Day: 13 June 2023

Posted on

A Mother And Her Three Children Died In A Fire In Their House In Hilla, Babylon

A family consisting of a mother and her three children died today, Tuesday, in a fire that broke out in their house in the center of Hilla.

Brigadier General Adel Al-Husseini, media director of Babylon police, said, “Civil defense teams recovered the bodies of four people from one family who died in a fire that broke out in their home in Al-Karama neighborhood in central Hilla.

He added that the police transferred the bodies to the forensic medicine, and that an investigation was opened into the accident.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

Posted on

Russia repeals Azov Sea treaty with Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a law repealing the cooperation treaty with Ukraine over sharing interests in Azov Sea and Kerch Strait.

Russian Presidency website reported that the president inked the law to revoke the agreement, signed by Moscow and Kyiv in 2004, on sharing fish resources in the sea. It was endorsed by the Duma on June 1 and the Federal Council on the 7th of the same month.

The presidency said Ukraine no longer has access to the sea and the strait after annexation of the regions, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhia and Luhansk, to Russia last September.

Ukrainian authorities annulled the treaty on February 24 in line with a decision by the parliament that became effective as of March 25, 2023.

Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that Ukrainian forces continued over the past 24 hours attacking Russian forces south of Donetsk and suburbs of Bakhmut, a cited that turned into a major battlefield between the two foes.

The Russian forces repelled the Ukrainian troops, knocking out a number of tanks and killing 655 military personnel, a ministry spokesperson said.

Russian and Ukrainian forces have been locked up in fighting at several axes on Ukrainian territories since the war started in February 2022. Moscow launched a wide-scale offensive accusing Ukraine of plotting with its adversaries in the West.

Western powers have been supplying the Ukrainian with military and financial aid but vowed no deploy NATO troops to partake in the fighting against the Russians. According to estimates, some 17,000 people have been killed in the war that also has inflicted massive damage throughout the nation, a main cereal source for many countries.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

Posted on

Kuwaiti athletes given warm welcome ahead of Special Olympics games

Kuwaiti athletes participating in the Special Olympics World Games, a global gathering of people with intellectual disabilities, were warmly received on Tuesday less than a week before the Germany-hosted event begins.

The Kuwaiti contingent, comprised of some 60 athletes and officials, were given a tour of the surroundings by the mayor of the Berlin borough of Neukolin Martin Hikel, who underlined the Kuwaiti visit as an “important step” to bolster cultural and sports cooperation.

Discussing the importance of the visit ahead of the June 17-25 games, Kuwaiti Paralympics Committee chief Dr. Rehab Boresly agreed that the initiative will be instrumental in promoting and enhancing “cultural exchange” between her country and Germany, saying she was appreciative of the hospitality of the German capital.

On the intricacies of the visit, she said the Kuwaiti delegation will get acquainted with some of the most prominent landmarks of Belrin, in addition to entertainment and education facilities that cater to people with disabilities.

Underlining the Kuwaiti government’s unflinching support for athletes with disabilities, Kuwait’s ambassador to Berlin Najib Al-Bader said his compatriots are assured of the embassy’s backing as they participate in an event of such magnitude.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

Posted on

Israeli occupation forces kill young Palestinian, injure nine others

Israeli occupation forces on Tuesday shot dead a young Palestinian and injured nine others in Nablus.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement that Fares Hashash, 19, was shot by Israeli forces during their raid on Balata refugee camp east of Nablus.

Palestine Red Crescent Society stated that nine other young Palestinians were injured during the clashes.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

Posted on

Collapsed wall kills one, injures two in Amman

A falling retaining wall resulted in one person’s death and two others’ injuries in Amman on Tuesday. The Public Security Department spokesman said that the civil defense teams freed them from under the rubble of the retaining wall at a construction site and transferred them to the hospital.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Posted on

Global demand for ’23 OPEC crude 900,000 bpd higher than ’22

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said that global demand for OPEC crude in 2023 is around 900,000 barrels per day (bpd) higher than in 2022.

