Day: 21 May 2023

At the Arab context, Al-Sharq daily said that with the war in Sudan entering its fifth month, tragic conditions continue to worsen with the escalating fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This has prompted the United Nations to warn that the conflict in Sudan is fueling and could tip the entire region into a humanitarian catastrophe.

The newspaper pointed out that since the first day, the State of Qatar called for all parties to immediately stop fighting, exercise maximum restraint, resort to the voice of reason, prioritize the public interest, and spare civilians the consequences of the conflict, pointing out that Qatar also looks forward to all parties adopting dialogue and peaceful means to overcome differences.

The paper noted that under the noble directives of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the country swiftly established an airlift of aid to support the Sudanese brothers. Alongside this aid, Qatar conducted evacuation operations for a large number of Sudanese residents in Qatar using Qatari relief aircraft.

The daily indicated that Qatar co-chaired the ministerial event to announce pledges to support the humanitarian response to Sudan, as it pledged $50 million as part of its fraternal responsibility and its ethical and humanitarian duty towards the Sudanese brothers. This also reflects Qatar’s continuous humanitarian and developmental efforts in Sudan.

The paper emphasized that Qatar’s role did not stop here; it remained supportive of all regional and international efforts aimed at ending the war, out of its belief that there is no military solution to this conflict and that the only path to resolving the crisis is through political means.

Al-Sharq concluded its editorial by saying that Qatar, based on its unwavering stance in supporting the unity, independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the brotherly Sudan, rejecting any form of intervention in its internal affairs, and fully respecting the choices of its people in freedom, peace, justice, and prosperity, will spare no effort in standing by the side of the Sudanese people until they overcome this crisis.

In the field of sport, English-language newspaper The Peninsula highlighted HE Sheikh Saud bin Ali Al-Thani’s election as the new President of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), noting that this is another major milestone for the State of Qatar in the field of sport.

Under the headline “Qatar at the helm”, the paper said that Sheikh Saud’s election highlights Qatar’s deep-rooted passion for basketball and its unwavering dedication and contribution to the sports world. Doha recently secured the privilege of staging the FIBA World Cup 2027, an accomplishment that follows Qatar’s successful organization of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and its upcoming role in hosting the 2023 FIFA Asian Cup. Additionally, the country is preparing to orchestrate the 21st Asian Games in 2030.

The roots of Qatari basketball run deep, tracing back to the establishment of the Qatar Basketball Association in 1964, the paper said, adding that the association swiftly integrated into international and regional federations, affiliating with the International Basketball Federation in 1973 and the Asian Federation in 1979.

In making their decision to grant Qatar the host status, FIBA’s Central Board noted that Doha is one of the best-connected destinations in the world. With all of the teams playing in the same city, fans can plan everything far in advance and enjoy a unique experience since all venues are within 30 minutes of each other, The Peninsula concluded.

Source: Qatar News Agency

The member states of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Saturday said they are “profoundly concerned” by Russia’s decision to place a court prosecutor and several judges on a wanted list.

“The ICC finds these measures unacceptable. The Court will remain undeterred in the conduct of its lawful mandate to ensure accountability for the gravest crimes of concern to the international community as a whole,” the ICC said in a statement.

The ICC stressed that it “stands firmly by its personnel and officials,” following Russia’s decision to place prosecutor Karim Khan on a wanted list after he issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The ICC’s prosecutor has been added to the wanted list on Friday.

The International Criminal Court accused Putin of being responsible for the illegal deportation of thousands of Ukrainian children, which constitutes a war crime. These accusations are denied by Moscow.

Source: Qatar News Agency

The total assets of China’s insurance sector amounted to 28.4 trillion yuan (about $4.04 trillion) at the end of the first quarter of 2023, revealed official data by the National Financial Regulatory Administration (NAFR) of China.

The figure was up 4.5% from the beginning of the year, according to the NAFR.

The insurance sector’s premium income expanded 9.2% year on year to 1.9 trillion yuan in the first three months, the data showed.

Their expenditure on compensation and payment reached 493.2 billion yuan during the period, up 9.3% year on year.

Source: Qatar News Agency

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates demanded Saturday 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, according to (WAFA) news agency.

“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 Israeli entity to stop its colonial settlement plans.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Up to 717,612 Turks living abroad have cast their votes in the second round of presidential-parliamentary elections since the polling kicked off early on Saturday, the supreme election commission declared on Sunday.

The commission, cited by the official news agency Anadolu, said 683,580 Turkish citizens cast their votes at the Turkish missions abroad and 340,32 others at border checkpoints.

Voting will proceed at the missions’ headquarters until May 24 and at the border points until May 28.

Turkey witnessed on May 14 the first round of the elections, marked with competition among top contenders; the incumbent president Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the Islam-oriented Justice and Development Party, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and Sinan Ogan of the Nationalist Movement Party.

The election commission had declared holding of the second round of balloting after the two top contenders, Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu failed to garner 50 percent of the votes.

Erdogan had won 49.52 percent of the ballots and his rival bagged 44.88 percent of the papers, while Ogan had 5.17 percent.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Jasem Al-Bedaiwi condemned on Sunday Israel’s continued acts of violence in the courtyard of Jerusalem’s holy Al-Aqsa mosque, calling for an immediate and urgent response to such violations. The international community is obliged to act “swiftly and definitively” in order to bring Palestinian statehood aspirations to fruition, subsequently bringing peace and stability to Palestinian territories, he said in a statement.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

The head of the Federal Bureau of Financial Supervision, Rafel Yassin Al-Asadi, discussed with the head of the Federal Integrity Commission, Judge Haider Hanoun, during their meeting today, Sunday, mechanisms to enhance joint cooperation in the field of combating corruption./ End

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

The Jordanian Minister of Interior, Mazen Al-Faraya, confirmed that Iraq, in its war against the terrorist gangs of ISIS, not only defended its country, but also defended the region and the world.

A statement by the Ministry of Interior stated that the Minister of Interior, Abd al-Amir al-Shammari, received today, Sunday, his Jordanian counterpart, Mazen al-Faraya, his accompanying delegation, and the Jordanian ambassador at the ministry’s headquarters, in the presence of undersecretaries, advisors, and a number of leaders and officers in the ministry of interior.

Al-Shammari stressed, according to the statement, the great role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan towards many fateful positions and issues, praising the close and historical relationship between Iraq and Jordan.

For his part, the Jordanian Minister of Interior affirmed that Iraq and Jordan are one people, appreciating at the same time the great efforts made by the security services in achieving security and stability, indicating that Iraq in its war against the terrorist ISIS gangs did not only defend his country, but was also defending the region and the world.

The two sides also stressed, according to the statement, the intensification of cooperation and joint coordination in various security fields and the exchange of information to serve the mutual interests between the two brotherly countries.

The Jordanian Minister of Interior, Mazen Al-Faraya, arrived in Baghdad yesterday, Saturday, and was received at Baghdad International Airport by Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari. / End

Source: National Iraqi News Agency