Kabul - (AFP) - The Taliban on Monday released a former American soldier who had been detained in Afghanistan since 2020 in exchange for handing over an important ally of the movement who had spent 17 years in US prisons on charges of heroin trafficking.

Marc Frericks was working as a civil engineer on construction projects in Afghanistan when he was "taken hostage," according to Washington earlier.

"After long negotiations, American citizen Mark Frerex was handed over to an American mission, and this mission in turn handed us (Bashir Noorzai) today (Monday) at Kabul airport," Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mottaki said during a press conference in the capital, Kabul.

"We are very happy because we witnessed at Kabul International Airport in the Afghan capital the wonderful ceremony of the return of one of our compatriots," he added.

Noorzai received a hero's welcome from the government of the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan". Pictures showed him being greeted with wreaths of flowers by masked Taliban soldiers.

"If the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan had not shown its strong determination, I would not be here today," Noorzai told reporters.

"My release in exchange for an American will be a source of peace between Afghanistan and the Americans," he added.

Noorzai is the second Afghan prisoner released by the United States in recent months. In June, Washington released Assadullah Harun after 15 years in Guantanamo.

Haroun was accused of being linked to al-Qaeda, but he spent years in the American detention center located in Cuba without formal charges being brought against him, after he was arrested in 2006 when he was a honey merchant.

He was not released under an agreement with the Taliban.

Afghan security analyst Hikmatullah Hikmat said that Noorzai's release represented an "important achievement" for the new rulers of Kabul.

"The Taliban can tell its soldiers and the Afghans that they can return people detained by opposition groups," he told AFP.

Mottaki said that Noorzai's return marked the beginning of a "new chapter" in relations between Afghanistan and the United States.

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan just over a year before the United States and its NATO allies withdrew from the country after a 20-year military intervention.

Since then, the country has plunged into mounting economic and humanitarian difficulties, while Washington has frozen billions in Afghan assets abroad, with international support greatly diminished.

No country has yet recognized the new government, while Washington has repeatedly stressed that the Taliban must act in a way that makes them "deserving" of legitimacy.

The US State Department had previously described Frerex's release as one of the government's "fundamental and non-negotiable priorities".

US President Joe Biden said in a statement in January that "the Taliban must immediately release Mark before they can expect any reflection on their aspirations for legitimacy. This is not up for negotiation."

Noorzai, a militia leader with links to the Taliban, was sentenced to life in prison for heroin trafficking. He has been imprisoned so far for 17 years.

He was a fighter in the ranks of the "Mujahideen" who were supported by the United States against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and was close to the late founder of the Taliban, Mullah Omar.

During his trial, US prosecutors said he ran a "global drug network" and supported the first Taliban regime between 1996 and 2001.

While he did not hold an official position, "(Noorzai) provided strong support, including weapons," to the Taliban in the 1990s, according to what the movement's spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, told AFP on Monday.

Nablus - "Jerusalem" dot com - Rawan Al-Asaad - The outward appearance is the first impression that we leave on others, which reflects our personality, and because people always tend to everything that is beautiful in this life, so we find most of us care about our clothes and love to be unique in them, and under The rapidly changing and evolving world of fashion featured many international designers whose beginnings were simple, but persistence made their dreams come true.

Although the field of fashion design is considered fresh in Palestine, there are many inspiring stories that make their way to reach the world one day. And Azza Arafat was able to write a success plan for herself five years ago, defying all difficulties, to become a brilliant name in the field of fashion design.

passion beginnings,

Despite the smallness of her project and its simple start with limited capabilities, and despite her slow steps, she had boundless energy and ambition within her to reach her dream. Azza says: I am a mother of three children, two boys and one girl. The passion for design haunted me since my early childhood, as I used to make clothes for my toys from everything available in the house, and imagine all the details. I wished that my passion would lead me to study fashion design and catch up with this dream early, but my parents refused my studies. For fashion design, because the view of this specialty in society meant that I was a seamstress, so this concept of design was not very common.

