Day: 14 July 2023

Popular demonstrations began this afternoon, Friday, near the Suspension Bridge, towards the entrance to the Green Zone, amid a noticeable security deployment, reaching the vicinity of the US embassy building in Baghdad.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

A security source announced that the military units had found the body of a farmer who had been executed in Zghaitoun Valley, south of Kirkuk, by ISIS gangs.

The source said that the farmer was kidnapped by ISIS members and his body was found in the valley between Tikrit and Kirkuk.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

Al Duhail SC announced today that they signed Italian youngster Ibrahima Bamba from Portugal’s Vitoria de Guimaraes.

The 21 year-old plays as a defensive midfielder. He featured 35 times for his Portuguese club.

Earlier this off season, Al Duhail announced that they renewed the contract of first-team head coach Hernan Crespo until the end of next season (2024).

The club said at the time that its management decided to renew Crespo’s contract after he guided the team to a domestic treble.

Source: Qatar News Agency

The MP of Al-Sadiqoon Parliamentary Bloc, Zahra Al-Bajari, demanded the Presidency of the House of Representatives to form a parliamentary committee from the specialized committees to follow up on the rights of the Iraqi people in the disputed fields, especially Al-Durra gas field.

Al- Bajari stressed, according to an official document, “the importance of following up the governmental procedures of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Oil regarding this field, which represents the most important disputed fields between Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran and Iraq, and that the countries’ attempt to isolate Iraq from the agreements concluded to exploit the field must be faced with government measures to guarantee Iraqi rights.”

It is noteworthy that this field was discovered in 1960 and has not been exploited until now, and it contains the largest gas reserves of more than 11 trillion cubic feet of gas, except for condensate, and it is located within the disputed maritime borders between Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

The British Consulate General today launched the first UK-Palestinian Health Network. The aim is to bring together key health partners, volunteers and healthcare workers of UK-based organizations committed to improving the health and wellbeing of the Palestinian people. The event took place under the auspices of the UK Consul General in Jerusalem, Diane Corner, and in collaboration with the UK charity, Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP). The UK-Palestinian Health Network will strengthen and support crucial partnerships between British and Palestinian medical organizations and experts. It will focus on responding to humanitarian and health needs across the Occupied Palestinian Territories and strives to develop the capacity and enhance the quality of the Palestinian health system in a sustainable manner, said Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) in a statement. Melanie Ward, the CEO of MAP, said: ‘Cooperation between British and Palestinian health experts over many years has not only been vital to supporting the Palestinian health system to address the many challenges it faces, but also helped deepen the skills and knowledge of specialists in the UK. At a time when they are needed more than ever, we are glad to recommit to strengthen these important partnerships, and hope that by fostering dialogue and knowledge sharing, this network will promote ever-deepening ties and innovation.’ At the event, a representative from MAP and the Palestinian Ministry of Health discussed their joint work on improving access to breast cancer services at Rafidia Hospital in the West Bank, as an example of the possibilities of such cooperation. Speaking about the initiative, Diane Corner, the UK Consul General in Jerusalem, emphasized the significance of this network in advancing healthcare outcomes in the occupied Palestinian territories: ‘The UK-Palestinian Health Network embodies our commitment to fostering enduring partnerships that transcend borders. By leveraging the expertise and resources of UK-based organizations, alongside the invaluable insights and knowledge of Palestinian medical professionals, we strive to create a sustainable and resilient health system that serves the needs of the Palestinian people.’ As the UK-Palestinian Health Network embarks on its journey, it seeks to attract and engage more organizations, volunteers, and donors to join its noble cause. The network currently includes representatives of Palestinian and international civil society organizations and UN agencies working on health, as well as individual specialists, experts, and health officials from the UK and OPTs, said the statement. Through collaborative endeavors, these organizations aim to make a tangible difference in the lives of Palestinians and contribute to the long-term development of their healthcare infrastructure, the statement concluded.

Source: En – Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

India on Friday launched an unmanned spacecraft to land on the Moon.

The heavyweight LVM3-M4 rocket lifted off from Sriharikota in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh carrying the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, as thousands of enthusiasts clapped and cheered.

“Chandrayaan-3… has begun its journey to the Moon. Health of the spacecraft is normal,” the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said on Twitter.

The world’s most populous nation has a comparatively low-budget aerospace programme that is rapidly closing in on the milestones set by global space powers.

India’s last attempt to do so ended in failure four years ago, when ground control lost contact moments before landing.

If the rest of the current mission goes to plan, the Chandrayaan-3, which means “Mooncraft” in Sanskrit, will safely touch down near the moon’s little-explored south pole between August 23 and 24.

Developed by ISRO, Chandrayaan-3 includes a lander module named Vikram, which means “valour” in Sanskrit, and a rover named Pragyan, the Sanskrit word for wisdom.

Source: Qatar News Agency

A Palestinian youth was shot and injured in the foot with an explosive ‘Tutu’ live bullet during confrontations with Israeli forces in the village of Kober, north of Ramallah, according to local sources. Sources told WAFA that Israeli forces stormed the said town after residents fended off a settlers’ attack against the town. Settlers reportedly raided the town and raised the Israeli flag over the hilltop of the al-Batin area as a prelude to taking over the area, however, they were fended off by the residents and forced to leave. Israeli forces stormed the town shortly after and attacked the residents with live bullets and tear gas canisters, shooting and injuring a youth with a Tutu bullet in the foot. Activists managed in the past 24 hours to remove an outpost located on the lands of the village of Kober, in Ramallah, after violent confrontations with settlers and Israeli forces, during which a resident was wounded by a stun grenade, and dozens of others suffocated by tear gas canisters fired by the army.

Source: En – Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

The National Iraqi News Agency (NINA) documented a part of the popular demonstration this afternoon, Friday, near the vicinity of the US embassy building inside the Green Zone in central Baghdad.

The demonstrators near the US embassy demanded a list of demands, including …

1- denounce and condemn the military maneuvers and the use of live ammunition and heavy machine guns that the occupation practices from time to time, which results in damage to the property of citizens in Karrada, Jadriya and the neighboring areas.

2- Reject the US ambassador’s interference in Iraqi affairs and her frequent meetings with political figures.

3- Reject the Americans’ control over the Iraqi economy.

4- Rejection of the American presence.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

The Federal Police forces arrested 4 suspects and seized two vehicles for smuggling oil derivatives in Baghdad.

The Ministry of Interior stated in a statement: “A force from the Nineteenth Brigade, the Fifth Division, Federal Police, in cooperation with the brigade’s intelligence detachments, seized two Mitsubishi vehicles, as well as 8 containers in the form of a large tank, a plastic tank of 1000 liters, 2 Robin motors, inside a site for recycling products to smuggle oil and arrested four suspects inside the site, due to the lack of official approvals for the product in the area (Umm al-Kibar wal Ghazlan) east of Baghdad.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

KUWAIT — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes Egypt hosting of Sudan neighbors’ summit.

VIENNA — OPEC expects world oil demand to grow by 2.4 million barrel per day in 2023, following an upward revision of about 0.1 mb/d from last month’s assessment.

CAIRO — Egyptian President Abdelfattah Al-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmad agree to start urgent talks on the rules of filling and operating the Renaissance Dam.

LONDON — The Tunisian tennis player Ons Jabeur reaches Wimbledon final for a second successive summer.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

Twitter platform officially announced on Friday the launch of the Ad Revenue Sharing Program, which allows content creators on the platform to receive a share in ad revenue starting in the replies to their posts.

Twitter said that it will launch this program on a larger scale during the month of August, so that qualified content makers can apply for the program.

Elon Musk, owner of the Twitter platform, announced the program last February, but little information was available about it.

Ad Revenue Sharing Program aims to motivate content makers to attract more ads, as well as contribute to increasing the number of accounts subscribed to Twitter Blue.

Twitter Blue subscribers or accounts of organizations and companies can join the Ad Revenue Sharing Program, provided that their tweets have been viewed at least 5 million times in one of the last three months.

Source: Qatar News Agency

The Undersecretary of the Civil Aviation and Meteorology Authority, Raed Jabal, called on the United Nations to take a binding position on the Coalition of Aggression and its mercenaries by allowing the operation of Sana ‘a Airport to all destinations and to all local and international companies unconditionally; As the only outlet for patients and those in need of travel.

In a statement to Yemen News Agency (SABA) on Friday, the Undersecretary stated that the death of Traveller Maryam Hamoud Hadi at Sana’a Airport, which was on its way today to treatment in Jordan’s hospitals, was one of dozens of daily deaths in the country; As a result of the aggression coalition continuing to close Sana’a airport.

He pointed out that since the start of the aggression coalition’s war and siege on Yemen, Sana’a airport was one of the outlets that it was keen to block in front of the Yemeni people, and it is still today; Despite the passage of a year and a half of the armistice, it imposes restrictions on Yemeni airspace and airports, and prevents airlines from operating transport to and from Sana’a airport, despite the readiness of the airport, and the desire of a number of companies to operate from Sana’a airport.

The Undersecretary Jabal explained that three or six flights per week from Sana ‘a airport do not serve the minimum need of the Yemeni people. He pointed out that any action or restrictions on the airport by the Aggression Coalition are incompatible with international laws guaranteeing travel and mobility rights to all citizens.

He called for the rapid opening of Sana’a International Airport to all international domestic airlines and to all destinations, as well as the neutralization of Yemen Airlines; As the national carrier of the Republic of Yemen, it provides its services to the Yemeni people in full without prejudice or discrimination and operates from Sana’a airport to all destinations unconditionally.

He regretted that Yemen Airways was curtailing its flights to and from Sana’a airport without any justification. Noting that the Coalition of Aggression implements its unjust and deadly agenda against the Yemeni people through its mercenaries and in an open and binding manner.

Source: Yemen News Agency