer of help in battle against coronavirus
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected an American offer on Sunday to help his country in its battle against the coronavirus, news agencies have reported. Khamenei announced this in a televised speech marking the Persian New Year, calling America Iran’s “number one” enemy. ...
Lebanon’s PM Diab orders security forces to enforce coronavirus curfew
Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab asked the security forces on Saturday to enforce stricter measures to keep people indoors and prevent gatherings to curb a coronavirus outbreak. ...