Middle East & North Africa

10 May 2022; MEMO: The United Nations' Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Libya, Stephanie Williams, yesterday called for the reopening of the country's oilfields "as soon as possible."

"I met with Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) Chairman Engineer Mustafa Sanallah today in Tripoli. During our meeting, we discussed the national and international impact of the oil shutdown, including the infrastructure difficulties that ensue in the instance of a prolonged shutdown," Williams said on Twitter.

10 May 2022; MEMO: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged on Monday that his country would not force Syrian refugees to return to their country, Anadolu has reported.

"We are the children of a culture that is well aware of the meaning of immigrants and supporters," explained Erdogan in a televised speech. "Syrian refugees can return to their country whenever they want, but we will never expel them from our country."

Kanpur: A woman accused of theft allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself from the bathroom ceiling at a state-run shelter home here.

She was lodged by police at the shelter home, as reported.

A 23-year-old woman, a resident of Magar Wara in Unnao, worked as domestic help. 

Following the death, relatives of the deceased reached the mortuary and staged a protest.

'We are planning to conduct an inquiry to get all the facts in the case,' said DCP West (Kanpur) BBGTS Murthy.

RABAT, May 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 44 migrants and refugees drowned when their boat capsized off the coast of Morocco’s disputed region of Western Sahara, migrant aid agency Caminando Fronteras has said.

Twelve others survived the tragedy that happened on Sunday when the boat sunk off the coast of Cape Boujdour, the agency’s Helena Maleno tweeted. The survivors were arrested, Maleno wrote.

The bodies of seven victims were brought back to shore but the others could not be retrieved, she said.

DUBAI, May 9 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia aims to exceed 70 million tourist visits this year after drawing 62 million last year, a tourism official said on Monday, underlining the conservative kingdom concerted push to boost its travel industry.

Saudi Arabia is a major religious destination with millions visiting Islam's two holy cities of Mecca and Medina annually to perform the hajj and umrah pilgrimages.

JERUSALEM (AP) — The government of Israel’s embattled prime minister was limping on Monday into the opening of parliament’s summer session on the verge of collapse.

Less than a year after taking office, Naftali Bennett has lost his parliamentary majority, his own party is crumbling and a key governing partner has suspended cooperation with the coalition. That has set the stage for a possible attempt by the opposition, led by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to topple the government later this week.

BEIRUT (AP) — The World Bank approved a $150 million soft loan for food security in crisis-hit Lebanon to stabilize bread prices during the coming months, the economy minister said Monday.

Amin Salam told reporters that the loan has a very low interest rate but the minister did not make the rate public. He used the term soft loan indicating a below-market rate of interest.

The loan will provide great relief through stability of bread prices in Lebanon during the country’s historic economic meltdown.

Tehran, IRNA – Simultaneous with a visit to Tehran by the Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, a report by Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) suggests that Iran’s exports to Poland over the past Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20) grew 114% compared to figures from the preceding year.

IRICA spokesman Ruhollah Latifi said that Iran exported over 18,000 tons of goods worth $24 million to Poland over the year under review which shows a 145% growth in term of weight and a 114% increase in value terms year-on-year.

ANKARA, 09 May 2022; MEMO: Nearly 1,900 flamingo chicks hatched in Turkiye’s Lake Tuz last year, according to official data compiled by Anadolu Agency.

Lake Tuz, the second-largest lake in Turkiye, is an important wetland where migratory flamingos from around the world incubate.

It is also a natural protected area that is home to a variety of plants and birds, as well as insects and mammals.

ANKARA, 09 May 2022; MEMO: “It is time for the EU, which has moved away from its founding principles and been under the influence of the short-term policies of member countries in recent years, to write a story for itself with the war in Ukraine,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday.

Erdogan noted that Europe Day is celebrated in Turkiye on May 9 ever since the approval of the country’s candidacy status in 1999.