Middle East & North Africa

Awarding 2500 US Green Cards during nuclear talks sheer lie

Tehran, Aug 5, IRNA – Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi on Sunday strongly denied awarding some 2500 US Green Cards to Iranian officials and their children during nuclear talks between the Islamic Republic of Iran and G5+1.

'Alavi attended on Sunday to Majlis and answered to the questions posed by two MPs,' member of Iranian parliament's national security and foreign policy commission Ali Najafi Khoshrodi quoted Alavi as saying in an open session of the parliament.

Forex for basic goods, pharmaceuticals to be provided at official rate

Tehran, Aug 6, IRNA – Cabinet session headed by President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday reviewed proposals of Central Bank of Iran to reorganize foreign exchange market, announcing that all basic commodities and pharmaceuticals will be provided at rate of 42,000 rials.

Iran's IRGC confirms staging naval drill in Gulf

TEHRAN, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) confirmed on Sunday that it held a military drill in the Gulf this week with the aim of securing the strategic waterway and deterring potential threats posed by the enemies, state TV reported.

The exercise was conducted within the framework of the IRGC's annual exercises program, IRGC spokesman Ramezan Sharif was quoted as saying by Press TV.

Saudi expels Canadian envoy, recalls its own over 'interference'

6 Aug 2018; AFP; Saudi Arabia said Monday it was expelling the Canadian ambassador and had recalled its envoy while freezing all new trade, in protest at Ottawa's vigorous calls for the release of jailed activists.

The kingdom gave the Canadian ambassador 24 hours to leave the country, in an abrupt rupture of relations over what it slammed as "interference" in its internal affairs.

Erdogan: Turkey to freeze assets of 2 US secretaries

By Fatih Hafiz Mehmet

ANKARA; 4 Aug 2018; AA; The Turkish president said Saturday they will freeze assets of the U.S. "justice and interior" secretaries in Turkey.

"I am instructing my friends today. We will freeze assets, if there are any, of the U.S. justice and interior secretaries in Turkey," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, speaking at ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's Women Branch congress in Ankara.

Speaking about the U.S. move to freeze assets of Turkish justice and interior ministers, he said: "This is not logic."

Presidential aide slams Newsweek article on Turkey

By Kubra Chohan

ANKARA; 4 Aug 2018; AA; Turkey’s presidential aide Ibrahim Kalin on Saturday called an article by U.S.-based Newsweek magazine “one of the worst pieces on Turkey”.

“PKK and Gulenist/FETO propaganda presented as facts and ideological paranoia as analysis,” Kalin said in a tweet.

He added: “Now the June 24 elections are over, is Newsweek calling for another coup attempt in Turkey?”

Russia ready to ensure return of refugees from Syrian Rukban camp

MOSCOW, August 4. /TASS/. Russia is ready to negotiate the issue of safely returning refugees from the Rukban camp located in the US-controlled Al-Tanf zone to their homes, with the Syrian authorities, the Defense Ministry told journalists on Saturday.

"The point at issue was that the Russian side is ready to negotiate the issue of ensuring safety for refugees from the Rukban camp located in the US-controlled Al-Tanf zone and creating required conditions for their return home, with the Syrian authorities," the ministry said.

Druze community members in Israel protest against controversial "Jewish nation-state" law in Tel Aviv

Druze community members in Israel protest against the controversial "Jewish nation-state" law at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Aug. 4, 2018.

Israel passed a bill that defines the country as an "exclusively Jewish state" on July 19. (Xinhua/JINI/Tomer Neuberg)

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