Day: 20 May 2023

At least three soldiers and a terrorist were killed in an attack by militants on a check post in Pakistan?’s southwestern Balochistan province, said the military on Saturday.

According to Pakistan military?’s media wing Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), three soldiers of Pakistan army embraced martyrdom in an attack on a post in Zarghoon district of Balochistan. It further said that one terrorist was also killed in exchange of fire.

“Troops on the post retaliated readily to the fire raid thereby, pushing back the terrorists,” it added.

The post has recently been established to help check extortion efforts targeting Coal mines in the area. The military said that a likely hideout of fleeing terrorists has been identified in nearby mountains and a deliberate blocking and sanitization operation has been launched.

Prime Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the check post.

A statement by PM House said, PM Sharif paid rich tribute to the martyred soldiers and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured and extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families over the tragedy.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

Pakistan has strongly condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem by Israeli state officials and members of the Knesset under protection of Israeli occupation forces. ‘Violation of the sanctity of one of the holiest sites in Islam constitutes yet another reprehensible event in a series of escalatory Israeli actions disrespectful to religious sentiments of over 1.5 billion Muslims around the world,’ said the Pakistani Foreign Ministry in a press statement. The statement added, ‘We reiterate that such acts are inconsistent with the right to freedom of expression and religion or belief of the Palestinian people, defying all humanitarian and human rights laws and norms.’ Pakistan further called upon the international community to take urgent action to put an end to Israeli attacks in the occupied territories that have been on the rise since the beginning of this year. The statement reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the Palestinian cause, and renewed the call for ‘a viable, independent and contiguous Palestinian State, with pre-1967 borders, and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital being the only just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue.’

Source: En – Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

Israeli occupation authorities embarked today on razing large tracts of Palestinian-owned lands near the village of Deir el-Hatab, to the east of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, according to local sources. Ghassan Daghlas, a local Palestinian official in charge of the Israeli settlement file, told WAFA that Israeli bulldozers embarked on razing Palestinian lands near the village in order to make room for the expansion of the colonial Israeli settlement of Elon More, illegally built near the village. He said residents of Deir el-Hatab have lost as many as 8,000 dunums of land over the past few years as a result of Israel’s land expropriation policy.

Source: En – Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates demanded today international intervention against Israel’s approval of the construction of hundreds of housing units for Israeli settlers in occupied Jerusalem under the so-called Master Plan No. 2000. The Foreign Ministry’s call came amid news reports that the Israeli occupation authorities have okayed the building of 1,700 settlement units for Israeli settlers in occupied Jerusalem, a measure that is expected to badly affect the demography of the Palestinian presence in the holy city. ‘The new plans are an extension of Israel’s annexation and Judaization of Jerusalem with a view of separating it from its Palestinian surroundings,’ said the Foreign Ministry in a statement. The statement described Israel’s approval of the new housing units as ‘an official Israeli disregard for the resolutions of international legitimacy and the UN positions calling for an end to settlements, and a deliberate sabotage of regional and international efforts to achieve calm.’ The Foreign Ministry called for urgent international intervention to ensure respect of the UN resolutions especially UN Security Council Resolution 2334, in order to press the occupying Israeli regime to stop its colonial settlement plans.

Source: En – Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha affirmed the organization’s keenness to support efforts to ease tension, achieve peace in all Arab and Islamic countries, and preserve the unity and integrity of their territories.

The OIC Secretary-General also called for strengthening efforts in international forums to provide international protection for the Palestinian people and establish their independent state on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital, according to the resolutions of international legitimacy and the initiatives of Islamic and Arab countries.

In his speech at the 32nd regular session of the League of Arab States Council at the summit level in Jeddah, Taha pointed to the great importance to strengthening cooperation between all countries and coordinating efforts to overcome the obstacles facing our world today, noting depth of OIC’s cooperation and interdependence with the Arab League and on the principles, values and common denominators in all the current issues.

Taha underlined the need to unite and push for a political solution to the Palestinian crisis, as it is the central issue of the Arab and Islamic world amid brutal Israeli aggressions.

He stressed that the Sudanese crisis has become a source of deep concern for Arab and Islamic countries, pointing that OIC has called since day one for an urgent and permanent ceasefire and dialogue to resolve differences and support the Saudi-US initiative to start preliminary talks between the parties to the conflict in Sudan.