And she continued: Since I was six years old, I started designing clothes for my toys, at first it was from milk cartons to take advantage of the silver color inside, so I cut them and installed them using a piston, and after that I used to prepare my own designs and modify my clothes, and even when I got married I was learning via YouTube and making light pieces I design it for me, and I also make designs for the house as decorations, whether from pillows, bed covers, tables, etc. The passion for design never left me, and I kept working on it and following on YouTube and trying to apply.

The starting point ,,

The starting point in a project outfit, whatever it is, remains the most difficult and important step because work and diligence will push its wheel to turn and fulfill the wishes, and this is the case with Azza, who talks about the starting point, saying: After I gave birth to the twins, I devoted all my time to my children, and here I made the decision to start with my dream and I was able to convince my husband to study design Fashion, and indeed, I was able to finish my diploma in fashion design, and I became proficient and experienced in what I love, and I had to start my first step in my project even though I am a wife and mother of three children and I have many responsibilities, but I was able to start my first step and I opened my own shop and called it "Azza Fashion" to start By design.

And she continued: Nothing comes easily and on a plate of gold to reach success. We have to make a lot of efforts and fatigue, but the taste of success is very beautiful. I started designing for myself and my daughter, and I remember that the first design I made was a dress for the wedding ceremony, and it was made of velvet fabric embroidered with Palestinian embroidery, and then I started designing. This wide world, despite the hardships in it, is very enjoyable. I do not feel tired while I draw the designs, cut them and implement them on the fabric to reach the final piece and produce them professionally and with high quality. Formal and casual clothes, but my favorite part remains designing party clothes, despite its tiringness, but it is closest to my heart.

difficulties,,

In every path there are pitfalls and difficulties, whoever overcomes them reaches the summit. And Azza was able to overcome the difficulties she faced, as she said: We cannot reap the fruits without working hard in planting them, taking care of them, and caring for them, as well as the ideas that are born within us that we must nurture and work to achieve them on the ground, no matter how difficult the difficulties, and thank God I was able to overcome all the obstacles that I faced, which were Various, both in terms of raw materials and fabrics that are not always available, it is difficult to find a lot of the fabrics that I need and the costs necessary to implement my design, and I was able to overcome this problem by purchasing fabrics from Jordan and Turkey. The world of fabrics is a wide sea and always contains new and varied, and the designer must keep pace with this world first, and because the available fabrics in the country are limited, this obstacle had to be overcome. In addition to that, the biggest problem was that people did not understand the difference between a fashion designer and a tailor, and with time the idea became more clear and people became more open in the light of social media and the age of technology. Its price, but with time they became aware of the value of my designs, their quality and perfection, and accepted them.
And she added: Perhaps it was not the little time that I needed to prove myself in the field of my work and my project, but exactly a year and a half ago, I can say that I started reaping the fruits of my labor and making a profit from my project, just as I went through, like any person, many psychological pitfalls and harassment when someone questions the outcome of my work and my mastery of it before To start designing, and I was facing a lot of exhaustion and fatigue, especially in the first years, so I thought of stopping work and devoting myself to my tasks with my family, especially since coordinating between work requires time, effort and focus in addition to the tasks and duties of the house and its duties and taking care of my children is exhausting, but I overcame all that and decided to persevere to achieve my dream And I was able to become a well-known name that everyone from the West Bank and the occupied interior intended for.

development and follow-up

The secret of excellence is development and non-stop, this is how Azza began her speech, and she continued: One of the most important secrets of success is not to stop at a certain level of learning, and to always follow everything new, especially since the world of fashion is renewable and fast and it is an applied art that works to create creative touches . So I attended many courses in different countries and with well-known designers. During the Corona period, I took many online courses to renew, develop, and add to my skills and passion. I also always keep pace with international fashion lines to make my own designs, and I love designer Elie Saab very much and take a lot of inspiration from him.

