Middle East & North Africa

30 April 2022; MEMO: Thousands of Palestinians have challenged the Israeli closure of the occupied city of Jerusalem, putting themselves in danger trying to reach Al-Aqsa Mosque.

During his stay inside the third holiest place for Muslims, a Quds Press reporter met with several Palestinians who faced danger due to the Israeli siege imposed on Jerusalem.

29 April 2022; MEMO: A stampede broke out at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv when American tourists tried to take an unexploded shell through security as a 'souvenir', local media reports.

According to the report, passengers in the departure lounge at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv rushed for the exits after staff slammed the alarm.

When the American tourists appeared with the hefty undetonated shell piece at security, airport guards thought the family may be terrorists and launched an emergency evacuation.

29 April 2022; MEMO: The Israeli Supreme Court today approved the construction of a 31-unit six-storey settler apartment complex in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, known as the Hezekiah Quarter.

The court rejected a petition submitted by the Peace Now rights group and the Municipality of Hebron against the complex, which is built on Palestinian land in the heart of the occupied city.

29 April 2022; MEMO: Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, held meetings with King Salman and Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, late on April 28, in his first visit to Saudi Arabia since 2017 after the killing of dissident Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, on the premises of the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

Erdogan was accompanied by a large delegation, including ministers and senior officials, Anadolu News Agency reports.

JERUSALEM, Apr 29 (NNN-PNA) – The family of Israeli Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, received another death threat letter with a live bullet, in a mail, the police said yesterday.

The police said in a statement that, an investigation was launched and their “Lahav 433” special unit and the internal security service, Shin Bet, are working in tandem on the case.

Israeli state-owned Kan TV news reported that, the letter was addressed to Bennett’s 17-year-old son, Yoni.

The police did not say if any suspects have been arrested.

TEHRAN, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on Friday displayed two new ballistic missiles at the Quds Day rally held in Tehran, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.

One of the missiles, called "Emad-3," is a new version of Iran's surface-to-surface ballistic missiles Emad.

Developed by the IRGC's Aerospace Force, Emad-3 is Iran's first fully homegrown long-range missile with the ability to be guided and controlled until it hits the target, said the report.

RIYADH, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with visiting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah, the Saudi Press Agency reported on early Friday.

"My visit reflects our joint will to start a new era of cooperation as the two brotherly countries. We will be making efforts in order to start a new era of enhanced relations between our two countries in all respects including politics, military, economy and culture," Erdogan said.

JERUSALEM (AP) — A bomb scare set off scenes of panic at Israel’s airport after an American family showed up with an unexploded artillery shell they had found in the Golan Heights and intended to bring back as a souvenir.

Videos circulating online showed passengers ducking for cover, running and screaming at the departure hall of Ben Gurion International Airport on Thursday.

The airport authority said security officers sounded an alert when they discovered the unexploded shell. At least one person was injured after trying to run on a conveyer belt, it said.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Arab Emirates has purchased a seat on a SpaceX rocket for an Emirati astronaut to journey to the International Space Station for a six-month stay, officials said Friday, the oil-rich federation’s first long-term mission as it advances its ambitions in space.

28 April 2022; MEMO: The uncle of Jordan's King Abdullah II has been sentenced to 18 years in jail and fined $268 million on corruption charges.

Walid Al-Kurdi, who is married to the king's aunt, was sentenced yesterday in absentia on charges relating to his time as chairman and CEO of the state-owned Jordan Phosphate mines. He was accused of abusing his position at the head of the company.