Middle East & North Africa

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Oman’s sultan arrived in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, starting the first visit by an Omani ruler to the kingdom in years against the backdrop of intensified efforts to end the war in Yemen and the sultanate’s worsening economic woes.

With trumpets blaring, canons firing and fighter jets streaking overhead, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said landed in Neom, a futuristic desert city planned along the kingdom’s Red Sea coast.

Tehran, IRNA – The Managing Director of Iranian Offshore Oil Company (IOOC) said that upon the completion of the installation project of the giant offshore rigs, drilling and repairing of oil wells has started in the Forouzan joint oilfield with the purpose of increasing oil extraction.

Alireza Salmanzadeh said on Sunday that installation of the rig this oilfield, ddrilling and repairing 26 oil wells, and an increase of production to 23,000 barrels. 

11 July 2021; MEMO: Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, on Saturday launched a national programme for coders that aims to establish 1,000 tech companies, reported Reuters.

The programme will increase start-up investments from 1.5 billion dirhams ($408 million) to 4 billion dirhams ($1 billion).

Jerusalem, Jul 11 (AP-PTI) Benjamin Netanyahu and his family vacated the Israeli prime minister's official residence early Sunday, nearly a month after the longtime leader was ousted from office with the formation of an alternate government.

A family spokesman confirmed the Netanyahus left the residence on Balfour Street in Jerusalem shortly after midnight, in line with a deadline agreed upon last month with newly inaugurated Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

ISTANBUL (AP) — A minibus carrying migrants overturned and caught fire in eastern Turkey, killing 12 people and injuring 20 others, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported Sunday.

The vehicle tumbled into a ditch while traveling overnight near Yumakli in Van province, which borders Iran.

Television broadcasts showed groaning survivors being treated by the roadside as emergency workers sifted through the burnt-out wreckage.

10 July 2021; MEMO: Between 1 and 8 July, 644 flights from Russia have landed in the Turkish city of Antalya carrying 174,808 Russian tourists, Anadolu Agency reported on Friday.

Since the start of the year, more than two million tourists have arrived in Antalya, according to Fraport TAV Antalya Airport General Manager Deniz Varol.

10 July 2021; MEMO: Tunisian President Kais Saied on Friday decided that the armed forces, in coordination with civilian medical staff, would survey the entire country to vaccinate citizens against COVID-19 in light of the virus's rapid spread.

This came according to a statement issued on Friday by the Tunisian presidency, of which Anadolu Agency received a copy.

10 July 2021; MEMO: Hundreds of Palestinians in Israel took part in a Palestine Flag March organised on Friday in the city of Umm Al-Fahm in Israel, Arab48.com reported.

The Palestine Flag March was organised by young Palestinians and sponsored by Palestinian factions and public figures in Israel.

The Palestinian flag was raised during the march by Palestinians wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh chanting anti-Israeli occupation slogans.

Among the chanted slogans was: "Jerusalem is a red line."

10 July 2021; MEMO: An explosion on Friday near the state broadcasting company headquarters has rocked the Iranian capital of Tehran.

Local media, including Fars News Agency, reported that the explosion occurred north of Tehran, near Mellat Park adjacent to the headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).

The sources added that, until 10:46 GMT, it was not yet clear if the blast resulted from an accident or a terrorist attack.

10 July 2021; MEMO: A letter sent by Palestinian-American Christians has asked US President Joe Biden to reconsider his policy towards Hamas, stressing that it is not a terrorist group, but a freely-elected movement.

The letter was sent to Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken by the Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace (PCAP). It came following remarks made by Blinken in Ramallah on 25 May.