Middle East & North Africa

JERUSALEM/RAMALLAH, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian on Wednesday after he carried out a car-ramming attack at a checkpoint near the West Bank city of Ramallah, the Israeli army and Palestinian health ministry said.

The Palestinian man drove to the Maccabim checkpoint, hit an Israeli officer and wounded him seriously, the Israeli army said in a statement.

The man then got out of his car and tried to attack the officer with an axe before he was "neutralized," the army statement added.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared headed toward victory Wednesday, with some 85% of the ballots from national elections counted and showing that voters gave him and his far-right allies what looks like a majority in the country’s parliament.

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Arab leaders on Wednesday concluded the 31st summit of the largest annual Arab conference after seeking to bridge the gap on several divisive issues in the Middle East and Africa. The first Arab League gathering in three years took place against the backdrop of rising inflation, food and energy shortages, drought and the soaring cost of living across the region.

02 Nov 2022; MEMO: Luxury yacht Eclipse, owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, yesterday docked on the Marmaris coast in Turkiye's southwestern city of Mugla.

Anadolu Agency quoted sources as saying that the yacht was "164-metres in length and 22-metres width with 6-storeys."

The sources added that the yacht was valued at "some €340 million ($336 million)," noting that it had a "helipad, a swimming pool, luxurious rooms and a gym."

They also pointed out that the yacht was set to dock at the port for a week.

02 Nov 2022; MEMO: An Israeli court has approved a decision by Israeli authorities to demolish a school in a Palestinian village near the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, Ma'an news agency reported yesterday.

This came as a number of Palestinian residents of the village of Ein Samiya had appealed against a previous order by the Israeli District Court in Jerusalem that stipulated the immediate demolition of the only school in the village.

02 Nov 2022; MEMO: Egyptian security forces have arrested hundreds of people in the northeastern Suez Governorate in connection with calls for protests to coincide with the upcoming COP27 climate summit, a local rights group said.

02 Nov 2022; MEMO: Egyptian security forces have arrested the deputy editor of the state-run Radio and Television Magazine from her home in Cairo.

Prominent human rights lawyer Manal Ajrama had written posts criticising Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, reports Al-Quds.

According to local press report, Manal is 61 and is a carer for her elderly parents. She also suffers from the after effects of spinal surgery.

02 Nov 2022; MEMO: The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned what it described as an "incitement campaign" targeting Qatar for its hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The tournament is due to kick off on 20 November, with the final to be held on 18 December.

02 Nov 2022; MEMO: Saudi Arabia's decision to host Chinese President Xi Jinping is a "sovereign decision," the US State Department insisted on Monday.

01 Nov 2022; MEMO: Egyptian authorities arrested Indian climate activist Ajit Rajagopol who walked from Cairo to Sharm El-Sheikh as part of the March for our Planet global campaign, and then released him 24 hours later.

Rajagopol came to Egypt to participate in the COP27 UN summit hosted this year in Egypt's Red Sea resort town but was arrested at a security checkpoint.