Middle East & North Africa

ISTANBUL, May 26 (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan has defied forecasts of his political demise in Turkey's elections, rallying voters with a potent mix of religious conservatism and nationalism that looks set to propel his rule into a third decade on Sunday.

Though he has yet to clinch victory - Erdogan must first beat Kemal Kilicdaroglu in Sunday's runoff - his momentum has only grown since he emerged with a solid lead in the first round on May 14, and analysts fully expect him to win.

BEIRUT, May 25 (Xinhua) -- An "all-out war" will include all the fronts of the axis of resistance, said Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday in response to the Israeli military's warning.

"Never miscalculate; any folly may lead you to the abyss," Nasrallah said in a televised speech on the Resistance and Liberation Day.

"It is not you who are threatening a great war, but we are the ones who are threatening you with it," he said.

25 May 2023; MEMO: A new bill is being proposed which will grant Israel powers to extend its crackdown on human rights groups. The Ministerial Committee on Legislation will put forward a plan on Sunday to impose a tax on 65 per cent of foreign donations to Israeli and Palestinian humanitarian and human rights groups.

25 May 2023; MEMO: The United Arab Emirates and Malaysia announced on Tuesday that they have agreed to launch talks to reach a comprehensive economic partnership agreement.

The Malaysian Ministry of Commerce said in a statement that the agreement will cover the areas of trade in goods and services, as well as investments and economic cooperation.

JERUSALEM (AP) — A Palestinian man was shot and killed on Friday after infiltrating a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli army said.

In a statement, the military said the man tried to stab a resident in the Tene Omarim settlement and was shot by an armed civilian. It said the infiltration had set off an alarm and soldiers were scanning the area.

The Palestinian Health ministry confirmed the death but gave no further details.

CAIRO (AP) — Saudi Arabia and the U.S. said Friday the warring sides in Sudan’s conflict are adhering better to a week-long ceasefire following days of sporadic fighting.

The truce, brokered by Riyadh and Washington, went into effect Monday, but fighting continued in Khartoum and the western Darfur region. Particularly intense clashes flared up on Wednesday, the two countries said in a joint statement.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Belgium and Iran conducted a prisoner exchange Friday in Oman, with officials saying Tehran released a Belgian aid worker in exchange for an Iranian diplomat convicted of attempting to bomb a meeting of exiles in France.

The initial announcement by Oman’s Foreign Ministry did not identify the prisoners being swapped.

25 May 2023; MEMO: The Israeli Knesset yesterday approved the new state budget for the next two years which includes investing 3.5 billion shekels ($941 million) into expanding Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank.

According to the Times of Israel, the majority of the funds will go towards paving new roads and improving existing ones, including highways to bypass Palestinian areas that further segregate Israeli settlers and Palestinians.

25 May 2023; MEMO: Israel shot down a drone that had crossed over from Lebanon on Thursday, its military said in a statement, Reuters reports.

"A short while ago, IDF (Israel Defence Forces) soldiers identified and downed a drone crossing from Lebanese territory into Israeli territory towards the town of Zar'it," the military said.

25 May 2023; MEMO: China has called on Israel to "stop encroaching" upon Palestinian territory and resources, as Tel Aviv continues to allow and approve the construction of illegal Jewish settlements in the Occupied Territories.