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04 Oct 2021; MEMO: Palestinian Authority (PA) officials have said that the US is to reopen its consulate in occupied East Jerusalem in a few weeks, Haaretz reported yesterday.

According to the Israeli newspaper, the PA officials told Haaretz that senior US officials had revealed this information to them.

The American consulate in occupied East Jerusalem served Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

04 Oct 2021; MEMO: Palestinian farmers in the Gaza Strip are facing hardships and working at a loss as a result of the terms set out for exports by the Israeli occupation authorities.

Holding a protest yesterday, farmers said rules – which include the transport of goods to their intended buyer without lids – mean they are damaged and do not reach their intended markets in a good condition, leaving the farmers out of pocket as they do not subsequently get paid for them.

04 Oct 2021; MEMO: Tunisia's President Kais Saied has signed four contracts with French oil and gas companies within a week, a parliamentarian announced yesterday.

Safi Saïd told local media that the pacts were signed "discreetly", noting that Saied was "bias to the French stance in its dispute with the United States over wealth and interests in Tunisia."

The lawmaker accused France of being behind the Tunisian crisis, and of "sponsoring several coups in Africa."

03 Oct 2021; MEMO: Iran's foreign minister said on Saturday that US officials tried to discuss restarting nuclear talks last month, but he insisted Washington must first release $10 billion of Tehran's frozen funds as a sign of goodwill, reports Reuters.

Iran has rejected direct talks with the United States, and indirect talks on reviving a 2015 nuclear accord aimed at keeping Iran from being able to develop a nuclear weapon stopped in June.

02 Oct 2021; MEMO: The US has urged Turkey on Friday not to buy more Russian S-400 air defence systems, warning of further risks if the purchase goes ahead, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told journalists.

01 Oct 2021; MEMO: Greece signed a multibillion-dollar military agreement with France, media reports have said.

President Emmanuel Macron and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met in Elysee Palace to announce the deal on Tuesday, which Greek media outlets have reported is worth €5 billion ($5.8 billion). The Guardian reports the deal will see France delivering three state-of-the art Belharra frigates to Greece by 2025, with the option of a fourth warship also on offer.

New Delhi, Oct 2 (PTI) Petrol and diesel prices soared to new record highs across the country on Saturday after rates were hiked again by 25 paise and 30 paise a litre, respectively.

The price of petrol in Delhi rose to its highest ever level of Rs 102.14 a litre and to Rs 108.19 in Mumbai, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers.

Diesel rates too touched a record high of Rs 90.47 in Delhi and Rs 98.16 a litre in Mumbai.

Chandigarh, Oct 1 (PTI) Leader of Opposition in the Haryana Assembly Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Friday described the government's order deferring paddy procurement as a "cruel joke" on farmers.

Many farmers have already brought their produce to mandis in the state, so the government should now tell them "what to do with this crop and where to take it", the senior Congress leader said.

01 Oct 2021; MEMO: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced his decision to work with Russia in the field of space exploration and the production of warships, submarines and jet engines.

30 Sep 2021; MEMO: Saudi Arabia's controversial bid to take over Newcastle United Football Club could be sanctioned on the condition that the government in Riyadh is not involved as a director in any way. A final decision is not expected until early next year when arbitration proceedings between the club and the English Premier League will decide whether the blocked buyout can proceed.