Iran sees lifting of U.N. arms embargo in 2020 as ‘huge political goal’
President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday Iran would regain access to the international arms market later next year if it stuck to its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and this would prove “a huge political success”.
Lebanon banks discuss staff strike call, say they will protect employees
Lebanon’s banks held an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss a strike call by a union worried about staff security, the country’s banking association said, pledging to protect employees after physical attacks on them.
Israeli troops kill West Bank Palestinian, U.N. demands probe
Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian during confrontations with stone-throwing protesters in the occupied West Bank on Monday, Palestinian health officials said, drawing a U.N. demand for the incident to be investigated.
Europe should consider renewed sanctions on Iran, Germany suggests
Germany, Britain and France should be ready to consider starting moves to reinstate international sanctions on Iran over breaches of its 2015 nuclear deal, Germany’s foreign minister said on Monday.
Bomb attacks kill five, injure dozens in Syria’s Qamishli: forces
Three bombs exploded in Qamishli in northeast Syria on Monday, killing five people and wounding 26 in the city, which is largely-controlled by Kurdish fighters, security forces said.
Uber CEO says he was wrong to call Khashoggi killing a ‘mistake’
Uber’s chief executive said on Monday the murder by Saudi Arabia, a major investor in his company, of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year could not be excused and that he was wrong to have described the killing as a “serious mistake”.
Putin, Merkel agree Ukraine should give special status to Donbass: Kremlin
Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed in a phone call on Monday that Ukraine should give the separatist-controlled Donbass region a special status set out in Ukrainian law, the Kremlin said.
Top Iraqi cleric casts doubt on reforms offered to defuse unrest
Iraq’s top Shi’ite cleric on Monday expressed concern that the political elite is not serious about enacting reforms in the face of mass unrest and said protesters should not go home until concrete steps had been taken to meet their demands.
Britain says it is concerned by escalation of violence in Hong Kong
Britain’s Foreign Office said on Monday it was concerned about the escalation of violence between protesters and police in Hong Kong and urged both sides to find a way forward.
Polish far-right groups march on independence anniversary
Tens of thousands of Poles took part in a far-right march in the capital Warsaw on Monday to mark Polish independence, an annual event that has become a focus of friction between nationalists and liberals.
