Middle East & North Africa

28 June 2023; MEMO: The number of people filing discrimination complaints increased by 14 per cent in Germany in 2022 compared to 2021, to a total of 8,827, the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency said Tuesday.

"We have never had so many people submit applications to the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency as we did last year," said Ferda Ataman, the head of Germany's anti-discrimination office, in announcing the report at a news conference in Berlin, Anadolu Agency reports.

28 June 2023; MEMO: The Turkish Red Crescent on Wednesday began distributing meat to 3,000 families in four Yemeni provinces on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, reports Anadolu Agency.

The head of the Turkish Red Crescent branch in Yemen, Ibrahim Obaid, told Anadolu that the meat distribution is taking place in Aden, Abyan, Lahij and Dhali.

28 June 2023; MEMO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday he informed members of the US House of Representatives of his planned visit to China, Anadolu Agency reports.

"The projected visit will be Prime Minister Netanyahu's fourth visit to China; the American administration was updated one month ago," his office said in a statement.

It did not, however, specify a date for the trip.

28 June 2023; MEMO: Swedish police have given the go-ahead for a small demonstration to take place outside a Stockholm mosque on Wednesday at which the organisers said they would "tear up the Koran and burn it", which could further complicate Sweden's bid to join NATO, reports Reuters.

28 June 2023; MEMO: It is "unacceptable" for Ankara that PKK supporters in Sweden organise demonstrations and recruit people and provide financial support for terror groups, the Turkish president said on Wednesday, Anadolu Agency reports.

His remarks came during a phone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, according to a statement by the Turkish Communications Directorate.

28 June 2023; MEMO: The head of Sudan's army called on young men to defend their country, including by joining the army, and announced a ceasefire for the Eid al Adha holiday on Wednesday, when a rival force has also declared a truce, reports Reuters.

Multiple ceasefire deals have failed to stick in the conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces that began April 15, including several brokered by Saudi Arabia and the United States at talks in Jeddah that were suspended last week.

28 June 2023; MEMO: Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki has condemned recent attacks by Jewish settlers on occupied towns of the West Bank, describing them as "organised terrorism carried out by the State of Israel."

Al-Maliki also accused the Israeli army of protecting the settlers.

"The army is protecting the settlers charged with terror, fear-mongering, killing and destruction in Palestinian lands," al-Maliki told Anadolu in an interview.

RIYADH, Jun 28 (NNN-SPA) – Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Tawfiq al-Rabiah, announced, more than 1.8 million worshippers from over 150 countries are performing the Hajj this year.

The number of pilgrims from Arab countries reached more than 346,000, or 21 percent of the total, the General Authority for Statistics said, yesterday.

Among the pilgrims were more than one million from Asian countries, excluding Arab nations, making up 63.5 percent of the total, while nearly 223,000 pilgrims, or 13.4 percent of the total, came from African countries, excluding Arab nations.

TEHRAN, Jun 28 (NNN-IRNA) – Qatar has released seven Iranian nationals, imprisoned in the country, said Iranian Ambassador to Doha, Hamid Dehghani, yesterday.

“Seven Iranian nationals were released today (yesterday) and transferred to their home country onboard a flight,” said Dehghani in a Twitter post.

Six of the seven released nationals had been detained for illegal entry into Qatar’s territorial waters, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

ISTANBUL, June 28 (Xinhua) -- More than 7,700 smuggled cultural relics have been delivered to Türkiye since 2018, as the country stepped up its efforts to combat illegal trafficking, local media reported on Wednesday.

Thanks to the efforts of the Anti-Smuggling Department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 7,701 assets have been returned to Türkiye since 2018, with the number of historical artifacts reaching 3,000 this year alone, the daily Hurriyet reported, citing figures released by the ministry.