Day: 9 July 2023

Colonial Israeli settlers last night demolished portions of the Old Market in the city of Hebron, south of the occupied West Bank, which has been sealed off since 1983. Imad Hamdan, the Director of the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee, told WAFA that a group of army-guarded Israeli settlers demolished structures in the Old Market, located in downtown Hebron. Hamdan explained that the Hebron municipality obtained a precautionary order from the Israeli judiciary to stop the construction of 31 housing units for Israeli settlers in the Old Market from 2017 until 2021, but the so-called Israeli Higher Settlement Council allowed the construction to be completed since then. He pointed out that the excavation and construction works by Israeli settlers in the area have been in progress over the last few months.

Source: En – Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

Qusai Adnan, a Palestinian from the occupied Jerusalem neighborhood of al-Isawiya, was sentenced today by an Israeli court to 14 years in Israeli prisons, his family said. Adnan has been in Israeli detention since December 2018, and has been waiting trial ever since. He has gone through a rigorous investigation, and was sent to hospital several times due to being tortured by Israeli investigators.

Source: En – Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

Colonial Israeli settlers assaulted Palestinian civilians and polluted drinking water today after raiding the Bedouin community of Arab Al-Kaabneh, to the west of Jericho in the occupied West Bank, according to local sources. Hasan Mlaihat, a Palestinian activist documenting Israeli human rights violations in the area, told WAFA that a group of Israeli settlers attacked two homes for two Palestinian brothers in the community and let their cows graze on Palestinian-owned crops, causing damage to crops. He added that the settlers threw an unknown substance into the water tank of the community, which led to its contamination. Meanwhile in Nablus province, illegal Israeli settlers set dozens of dunums of Palestinian land on fire in the village of Lubban esh-Sharkiya, according to a local source. Yaaqob Eweis, the mayor of the village, told WAFA that Israeli settlers set large areas of agricultural land on fire, causing damage to crops and to dozens of olive trees. Eweis called on international and human rights institutions t

Source: En – Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

A Palestinian woman was today shot and injured by Israeli occupation forces in Jerusalem, according to local sources. They said the woman, who was not identified, was shot in the foot at a light rail station in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem in yet unclear circumstances. Her condition was not immediately known. Israeli forces were given the green light from their government to shoot at any Palestinian at will for the least possible suspicion or reason.

Source: En – Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) opened the Gaza Summer Fun Weeks in an event held today in Jabalia Refugee Camp in the north of the Gaza Strip. Running from 8 July to 3 August, the Summer Fun Weeks will reach over 130,000 children from across the Gaza Strip, including children with disabilities. With the Gaza Strip facing recurring rounds of armed conflict and a persistent 16-year blockade, UNRWA continues to prioritize the well-being and mental health of Palestine refugees, said UNRWA in a press release. In response to the psychological impact of repeated conflict and harsh living conditions, the Agency has introduced the ‘Fun Weeks’ as part of its relief and assistance efforts. The Fun Weeks aim to provide vital psychosocial support to children, offering a secure and nurturing environment, said the press release. According to a recent UNRWA study, 38 percent of children showed symptoms of functional impairment that affect their daily lives. The Fun Weeks are a direct response to the psychological needs of children. UNRWA believes that every child, regardless of their circumstances, deserves the fundamental right to live, learn, and play without fear. This has been compromised in the Gaza Strip due to the ongoing cycles of escalations and blockade, it said. Thomas White, the Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza, emphasized the Agency’s commitment to providing psychosocial support to the refugee children of the Gaza Strip. “The ongoing conflict is having a devastating psychological impact on the children of Gaza. The Summer Fun Weeks play a critical role in reintroducing a much-needed sense of stability into their lives while simultaneously offering them an opportunity to simply enjoy,” said White. “At the end of the day, children are living in a war zone and these activities allow them to simply be children,’ he added. UNRWA remains committed to alleviating the hardships faced by the Palestine Refugee community in the Gaza Strip and will continue to explore innovative initiatives to enhance their well-being and offer support during these challenging times, said the UNRWA press release.

Source: En – Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

A meeting in Sana’a today, chaired by the Minister of Public Health and Population, Dr. Taha Al-Mutawakel, discussed the performance of health offices, hospitals and health facilities in the provinces and ways to improve their services.

