Middle East & North Africa

08 May 2022; MEMO: Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has been admitted to hospital for medical tests, according to local media, Anadolu Agency reports.

The state news agency SPA, citing a Royal Court statement, said the 86-year-old monarch entered King Faisal Specialist Hospital in the city of Jeddah Saturday night "to conduct some medical examinations."

SPA, however, did not provide any details about the nature of the tests or the condition of the king.

09 May 2022; MEMO: President of Tunisia's Ennahda movement, Rached Ghannouchi, confirmed yesterday that his party does not fear accountability, adding that ten months have been spent "searching for evidence to convict Ennahda with" but this has so far "failed".

Ghannouchi said his party does not fear accountability: "They say we want accountability … Okay, go ahead and hold us accountable … Now you have spent ten months, go ahead and hold us accountable."

08 May 2022; MEMO: Hundreds of supporters of Tunisian President Kais Saied on Sunday demonstrated in the capital Tunis in a show of support for his "exceptional" measures, Anadolu Agency reported.

Supporters waved banners demanding Saied bring "corrupt" officials to accountability, according to an Anadolu Agency reporter on the ground.

"No dialogue, no election before accountability" read a banner waved by Saied's backers during the protest.

09 May 2022; MEMO: Hamas has rejected remarks made by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett claiming Israeli "sovereignty" over Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque.

09 May 2022; MEMO: Kuwait announced yesterday that it is donating $2 million to the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Kuwait Ambassador to Jordan, Aziz Al-Dijani, said.

In a press release, Al-Dijani said that this donation aimed to reinforce the activities of UNRWA in the region which are targeting at about five million Palestinian refugees.

He reiterated the "steadfast supportive" stance of Kuwait for the Palestinian issue. He also reiterated Kuwait's obligation towards supporting the Palestinian refugees.

09 May 2022; MEMO: The Palestinian Authority (PA) yesterday called on the international community to stop Israel's field execution of Palestinians, Anadolu reported.

In a statement, PA Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said: "Israel's horrific crimes committed against our people make interreference of international community necessary to stop the organised Israeli terrorism and protect our people."

09 May 2022; MEMO: Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett claimed on Sunday that Israel alone has sovereignty over the occupied city of Jerusalem, and there is no foreign interference, Israeli media reported.

At the start of the weekly meeting of his cabinet, Bennett said: "All decisions regarding the Temple Mount [Al-Aqsa Mosque] and Jerusalem will be made by the Israeli government, which holds sovereignty over the city, without any foreign considerations."

AMMAN, May 8 (NNN-PETRA) – Jordan’s pandemic-hit tourism industry showed signs of recovery, for the first quarter of 2022, and the Eid al-Fitr holiday, following massive campaigns to promote the kingdom’s tourism profile and the eased COVID-19 restrictions.

JERUSALEM, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced Sunday that the country was establishing a civilian national guard to "fight terrorism."

His announcement was made in public remarks shortly after two Palestinians suspected of killing three Israelis in a knife attack were arrested earlier in the day.

Bennett noted that Israel was entering "a new stage in the war on terrorism," and the need for a national guard is "more urgent than ever."

ADDIS ABABA, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopia Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration (MoTRI) has announced a decision to hike gas prices by 16 percent starting Sunday.

The ministry said in a press statement released Saturday evening that the price hike would see gas prices rise from 31.74 Ethiopian Birr (about 62 U.S. cents) per liter to 36.87 Ethiopian Birr per liter.

"One liter of diesel was similarly hiked from 28.98 Ethiopian Birr to 35.43 Ethiopian Birr," the MoTRI statement said.