Middle East & North Africa

GAZA, April 19 (Xinhua) -- At least 48 Palestinians were wounded on Friday during clashes with Israeli soldiers in eastern Gaza Strip, close to the border with Israel, medics said.

Ashraf al-Qedra, the Health Ministry spokesman in Gaza, said in a press statement that among the casualties were five paramedics and four local photojournalists, adding that dozens were treated in the field after inhaling tear gas.

ANKARA, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday that Turkey understands NATO's concerns over its procurement of the Russian S-400 air defense missiles.

"We are aware of NATO's concerns. It is not right to say that Turkey is not considering them," Cavusoglu said at a press conference with his Romanian and Polish counterparts in Ankara, adding that Turkey needs air defense systems urgently.

17 Apr 2019; AFP: Egypt's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved constitutional amendments allowing general-turned-president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to stay in power until 2030, state media reported.

Deputies also backed other sweeping changes to the constitution including to give the military greater influence in political life as well as granting Sisi more control over the judiciary.

17 Apr 2019; AFP: Sudan's military rulers have transferred ousted president Omar al-Bashir to prison, a family source said Wednesday, as demonstrators keep up their sit-in outside the army complex calling for a swift transfer to civilian government.

Following the dramatic end to Bashir's rule of three decades last week, he was moved late Tuesday "to Kober prison in Khartoum", the source said without revealing his name for security reasons.

17 Apr 2019; DW: Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of using a 2017 anti-boycott law to silence criticism of the occupation of Palestinian territories. A Jerusalem court ruled the watchdog official supported boycotts against Israel.

The Israeli Justice Ministry on Tuesday said Omar Shakir, the director of Human Right Watch's Israel office, must leave the country by May 1 after he lost an appeal against a deportation order.

RAMALLAH, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Palestinians marked the national prisoners' day on Wednesday, expressing support to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

The Palestinians called for international support to prisoners who face ill treatment and inhumane incarceration conditions.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry urged the High Contracting Parties to the four Geneva conventions to shoulder their legal responsibility and honor their obligation under the international law to provide the Palestinians, especially children, with protection.

TEHRAN, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif started a trip to Syria and Turkey on Tuesday to discuss bilateral ties, Tasnim news agency reported.

On the first leg of his trip, Zarif will visit Damascus, capital of Syria, for meetings with top Syrian officials, including Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Syrian counterpart Walid Muallem.

The two-day trip will take the Iranian foreign minister later to Turkey.

JERUSALEM, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Israel's president said on Tuesday that a majority of lawmakers had advised him to task incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with forming the government following the recent elections.

President Reuven Rivlin said in a broadcast that 65 members of the newly-elected parliament, or Knesset, had recommended him to task Netanyahu with forming the government.

A coalition needs at least 61 members to secure a majority in the 120-member Knesset.

TEHRAN, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif started a trip to Syria and Turkey on Tuesday to discuss bilateral ties, Tasnim news agency reported.

On the first leg of his trip, Zarif will visit Damascus, capital of Syria, for meetings with top Syrian officials, including Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Syrian counterpart Walid Muallem.

The two-day trip will take the Iranian foreign minister later to Turkey.

RIYADH, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) held on Monday a coordination meeting and discussed the activation of a joint market, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The meeting of the Saudi-Emirati Coordination Council held in Riyadh highlighted that the two countries will launch an open market project, to help achieve economic diversity and maintain their market performance.

The two countries are also developing a joint vision related to tourism and national heritage, through a partnership between concerned authorities of both countries.