He affirmed OIC’s keenness to cooperate to support all efforts to ease tension and achieve peace in Yemen, Syria and Libya, and to preserve the unity of those countries, stressing the need to consolidate the values of tolerance, understanding, peaceful coexistence and strengthen solidarity with the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin organizations.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Russian President Vladimir Putin affirmed his country’s interest in developing its relations with Arab countries in order to effectively face new threats and challenges.

In a message addressed to the Arab summit in Jeddah, President Putin said that his country traditionally attaches great importance to developing its friendly relations and to its constructive cooperation and partnership with the countries of the Middle East and North Africa, including the existing relations within the framework of dialogue with the League of Arab States, in order to effectively respond to the threats and challenges facing humanity.

He expressed belief that further expansion of multifaceted cooperation between Russia and Arab countries will fully meet common interests, and will be in line with building a more just and democratic system of international relations, based on the principles of multipolarity, true equality and respect for the legitimate interests of all.

Putin also affirmed that his country would continue to present possible solutions to settle the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the approaches stipulated in the relevant United Nations resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Minister of Government Communication, Faisal Shboul, on Saturday said media across the world is suffering due to the social platforms’ acquisition of the “largest” share of the advertising market, adding that “Jordan is no exception to this reality.” Addressing a symposium dubbed: “Reality of Jordanian Media,” organized by Masarat Center for Development and Empowerment, Shboul said Ministry of Government Communication aims to create the “appropriate” environment to enhance Jordan’s media position and develop its tools. The minister added that this drive is implemented under draft government policy for media and communication, which Economic and Social Council will lead dialogue with all partners. Shboul, who is also the Government Spokesperson, noted the policy’s axes aim to build trust with the public by drafting media government institutions’ messages to support their strategies and plans. He added that the draft policy aims to empower media spokespeople to ensure “stronger” media and information flow, pointing out that the ministry has launched training programs for them over the next three years. According to Shboul, he said the ministry also launched training projects for recent press alumni , in partnership with civil society institutions, to employ beneficiaries in the Kingdom’s health and tourism sectors. To date, he noted 42 press alumni were appointed in the Kingdom’s education directorates and 12 others in health sector, in addition to filling vacancies in public media institutions. He said the policy, which was prepared by the ministry, seeks to improve the media legislation regulating media activities by overhauling current laws, aimed to keeping pace with the rapid technical developments and reviewing media freedoms reports. On the sector’s current financial hardships, Shboul said media is “one of the biggest losers due to social platforms’ acquisition of the advertising market,” noting that these platforms made more than JD81 in marketing revenues in 2022 locally, estimating Arab markets’ income loss at about $2-3 billion annually. In this context, Shboul referred to Jordan’s efforts and keenness within Arab framework to enhance media role and preserve their right in the advertising market, by developing an Arab strategy to deal with world media organizations to protect Arab and Islamic issues. This effort aims to protect Palestinian cause from negative misinformation, shield children and youth from harmful content, address hate speech, false news and attacks on privacy, he said.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Qatari Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah ranked second in the provisional overall standings of the special stage action in the 40th edition of Jordan Rally, round three of the 2023 FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC).

Al Attiyah, accompanied by his French navigator Mathieu Baumel on board the Volkswagen Polo GTI, came second with a total time of 1.28.22 hours, 2.73 minutes behind the Omani leader Abdullah Al Rawahi, on board the Skoda Fabia Evo. with a total time of 1.25.49 hours.

Kuwaiti Meshari Al Dhafiri, accompanied by his Qatari navigator, Nasser Al Kuwari, on board Mitsubishi Evo 10, ranked third with a total time of 1.30.15 hours.

Source: Qatar News Agency

The security forces arrested 10 persons accused of drug abuse and promotion in Anbar.

A statement by the Ministry of the Interior stated: “The suspects were arrested in Sufia region in Anbar Governorate, after information was received from the citizens, and narcotic drugs and tools for drug use were seized in their possession.”

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

A young man in his thirties died in a road traffic collision on the Karak-Qatraneh road, southern Jordan, official said Saturday. Director of forensic medicine in the southern region, Hassan Hawwari told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that a medical committee examined the body, and found that the cause of death was hemorrhage resulting from multiple injuries

Source: Jordan News Agency