And she continued: I am a wife and a mother, and I am always keen to provide enough time for my family and home, and what helped me reach my goal is hard work, as this factor must eventually lead to success, and I never lose hope, and in addition to that, success factors for For me is determination, motivation from family and friends, optimism and positivity, and this is what made my passion translate into reality with designs and creations to make my way in the world of fashion.

ambitious ,,

Azza, who aspires to emulate her international designs, and to participate in fashion shows outside Palestine, will be her next step with her own brand bearing her name. She also hopes to train a group of ambitious girls to work with her side by side as one family in this field to take her steps forward, especially since she alone works Its project from the ground up.

The return of the eighties

When asked about the fashion that dominates fashion shows, she said: This year brings a return to the fashion of the eighties, with the introduction of modern touches to it, such as oversized coats, leather jackets, broad shoulders, and others. We will also see metallic fabrics and golden colors in occasion dresses, as well as metallic colors such as silver, copper, and others that are very shiny mixed with multiple colors.

And I sent a message to every woman, saying: Without hesitation, do what you love, and wherever your passion is, do not hesitate for a moment, go ahead and you will succeed. There is no specific age to achieve the goal and ambition, and your will and determination will push you to reach your dream, and nothing is impossible.

Istanbul - (AFP) - Turkey officially began extracting natural gas in the Black Sea on Monday, which will allow it, according to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to produce 10 million cubic meters by the first quarter of 2023.

Erdogan witnessed first-hand the deployment and connection of the first seabed pipeline from the port of Filius in Zonguldak province, 400 km east of Istanbul on the Black Sea coast.

The same field, located 170 kilometers north of the coast, was discovered in August 2020 and was presented by Erdogan as "the largest natural gas field in Turkey's history."

Then he talked about "a reserve estimated at 320 billion cubic meters."

"In the first quarter of 2023, we will have transported 10 million cubic meters of natural gas (...) and we hope that the Sakarya field will reach its peak production in 2026," the president said on Monday.

"We will continue our efforts until we can fully guarantee our energy security," while Turkey still relies heavily on imports to meet its energy needs at high prices, especially since the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine, he added.

Last year, 45 percent of the gas consumed in Turkey came from Russia, and the rest from Iran and Azerbaijan.

The country's inflation rate is at a record level not seen since 1998 (73.5% year-on-year) and the currency has collapsed (it fell nearly 50% year-on-year to more than 17 lira to the dollar on Monday night), making the cost of living difficult for most Turks.

Turkey's annual gas consumption increased from 48 billion cubic meters in 2020 to 60 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach 62-63 billion this year, according to official figures.

WELLINGTON - (Xinhua) -- Chris Hipkins was sworn in as New Zealand's prime minister on Wednesday, succeeding Jacinda Ardern, who formally submitted her resignation.

The swearing-in ceremony in Parliament saw Hipkins officially take over the top post, with Carmel Cipollone as his deputy.

Prime Minister Hepkins will carry out a cabinet reshuffle next week. Besides his position, he will also become Minister of National Security and Intelligence.

He said tackling inflation would be a priority, with New Zealand's CPI growth remaining at 7.2 percent in the 12 months to December 2022, Statistics New Zealand said on Wednesday.

Ardern said, when announcing her resignation last Thursday, after five and a half years as prime minister, that she could not continue for another year or another term after careful consideration.

"Being prime minister has been the greatest honor of my life," Ardern said, noting her government's achievement in alleviating child poverty, as well as increasing welfare support and public housing.

The next New Zealand general election will be held on October 14 this year.

Netakih ( Turkey ) - (AFP) - Rescue workers in Turkey and Syria continued their efforts Thursday, in extreme cold weather, to search for survivors under the rubble, with diminishing chances of rescue, three days after the earthquake that killed more than 16,000 people.

