Middle East & North Africa

CAIRO (AP) — The United Nations said Tuesday the surging violence in Sudan is likely to drive more than 1 million refugees out of the African country by October, as the 10-week conflict shows few signs of easing.

Sudan descended into chaos after fighting erupted in mid-April between the military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. Since then, over 3,000 people have been killed, the country’s Health Ministry said, while about 2.5 million people have been displaced, according to the U.N.

MINA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims on Wednesday braved intense heat to perform the symbolic stoning of the devil during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

With morning temperatures rising past 42 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Farenheit), huge crowds of pilgrims walked or took buses to the vast Jamarat complex just outside the holy city of Mecca, where large pedestrian bridges lead past three wide pillars representing the devil.

GAZA, Jun 27 (NNN-XINHUA) – With their houses being destroyed in recent Israeli airstrikes, many Gazans are deprived of the joy of this year’s Eid al-Adha, one of the most celebrated festivals on the Islamic calendar.

“We used to spend long hours every day preparing for the Eid festival, cleaning and decorating our house, buying sweets and making cakes for Eid,” Najah Nabhan, a 62-year-old woman from Beit Lahia, a city in northern Gaza, told Xinhua.

CAIRO, Jun 27 (NNN-MENA) – Syria’s permanent representative to the Arab League (AL), Hussam Eddin Ala, yesterday said, Syria rejoining the Pan-Arab body will boost Arab action.

He made the remarks, during a meeting with AL Secretary-General, Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, a day earlier, during which he delivered his credentials, according to a video released by the AL.

He noted that, Syria attaches great importance to boosting its relations with Arab countries, and that its presence in the AL will deepen their cooperation.

CAIRO, Jun 27 (NNN-MENA) – Two China-funded prototype satellites of the MisrSat II satellite project, were delivered to the Egyptian side on Sunday, making Egypt the first African country with the capacity to assemble, integrate and test satellites.

During the delivery ceremony, held at the Egyptian Space Agency, near the country’s New Administrative Capital, Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation, Rania Al-Mashat thanked China for supporting and cooperating with the agency, and being a “strategic partner and friend” of Egypt.

ISTANBUL, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek on Tuesday promised that the government would press ahead with rational economic policies, noting efforts to strengthen the country's reserves were at full speed.

"The return to rational policies will continue gradually," Simsek said on his official Twitter account.

JERUSALEM, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of Israelis staged a fiery rally outside Justice Minister Yariv Levin's home on Tuesday, joining protesters nationwide in their opposition against the government's contentious judicial overhaul plan, which resumed earlier this week.

In a statement, the police said that the protesters torched tires and used them to block the traffic around the home of Levin, the architect of the controversial legislation that aims to strip the Supreme Court of much of its power.

27 June 2023; MEMO: The 2023 Club World Cup will take place in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, football's world governing body FIFA said on Monday. Reuters reported that the decision was announced following a FIFA delegation visit to Jeddah last week to assess ongoing preparations for the tournament.

26 June 2023; MEMO: Dozens of Arab and Muslim parliamentarians called on the Tunisian authorities to release detained parliamentarians, while calling on all parliamentarians in the world to stand behind their cause.

26 June 2023; MEMO: Israel's Channel 12 yesterday revealed a clash between the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and the head of the Israeli General Security Service (Shin Bet), Ronen Bar, over the confrontations with the occupation in the Golan Heights and the occupation authorities' decision to freeze the wind turbine project.