Middle East & North Africa

13 April 2022; MEMO: EgyptAir announced yesterday that it was resuming daily flights from Cairo to Moscow's Domodedovo airport on Friday after resolving outstanding issues related to insurance with Russia, Anadolu reported.

Last February, EgyptAir halted flights to Moscow, following the Russian military intervention in Ukraine, without giving an explanation.

13 April 2022; MEMO: The Chairman of the Joint Arab List in the Israeli Knesset (parliament), Ayman Odeh MK, said yesterday that he had received "dozens" of death threats after visiting Jerusalem's Old City on Sunday and calling on Arabs serving in Israel's security forces to lay down their arms, Arab48.com has reported. Odeh pointed out that he is collecting the messages to present them to the Knesset Security Officials.

13 April 2022; MEMO: The Egyptian Cabinet approved a draft bill on criminalising child marriage.

The draft law stipulates that the marriage contracts for those under the age of 18 may not be certified.

Those who ignore the law can be jailed for at least one year and a fine of 50,000-200,000 Egyptian pounds ($2,700-$10,800).

The child shall not be held criminally or civilly liable for this crime, however, the criminal case arising from this crime shall not expire with the passage of time.

RAMALLAH, Apr 12 (NNN-WAFA) – Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammed Ishtaye, yesterday told the Palestinian cabinet that the Israeli court’s decision on the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a supporter of terrorism “is rejected.”

On Sunday, Israeli media reported that the High Court of Justice, ruled the PA can be held liable for “terrorist acts” due to its controversial policy of paying stipends to security prisoners in Israeli jails, and the families of those killed in attacks on Israelis.

JERUSALEM, Apr 12 (NNN-PNA) – Israel’s Ministry of Health, yesterday reported 4,178 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the country’s total infections to 4,000,602.

The newly reported cases were the lowest in Israel since Mar 12, when 3,971 new cases were reported.

Meanwhile, 17 more people lost their lives to the disease, bringing the national death toll to 10,584.

The number of active patients in Israel stood at 41,034, with 256 remaining in serious condition, according to the ministry’s data.

BEIRUT, April 12 (Xinhua) -- At least one person was killed and seven others were wounded in an explosion in southern Lebanon early on Tuesday, the Lebanese National News Agency reported.

The explosion rocked a scout center affiliated with the Shi'ite Amal Movement in the town of Benafoul, destroying a municipal council building and damaging other buildings nearby.

Preliminary information revealed that the explosion was caused by oxygen flasks that caught fire due to electric friction. The oxygen flasks were stored in the scout center for coronavirus patients.

12 April 2022; MEMO: The private equity firm of Jared Kushner, the senior adviser and son-in-law to former US President, Donald Trump, received a $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund last year after he and the Trump administration left the White House, despite the fund's panel stating that there were significant risks and that Kushner lacked experience.

11 April 2022; MEMO: Algeria intends to increase its natural gas exports to Italy by 50 per cent as part of a new deal expected to be signed today, Bloomberg reported.

According to the agency, the agreement is "non-public" and stipulates that "Algeria will increase its exports to Italy by 9 to 10 billion cubic meters per year by the end of 2022."

Italy received about 21 billion cubic meters of gas from Algeria in 2021, compared to about 29 billion cubic meters from Russia.

12 April 2022; MEMO: The head of the Joint List in the Israeli parliament urged all Arab citizens of Israel serving in Israel's occupation forces to quit, slamming their service as "humiliating" and a "disgrace".

"It's a disgrace that a young Arab or the parents of a young Arab would agree to enlist and serve in the security forces, which are actually forces of the occupation," said Knesset member Ayman Odeh in a video filmed at occupied East Jerusalem's Damascus Gate.

11 April 2022; MEMO: The Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), owned by the Kingdom's sovereign wealth Public Investment Fund (PIF), has signed a preliminary agreement with the world's largest aerospace company, Boeing, to enter a joint venture to expand the Saudi aviation sector.