The researcher in natural disasters at the University of "College of London" Ilan Kellman said that the first 72 hours are crucial to finding survivors, as more than ninety percent of them are rescued in this period.

As the excavators work day and night non-stop, the new drop in temperatures turns the living conditions into hell for the survivors who have nowhere to go.

In the stricken Turkish city of Gaziantep (south), temperatures fell to minus 5 degrees Celsius in the early hours of Thursday morning.

An aid worker digs to reach a boy who got stuck under the rubble on February 8, 2023 in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, two days after a strong earthquake.

Gymnasiums, mosques, schools and shops received survivors during the night. But the number of beds is very small and thousands of people spend their nights in cars or in makeshift shelters.

"Our children froze," said Ahmed Hussein, a father of five. He was forced to build a shelter near his destroyed home in Gaziantep, near the epicenter of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit the region on Monday.

"We had to burn the park benches and even some of the children's clothes, as there was nothing else," Hussein added. "They could have given us tents at least," he added with emotion, referring to the Turkish authorities.

In the face of criticism, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while inspecting the area, admitted that there were loopholes. "Of course there are shortcomings and preparing for a disaster of this kind is impossible," he said.

Since the earthquake, Turkish police have arrested about a dozen people for social media posts criticizing the government's handling of the disaster.

The Twitter website for Turkish mobile services could not be opened on Wednesday night before service was restored, due to these criticisms.

Twitter chief Elon Musk wrote in a tweet Thursday (Wednesday evening Washington time) that the network had been "informed by the Turkish government that it will soon be restarted."

In Turkey, 12,873 people were killed, according to the latest earthquake toll. At least 3,356 people were killed in Hatay province alone.

This is the worst toll since the earthquake that killed 17,000 people, including 1,000 in Istanbul in 1999.

In the garage of the main hospital in Antakya, Rania Zaboubi walks past corpses lying on the asphalt. In the dark and cold, body bags are opened one by one in search of her uncle, who was lost in the powerful earthquake. "We found my aunt, but not my uncle," she said in a troubled voice.

This black veiled Syrian refugee lost eight members of her family in this tragedy.

Other survivors examine the lined up corpses, sometimes appearing to be on the verge of fainting.

The World Health Organization has warned that the number of people affected by the earthquake may reach 23 million, including in Syria, of whom about five million are in a fragile situation.

In Syria, the death toll has so far reached 3,162, according to the Syrian authorities and rescue workers in opposition areas.

In areas where aid has been delayed, survivors feel left out. In Jenderes, located in an area controlled by the opposition factions in Syria, "even the buildings that were not collapsed by the earthquake were severely damaged," said Hassan, a resident, who requested that his family name not be mentioned.

He added, "There are between 400 and 500 people stuck under every collapsed building. Only ten people are trying to get them out, and no mechanisms are available."

In the village of Basnaya on the border with Turkey, Malek Ibrahim tirelessly clears rubble in search of thirty family members trapped under the rubble. Ten bodies have been recovered so far.

"Twenty people are stuck under the rubble," said the 40-year-old. "There are not enough words. It's a disaster. Our memories are buried with them."

"We are a distressed people in every sense of the word," he added.

البحر الميت- (شينخوا) عقد العاهل الأردني الملك عبد الله الثاني والرئيس المصري عبد الفتاح السيسي ورئيس الوزراء العراقي محمد شياع السوداني مباحثات ثلاثية، اليوم (الثلاثاء)، على هامش الدورة الثانية لمؤتمر بغداد للتعاون والشراكة.

وأفاد بيان للديوان الملكي الأردني أن المباحثات تناولت سبل تعزيز التعاون والتنسيق بين البلدان الثلاثة، ضمن آلية التعاون الثلاثي بين الأردن ومصر والعراق.

وتم التأكيد على ضرورة البناء على ما تم إنجازه واستكمال المشروعات المشتركة وتسريع تنفيذها وتذليل العقبات أمامها، بما يحقق مصالح الدول الثلاث وطموحات شعوبها.

