Middle East & North Africa

ABU DHABI, April 17 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva and his entourage reached an agreement with the United Arab Emirates which foresees investments worth R$ 12 billion (around US$ 2.45 billion) in Bahia, Agencia Brasil reported.

 Negotiations took place during Lula’s stopover in Abu Dhabi, on his way back home from China, where he was welcomed by Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

CAIRO/JERUSALEM, April 17 (Xinhua) -- During the Syrian foreign minister's first visit to Saudi Arabia since 2011, the two countries on Thursday announced that they are taking steps to reopen embassies and resume flights for the first time in more than a decade -- one of the many reconciliatory events in the Middle East recently.

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — Sudan’s embattled capital awoke Monday to a third day of heavy fighting between the army and a powerful rival force for control of the country, as the weekend’s civilian death toll rose to 97.

Airstrikes and shelling intensified in parts of Khartoum and the adjoining city of Omdurman. Rapid, sustained firing was heard near the military headquarters, with white smoke rising from the area. Residents hunkering down in their homes reported power outages and incidents of looting.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A fire swept through an apartment building in an older neighborhood of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, killing at least 16 people and injuring another nine, authorities said Sunday.

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — The Sudanese military and a powerful paramilitary group battled for control of the chaos-stricken nation for a second day Sunday, signaling they were unwilling to end hostilities despite mounting diplomatic pressure to cease fire.

Heavy fighting involving armored vehicles, truck-mounted machine guns and war planes raged in the capital of Khartoum, the adjoining city of Omdurman and in flashpoints across the country. The rival forces are believed to have tens of thousands of fighters each in the capital alone.

New Delhi, Apr 16 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said the CBI asked him around 56 questions regarding the excise policy case and he answered them all.

"I want to say that the entire excise policy case is false. They do not have any evidence that the AAP is wrong. It's a result of dirty politics," he told reporters.

He was speaking to the media at his residence after around nine hours of questioning by the probe agency.

16 Apr 2023; MEMO: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and foreign ministers of Arab states have concluded that a political solution is the only way to end the conflict and crisis in Syria, holding off from allowing the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad back into the fold of the Arab League.

16 Apr 2023; MEMO: Senior US officials met with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman this week, signalling an improvement in recent strained relations between Washington and Riyadh.

16 Apr 2023; MEMO: A senior delegation representing the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement – Hamas – is to visit Saudi Arabia today after years of declining relations, according to Arabic media reports.

16 Apr 2023; MEMO: Israeli security forces on Saturday attacked Orthodox Christians who wanted to attend the Holy Fire ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the occupied East Jerusalem, Anadolu reports.

Orthodox Christians gathered in the Christian Quarters of Jerusalem's Old City carrying candles, wooden crosses and symbolic swords in their hands, according to an Anadolu reporter.