Middle East & North Africa

MOSCOW, May 14. /TASS/: Militants in the Idlib de-escalation zone have shelled nine settlements in Syria's provinces of Hama and Latakia over the last 24 hours, head of the Russian Center for reconciliation of the conflicting sides Viktor Kupchishin said on Tuesday.

"Over the last 24 hours, militants shelled the settlements of Kermel (twice), Qesab, Darh-abu-Asad, Sanjeka, Jubb ez-Zaur, Nahsheeba and Safsafa in the province of Latakia; Al-Haush and Skalbia in the province of Hama," Kupchishin said.

15 May 2019; MEMO: Israeli occupation forces yesterday demolished the Arab village of Al-Araqeeb in the Negevand displaced its residents for the 144th times, Arab48 reported.

Witnesses from the village said Israeli bulldozers, protected by a large number of heavily armed Israeli police officers, stormed the village and destroyed the homes of Arab residents, including the elderly, women and children; leaving them homeless once again.

15 May 2019; MEMO: Tensions in the Middle East appear to be pushing up the price of oil, with a barrel of Brent crude now costing $71.75, an increase of 1.9 per cent. The cost of a barrel of US crude, meanwhile, is now $62.48, up 2.6 per cent.

BAGHDAD, May 15 (Xinhua): The U.S. Embassy in Iraq said on Wednesday that the U.S. State Department has ordered the non-emergency U.S. employees working in both the embassy in Baghdad and the consulate in Erbil to leave Iraq.

"Normal visa services at both posts (Baghdad and Erbil) will be temporarily suspended," an embassy statement said.

"The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Iraq," the statement added.

15 May 2019; AA: Turkey's benchmark stock index ended Tuesday up 2.02% to close at 88,022.94 points.

After starting the day at 86,615.43 points, Borsa Istanbul's BIST 100 index rose 1,740.4 points from 86,282.54 points at Monday's close.

One ounce of gold was sold for $1,298.60 at the daily close in Borsa Istanbul's Precious Metals and Diamond Markets, versus $1,283.90 at Monday's close.

VAN; 15 May 2019; AA: Turkish police have seized more than 163 kilograms (around 360 pounds) of heroin in the eastern Van province, local police announced on Wednesday.

The heroin was discovered in mineral oil cans by anti-narcotic police teams in a search of a cargo warehouse in the Tusba district, said a police statement.

The heroin was found packed in 602 containers pending transfer to the country's western provinces, it added.

15 May 2019; AFP: Drone attacks claimed by Iran-aligned Yemen rebels shut down one of Saudi Arabia's major oil pipelines Tuesday, further ratcheting up Gulf tensions after the mysterious sabotage of several tankers.

Washington and Tehran played down tensions after trading barbs as the Americans sent an aircraft carrier group and nuclear-capable B-52 bombers to the region to counter alleged threats from Saudi arch-rival Iran.

TEHRAN, May 14 (Xinhua): Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday ruled out any talks with the U.S. government over the disputed issues, Tasnim news agency reported.

The U.S. wants Iran to negotiate over its "defensive weapon" and to reduce the range of its missiles, while urging Iran to talk over its regional strategy, the Iranian leader was quoted as saying.

"Therefore, the talks (over theses issues) are basically wrong," Khamenei said, stressing that holding "talks with Washington, particularly with the current U.S. government, is poisonous."

Tehran, May 14 (AFP/PTI) Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has pledged the Islamic republic is "too great to be intimidated by anyone" in a late night meeting with clerics.

"God willing we will pass this difficult period with glory and our heads held high, and defeat the enemy," Rouhani said late Monday as he met Sunni clerics to mark the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, the official government website dolat.ir said.

He was speaking after four ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, were reportedly attacked off the UAE coast on Sunday, in a sign of mounting regional tensions.

KUWAIT CITY, May 14. /TASS/: The central oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia has been hit by drones, Saudi Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources Khalid al-Falih said on Tuesday.

"The East-West Crude Oil Pipeline has been attacked by explosive-laden drones," the Beirut-based Al Mayadeen TV channel quotes him as saying. "The national Saudi Aramco company halted oil pumping in the pipeline."

At the same time, al-Falih did not specify who could have been behind the attack.