Middle East & North Africa

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese army retirees scuffled with parliamentary guard troops as they briefly broke through a cordon leading to Parliament in downtown Beirut during a rally Monday. They were protesting their decimated monthly pay amid the country’s economic meltdown.

The troops managed to push the crowd back and fired teargas, forcing the elderly retirees to turn away from the street. After a short while, they gathered nearby to continue their protest and demand higher pay. They later dispersed.

Saudi Arabia's women's national football team made history yesterday after playing their first ever international fixture on home soil.

The team known as the Green Falcons, led by German coach Monika Staab drew 3-3 with visitors Bhutan at the Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium in Abha with a late equaliser in the 90th minute by Noura Al-Ibrahim. The Saudi team will face the same opponents again on Wednesday.

26 Sep 2022; MEMO: Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said yesterday that "Palestine is a national issue" for his country, pointing out that "there is no Algerian young or elderly who does not support Palestine."

In a meeting with Algerian governors, Tebboune said: "We do not accept Palestine to be occupied," adding that "we will continue supporting it even if it was occupied by the world's strongest power."

"Palestine is for Palestinians, not for others," he stressed.

25 Sep 2022; MEMO: Egypt has announced plans to host the 2036 Summer Olympics said Sports Minister Ashraf Soby yesterday during a reception in Cairo for International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach.

"President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has given his permission for Egypt to put itself forward as host for the 2036 Olympics," Sobhi said. President Sisi was also in attendance at the meeting along with Egyptian Olympic officials.

26 Sep 2022; MEMO: Close to 47,988 right-wing Jews raided Al-Aqsa Mosque between September 2021 and September 2022, with the right-wing Temple Mount Administration saying this year was the busiest for Israelis storming Al-Aqsa in the apartheid state's history, Sama news agency reported yesterday.

26 Sep 2022; MEMO: The blowing of the Jewish trumpet at Al-Aqsa Mosque is "disrespectful" of the world's 1.7 billion Muslims, Sheikh Kamal Al-Khatib, deputy head of the Islamic Movement in Israel, said yesterday.

ADEN, Sept 25 (NNN-YPA) – Yemen’s pro-government forces, yesterday, continued anti-terror military operations, in the southern province of Abyan, a security official said.

The troops raided the al-Qaeda terrorist group’s strongholds, in various areas of the province in recent days, killing 24 armed al-Qaeda members, the local security source said.

“The troops launched yesterday, the fourth phase of the anti-terror campaign, aimed at pushing their elements out of the whole province,” the source added.

DUBAI, Sept 25 (Reuters) - U.S. support for "rioters" is contrary to Washington's diplomatic stance towards Iran, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian was quoted as saying by the semi-official ISNA news agency on Sunday.

"Peaceful protest is the right of every nation. However, the U.S. involvement in Iran's affairs and support to 'rioters' in implementing their destabilisation project is in clear conflict with Washington's diplomatic messages to Iran regarding the necessity of a nuclear deal and establishing stability in the region," Amirabdollahian said.

DUBAI, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Iran must deal decisively with protests which have swept the country after the death in custody of a woman detained by the Islamic Republic's morality police, President Ebrahim Raisi said on Saturday.

At least 41 people have been killed in the week-long unrest, state television said on Saturday. It said that toll was based on its own count and official figures were yet to be released. Protests have erupted in most of the country's 31 provinces.

24 Sep 2022; MEMO: Ukraine has downgraded its diplomatic relations with Iran and withdrew the accreditation of the Iranian ambassador over Tehran's supply of drones to Russia.