Egypt

CAIRO, May 20. TASS/: Iraqi special security services have announced Wednesday that the possible successor of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, former leader of ISIS neutralized by the US, was captured by them, Iraq’s Alsumaria TV reported.

"Today, terrorist Abdullah Qardash, who was a contender to succeed criminal al-Baghdadi, was arrested," the channel quoted the Iraqi intelligence statement. "The arrest was carried put based on verified information.".

CAIRO, May 19 (Xinhua) -- The total number of COVID-19 cases in Turkey, the hardest-hit country in the Middle East, soared to 151,615 on Tuesday, while Iran's tally surged past 124,000.

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca confirmed 1,022 new COVID-19 cases and 28 more deaths from the novel coronavirus, as the death toll surged to 4,199.

In addition, 112,895 patients had recovered from COVID-19 in Turkey, while 882 were being treated at intensive care units and 455 intubated, Koca tweeted.

19 May 2020; MEMO: Russian media outlets have speculated the sanctions that the US might impose on Egypt in the event that it acquires the Sukhoi Su-35 fighter, as Washington has previously threatened.

CAIRO, May 19. /TASS/: The area near Baghdad’s green zone has been targeted by a missile attack early on Tuesday, Iraq’s Alsumaria TV reports.

According to the channel, two missiles exploded near the area of the Iraqi capital where state agencies and foreign diplomatic missions are located, including the US embassy. Simultaneously, air raid sirens went off at the time of the attack.

CAIRO, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Turkey, the hardest-hit country by the coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East, has reported more than 146,000 confirmed cases, while the tally in Iran surpassed 116,000.

Turkey on Friday confirmed 1,708 new COVID-19 cases and 55 more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 146,457 and the death toll to 4,055.

A Turkish company recently launched the first domestic production of a drug to be used in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

CAIRO (AP) — Dr. Dina Abdel-Salam watched in terror last month as scores of strangers gathered under the balcony of her aunt’s empty apartment in the Egyptian city of Ismailia, where she’d temporarily sheltered after leaving her elderly parents at home to protect them from exposure to the coronavirus.

The crowd called out her name, hurling threats until she dialed the police for help.

“You have moved here to make us sick,” someone shouted.

CAIRO, May 14 (NNN-MENA) – The General Authority for Educational Hospitals and Institutes in Egypt, announced that, 19 members of a medical care team in Matariya Educational Hospital, tested positive for COVID-19.   

The authority said that the 19 positive cases were out of 54 samples taken from the medical team.   

The outbreak happened in the hospital in East Cairo, when a nurse contracted the virus from her late father-in-law, who died due to COVID-19 complications, the statement added.

CAIRO, May 14 (NNN-MENA) – Egyptian Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, said that, the authorities will bring home more than 16,000 nationals stranded abroad, in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The flights, quarantine and the medical tests from May 3 to May 9, cost the government 28 million Egyptian pounds (1.78 million U.S. dollars), according to a government statement.

Earlier in the day, 311 Egyptians, stranded in Canada, arrived back by an exceptional EgyptAir flight, as part of the country’s efforts to bring home its nationals abroad.

CAIRO, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's COVID-19 cases on Wednesday exceeded 143,000, while the tally in Iran crossed 112,000.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Turkey, the hardest-hit country in the Middle East, rose to 143,114, while the death toll surged to 3,952 on Wednesday.

Turkey on Wednesday confirmed 1,639 new COVID-19 cases and 58 more deaths in the past 24 hours, according to Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca.

CAIRO (AP) — They are regarded as heroes, their fallen colleagues as martyrs. But for doctors and nurses still dealing with Iran’s growing number of coronavirus infections, such praise rings hollow.

While crippling sanctions imposed by the U.S. government left the country ill-equipped to deal with the fast-moving virus, some medical professionals say government and religious leaders bear the brunt of the blame for allowing the virus to spread -- and for hiding how much it had spread.