Middle East & North Africa

RAMALLAH, Nov 24 (NNN-WAFA) – Two more Palestinians died yesterday, of the wounds sustained from Israeli soldiers’ gunfire, around the northern West Bank city of Nablus, said the Palestinian Ministry of Health, in a press statement.

Mohammad Herzallah, 30, died four months after being shot, in an Israeli army force raid on Nablus in July.

The statement said that, Herzallah suffered severe wounds in the head and chest, and died in the hospital of the West Bank city of Ramallah. He underwent several surgeries, which failed to save his life.

RIYADH, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Representatives from Russia and Ukraine met in the United Arab Emirates last week to discuss the possibility of a prisoner-of-war swap that would be linked to a resumption of Russian ammonia exports, which go to Asia and Africa, via a Ukrainian pipeline, three sources with knowledge of the meeting said.

TEHRAN, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said here Wednesday that the exchange of messages between his country and the United States for the removal of anti-Iran sanctions still continues.

"Despite the behavior of the Westerners in recent weeks, talks with the American side to lift the sanctions through the European Union and some intermediaries were on the agenda, while we did not cross our red lines," said Amir-Abdollahian in a press conference.

TRIPOLI, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) on Wednesday expressed concern about the deadly explosive remnants of war in Libya, urging for awareness among the Libyans of the danger.

"This week, another child tragically lost his life when he found and played with a grenade that was left behind by the warring parties in the conflict. His two brothers, standing near him, were severely injured," the UN agencies said in a statement.

ANKARA, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that his country wants to enhance cooperation with Cuba, and the two countries signed six agreements in the fields of media and communication, culture, and diplomacy.

At a joint press conference in the capital Ankara, Erdogan said that the historic visit of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel would be a new milestone in the Türkiye-Cuba relations.

"I attach importance to enhancing our cooperation and solidarity, particularly with Cuba, one of our primary partners in the region," he added.

LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Less than a month before it is set to host the World Cup final, Lusail City is oddly quiet.

Wide empty streets, idle lobbies and construction cranes are everywhere in the sleek district 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the capital, Doha, built to accommodate World Cup fans and hundreds of thousands of host nation Qatar’s residents.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — It was uncharted territory for the Israeli journalist. Wandering through the rustic outdoor marketplace in Doha before the start of the World Cup, he zeroed in on a Qatari man in his traditional headdress and white flowing robe and asked for an interview.

“Which channel?” the Qatari asked. The journalist replied he was from Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster.

The Qatari was stunned. “Where?”

“Israel,” the journalist repeated. A split-second later, the interview was over.

23 Nov 2022; MEMO: Israeli settlers blocked roads to Palestinian vehicles in the northern occupied West Bank today, Anadolu has reported. Eyewitnesses said that settlers also threw stones at vehicles in the wake of two explosions in West Jerusalem, in which one Israeli was killed and 14 others were wounded.

Roads were blocked in Hawara and Yitzhar, south of Nablus, and Deir Sharaf, west of the city. Tyres were set on fire.

23 Nov 2022; MEMO: The 8th World Halal Summit and the 9th Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Halal Expo will begin in Istanbul on Thursday, Anadolu News Agency reports.

The two major gatherings on the global market for products and services conforming to Islamic guidelines (known as halal) will see the participation of nearly 500 exhibitors from 40 countries.

23 Nov 2022; MEMO: The Iranian news agency, Tasnim, reported on Wednesday that Israeli agents assassinated an Iranian Revolutionary Guards officer, Davoud Jafari, near the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Tuesday.

According to the agency, "a serviceman of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Aerospace Force working as a military adviser in Syria has been martyred at the hands of the Zionist regime's elements after a roadside bomb blast near Damascus, the IRGC announced".