Day: 21 August 2024

The dollar fell to its lowest level this year against the euro on Wednesday, as traders awaited possible decisive reviews of US jobs data later in the day, ahead of a speech by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell at the end of the week.

Media reports indicated that the dollar was affected by the decline in US bond yields, which reached their lowest levels since August 5, when yields fell to their lowest level in more than a year after surprisingly weak monthly jobs figures raised recession fears.

The dollar index, which measures the currency’s performance against the euro, the pound sterling, the yen and three other major currencies, fell to its lowest level since January 2 at 101.34, after falling 0.5 percent or more in each of the previous three sessions.

The euro rose to $1.1131, its highest level since December 28.

The pound was steady at $1.3033 after touching a high of $1.3054 on Tuesday, a level last seen in July last year.

The dollar fell 0.2 percent against the Japanese currency to 144.98 yen
, having earlier fallen to 144.945 yen, falling below the key psychological 145 yen level for the first time since Aug. 6.

The Australian dollar hovered just below a one-month high against the greenback of $0.6749 hit on Tuesday. The New Zealand dollar rose slightly to $0.61585, its highest since July 8.

Source: Yemen News Agency

NABLUS: A Palestinian man was injured at dawn by shrapnel from live bullets during the Israeli occupation forces’ storming of the Old City in Nablus.

The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that the 30-year-old man, aged was injured by shrapnel from live bullets in the hand during the occupation forces’ storming of the Old City.

Local sources explained that the occupation forces, with military reinforcements, stormed the city from the Jabal al-Tur area, and raided several neighborhoods in the Old City, during which they fired sound bombs and tear gas.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA

Doha: The Visual Arts Center of the Ministry of Culture organized Wednesday a workshop for teaching the art of drawing, with the participation of 12 trainees who learned the basic skills to develop their artistic abilities.

Artist Ali Al Kuwari, supervisor of the workshop, said that the participants learned how to use a pencil in drawing, shading techniques and basic lines, and how to build shapes, in addition to explaining how to use lighting to determine depth and dimensions in paintings and artworks, with practical exercises to enhance these concepts.

Al Kuwari added that the workshop addressed the topic of artistic perspective, how to draw objects in three-dimensional spaces, and using techniques that help show depth and place.

The workshop concluded with explaining how to use a drawing scale to accurately adjust dimensions, with practical examples of applying this technique in various drawings.

It is worth noting that visual arts workshops provide a practical experience to develop artistic skills and
enhance creativity among participants, which encourages them to interact and benefit from experiences, in addition to contributing to discovering new talents and enriching the artistic scene.

Source: Qatar News Agency

NEW YORK: A group of doctors who recently returned from the Gaza Strip called on US President Joe Biden and his administration to immediately impose an arms embargo on Israel.

This came at a press conference held by American doctors participating in the Democratic National Convention held in Chicago.

The doctors said that the Israeli attacks have devastated Gaza, and that if the United States does not impose an immediate arms embargo on Israel, it will ‘continue to be its accomplice in the crime.’

Tami Abu Ghanem, one of the doctors who came from Gaza, said that the ongoing Israeli attacks for more than 10 months ‘have made the life of any civilian in Gaza literally impossible.’

He added, ‘We cannot do our job while bombs are falling, Israeli snipers are targeting children and civilians, and Israeli helicopters are landing on groups of civilians. Because Israel has made our job impossible with direct support from the United States.’

Abu Ghanem’s colleagues attended the press conference and stressed that
the ‘horrific dimensions’ of what happened in Gaza cannot be fully conveyed.

In turn, Dr. Feroz Sidhwa, in response to journalists’ questions, stated that she was in Gaza from March 25 to April 8, and witnessed firsthand ‘genocidal violence.’

She continued, ‘I saw children’s heads torn off not once, not twice, but literally every day, by bullets that we paid for. I saw the terrible, systematic destruction of the entire city of Khan Younis.’

At the press conference, a letter from Mark Perlmutter, an American Jewish doctor working in Gaza, was read.

‘I have never seen a small child shot in the head and then in the chest before. I never imagined that I would see two such cases in less than two weeks. I have never seen dozens of small children screaming in pain and terror… I never imagined what a hospital would look like when it was turned into a camp for displaced persons.’

Perlmutter noted in the letter that ‘the United States government continued to fund this terrible massacre, not for a week or a month,
but for almost a year.’

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA

The Saudi Theater and Performing Arts Commission announced Wednesday that it will host the 14th GCC Theater Festival in Riyadh, over eight days from Sep. 10 to 17, in a theatrical cultural gathering of artists and creators from the GCC, hosted by Saudi Arabia for the first time.

The commission said in a statement that the festival will feature a number of theatrical performances performed by artists from various GCC countries, in addition to a variety of cultural and artistic events, which form a basis for knowledge, exchange of experiences and intellectual dialogue to advance the theatrical movement between the GCC countries, in addition to presenting GCC theatrical performances, seminars and workshops.

It noted that the festival seeks to enrich the GCC theatrical movement, strengthen artistic and cultural ties and partnerships between GCC theater artists, besides creating a platform for cultural and artistic exchange to support and enable GCC theater artists to present their new works by presenting one th
eatrical performance for each country.

The festival concludes with a ceremony honoring the participating teams and countries.

The GCC Theatre Festival is held every two years, hosted periodically by the GCC countries. It is an opportunity for participating theatre groups to interact and exchange theatrical discussions and dialogues among themselves, in addition to shedding light on GCC talents specialized in writing, directing, acting and technical cadres, and introducing them.

Source: Qatar News Agency