Middle East & North Africa

16 May 2022; MEMO: Turkey and Qatar are moving towards a strategic partnership while boosting their bilateral ties especially in economy, Presidential Communications Director, Fahrettin Altun said, and Anadolu News Agency reports.

According to the report, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani's visit to Turkey on Friday is highly significant in consolidating the strong and strategic relations between the two countries, Altun said in an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA).

16 May 2022; MEMO: A song titled "Glory to Russia" in Arabic caused Facebook moderators to shut down a Syrian government page, the local media reports.

According to the report, the song which had been posted on 9 May, the day Russia celebrates defeating Nazi Germany during the Second World War, was put out by Syrian government social media accounts, including one called the Syrian Arab Television and Radio Broadcasting Commission.

16 May 2022; MEMO: Saudi Aramco Company announced on Sunday, that it attained an increase of 82 per cent in its profits in the first quarter of 2022, compared to the same period last year, due to the high oil prices that made it the most expensive company in the world, with respect the market value.

The announcement is a continuation of the good news for the Saudi economy, which is achieving the fastest growth rate in a decade, due to the revenues of the oil sector.

17 May 2022; MEMO: Sweden will formally apply for NATO membership in the next few days, Prime Minister, Magdalena Andersson, said on Monday, but its accession process, and that of Finland, hit a snag when NATO member, Turkey's President, said he would not approve either bid, Reuters reports.

17 May 2022; MEMO: The leader of Israeli extremist group Lehava has called for illegal settlers taking part in the annual so-called "flag march" later this month to mark the occupation of East Jerusalem by demolishing the Dome of the Rock, Safa reported on Tuesday. The march is due to take place on 28 May.

17 May 2022; MEMO: Israel's coalition government is facing potentially fatal differences among its political partners less than a month after it lost its parliamentary majority. The issue has arisen after Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman criticised Defence Minister Benny Gantz on Monday for his meetings with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

17 May 2022; MEMO: Egyptian citizens have expressed their anger on social media following the announcement of a government plan to sell seven of the country's largest ports.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly made the announcement, and added that the same strategy will be employed to sell state-owned hotels "in order to expand government institutions." Madbouly explained that the move was part of the "government's plan to handle the current global crisis."

17 May 2022; MEMO: The United Nations said yesterday that Israel's expulsion of 13 Palestinian communities in  the occupied West Bank in order to conduct military exercises is "inhumane and illegal."

HERZLIYA, Israel, May 17 (Reuters) - Iran is working on advanced uranium centrifuges at new underground sites being built near its Natanz nuclear plant, Israel's defence minister said on Tuesday, giving figures that appeared to go beyond those published by a U.N. watchdog.

Centrifuges are used to purify uranium for civilian projects or, at higher levels, to make bomb fuel. Iranian progress in the field is being watched by world powers trying to resurrect a nuclear deal with Tehran, which denies having military designs.

ISTANBUL, May 16 (Reuters) - Sweden and Finland have not granted approval for the repatriation of 33 people that Turkey requested for alleged links to groups it deems terrorists, state media said on Monday, after Ankara opposed the two countries joining NATO.

Turkey says the people sought had links to Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants or Muslim cleric Fethullan Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of orchestrating a 2016 coup attempt.