كما تناولت المباحثات أهمية استدامة آليات متابعة تنفيذ المشاريع على مستوى الوزراء والمسؤولين في الدول الثلاث، خصوصا في مجالات الربط الكهربائي والطاقة والأمن الغذائي، بما يحقق التكامل على المستوى الإقليمي.

وتطرقت المباحثات إلى آخر التطورات في المنطقة والقضايا ذات الاهتمام المشترك.

وعقد الملك عبد الله الثاني والرئيس المصري اجتماعا ثنائيا، أكدا خلاله اعتزازهما بمستوى العلاقات والتنسيق بين البلدين الشقيقين وأهمية تعزيزها في المجالات كافة.

وحسب بيان للديوان الملكي، شدد الزعيمان على إدامة التنسيق والتشاور إزاء القضايا ذات الاهتمام المشترك، بما يحقق مصالحهما ويخدم قضايا المنطقة.

وتناول اللقاء آخر المستجدات بالمنطقة وفي مقدمتها القضية الفلسطينية.

وتم التأكيد على ضرورة الدفع باتجاه إيجاد أفق سياسي للوصول إلى سلام عادل وشامل على أساس حل الدولتين، فضلا عن أهمية دعم السلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية.

كما عقد الملك عبد الله الثاني اليوم مع رئيس الوزراء العراقي اجتماعا ثنائيا، أكد الملك عبد الله الثاني خلاله أن المؤتمر يهدف إلى دعم العراق وسيادته وأمنه واستقراره وتطوير آليات التعاون معه، بما يعزز الأمن والاستقرار والتكامل الاقتصادي في المنطقة.

وأعرب عن اعتزازه بمستوى العلاقات الراسخة بين الأردن والعراق والشعبين الشقيقين، مؤكدا أهمية مواصلة توسيع التعاون الثنائي.

وتناول اللقاء مستجدات المنطقة وفي مقدمتها القضية الفلسطينية، كما تم التأكيد على إدامة التنسيق والتشاور إزاء القضايا ذات الاهتمام المشترك.

من جانبه، أعرب رئيس الوزراء العراقي عن تعازيه للملك في شهداء الواجب من مديرية الأمن العام، مؤكدا مواصلة العراق العمل مع المملكة في محاربة التطرف والإرهاب.

وأشاد السوداني باستضافة الأردن للدورة الثانية من مؤتمر بغداد، معتبرا أنها تأكيد من المملكة على الالتزام بدعم أمن واستقرار العراق.

Nablus - Within the regions league for the north, the meeting between Al-Yamoun and Ya`bad ended with two clean goals in favor of Al-Yamoun. In the other meeting, Kafr Al-Balad Club decided the match in favor of Talfeet, with three goals to two.

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - The prisoners' movement in the occupation prisons commented on the agreement between the designated Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir and the Prime Minister of the occupation government, Benjamin Netanyahu, regarding the adoption of the " Prisoners ' Law 'class='highlighted-tag'> the execution of prisoners."

The prisoners said in a brief statement, this evening, Saturday, "The Palestinian prisoners did not fear death and martyrdom in the battlefields, nor will they fear it in the fields of confrontation inside the prisons and detention centers of the occupation. .

Ramallah – “Jerusalem” dot com – The Prisoner’s Club said today, Thursday, that the prisoner Musa Soufan (47 years), from Tulkarem, who is sick with cancer, is subjected to a bargaining process by the occupation prison administration, which is to provide him with treatment at his own expense. .

The Prisoner’s Club stated, in a statement, that the policy of economic exploitation pursued by the Israeli occupation is escalating in an unprecedented manner and on many levels, and this is not the first time that the administration of occupation prisons has required a sick prisoner to bear the cost of his treatment, although treatment is a basic right for the prisoner. The administration of occupation prisons is obligated to provide it.

