middle-east - INTERNATIONAL AGENCY FOR JOURNALISM AND STRATEGIC STUDIES

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. ...