Middle East & North Africa

14 June 2022; MEMO: Qatar plans to pitch 1,000 "Bedouin style" tents in the desert for World Cup soccer fans, organisers said on Tuesday, as the State hopes to attract 1.2 million visitors, nearly half of its population, for the 28-day tournament in November and December, Reuters reports.

Tents will spring up on the stark desert landscapes surrounding Doha, to offer visitors an authentic taste of Qatari camping, said Omar Al-Jaber, head of accommodation at tournament organiser, The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy.

14 June 2022; MEMO: Libya's oil output is 100,000-150,000 barrels per day (bpd), a spokesman for the Oil Ministry said on Tuesday, and a fraction of normal levels due to the shutdown of production and export facilities as a tactic in the country's political stalemate, Reuters reports.

Libyan oil output last year was more than 1.2 million bpd and the reduced production adds to the pressure on markets already squeezed by tight supply elsewhere.

15 June 2022; MEMO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi yesterday praised Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for supporting Egypt as it struggles to contain the economic crisis resulting from the Russia-Ukraine war.

"Saudi Arabia and the UAE have moved together to support Egypt without a request from Cairo," Al-Sisi said. "This is an opportunity to thank them."

He called on Arab countries with deposits in Egypt "to convert them into investments."

15 June 2022; MEMO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi yesterday called on citizens to be "patient" as the country goes through tough economic conditions.

"When Egypt's income reaches $1 trillion a year, hold me accountable," Al-Sisi said.

He noted that the production industry in Egypt required improvements in "leaps and bounds, not just accelerated steps," adding that the country was "falling behind."

15 June 2022; MEMO: Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Tuesday that US President Joe Biden would help integrating Israel in the Middle East, a statement issued by Bennett's office said.

Bennett also said that Biden's trip is intended "to reinforce the United States' iron-clad commitment to Israel's security and prosperity."

15 June 2022; MEMO: The Israel Prison Service on Monday transferred detained Palestinian minor Ahmad Manasra to Ramle Prison Hospital after his mental health deteriorated, his defence team disclosed.

"The Israeli prosecution informed us that the Israeli Prison Service transferred the child prisoner Ahmad Manasra last night to Ramle Prison Hospital due to his deteriorating mental health condition, without disclosing further details," Ahmad's lawyer Khaled Zabarka announced in a short statement.

GAZA, Jun 14 (NNN-WAFA) – Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip, yesterday called for immediate Arab and international interference, to halt Israeli violations against the Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The factions’ leaders made the appeal in a joint press statement, issued after a meeting held in Gaza City, which was initiated by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), to discuss the latest Israeli violations in Palestinian territories.

CAIRO, June 13 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian-German archaeological mission unearthed granite stone blocks dating back to the era of King Khufu (2589-2566 BC) in eastern Cairo, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said Monday.

This is "the first time that artifacts belonging to King Khufu were found in Ain Shams area," Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, was quoted as saying in a ministry statement.

Ain Shams, meaning Eye of the Sun in Arabic, is one of the oldest districts in the capital Cairo.

JERUSALEM, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Israel's National Security Council raised its travel warning for Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, to the highest level, citing possible attacks by Iran, said a statement from the council on Monday.

The warning comes amid the latest surge in tensions between Iran and Israel.

"Given the continuing nature of the threat and in light of the increased Iranian intentions to attack Israelis in Turkey, especially Istanbul, the National Security Council has raised the travel warning for Istanbul to the highest level, Level 4," said the statement.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — An Israeli legislator came under fire on Tuesday for saying that if he could push a button to make all Palestinians disappear, he would.

Deputy Religious Services Minister Matan Kahana made the remarks to high school students in a West Bank settlement. In his comments, which were caught on video, he was explaining his view that clashing narratives between Israelis and Palestinians were a major obstacle to peace. He appeared to be making the point that Israelis and Palestinians had no choice but to find a way to live together.