He explained that prisoner Soufan, who was recently diagnosed with a lung tumor, and is in need of chemotherapy sessions, suffered over the years of his detention from the crime of medical negligence (slow killing), despite the many claims made by the prisoner years ago to provide him with treatment and to know the final diagnosis of what He suffers, but for years he has not received any response to his demands, and this is part of a long series of evidence that confirms that he was subjected to medical negligence, deliberate procrastination, and psychological torture through doctor manipulation in disclosing his true health status during the past years until today.

He said: Soufan, who is sentenced to life in prison and is imprisoned in Ashkelon prison, has been facing oppressive detention conditions since his arrest in 2003, including the crime of medical negligence (slow killing), which constitutes the most prominent systematic policy that led to the death of dozens of prisoners, apart from the isolation. Solitary confinement, which he encountered many times, and contributed to the worsening of his health condition.

It is worth mentioning that about (23) prisoners are facing cancer and tumors of varying degrees, and the most serious of these cases is the case of the prisoner, Nasser Abu Hamid, and they are among about 600 sick prisoners who have been diagnosed.

It is noteworthy that the prisoner Soufan is the brother of the two prisoners, Adnan and Muhammad Soufan, where Adnan is serving a 29-year prison sentence and has been detained since 2002, and Muhammad has been sentenced to 18 years in prison and has been detained since 2011.

Jerusalem - PalSport Agency / The Secretary-General of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, Major General Abdul Majeed Hajjah, received in his office at the Olympic Committee headquarters in Al-Bireh the athlete, Wael Abu Al-Dabaat, the official of the sports department in the People's National Congress of Jerusalem, under the directives of the Secretary-General of the Conference, Major General Bilal Al-Natsheh "Abu Hashem".

The athlete Abu Al-Dabaat, "one of the Palestinian boxing champions," gave Major General Hajjah a full explanation of the sports and youth programs of the National People's Congress and how to cooperate with the Palestinian Olympic Committee, the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, and with Jerusalemite institutions such as Gathering Qudsna, and with Palestinian universities, within the work programs proposed by the Major General. Bilal Natsheh and the Sports Department of the People's Congress .

For his part, the Secretary-General of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, Major General Abdul Majeed Hajjah, welcomed this Jerusalemite sports, youth and institutional movement, considering that the National People's Congress of Jerusalem carries a comprehensive national, sports and youth message.

The Palestinian " Kanaan " team achieved two important victories at the start of its participation in the "Denmark and Norway" international junior championship, born in "2007-2008" of both sexes.

The team played its first match, in which it won with great ease over its opponent (9-0), before winning the second victory after that, with a score (5-1).

The Palestinian Canaan team enjoys great solidarity and encouragement from many Syrian, Lebanese, Jordanian and Somali Arab communities, who accompanied the team in the two matches.

Today, Sunday, an American student delegation consisting of 30 students learned about the settlement reality during its visit to Bethlehem Governorate.

Hassan Brijeh, director of the Office of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission in Bethlehem, said that the delegation toured many sites, including the apartheid wall, which devoured large areas of the governorate's land and completely isolated it from its twin city, Jerusalem.

Breguet indicated that the wall, which the occupation began to erect in 2002, will have a major role in reshaping the Bethlehem governorate geographically, as it extends according to Israeli plans in the West Bank for a length of 771 km, of which 82 km are in Bethlehem governorate, i.e. (11 km). % of the general plan in the governorate.

He added, "The wall will eventually devour more than 176 square kilometers of the governorate's area, or 27% of it, and it will be isolated behind the wall, so that the governorate will lose 45% of its total area."

Explanations were also given to the delegation about settlement and its impact on Bethlehem, which was one of the first areas in the West Bank to be subject to continuous confiscation of its lands, which have shrunk significantly, and the governorate was besieged in the context of a settlement strip that surrounded it from all sides.

