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Media Summary

Turkey could send troops to Libya

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The Guardian reports that the threat of a military clash in the Mediterranean has drawn nearer following talks in which Turkey has underlined its willingness to send troops to Libya to defend the country’s UN-recognised government.

Reuters reports that Turkey moved closer to military support for Libya’s internationally recognised government late on Saturday when a bilateral deal that provides for a quick reaction force if requested by Tripoli was sent to parliament.

The BBC reports that riot police and anti-government demonstrators have clashed for a second night in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, leaving dozens of people wounded. The Guardian reports that Lebanese security forces fired teargas, rubber bullets and water cannons to disperse hundreds of protesters for a second straight day, ending what started as a peaceful rally in defiance of the toughest crackdown on anti-government demonstrations in two months.Reuters reports that gas engulfed central Beirut as security forces chased protesters near Lebanon’s parliament on Sunday in a second night of street clashes that wounded dozens of people. The Times reports that riot police moved in on Saturday night following fights between protesters and gangs of men who appeared to be supporters of the two main Shia-led factions in Lebanon: Hezbollah and the Amal party.

The BBC reports that Iran has foiled a second cyber-attack in less than a week, the country’s telecommunications minister says. Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi announced on Twitter that the cyber-attack had targeted Iranian electronic government systems.

Associated Press reports that two days after rebel Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar declared a “final” and decisive battle for the capital Tripoli, heavy fighting raged for a 24-hour period between his troops and militias loosely allied with the internationally backed government based in the city, officials said Saturday.

The Times reports that armed Turkish drones will be launched from northern Cyprus today to assist Ankara’s drill ships surveying the eastern Mediterranean for oil and gas.

The Times reports that shares in Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant increased in value yesterday, closing within a whisker of regaining their coveted $2 trillion valuation.

Reuters reports that talks between Saudi Arabia and Qatar to heal their two-year rift were welcomed as a good development for the whole Gulf region by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

The Financial Times reports that Algeria’s presidential election has failed to extinguish popular anger, as the country’s pro-democracy movement fears a new leader will just be a front for the generals.

Associated Press reports that Iran hawks in the US Congress leveraged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s interest in a Senate run to win a key concession from the Trump administration that could help their bid to kill the nuclear deal with Tehran.

Mossad helped prevent Danish terror attacks: Israel’s Channel 12 news reported yesterday that the Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence service, helped authorities in Denmark prevent a series of planned terrorist attacks. In the past week Danish police and security forces arrested 21 suspects in Copenhagen and other major cities allegedly in the final preparations for an attack, including assembling explosives and stockpiling weapons. Per the report, Mossad and other Israeli security branches have helped foil more than 50 terrorist attacks in the past two years, the majority in Europe.

Israeli political paralysis harms military readiness: Senior Israeli military officers warned of the impact that the political impasse was having on the operational readiness of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF),Yediot Aharonot reported yesterday. Without a new government no new budget has been passed – thus impeding the army’s ability to plan (and fund) its training and acquisitions. The IDF budget will from January be allocated on a monthly basis according to 1/12 of the 2019 budget. The new multi-year plan proposed by IDF chief of staff Aviv Kochavi has also been stalled since early this year due to the political crisis.

Montenegro set to buy Israeli weapons system: All the Israeli media report a new $35 million arms deal between Israel and Montenegrofor the acquisition of remote control weapons stations to be fixed on to US-made light tactical vehicles. The deal was announced during a festive signing ceremony at IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv. It is the first government-to-government defence agreement between Israel and Montenegro, a NATO member.