OPEC’s report, which was distributed in Vienna Tuesday, stated that this demand remained unchanged in 2023 from the previous assessment at 29.3 million bpd.

OPEC-13 crude oil production in May decreased by 464,000 bpd to average 28.06 million bpd, the report mentioned.

On oil prices, the OPEC Reference Basket (ORB) fell by USD 8.31, or 9.9 percent, to USD 75.82 per barrel (pb) in May, it said.

The ICE Brent front-month contract declined by USD 7.68, or 9.2 percent, to USD 75.69 pb, and New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) West Texas Intermediate (WTI) declined by USD 7.82, or 9.8 percent, to average USD 71.62 pb, it noted.

World economic growth is estimated at 3.3 percent for 2022 and forecast at 2.6 percent for 2023, both unchanged from the previous month’s assessment, it pointed out.

The global economy continues to navigate through uncertainties including high inflation, higher interest rates in the US and the Euro-zone, and high debt levels in many regions, the report indicated.

According to the report, the US economic growth forecast for 2023 is revised up by 0.1 percent to stand at 1.3 percent, following a growth of 2.1 percent for 2022.

The Euro-zone’s economic growth forecast for 2023 remains at 0.8 percent, following a growth of 3.5 percent for 2022, OPEC said.

China’s economic growth forecast remains at 5.2 percent for 2023, following a growth of 3.0 percent for 2022, the report pointed out.

India’s 2022 economic growth estimate is unchanged at 6.7 percent, and the forecast for 2023 remains at 5.6 percent, it mentioned.

Russia’s growth is also unchanged, with an estimated contraction of 2.1 percent for 2022 and a forecast contraction of 0.5 percent for 2023, according to OPEC’s report.

Non-OPEC oil supply is estimated to have grown by 1.9 million bpd.

The report revealed that the main drivers of oil supply growth are expected to be the US, Brazil, Norway, Canada, Kazakhstan and Guyana, while declines are expected primarily from Russia.

Uncertainties remain related to US shale oil output potential and unplanned maintenance in 2023, OPEC report stated.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

Posted on

Kuwait keen on media coverage of elections — official

A visiting Kuwaiti official has affirmed the State of Kuwait’s keenness on media coverage of national elections noting that the information sector constitutes a prime part of democratic activities namely the polls.

The affirmation was declared by the Brigadier Jurist Ahmad Al-Hajri, the director of electoral affairs at the Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior, on sidelines of the fourth meeting of electoral administrations, currently held at the Arab League headquarters under the theme, “the media and elections.” “The media presence in the elections is necessary to emit a clear message and correct information vis a vis rumors any irregularities undermining the democratic action,” said Brig. Jurist Al-Hajri, who represented Kuwait at the meeting.

In this context, he indicated at Kuwait’s deep advocacy of transparency, integrity and neutrality in dealing with the nominees.

Brig. Jurist Al-Hajri shed some light in his statement on laws that penalize for offenses, namely cybercrimes laws and elections laws.

The Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior and other state departments, regularly, deploy personnel at the electoral sites in all phases of the polling process, he said.

The three-day Cairo meeting, organized by the Arab League Secretariat General in coordination with the United Nations and the UN Development Program, kicked on Monday. It is designed to boost cooperation in the elections’ realm among Arab electoral administrations.

