Middle East & North Africa

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Long-time Mideast rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia took another significant step toward reconciliation Thursday, formally restoring diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift, affirming the need for regional stability and agreeing to pursue economic cooperation.

The agreement was reached in Beijing during a meeting between the Iranian and Saudi foreign ministers, a month after China had brokered an initial reconciliation agreement between the two regional powerhouses.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Militants fired a heavy barrage of rockets from Lebanon at Israel on Thursday, the Israeli military said, forcing people across Israel’s northern frontier into bomb shelters, wounding at least one person and ratcheting up regional tensions as Israelis celebrated the Jewish Passover holiday.

London, Apr 5 (PTI) King Charles III’s wife Camilla, so far known as Queen Consort, has made her debut as Queen Camilla as Buckingham Palace unveiled the royal invitations for their Coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey on May 6, featuring a floral and leafy pattern to be printed on recycled paper.

The invitations mark the first time that 75-year-old Camilla has been referenced as the Queen, indicating that her title of Queen Consort will eventually give way to the shorter prefix.

04 Apr 2023; MEMO: The UAV-230, a new ballistic supersonic missile developed by Turkish defence firm, Roketsan, can be integrated with airborne, land, and naval platforms, Anadolu News Agency reports.

In the airborne category, the missile is compatible with unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), including Turkey's Aksungur, Akinci and Kizilelma.

04 Apr 2023; MEMO: The order that confines the fate of humanity to the say of five countries" is not sustainable," said the Turkish President on Tuesday, urging for an "inclusive and encompassing" reform to the UN Security Council, Anadolu News Agency reports.

05 Apr 2023; MEMO: Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak yesterday confirmed that Israel has nuclear weapons, breaking a long maintained policy of "ambiguity" over the matter, the Jewish National Syndicate reported.

05 Apr 2023; MEMO: Israeli Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai warned on Tuesday that the proposed National Guard should not be commanded by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir instead of the police commander.

05 Apr 2023; MEMO: Columbia University has announced that it is to open a Global Centre in Tel Aviv, despite 95 faculty members objecting to the decision due to Israel's human rights violations.

05 Apr 2023; MEMO: Pakistan and Indonesia, on Wednesday, strongly condemned an Israeli police raid on Palestinian worshippers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Occupied East Jerusalem, which resulted in injuries and large-scale arrests, Anadolu News Agency reports.

Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, in a statement blamed "impunity granted to Israel", which has "emboldened Tel Aviv to violate basic human rights with abandon."

05 Apr 2023; MEMO: Following the latest Israeli police raids on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Occupied East Jerusalem, Turkiye's presidential spokesman called on the international community on Wednesday to put pressure on Tel Aviv over the incident, Anadolu News Agency reports.

In an exclusive interview with Anadolu, Ibrahim Kalin condemned the "reckless attack" by Israeli forces in the strongest terms.