Middle East & North Africa

ADEN, May 7 (NNN-YPA) – Suspected al-Qaeda gunmen, attacked a security headquarters in Yemen’s southern province of Dhalea last night, a government official said.

“Intense armed confrontations are still going on between the security forces and the al-Qaeda suspects, in and around the security headquarters in Dhalea, amid large explosions,” the local official said.

The gunmen’s attack on the security headquarters, that includes a prison, is aimed to free al-Qaeda inmates, he added.

RAMALLAH, May 7 (NNN-WAFA) – Palestine yesterday condemned Israeli Defence Minister, Benny Gantz’s approval, of building 4,000 housing units, at the Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

The move is “aimed at boosting settlement construction, at the expense of the occupied State of Palestine,” the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said, in a press statement.

ADDIS ABABA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Saturday called on Ethiopian authorities to promptly initiate and conduct transparent investigations into recent inter-religious clashes in Ethiopia.

"I am deeply distressed by the recent violent clashes between Muslims and Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia in which at least 30 people were reportedly killed and more than 100 others injured," an Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) statement quoted Bachelet as saying.

07 May 2022; MEMO: Jordan authorities issued Friday warning against Israeli plan to evict 1,300 Palestinians living in eight villages in the South Hebron Hills, a statement reported by the official Petra news agency said.

The statement, which was issued by Jordanian Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Haitham abu al Foul, also warned against Israeli plans to approve the construction of 4,988 illegal settlement units in other areas of the occupied West Bank.

07 May 2022; MEMO: The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen announced on Friday that it transferred more than 100 released prisoners to Yemen, in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross, as part of a humanitarian initiative to support a United Nations (UN)-brokered truce.

The coalition announced last month that it would release 163 prisoners from the pro-Iran Houthi group, but a Houthi official later said that the list included individuals who were not affiliated with the movement.

07 May 2022; MEMO: The Palestinian Authority warned on Friday that Israel's Supreme Court's agreement to demolish more than 12 Palestinian villages in Masafer Yatta amounts to ethnic cleansing.

According to Wafa News Agency, these evictions would lead to the displacement of more than 4,000 Palestinian citizens, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesperson for PA President Mahmoud Abbas, confirmed.

07 May 2022; MEMO: Defying international law, Israeli occupation authorities plan to build 3,988 new settlement units in two areas across the occupied Palestinian West Bank.

The Israeli Higher Planning Council for Judea and Samaria (the Israeli name for the West Bank) is set to give its final approval for building 2,536 new settlement units, The Jerusalem Post reported, and allow for plans for an additional 1,452 settlement units.

07 May 2022; MEMO: The initial turnout for the Lebanese elections abroad on Friday reached around 36 per cent, seven hours after its launch.

Iran and Syria witnessed the highest percentage of votes, with Egypt coming last.

The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants announced that, until 14:00 local time (11:00 GMT), 11,268 people out of 30,930 voters (outside the country) voted.

Beijing, May 6 (PTI) The 2022 Asian Games, which were scheduled to take place in Hangzhou in September, were on Friday postponed amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in China.

According to state-run CGTN TV, the Olympic Council of Asia has postponed the 19th edition of the multi-sports Games, the second biggest sporting event after the Olympics in size.

The Games were scheduled to take place from September 10-25 in the capital of Zhejiang province, about 175 kilometres southwest of Shanghai.

05 May 2022; MEMO: On Thursday morning, settlers destroyed hundreds of olive saplings and agricultural crops in the town of Al-Khader, Bethlehem district, and dozens of settlers stormed the areas of Burqa and Al-Masoudiya, located in the Nablus district in the occupied West Bank.