TEHRAN -- At least 8 people were killed and 750 others injured in a huge explosion that occurred on Saturday at a port in Iran's southern province of Hormozgan, the official news agency IRNA reported.
Six people went missing in the incident that occurred at the Port of Shahid Rajaee, according to IRNA. (Iran-Iraq-Explosion)
- - - -
GAZA -- At least 34 Palestinians were killed and dozens of others wounded in airstrikes carried out by the Israeli army across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, Gaza's civil defense said.
Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the civil defense, told Xinhua that the Israeli army targeted several residential homes, gatherings, and tents housing displaced persons in various areas of the coastal enclave. (Gaza Strip-Hamas-Israel)
- - - -
RAMALLAH -- The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) approved on Saturday the appointment of Hussein al-Sheikh as vice president of its executive committee and the State of Palestine.
The appointment of al-Sheikh came during a meeting held in the central West Bank city of Ramallah, chaired by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the PLO's Executive Committee said in a press statement. (Palestine-PLO-Vice President)
- - - -
MUSCAT/TEHRAN -- The United States and Iran have expressed "a shared aspiration to reach an agreement based on mutual respect and enduring commitments" during their latest round of indirect talks in Muscat, Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi said Saturday.
In a statement issued on the social media platform X, Albusaidi said that "core principles, objectives, and technical concerns" were discussed thoroughly in the Omani-mediated talks, adding that negotiations are set to continue next week and that a further high-level meeting is provisionally scheduled for May 3. (Iran-US-Talks) ■
