Day: 13 July 2023

The Norwegian Refugee Council said today that as a result of Israeli settler violence, seven Palestinian families from the Al-Baqa’a Bedouin community, northeast of Jerusalem, were forced to flee their homes this week. ‘After three weeks of harassment, intimidation and physical assaults, the families living in Al-Baqa’a had no choice but to leave,’ said Caroline Ort, NRC’s country director for Palestine. ‘Israeli settlers, with tacit-and sometimes explicit-support from Israeli government officials, are intimidating and attacking Palestinian communities with the express goal of displacing them. Forcible transfer is a violation of international law and must stop.’ Thirty-six Palestinians, including 20 children, have been displaced after Israeli settlers established a new outpost, intimidated and harassed community members, and burned a residential tent. Israeli occupation authorities have created an increasingly coercive environment, pressuring and ultimately forcing Al-Baqa’a residents to leave. Expanding Israeli settlements, as well as planning and zoning restrictions, mean limited residents’ freedom of movement, including access to grazing lands. Fear of settler attacks have also prevented community members from leaving their homes and moving freely. ‘We call on third states to demand accountability for settler violence,’ said Ort. ‘Too often we hear only condemnations and condolences from the international community, but it’s not enough. We need action to end this impunity.’ NRC urged Israel, the occupying power, to fulfil its obligations under international law to stop settler violence, protect Palestinians, and prevent further displacement.

Source: En – Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

A meeting in Dhamar province, chaired by Governor Muhammad Nasser Al-Bukhaiti, discussed the projects and activities of the Social Fund for Development in the province.

The meeting, which included the leadership and officials of the fund, discussed the implemented and planned projects, including the needs survey in Jabal Al-Sharq district, and the empowerment plan in Maghreb Ans district.

At the meeting, Governor Al-Bukhaiti stressed the importance of adopting the principle of need in selecting projects, coordinating with the Planning Office in defining them, and taking into account giving priority to model projects.

While the Director of the Planning Office, Eng. Samir Al-Madhaji, affirmed the office’s readiness to cooperate in aspects of preparing studies, surveys for projects, exchanging information and experiences with the Social Fund for Development.

The representative of the Social Fund for Development branch, Engineer Abdullah Noman, had reviewed the projects implemented by the Fund in the province, and the projects under financing, and under follow-up and procedures.

Source: Yemen News Agency

Bahraini Minister of Education Mohammad bin Mubarak Juma praised on Thursday the efforts exerted by the Gulf Arab States Educational Research Center (GASERC) for developing Gulf educational policies.

The minister added that GASERC plays a great role in considering the educational reality of the Gulf States and providing proper opportunities for exchanging expertise in this regard.

During his meeting with GASERC’s visiting Director Mohammad Al-Shareka, the Bahraini minister welcomed the member states’ representatives partaking in the center’s board meeting held in Bahrain on Wednesday.

On his part, Al-Shareka expressed his gratitude to Bahraini Ministry of Education for its continued support and contribution to the center in executing its research programs and activities.

Al-Shareka also praised the meeting which paved the way for closer cooperation between Bahraini Ministry of Education and the center

Source: Kuwait News Agency

Kuwait’s Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) participated in the fourth meeting of the Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities (GlobE Network), which was held at the United Nations Headquarters in Vienna from 10 to 13 July.

In a statement, the Nazaha stated that the network is a platform for exchanging information among government authorities concerned with combating corruption and provides the necessary knowledge, resources and tools to enhance international cooperation in investigations of cross-border corruption crimes.

The network is witnessing a continuous increase in the number of entities joining its membership from all over the world, as the number has reached 161 entities concerned with enforcing anti-corruption laws from 91 countries that are party to the United Nations Convention against Corruption.

The statement also said that the Nazaha delegation participated in many discussions and technical sessions aimed at enhancing methods and techniques for exchanging information and how to use technology and innovation in preventing and combating corruption.

Nazaha affirmed its constant endeavor to deepen cooperation with countries and international organizations in order to eradicate the scourge of corruption and strengthen measures aimed at combating it through exchanging information on corruption crimes and sharing lessons learned and best practices in this field.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

Egypt’s President Abdelfattah Al-Sisi demanded Thursday an action plan to reach a comprehensive settlement to the Sudanese crisis.

This came in Al-Sisi’s speech during the inaugural session of a summit of Sudan’s neighbors, with the participation of heads of state and government as well as head of the African Union commission and Arab League Secretary General.

