Media Summary
Prince Charles hopes to visit Iran
The Independent reports that Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, would like to make an official visit to Iran, he said in an interview with the Sunday Times newspaper.
BBC News, The Guardian and Reuters reports that at least three rockets were fired at the US embassy in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on Sunday. One rocket hit the embassy cafeteria while two others landed a short distance away, a source told AFP.
The Guardian reports that Benjamin Netanyahu hopes to ‘make history’ during his White House visit, as the Israeli prime minister travels to Washington for the unveiling of Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan. Reuters reports that Trump is expected to disclose details of his long-delayed Middle East peace proposal to Israeli leaders on Monday, holding back-to-back meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz.
Reuters reports that Iranians should not allow U.S. President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” approach to harm national unity ahead of parliamentary elections, President Hassan Rouhani said in a speech, lashing out at hardliners over mass disqualification of candidates.
The Times and The Telegraph report that thousands of young anti-government protesters took to the streets across Iraq yesterday in defiance of a crackdown by security forces and attempts by a leading Shia cleric to redirect popular anger towards America and its allies. The Independent reports that thousands of protesters marching in Baghdad have called for American troops to leave Iraq, in a show of anger at the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and an Iraqi militia leader by the US.
The Associated Press reports that Lebanese security forces scuffled on Monday with protesters near the parliament building in downtown Beirut, where lawmakers are scheduled to begin a two-day discussion and later approval of the state budget amid a crippling financial crisis.
The Independent reports that Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has said the country has become “an oasis of security and stability” under his rule, amid reports of a new clampdown on dissent in the lead-up to the eighth anniversary of the 2011 pro-democracy Arab Spring uprising.
Reuters reports that Eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar sought on Sunday to open a new front by moving forces towards the city of Misrata, which is allied to the country’s internationally recognised government, officials and residents said.
The Times reports that UN officials suspect that Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia had a hand in the hacking of Jeff Bezos’s phone and a team of cyber detectives hired by the Amazon boss has accused one of the prince’s closest advisers as the mastermind of the operation.
The Financial Times reports that Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s assertive foreign policy has shaken the international order, as military interventions in Libya and Syria have reset Turkey’s relationships with major regional actors.
The Financial Times reports that Deutsche Bank paid $1.1m to secure the wealth management business of a senior Saudi royal, according to an internal probe that led to two former staff being reported to criminal prosecutors.
The Associated Press reports that an Iranian passenger airliner carrying some 150 passengers skidded off the runway and into a street next to the airport in the southern city of Mahshahr on Monday, after apparently losing its landing gear in a hard landing.
The Jewish Chronicle reports that the UK Government has announced it will donate £1 million to help preserve Auschwitz-Birkenau and ensure the lessons of the Holocaust “live on for generations”.
In The Guardian, Nesrine Malik argues Mohammed bin Salman ‘urgently needs an adult in the room’, as the Saudi crown prince’s antics are making it difficult for western allies to paint his country as a competent regional partner.
In The Associated Press, Jon Gambrell says the Iranian downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, and the public outcry in response to the error, reveals Islamic Republic’s wider woes, wherein the regime risks losing control of public anger.
All Israeli media report on the formal indictment – pending a hearing – by the Attorney General, Avichai Mandelblit, of former Likud whip David Bitan, on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Bitan is alleged to have received nearly one million shekels in bribes for, among other things, real estate development projects. In a nod to the ongoing election campaign, Mandelblit will likely agree to Bitan’s request not to publicly release detailed evidence in the case.
Kan Radio reports details of the ceremony taking place today at Auschwitz-Birkenau on the occasion of International Holocaust Day and the 75th anniversary of the its liberation. 200 Holocaust survivors and dozens of world leaders, including Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, will take part in the ceremony in Poland. Polish President Andrzej Duda, who did not attend the World Holocaust Forum ceremony in Jerusalem last week, will participate and speak.
All the Israeli media report that Israeli forces carried out airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday that targeted a Hamas military post, in retaliation for rocket fire and explosive balloon launches from Gaza. The rocket was fired in late afternoon and landed in open fields. Clusters of balloons equipped with explosives have been launched into Israel every day since last week. Reports indicate that Hamas is behind the attacks which are intended to put pressure on Egypt and Israel to resolve outstanding issues in ceasefire talks and to force Egypt to end a series of restrictions put in place after Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh visited Iran.