Xinhua Middle East news summary at 2200 GMT, May 4

ANKARA -- Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) on Friday designated Muharrem Ince as its presidential candidate for the June 24 early elections.

Speaking in a rally in the capital Ankara, Ince, a veteran CHP lawmaker, vowed to be a president for all people in Turkey. (Turkey-Presidential Candidates)

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RAMALLAH -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas apologized on Friday for his statements that were widely considered as anti-Semitic while addressing the Palestinian National Council (PNC) opening session.

He said in a press statement that "if people were offended by my statements in front of the PNC, especially people of the Jewish faith, I apologize to them." (Abbas-Anti-Semitic)

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BAGHDAD -- Iraq's top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani on Friday warned Iraqis of voting in the upcoming parliamentary elections for corrupt politicians who proved that they had failed in leading the country.

Sheikh Abdul-Mahdi al-Karbalai, Sistani's representative relayed the comments of the most revered Shiite cleric during the weekly Friday prayer, which was aired live by Iraqi local TV channels from the holy Shiite city of Karbala, some 110 km south of Baghdad. (Iraq-Polls)

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DAMASCUS -- The inspectors of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) finished their work in inspecting alleged chemical attack in the Syrian capital Damascus' eastern Douma district, the OPCW said in a statement on Friday.

The statement said the initial deployment of the fact-finding mission of the OPCW to gather facts in Douma is completed, adding that the collected samples were sent to the organization's laboratories for analysis that could take "at least three to four weeks." (Syria-Douma-Inspectors) Enditem