Al-Sisi urged the Sudanese warring parties to halt escalation and start without any delay serious negotiations to reach an immediate and sustainable ceasefire.

He called for forming a communication mechanism through this summit to set an action plan so as to solve comprehensively the Sudanese crisis.

The aim of this mechanism is to communicate directly and coordinate with the parties to the crisis.

Al-Sisi further called for inclusive talks between the Sudanese parties, with the participation of civil and political groups, and representatives of women and youth.

The talks aim at starting a comprehensive political process to meet aspirations and hopes of Sudan’s people for security, prosperity, stability and democracy.

He called on all Sudanese parties to facilitate humanitarian aid access and establish safe corridors to deliver aid to the vulnerable areas in Sudan.

Meanwhile, South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir said the summit which was held at a “critical time” for all neighboring countries, came to discuss means of ending the Sudanese crisis.

He noted that this summit proivdes an opportunity to discuss the current situation in Sudan and end its crisis as well as overcome its repercussions, He pointed out that the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) are working on this goal.

Kiir demanded an immediate ceasefire, stressing that war will lead to repercussions on the security situation in Sudan, and economic, social and security situation in Sudan’s neighbors.

The summit, which was held upon Al-Sisi’s call, aims at achieving an effective and peaceful settlement in Sudan through coordination among its neighbors, and other international and regional paths to maintain Sudan’s unity.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

The Enterprise Fund of the Jordan Armed Forces and KBW signed Thursday a partnership agreement to implement a project to transform King Hussein Medical City into a smart medical centre. The agreement was signed by Brigadier General Tawfiq Marzouq, armed forces deputy for planning, organisation and defence resources, and on behalf of “KBW” company, its CEO, Ramzi Abu Ghosh. The agreement, signed by Armed Forces senior officers, aims to develop and modernise the medical and treatment care system that the Jordanian Royal Medical Services (JMRS) provides by improving patients’ medical journey, using the latest technology and finding traffic solutions.

Source: Jordan News Agency

A member of the Popular Mobilization Forces was killed this evening, Thursday, in Jurf al-Nasr district, north of Hilla, due to the explosion of an explosive device on a patrol of the Popular Mobilization Forces.

A security source in Babylon said, “An explosive device exploded this evening, Thursday, on a patrol of the Popular Mobilization Forces in Jurf al-Nasr district, north of Hilla, killing one of its members.

He added that a force from the c Popular Mobilization cordoned off the place and started a campaign to search for the possibility of other explosive devices.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

“Liberating al-Ghajar is the responsibility of the Lebanese people, state and resistance,” Nasrallah said, in a televised speech to commemorate the 17th anniversary of the 34-day war between Lebanon and Israel in 2006.

Nasrallah said that, the Israeli enemy finished building a wall incorporating the northern part of al-Ghajar village in the occupied Golan Heights and turning it into a tourist area.

“We should operate as we did over the maritime border to take back our occupied land in al-Ghajar,” Nasrallah said, hinting at the possibility of using drones to protect the village, if necessary.

Nasrallah added, Israel built the fence in al-Ghajar before the two Hezbollah tents were erected, insisting that the tents of Hezbollah were installed on Lebanese land.

The Lebanese-Israeli border witnessed increasing tensions recently over the two Hezbollah-erected tents that Israel claimed were built on its territory.

Earlier in the day, an Israeli drone targeted Hezbollah members as they set up a watch tower on the outskirts of Lebanon’s southern town of Yarine, a village in Tyre district, resulting in three injuries.

Israel and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon, fought a month-long war in 2006 that ended in a UN-sponsored cease-fire.

Source: Nam News Network

The President of the Republic, Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid, received the Head of the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate, Moayad Al-Lami, and a number of newspaper Editors-in-chief.

During the meeting, the President of the Republic praised the national role of the Iraqi press in the process of building that Iraq is witnessing and conveying the bright image of the new Iraq to the Arab and international media.

The President of the Republic expressed his pride in the courageous stance of Iraqi journalists with their brothers in the armed forces in confronting the terrorist organization ISIS and preserving Iraq’s independence.

The President affirmed his support for journalists, in a way that enables them to perform their journalistic work and improve the reality of journalism in Iraq.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

Kurdish sources announced the renewal of the Turkish bombing of sites on the Matina mountain range in Dohuk Governorate, northern Iraq, without specifying the extent of the losses.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency