Middle East & North Africa

AMMAN, Sept 29 (NNN-SANA) – Jordan and Syria decided to enhance cooperation in various fields, said an announcement yesterday, at the conclusion of the Jordanian-Syrian ministerial meeting held in Amman over two days.

The final statement, issued by the Prime Ministry in Jordan said that, talks covered the conditions of the Jordanian-Syrian Transport Company, and means to find solutions to address its problems. Discussions also went over means to facilitate the flow of goods and passengers’ movement.

AMMAN, Sept 29 (NNN-PETRA) – Jordan’s Foreign Ministry, sent an official letter of protest to Israel, calling for “stopping its violations and provocations” at al-Aqsa Mosque, the ministry’s Spokesperson, Haitham Abu Al-Foul, said yesterday.

The Foreign Ministry condemned the alleged ongoing Israeli violations at al-Aqsa Mosque, the latest of which was “allowing a large number of extremists, entry into the mosque, under the protection of Israeli forces, during the Jewish holidays throughout Sept,” according to a statement by the ministry.

BEIRUT, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Hundreds of relatives of victims of last year's Beirut port explosion, some chanting and some silent, took to the streets on Wednesday angry that an investigation into the disaster had been delayed for the second time this year.

Some carried miniature figures of people on death row with signs below reading "the end for anyone corrupt", while others stood in silence, carrying photos of their loved ones.

ABOARD GEO BARENTS (AP) — The small fiberglass boat had begun to take on water not long after the engine stopped working. Its six passengers started bailing it out, not knowing how long they could keep the sea at bay.

Waleed, a Tunisian man who, along with five others, was hoping to cross the Mediterranean for a better life in Europe, estimates they removed water from the boat for roughly five hours.

“We were so desperate,” he said.

29 Sep 2021; MEMO: Tunisian President Kais Saied wasted all available opportunities for dialogue and it is time for him to be dismissed by parliament, the Secretary-General of the Movement Party told Al-Quds Al-Arabi.

Lamia Al-Khameri said Kais Saied "exceeded even the limits of logic and rationality" through the steps he has taken to orchestrate his coup.

29 Sep 2021; MEMO: Iran on Tuesday rejected a US call to grant UN inspectors access to a nuclear site, saying Washington was not qualified to demand inspections without condemning a sabotage attack on the facility, Iranian state media reported, Reuters reported.

29 Sep 2021; MEMO: Muslim, Christian and Samaritan clerics yesterday called on the international community and human rights organisations to pressure Israel to release the bodies of Palestinian and Arab martyrs it holds.

29 Sep 2021; MEMO: Hamas yesterday said it blamed the occupation authorities for the rising crime rates among the Palestinian residents of Israel.

In a statement issued by Hamas spokesman Abdul-Latif Al-Qanou, the movement said: "The Israeli occupation government keeps silent about crimes among Arabs, aiming to disintegrate their internal structure."

Al-Qanou said that the rising crime rates within the Arab community "has reached a record rate," pointing out that "this is a dangerous indication."

29 Sep 2021; MEMO: Algerian Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Said Chanegriha on Monday accused Morocco of weaving "conspiracies" against his country.

"This expansionist regime has gone too far in its conspiracies and subversive propaganda campaigns, which aim to reduce Algeria's regional role, exhaust its capacities, prevent its development and undermine the unity of its people," Chanegriha said during a visit to an army base near the Moroccan border.

RIYADH, Sept 28 (NNN-SPA) – Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar Alkhorayef, revealed yesterday, the kingdom’s plan to build a competency-based industrial sector, Al Ekhbariya local TV reported.

He made the remarks during a meeting, about the newly launched Human Capability Development Programme, highlighting that, Saudi companies have high capabilities and international competitiveness.