13 May 2023; MEMO: On Friday, a Palestinian government official in Gaza warned that the only power plant would stop working within 72 hours, as fuel quantities are running out, given the continued closure of the Karam Abu Salem crossing (south)

This came during a press conference held by the head of the government media office (run by Hamas), Salama Maarouf, at Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump will share the spotlight in Iowa on Saturday, providing a chance to sway influential conservative activists and contrast their campaign styles in Republicans’ leadoff voting state.

DeSantis, expected to announce his 2024 presidential campaign any day, is set to wade into Iowa’s hand-to-hand politicking at a congressman’s annual picnic and an Iowa Republican Party fundraiser, while Trump, a candidate since November, hopes to show strength with an outdoor rally with supporters.

BRUSSELS, May 13 (Reuters) - Washington and the EU will pledge joint action to tackle concerns focused on China about non-market practices and coordinate their export controls on semiconductors and other goods at a meeting this month, a draft statement showed.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, European Commission Vice-President Margrethe Vestager and other senior officials are due to meet for the fourth edition of the EU-U.S. Trade and Technology Council (TTC) in Lulea, Sweden, on May 30-31.

13 May 2023; MEMO: The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement, said Friday that Palestinian factions targeted an Israeli military gathering with "heavy-calibre shells", Anadolu News Agency reports.

"The Palestinian Resistance declares its responsibility for targeting gatherings of enemy vehicles and soldiers with heavy calibre shells, and confirms direct hits," the Al-Quds Brigades said in a statement.

There were no further details regarding the location or timing of the attacks.

12 May 2023; MEMO: The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement in the Gaza Strip announced, on Thursday, that it had fired barrages of rockets into Israel in response to the assassinations of its leaders, Anadolu news agency reported.

"The joint operations room of the Palestinian resistance factions, the Al-Quds Brigades and the Al-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, have bombed the [Israeli] cities of Ashdod and Ashkelon…. in response to the assassinations and the [Israeli] aggression" the Al-Quds Brigades, the movement's armed wing, said in a brief statement.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s budget deficit has soared to nearly $32 billion, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday as he announced a plan that would cover the shortfall this year while potentially leaving the state with multibillion-dollar deficits in the future.

FAIZABAD, Afghanistan, May 13 (NNN-ANA) – At least seven commuters were killed, and 14 others injured, in a road accident in Afghanistan’s northern Badakhshan province, head of the provincial department of information and culture, Qari Maazudin Ahmadi, said today.

The accident occurred in Kezer village of Khash district, last night, when the bus overturned due to technical problems, killing seven people on the spot, including women and children, and injuring 14 others, some in critical condition, Ahmadi said.

13 May 2023; MEMO:  Secretary General of Lebanon's Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah announced on Friday that Hezbollah "will not hesitate to provide assistance" to the Palestinian resistance, indicating that it maintains continuous communications with the leadership of the Palestinian resistance.

"We are in constant contact with the leadership of the resistance in Gaza, and we will not hesitate to assist at any time that responsibility requires it," he added.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel and Palestinian militants unleashed salvos of fire for a fifth day on Saturday, with the Islamic Jihad militant group launching dozens more rockets and the Israeli military pounding targets inside the Gaza Strip.

MOSCOW, May 13 (Reuters) - Russia's Defence Ministry said on Saturday that Ukrainian aircraft had struck two industrial sites in the Russian-held city of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine with Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles supplied by Britain.

Reuters could not verify the battlefield reports.

Britain on Thursday became the first country to say it had started supplying Kyiv with long-range cruise missiles, which will allow it to hit Russian troops and supply dumps far behind the front lines as it prepares a major counteroffensive.

MOSCOW, May 13. /TASS/: Russian assault teams have liberated one quarter in the northwestern part of the city of Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut in Ukraine), Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Saturday.

"The assault teams have liberated one quarter in the northwestern part of the city of Artyomovsk," he said.

NAIROBI, May 12 (Xinhua) -- The 22nd Chinese bridge-Chinese language proficiency competition for foreign college students was held at the University of Nairobi, Kenya's oldest University, Friday with winners scooping prizes and certificates of recognition.

Among the participants at the Kenya division finals of the Chinese language proficiency competition were diplomats, business executives, university faculty members and students.