Middle East & North Africa

RAMALLAH, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Saturday welcomed the efforts to prevent the immediate accession of Israel as an observer state in the African Union (AU).

The AU Executive Council, which concluded its 39th ordinary session held in Addis Ababa for two days, decided on Friday to postpone taking a final position regarding granting Israel observer status in the union until the AU summit scheduled for February 2022.

ANKARA, Oct 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Turkey will do “whatever is necessary” to “cleanse terrorists” along its border with Syria following Kurdish militia attacks on Turkish security posts, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

Attacks that Ankara blames on the US-backed Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) have killed at least three Turkish security personnel in Syria’s north over the last week.

Similar attacks on Turkish posts have intensified in recent months.

BEIRUT, Oct 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Lebanon prepared to bury the victims of its deadliest sectarian unrest in years after gunfire gripped central Beirut for hours and revived the ghosts of the civil war.

  Six people were killed and dozens wounded Thursday when violence erupted following a rally by Shiite protesters demanding the removal of the judge investigating last year’s devastating Beirut port blast.

DUBAI, Oct 16 (Reuters) - An Iranian appeals court has upheld a one-year prison term for British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe on security offences, her lawyer was quoted by an Iranian news website as saying on Saturday.

"The appeals court has approved the lower court's verdict without holding a hearing," attorney Hojjat Kermani told the Emtedad website.

16 Oct 2021; MEMO: Following a request by the Palestinian Authority (PA), Israeli internal security agency Shin Bet will reveal payments made to a Palestinian collaborator, Quds Net News Agency reported on Friday.

Quds Net News Agency disclosed that the Israeli District Court in Jerusalem took the decision at the beginning of the month.

15 Oct 2021; MEMO: Hezbollah said today it would not be dragged into a civil war, a day after seven Shia were killed in Beirut's bloodiest street violence in more than a decade, Reuters reports.

16 Oct 2021; MEMO: Sudan's Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok on Friday presented a roadmap to end the country's "worst and most dangerous" crisis between the political and military components of the government, news agencies reported.

Speaking on state TV, Hamdok announced: "The coup attempt opened the door for discord, and for all the hidden disputes and accusations from all sides, and in this way, we are throwing the future of our country and people and revolution to the wind."

15 Oct 2021; MEMO: Today marks the 86th day of Miqdad Al-Qawasmeh's hunger strike, protesting against his continued administrative detention—being held without charge or trial.

16 Oct 2021; MEMO: Member of Hamas Political Bureau Khalil Al-Hayya announced on Friday that his movement had presented its vision to rearrange the Palestinian national home during the latest visit of its delegation to Cairo.

Speaking to Al-Aqsa TV, Al-Hayya explained that his movement's vision to rearrange the Palestinian national home consists of three stages.

BAGHDAD, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi President Barham Salih on Friday called on objectors to Sunday's early election results to calm down and resort to law to preserve the country's stability.

"We call on all parties to adopt a responsible national stance, keep calm, and avoid any escalation that might affect societal peace and security," Salih said in a statement issued by the presidency media office.