Middle East & North Africa

US interference in Israel judicial overhaul 'stupid, unnecessary': Netanyahu

04 Feb 2023; MEMO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has criticised US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's words relating to the planned judicial overhaul as: "Flagrant, clear, stupid and unnecessary interference."

This came during an internal meeting with members of the Likud party, Sama News Agency reported Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth disclosing on Friday.

Sudan parties reject normalisation with Israel

04 Feb 2023; MEMO: Many Sudanese parties have rejected the normalisation of ties between their country and Israel, Anadolu Agency reported on Friday.

This came following an announcement made by the Sudanese Foreign Ministry after a visit of Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen to Khartoum, stating: "It was agreed to go ahead with the normalisation of ties."

Turkey's Havas may stop services to Russian airlines' U.S.-made planes

ANKARA, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Turkey's airport ground service provider Havas told Russian and Belarusian airliners that it may stop providing services to their United States-origin aircraft, in line with Western sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

A Havas letter dated Jan. 31 and seen by Reuters, with the subject line of "potential restrictions on Boeing aircraft", was sent days before U.S. officials met Turkish government and private sector officials to urge cooperation with U.S. curbs on Russia.

Palestinian killed by Israeli soldiers near West Bank village

RAMALLAH, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian young man was killed on Friday by Israeli soldiers near the village of Huwara south of the West Bank city of Nablus, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said.

Abdulla Qalalweh, 24, died after being shot by Israeli soldiers at an army checkpoint near the village, the PRCS said in a press statement.

Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that a Palestinian driving a car approached the checkpoint, got out of his car, and tried to grab the weapon of a soldier before he was shot dead by other soldiers.

UN says 22.6 mln Ethiopians food insecure due to drought, conflict, rising food prices

ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- About 22.6 million people in Ethiopia are food insecure due to a combination of drought, conflict and increase in food prices, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) has warned.

The UNOCHA said in its latest situation update issued late Thursday that an estimated 11.8 million people are food insecure in Ethiopia's drought-affected areas of Afar, Somali, Oromia, and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP) regions, and Dire Dawa city administration.

Palestine: Israeli army besieges homes of fugitives in West Bank raid

AQABAT JABR REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank (AP) — The Israeli army raided a refugee camp near the Palestinian city of Jericho on Saturday, besieging houses it said were being used as hideouts for Palestinian attackers and shooting at residents who opened fire. The fighting wounded six Palestinians, two seriously, said the Palestinian Health Ministry, and jolted a generally quiet oasis town that has seen less violence than other West Bank cities.

Qatar boosts influence in Lebanon amid multiple crises

BEIRUT (AP) — Most wealthy Gulf Arab nations followed Saudi Arabia’s lead in recent years and ostracized crisis-hit Lebanon because of the growing influence of the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah. The exception was Qatar.

Doha has been silently expanding its influence in Lebanon. It continued receiving Lebanese leaders and pumped tens millions of dollars into helping the country’s armed forces amid a historic economic meltdown.

'Take your dirty hands off Turkiye' says interior minister to US ambassador

04 Feb 2023; MEMO: Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu issued an angry statement on Friday to US Ambassador to Ankara Jeffry Flake, demanding: "Take your dirty hands off Turkiye."

According to Haberturk newspaper, Soylu added: "Every US ambassador who arrives in Turkiye is hurrying to find out how to make a coup possible in Turkiye."

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