middle-east - INTERNATIONAL AGENCY FOR JOURNALISM AND STRATEGIC STUDIES

Iraqi parliament accuses government of delaying reforms

Iraq’s Parliament Speaker Mohamed al-Halbousi on Sunday accused the government of “dragging its feet” on carrying out reforms and holding early elections, despite growing public demands. ...

UN to renew Lebanon peacekeeping mandate, reduce troops

The UN Security Council will extend the mandate for a peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon for another year later on Friday, but will reduce the number of troops amid US and Israeli criticism over the mission’s efficiency, diplomats said. ...

France FM: Lebanon at risk of ‘disappearance’ if politicians fail to act swiftly

France’s foreign minister urged Lebanese politicians to form a new cabinet and implement “urgent” reforms to avoid “the disappearance of Lebanon”. ...

Pompeo discusses Libya conflict, Iran with UAE FM

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo yesterday discussed the Libyan conflict and countering Iranian regional influence with his Emirati counterpart during a brief visit to the United Arab Emirates, Reuters reports. ...

Report: Lebanon’s Beirut port fully operational after blast

Lebanon’s Beirut port is now fully operational for imports and exports after the devastating 4 August blast, according to Bassem Al Qaisi, the newly appointed director of the port, the National reports. ...

Iran: Deal possible if US returns to nuclear pact

Iran’s president said Tuesday that Tehran could reach an agreement with Washington if the US “apologizes” and returns to the 2015 nuclear deal, according to Iranian state TV. ...

Lebanon: Half of Beirut children showing signs of trauma after explosion

Approximately half of children in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut have started showing signs of trauma and extreme stress since a massive explosion rocked the city on 4 August, a report by UNICEF says. ...

Maduro: Venezuela buying Iranian missiles 'a good idea'

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday said it would be a “good idea” to look into buying missiles from Iran, a day after Colombia said Venezuela was considering such a plan amid growing ties between Caracas and Tehran, Reuters reports. ...

New pressure on Iran to open secret nuclear sites

Pressure is mounting on Iran to reveal details of its secret nuclear sites and the work that was carried out there. ...

Pandemic starts to surge in conflict-hit Libya

As coronavirus cases surge in Libya, medics and officials working with a health system wrecked by years of division and war are warning that the pandemic could be slipping out of their control, Reuters reports. ...

Kushner: Israel-UAE treaty a 'massive change' for the region

President Trump's chief adviser, Jared Kushner, has said the US-brokered Israel-UAE peace treaty represents a "massive change" for the Middle East. ...

Iraq: 2 bombs strike US supply convoy

Two bombs have hit convoys supplying US-led coalition forces in Iraq’s southern governorate of Dhi Qar, security sources reported on Wednesday. ...

Beirut explosion: Angry residents rage at leaders after blast

People in Beirut have expressed anger at the government over what they say was negligence that led to Tuesday's huge explosion. ...

Fire breaks out at Iranian industrial area, no casualties: state TV

A fire broke out at an Iranian industrial area near Tehran on Tuesday, Iran’s state TV reported, the latest in a string of fires and explosions, some of which have hit sensitive sites. “The fire broke out at the industrial area of the Jajrud district in the Pardis county this morning […] there were no casualties […] firefighters are trying to contain the fire,” it said. ...

Afghan troops retake prison attacked by IS group; 29 killed

JALALABAD, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan forces said they retook a prison in the country’s east on Monday afternoon, following an hours-long battle a day after the facility was targeted by the Islamic State group in an attack that killed 29 people. The prison is believed to be holding hundreds of IS members. ...