Middle East & North Africa

CAIRO (AP) — A tanker transporting curd oil broke down in a single-lane part of Egypt’s Suez Canal on Sunday, disrupting traffic in the global waterway, Egyptian authorities said.

The Malta-flagged Seavigour suffered a mechanical malfunction at the 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) mark of the canal, said George Safwat, a spokesperson for Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority. The tanker was part of the north convoy, which transits the canal from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, he said.

ANKARA, Jun 3 (APP): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday invited the Turkish investors and businessmen to expand the investment in diverse areas of Pakistan.

He was talking to a delegation of Anadolu Group comprising of CEO coca cola CCI, Karim Yahi, Coca cola CCI chief strategy office Atilla Yerlikaya and Coca Cola CCI Head of public policy Taylan Coban which called on him here.

The prime minister encouraged the Anadolu group for bringing investment in Pakistan and providing job opportunities to the people of Pakistan.

TEHRAN, Jun 3 (NNN-IRNA) – The Iranian foreign minister said, Iran’s permanent membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), will be finalised in early July.

Making the remarks in an interview with Iran’s IRIB news agency, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said, following the approval from the Kyrgyz parliament, all SCO founding members have given Iran the greenlight towards permanent membership.

JERUSALEM/CAIRO, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Three Israeli soldiers and a member of Egyptian security forces were killed early on Saturday in a shootout along the border between Israel and Egypt, according to the two countries' military statements.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that the assailant who killed the three soldiers was an Egyptian policeman. He first killed two soldiers, a man and a woman, who were on duty in a border post and gunned down a third during an exchange of fire hours later when a manhunt was underway.

ADDIS ABABA, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat called for cessation of violence in Senegal.

"The chairperson of the AU Commission is closely following the events in Senegal which have caused deaths. The chairperson strongly condemns such violence and calls for their immediate cessation," the statement released late Friday said.

Faki called on all Senegalese political actors to show restraint from acts that tarnish the image of Senegalese democracy.

TEHRAN, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, have discussed issues pertaining to the resumption and development of bilateral ties.

The meeting was held Friday on the sidelines of the Friends of BRICS meeting in Cape Town in South Africa, said the Iranian Foreign Ministry in a statement.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s longtime leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, took the oath of office on Saturday, ushering in his third presidential term that followed three stints as prime minister.

ANKARA, June 2. /TASS/: At least 20 heads of state and 45 ministers will participate in Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's inauguration in Ankara on June 3.

DOHA, Jun 2 (NNN-WAM) – United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s recent move to quit a U.S.-led maritime coalition, revealed Abu Dhabi’s disappointment at U.S. reluctance to actively protect its partners and rebuild its deterrence in the Gulf region, Al Jazeera reported.

The UAE Foreign Ministry, announced on Wednesday that, the country had stopped participating in the Combined Maritime Forces, two months ago, “as a result of our ongoing evaluation of effective security cooperation with all partners.”

ANKARA, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye's export value in May increased by 14.4 percent year on year to 21.7 billion U.S. dollars, marking the highest figure of the month ever, a cabinet minister said Friday.

"This is the highest May export value of all time," Trade Minister Mehmet Mus said in a tweet.

Imports increased by 16 percent year on year to 34.3 billion dollars in May, he said in a statement released by the ministry the same day.