It grouped a large number of heads and members of electoral authorities in the Arab countries, representatives of international organizations. Among the main themes of the gathering is the media role in polling.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

Posted on

Jordan karate team secures advanced ranks globally

Jordan’s karate team has climbed up the ranks of the World Karate Federation on a global level, bringing home two gold medals and a silver medal in the third round of the World League Championship held in Japan. National karate team player Mohammad al Jafari leapt to second place globally in the under-84kg weight division and Abdul Rahman Al-Masatafa came third in the under-67kg category. In the 60kg competitions, Abdullah Hammad secured sixth place, while Hassan Masarwa came eighth in the 75kg weight category.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Posted on

Hardline settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque

Scores of Jewish extremist settlers early Tuesday stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque/ al-Haram al-Sharif compound in occupied East Jerusalem, according to an official Palestinian source. In a statement, the General Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem said that the settlers carried out today’s raids through al-Magharebah Gate under the heavy protection of Israeli escort, who restricted Muslim worshippers’ access to the mosque to secure the settlers’ incursions. “The settlers provocatively toured the Mosque’s yards and performed Talmudic rituals amid a state of anger inside the compound,” it added.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Posted on

Army downs narcotics-laden drone on eastern borders

The Eastern Military Zone unit early Tuesday shot down a drug-filled drone flown across the border from inside Syrian territory, according to a statement by the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF). A JAF source said the drone was intercepted by border guards, in coordination with the military security services and the Anti-Narcotics Department, who detected an attempt to illegally cross the Jordanian frontiers from Syria and immediately shot it down. In addition, the source indicated that a search of the crash site revealed that the unmanned aerial vehicle was carrying 500 grams of crystal, noting that the seized items were transferred to the concerned authorities. The source underscored that the army will not tolerate any attempt to infiltrate the Kingdom’s frontiers and will prevent any violation of national security.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Posted on

Regional meeting explores reproductive health priorities in Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon

The Higher Population Council (HPC), in collaboration with Share-Net Jordan, organized a regional meeting to delve into the pressing matters, programs, and challenges concerning reproductive and sexual health. The meeting is a pivotal step in Share-Net Jordan’s expanded engagement at the regional level. According to an HPC statement released Tuesday, the meeting centered on the comprehensive presentation of three working papers, effectively shedding light on the issues, priorities, challenges, and the existing landscape of reproductive and sexual health in Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon. The inaugural paper, entitled “Reproductive and Sexual Health in Jordan: Issues and Needs,” was presented by HPC Secretary-General Issa Al-Masara. He comprehensively addressed various aspects of reproductive and sexual health across three distinct life stages: premarital, marital, and aging. The primary objective was to identify pertinent reproductive and sexual health matters, ascertain the research needs, and pinpoint the gaps within policy implementation, programs, and legislation. The second paper, delivered by Hassan Zaki from the American University in Cairo, provided a detailed overview of the prevailing conditions and dimensions of reproductive and sexual health in Egypt. This comprehensive document outlined the key strategies employed to address reproductive and sexual health issues, while also spotlighting the major stakeholders, ongoing initiatives, and related activities within Egypt. The third paper, presented by Jocelyn DeJong from the Faculty of Health Sciences at the American University of Beirut, offered a thorough analysis of the state of reproductive and sexual health in Lebanon. Her discourse focused on reproductive and sexual health priorities, recent advancements, strategies, and policies aimed at safeguarding reproductive and sexual health rights. Additionally, the paper highlighted the challenges and obstacles hampering access to relevant services, their quality, and the potential for improvement. The workshop concluded with an engaging dialogue session with the participation of relevant experts and representatives from partnering organizations active in this field within Jordan. The session fostered discussions on regional priorities concerning reproductive and sexual health. During the dialogue session, the participants underscored the paramount importance of exchanging knowledge between regional countries to enhance reproductive and sexual health across diverse life stages and genders. Moreover, the significance of providing accurate and comprehensive data and information for research and study purposes was emphasized, along with the imperative of improving access to reproductive and sexual health information and services for adolescents. Addressing common issues within this field, establishing expert working groups at the regional level to study and devise practical measures, as well as integrating reproductive and sexual health concepts into appropriate educational curricula, were recognized as crucial steps. The meeting witnessed the attendance of representatives from several ministries, institutions, Jordanian universities, and pertinent international entities, collectively demonstrating their commitment to advancing reproductive and sexual health in the region.

Source: Jordan News Agency