The meeting, which included the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Mutahar Al-Marouni, deputy ministers, general directors, programs, health offices, hospitals and agencies in the provinces via video conference, touched on practical measures to enhance the role of the health sector in implementing the activities and priorities contained in the Ministry’s executive plan for the current year according to a timetable.

Al-Mutawakel stressed the need for everyone to assume responsibility for the advancement of the health sector and the services it provides to citizens, and attention to emergencies, operations, care, blood banks, incubators, infection control, quality, ventilators and dialysis.

Dr. Al-Mutawakel pointed out the importance of strengthening training on various modern medical devices, and continuous calibration of them, praising the resilience of health and medical personnel in various facilities, especially in rural areas.

Source: Yemen News Agency

The Executive Director of the Yemeni Oil Company, Eng. Ammar Al-Adhrai, inspected the level of job discipline in the two branches of the oil company in Al-Amanah, Sana’a province, Al-Sabaha facilities, and the investment and agencies departments.

Al-Adhari urged redoubling efforts to raise the level of performance, achieve more successes, and keep pace with the requirements of the current stage, in addition to strengthening the role of the company and its branches in community service.

He stressed the need to coordinate everyone’s efforts to improve the level of performance and improve services for citizens, especially in light of the conditions the country is witnessing as a result of the continued aggression and blockade.

Source: Yemen News Agency

The Sultanate of Oman’s total oil exports as of the end of May 2023 amounted to approximately 128 million 70,000 and 300 barrels, calculating the average price per barrel at US $ 81, with oil exports accounting for 80 per cent of total oil production of 160 million, 144,000 and 300 barrels.

Data from the National Centre for Statistics and Information of Oman indicated that total crude oil production increased by 0.7 per cent Total oil condensate production increased by 125 million, 757,000 and 600 barrels, while total oil condensate production increased by 5.6 per cent, registered 34,386,700 barrels, while the average daily production of oil reached 1,60,600 barrels until the end of May 2023.

According to the center’s data, which was published by the Omani News Agency today, Sunday, China topped the oil-importing countries from the Sultanate of Oman, with total exports of 117,120,500 barrels, followed by Japan with 4,783,500 barrels, then India with 2,716,200 barrels, while exports amounted to Other countries have 3 million and 450 thousand barrels.

On the other hand, domestic production and import of natural gas totalled 21 billion, 833 million and 100,000 cubic metres as of the end of May 2023, up 3.9 percent, compared to the corresponding period in 2022, with a total of 21 billion, 4 million and 900,000 cubic metres.

It is worth noting that the unaccompanied production of natural gas, including imports, amounted to 17 billion, 469 million and 900,000 cubic metres, while the accompanying production amounted to 4 billion, 363 million and 100,000 cubic metres.

Source: Yemen News Agency

Qatar University (QU) Library has launched a new project titled: “Qatar through the Eyes of Her Majesty” which aims to showcase a cultural and historical heritage in Qatar, as well as offer a unique overview of vibrant past, future and present for the country.

The project is based on compilation of volumes that comprise a collection of sources and newspapers which have been gathered into twenty-seven volumes.

In a statement on Sunday, QU outlined that the library is steadfastly seeking to organize, save and compile historical documents to be further offered to beneficiaries with emphasis on observing intellectual property rights, pointing out that the project comes within the framework of preserving cultural and historical events and pass them through generations.

Head of User Services at QU’s library Fatima Al Naemi stated that the project enriches the library’s holdings and facilitates researchers’ access to historical information through the library’s index.

Assistant Information Services Specialist at QU’s library Asmaa Nasir said the project is based on revealing important article titles found in newspaper volumes and old sources related to Qatar’s social, economic, cultural, and industrial conditions.

In addition, the project highlights progress in press during a vital era in in Qatar’s modern history spanning from the 1950s to the early 1980s.

It also includes a collection of articles and investigative journalism pieces that cover Qatar’s educational, healthcare, urban, and sports advancements, as well as the initiation of modern projects following the discovery of oil, which has led to an ongoing economic development until this day.

Source: Qatar News Agency