RAMALLAH, Apr 21 (NNN-WAFA) – Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, said that, the Palestinian Authority will reconsider bilateral relations with the United States “in light of its unyielding support for Israel.”

He made the remarks in an interview, after the U.S. vetoed a draft United Nations resolution advocating for full membership for Palestine in the organisation.

ISTANBUL, Apr 21 (NNN-TRT) – Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, met yesterday, with Head of the Hamas Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, in Türkiye’s largest city, Istanbul.

The meeting, which commenced at 2:30 p.m. local time (1130 GMT), was held behind closed doors at the Dolmabahce presidential working office, as reported by NTV broadcaster.

Both leaders were anticipated to discuss the ongoing Israeli attacks and the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, as well as, ceasefire efforts, NTV added.

ISTANBUL, Apr 21 (NNN-TRT) – Turkish and Egyptian foreign ministers, emphasised that, the military confrontation and crises in the Middle East could potentially widen to a larger area, underscoring the necessity for urgent action.

Hakan Fidan and Sameh Shoukry met in Istanbul yesterday, to discuss current regional challenges and bilateral relations.

TEHRAN, Apr 21 (NNN-IRNA) – Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, yesterday, discussed Tehran’s recent retaliatory military operation against Israel.

In a phone call, the two sides also discussed bilateral ties and the latest developments in West Asia, according to a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 (Bernama) — Malaysia has expressed deep concern and disappointment after a veto was exercised to block the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) from admitting Palestine as a full member of the United Nations on April 18.

In a statement issued by Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry on Friday, this came despite a clarion call from an overwhelming majority of UN-member states.

LONDON, April 19. /TASS/. Tehran does not plan to immediately retaliate amid reports of an attack on Iranian soil, Reuters reported, citing an unidentified senior Iranian official.

"The foreign source of the incident has not been confirmed. We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more towards infiltration than attack," the news agency quoted him as saying.

MOSCOW, April 19. /TASS/. Russia will not announce pauses in fighting if new talks on Ukraine begin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Sputnik, Govorit Moskva and Komsomolskaya Pravda radio stations.

He also noted that the Ukrainian authorities could not be trusted. "First, he (Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky - TASS) banned himself from holding talks," Lavrov noted, adding: "Second, they cannot be trusted."

ANKARA, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye on Friday expressed its concern that tensions between Iran and Israel could turn into a wider conflict, calling on both countries to refrain from any steps that could escalate the conflict after an alleged Israeli attack against Iranian targets.

"In light of the latest developments, it is becoming increasingly evident that the tensions that were initially caused by Israel's illegal attack on the Iranian embassy in Damascus risk turning into a permanent conflict," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

CARACAS, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela on Thursday again rejected "the United States government's intention to monitor, protect, control and manipulate the Venezuelan oil industry."

At a press conference, Foreign Affairs Minister Yvan Gil read a statement confirming that "Venezuela will never recognize and accept" the "illegal policy of imposing coercive measures and licenses" against the South American nation by the United States.

CARACAS, April 18. /TASS/. The Ukrainian trace is obvious in the Crocus City Hall attack case, and the law enforcement employees exert efforts to identify the instigators of this crime, Russian Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov said during the meeting with the Venezuelan Ministry of Interior, Justice and Peace Remigio Ceballos Ichaso in Caracas.

MOSCOW, April 19. /TASS/. Iran suspended flights above some of its cities, such as Isfahan, Shiraz and Tehran, the IRNA news agency reported.

Besides, air defense systems were activated in Isfahan, Reuters said citing an Iranian source. Presumably, the systems reacted to a drone.

IRNA said air defenses were in action in several Iranian provinces.

UNITED NATIONS, APRIL 19. /TASS/. The United States exercised its veto right to block a UN Security Council resolution granting full UN membership to Palestine, a TASS correspondent reported.

A total of 12 countries, including Russia and China, voted in favor of the document, while two countries — Switzerland and the United Kingdom — abstained. The United States was the only country that voted against the proposed resolution.