Middle East & North Africa

Israeli soldiers 'attacked Red Crescent staff' at Al-Aqsa Mosque

06 Apr 2023; MEMO: Even as Israeli occupation forces attacked Palestinian worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque for the second night in a row, they also attacked medical staff on duty in the occupied city of Jerusalem. The allegation has been made by the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS).

30 rockets fired from Lebanon towards northern Israel: Israeli Army

06 Apr 2023; MEMO: The Israeli Army, on Thursday, said that at least 30 rockets were fired from southern Lebanon toward Israel, Anadolu News Agency reports.

In a statement, the Israeli Army said its Iron Dome air defence system intercepted 15 of the rockets fired from Lebanon toward northern Israel.

The Army added that it has closed its airspace to civilian flights in northern Israel due to the rocket attacks.

CIA's Burns reaffirmed intelligence cooperation on Saudi Arabia visit

06 Apr 2023; MEMO: CIA Director, William Burns, held talks in Saudi Arabia with his counterparts and national leaders to reaffirm intelligence cooperation, a US official said on Thursday, as the Kingdom and its arch-rival, Iran renew ties in a China-brokered deal, Reuters reports.

Russian foreign minister arrives in Turkey on visit

ANKARA, April 6. /TASS/:  Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Ankara on Thursday evening at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Lavrov is expected to discuss at length a number of energy issues, Ukraine, the grain deal, Nagorno-Karabakh as well as the dialogue between Ankara and Damascus.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Lavrov and Cavusoglu would touch upon the security of Russians in Turkey on the eve of the tourist season.

Iranian Supreme Leader: West Not Worthy Of Talking About Human Rights

TEHRAN, Apr 6 (NNN-IRNA) – Supreme Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, has criticised Western states for their disrespect for human rights, describing them as “enemies of humankind.”

The leader made the comment in a meeting with a group of Iranian poets and Persian literature academics, in Tehran yesterday.

Kingdom of Morocco condemn Israel forces incursion into the Al Aqsa Mosque

RABAT, April 6 (NNN-KBC) — The Royal Kingdom of Morocco has come out strongly to condemn the incursion of Israeli forces into the Al Aqsa Mosque as well as the aggression against and terror on worshippers in the holy month of Ramadan.

This was said on Wednesday by , the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates in a statement.

Israeli Police Clash With Palestinian Worshippers At Al-Aqsa Mosque, Drawing Condemnation

JERUSALEM, Apr 6 (NNN-MA’AN) – Israeli police forces broke into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem, before dawn yesterday and clashed with dozens of Palestinian youth inside, drawing condemnation from Arab countries and sparking a new round of rocket attacks and airstrikes in the region.

The Palestinian Red Crescent in Jerusalem said, at least 12 were injured during clashes in the al-Aqsa compound, and at least three sustained wounds from rubber-coated bullets and needed hospital care.

Israel blames Hamas for multiple rockets launched from Lebanon

JERUSALEM/BEIRUT, April 6 (Reuters) - Israel blamed the Islamist group Hamas for a volley of more than 30 rockets fired from Lebanon on Thursday, following escalating tensions after Israeli police raids on the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem this week.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to hold a meeting of the security cabinet to decide a response to the attack, the biggest rocket attack from Lebanon since 2006, when Israel fought a war with the heavily armed Hezbollah movement.

Türkiye pushing for 1st Black Sea gas before elections

ANKARA, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye has announced that the natural gas discovered in the Black Sea will start to flow into its national grid at the end of April, putting into practice one of the country's largest energy projects ever built.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tweeted last weekend that "The gas discovered in the Black Sea will be brought on April 20 in Filyos with a ceremony."

He was referring to the northern port city where an onshore gas processing facility has been constructed and from where gas will be connected to the national distribution system.

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