Middle East & North Africa

CAIRO, July 2 (Reuters) - Clashes between Sudan's army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) intensified on Sunday, as the war in the country's capital and western regions entered its 12th week with no attempts in sight to bring a peaceful end to the conflict.

Air and artillery strikes as well as small arms fire could be heard, particularly in the city of Omdurman, as well as in the capital Khartoum, as the conflict deepens a humanitarian crisis and threatens to draw in other regional interests.

BAGHDAD, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Iraq exported about 100.59 million barrels of crude oil in June, generating 7.1 billion U.S. dollars in revenue, the country's Oil Ministry announced Saturday.

The average price for Iraqi crude oil in June was 71.1 dollars per barrel, the ministry said in a statement, citing statistics from the State Organization for Marketing of Oil, an Iraqi company.

JERUSALEM, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Israel has approved the purchase of 25 new F-35 stealth fighter jets from the United States, the Defense Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

The ministry stated that the deal is valued at about 3 billion U.S. dollars, which will be financed through the U.S. defense aid package received by Israel.

BEIRUT (AP) — Israel carried out airstrikes on areas near the central Syrian city of Homs early Sunday causing material damage but no casualties, the Syrian military said in a statement.

A Syrian anti-aircraft missile exploded over Israeli territory, the Israeli military said, prompting another round of strikes.

Syrian state media quoted an unnamed military official as saying the air defenses shot down some of the missiles fired by Israeli warplanes flying over neighboring Lebanon.

Tehran, IRNA – The latest data released by the Energy Information Administration of the United States (EIA) shows that Iran has exported $19 billion of crude oil in the first five months of 2023.

The EIA said in its latest report said that the total oil export of 13 OPEC members in the five months to June 2023 was $293 billion.

The EIA has estimated Iran's total oil revenue in the mentioned period at $19 billion, which is equal to 6.5% of OPEC's total oil exports in the mentioned period.

Tehran, IRNA – An informed source has said that the Islamic Republic of Iran is not going to send a new ambassador to Sweden due to the sacrilege of the Holy Quran in the European country.

The informed source at Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told IRNA on Sunday that despite the fact that administrative procedures for sending a new Iranian ambassador to Sweden have been finished, as a result of the recent insult to the holy Quran in the Swedish capital city Stockholm, the ministry will not send a new envoy for now.

01 July 2023; AA: Germany said the move to annul the validity of the Constitutional Court’s decisions by Bosnia and Herzegovina's Republika Srpska entity violates the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement.

The law adopted by the entity's National Assembly is another serious step toward the separation of the entity from the state, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Christofer Burger.

He said the move also puts the unity and territorial integrity of the country at risk.

01 July 2023; MEMO: Israel is not nearing an attack on Iran's nuclear sites, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's national security adviser said on Friday, as talks between Tehran and Washington have sought to cool tensions, Reuters reports.

Tzachi Hanegbi said it was still unclear what will come of talks Israel's main ally the United States has held with Iran in recent weeks in an effort to outline steps that could limit Teheran's nuclear program and de-escalate tensions.

02 July 2023; MEMO: The Israeli army said late Saturday it spotted an anti-aircraft missile launched from Syria toward its territory, reports Anadolu Agency.

"The missile appears to have exploded in the air," it said in a statement that indicated the details of the incident are currently under investigation.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military radio reported that fragments of missile that is believed to have exploded in the air, fell in the southern Israeli city of Rahat.

RIYADH, Jul 1 (NNN-SPA) – Saudi Arabia announced yesterday, the success of the health plans for this year’s Hajj season, which saw the return of pilgrim numbers to pre-pandemic levels.

Health Minister, Fahd Al-Jalajel, said, the season was free from any outbreaks or threats to public health, attributing the success to the integration of all concerned government organisations and early preparedness for the Hajj season.