Middle East & North Africa

TEHRAN, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Iran appointed its envoy to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after eight years of having no ambassador in the country, the official news agency IRNA reported on Tuesday.

The diplomat is identified as Reza Ameri, who was serving as the director general of the Iranian expatriates office at the Foreign Ministry prior to his appointment.

Ameri had also served as Iran's ambassador to Algeria, Sudan and Eritrea.

In 2016, the UAE downgraded its relations with Iran after Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli police stormed into the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City early Wednesday, firing stun grenades at Palestinian youths who hurled firecrackers at them in a burst of violence during a sensitive holiday season. Palestinian militants in Gaza responded with rocket fire on southern Israel, prompting repeated Israeli airstrikes.

BEIRUT (AP) — Suspected Israeli airstrikes in Syria in recent weeks have killed two Iranian military advisers, temporarily put the country’s two largest airports out of service, and raised fears of regional escalation.

While Israel has fought a shadow war with Iran in Syria for years, it has intensified recently, with near-daily airstrikes attributed to Israel by Syrian officials over the past week.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli police stormed into the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City early Wednesday, firing stun grenades at Palestinian youths who hurled firecrackers at them in a burst of violence during a sensitive holiday season. Palestinian militants in Gaza responded with rocket fire on southern Israel, prompting repeated Israeli airstrikes.

04 Apr 2023; MEMO: The Middle East's sports industry is expected to grow by 8.7 per cent by 2026 – compared with global sector growth of 3.3 per cent over the same period, the World Economic Forum report says.

According to the report, from the excitement on the Formula 1 race circuits of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi to Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo's signing to Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr FC, the Middle East's sports industry is making headlines across the globe.

04 Apr 2023; MEMO: Iran has appointed an ambassador to the United Arab Emirates for the first time in eight years, Iranian state media reported on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

Reza Ameri, the newly appointed Ambassador, formerly served as the Director-General of Iranian expatriates office in the Foreign Ministry.

New Delhi, Apr 4 (PTI) Terming the ruling BJP a 'sinking ship' in Karnataka which even Prime Minister Narendra Modi cannot save, Congress leaders on Tuesday said their party is "united" in the southern state and will ensure the "40 percent commission" government is ousted.

04 Apr 2023; MEMO: Israeli intelligence and security agencies along with political leaders are worried about Syria's rapprochement with Arab states, Maan news agency reported yesterday.

The condemns, Maan reported Israeli media saying, stem from concerns about the fading hope to form an Israeli-Arab alliance against Iran.

04 Apr 2023; MEMO: Chairman of Jewish Home Party Avigdor Lieberman yesterday called on opposition leader Yair Lapid to immediately stop talks on judicial overhaul crisis.

On Twitter, Lieberman wrote: "Enough with being a buffoon. I am calling for the teams of Yesh Atid and the state camp to stop participating in [Prime Minister] Bibi's blame game. It's time for you to say in a clear voice: we are not cooperating with Netanyahu's fraud."

04 Apr 2023; MEMO: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has accepted Saudi monarch King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud's invitation to visit the kingdom, Iran's Mehr news agency reported yesterday, quoting a top official.

"Saudi Arabia's King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has invited President Ebrahim Raisi to visit Riyadh and his invitation was accepted" Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber said yesterday.