Middle East & North Africa

BEIRUT (AP) — A ship bringing corn to Lebanon’s northern port of Tripoli normally would not cause a stir. But it’s getting attention because of where it came from: Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa.

The Razoni, loaded with more than 26,000 tons of corn for chicken feed, is emerging from the edges of a Russian war that has threatened food supplies in countries like Lebanon, which has the world’s highest rate of food inflation — a staggering 122% — and depends on the Black Sea region for nearly all of its wheat.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli airstrikes flattened homes in Gaza on Saturday and rocket barrages into southern Israel persisted, raising fears of an escalation in a conflict that has killed at least 15 people in the coastal strip.

The fighting began with Israel’s killing of a senior commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group in a wave of strikes Friday that Israel said were meant to prevent an imminent attack. A 5-year-old girl and two women are among those killed in the strikes.

06 August 2022; MEMO: The Palestinian presidency condemned Israel's aggression against the Gaza Strip on Friday and demanded its immediate cessation, holding the occupying forces responsible for the dangerous escalation.

In a statement, the presidency called on the international community to force Israel to:"Stop its aggression against our people everywhere, specifically in Gaza, and to provide them with international protection."

06 August 2022; MEMO: Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz on Friday approved calling up 25,000 reservist soldiers, according to a statement reported by Israeli media.

The statement, which was issued by Gantz's office, said: "Defence Minister Benny Gantz has approved the call-up of up to 25,000 reservist troops if required."

READ: Israeli forces carry out strike in Gaza

06 August 2022; MEMO: The Russian Defence Ministry announced on Friday that its air forces had "eliminated" a group of opposition fighters trained by the US in Syria on 4 August.

06 August 2022; MEMO:The Israeli bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip continues for the second day, and mediators seem unable to stop it.

Early on Saturday morning, the Israeli occupation army announced it was preparing for a "week-long operation" against Palestinian armed groups in the Gaza Strip.

05 August 2022; MEMO: UN special envoy for Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert met prominent Shia cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr in Najaf today to discuss the country's political crisis, state media reported.

According to the official Iraqi News Agency, Plasschaert said her meeting with the leader of the Sadrist movement "went well".

Plasschaert is meeting Iraqi political figures to promote dialogue and end the deadlock over the formation of a national government.

05 August 2022; MEMO: The Israeli Magistrate's Court in West Jerusalem yesterday sentenced the Palestinian governor of the occupied city of Jerusalem, Adnan Ghaith, to house arrest, Anadolu reported citing the governor's media adviser.

Marouf Al-Rifai said in a statement that in addition to house arrest, the court imposed a bail of 25,000 shekels ($7,500) on the governor and his family.

05 August 2022; MEMO: Saudi Arabia's budget has witnessed a fiscal surplus of 135.4 billion riyals ($36.1 billion) during the first half of 2022 amid a rise in crude oil revenues.

05 August 2022; MEMO: Israeli authorities yesterday approved the construction of 1,400 new housing units in occupied East Jerusalem.

The new units will be built in an area northwest of the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, bordering the East Jerusalem towns of Beit Safafa and Sur Baher, Mondoweiss reported.