He pointed out that the number of settlements in the governorate exceeds 24, in addition to the outposts, which number at least 14, which quickly turn into settlements after their legalization, as happened with the "Sidi Boaz" outpost, which was legalized by the Israeli cabinet about two weeks ago, in addition to the settlements. The three that have become suburbs of Jerusalem have been established on the lands of the governorate, which are "Gilo, Har Homa, and Giv'at Haimovets", and the number of settlers in the settlements of Bethlehem exceeded 170,000, or 20% of the settlers in the West Bank.

Jordan - "Jerusalem" dot com - The Jordanian Royal Court announced, in a statement on Wednesday, the engagement of Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah to the young Saudi woman, Rajwa bint Khalid bin Musaed Al Saif.

According to the statement, Prince Hussein, 28, got engaged to Miss Ragwa Khaled bin Musaed Al Saif, 28, in Saudi Arabia, in the presence of Jordan's King Abdullah II and his wife, Queen Rania.

He added, "Al-Fatihah was read in the home of Miss Rajawa's father, in Riyadh, in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses Prince Hassan bin Talal (the former crown prince and uncle of the king), Prince Hashim bin Abdullah II, Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein (the king's brother), and Prince Hashem bin Al-Hussein." (King's brother).

Prince Hussein was born in Amman on June 28, 1994. He is the eldest of the children of King Abdullah and Queen Rania. He has a brother, Prince Hashem, and two sisters, Princess Iman and Princess Salma.

He finished high school at King's Academy in Jordan in 2012, and studied international history at Georgetown University in the United States before receiving, like his father and late grandfather, King Hussein, military lessons at Royal Sandhurst in Britain, from which he graduated in 2017.

Prince Hussein has been the crown prince of Jordan since 2009.

His fiancée was born in Riyadh and is a descendant of the sheikhs of Sudair in Najd. She has two brothers, Faisal and Nayef, and one sister, Dana. She received her high school education in Saudi Arabia and completed her higher education at the School of Architecture at Syracuse University in New York.

Gaza - Ahmed Al-Masharawi:
The Friends Sports Club, in cooperation with the Palestinian Table Tennis Federation, honored the champions of the last season 2021-2022, who were crowned with the titles of the "Friends" championships for the game, where 40 male and female players of different ages and levels competed in 8 decisive rounds. The year was amid strong excitement and close levels, in the presence of legal personalities, sports, a large crowd of fans, celebrated families, game lovers, and the club’s visitors located on the Mediterranean coast off Gaza City.

Categories champions

The champion player Wassim Muhammad Skaik was crowned with the championship cup and the gold medal by achieving first place in category A, while the champion player Abd al-Rahman Khalil Ward was crowned with the category B cup and the gold medal for his category. Shurrab won the D category cup and the gold medal, and the champion player Youssef Anis Al Bayouk won the E category cup and the gold medal.

As for the girls category, the champion player, Lamia Assem Shurrab, won the title and the championship cup, and won the gold.

At the closing ceremony, which began with a welcoming speech to the audience, many words were delivered praising the champions crowned with titles in this distinctive popular game, stressing that their coronation came after great efforts and strong preparations by the champions in the midst of strong competitions, and that it was cumulative as a result of the strenuous efforts of the champion players. And their coaches and their families, who celebrated these wonderful moments, while he was on the podium surrounded by gold and cups.

Show Taekwondo

The taekwondo show team continues its preparations for the foreign championships on the beach in Gaza City despite the cold weather. Bassel Abu Shamala, one of the taekwondo coaches, said that the players are training by merging traditional taekwondo movements with gymnastics and acrobatics. We aspire to international participation despite the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip and the lack of equipment. and financing. The player Mohammed Al-Sakka mentioned that the players are armed with enthusiasm and strength to appear strong in the international arenas by raising the Palestinian flag, despite the suffocating siege and closing the crossings, while the player Abdullah Al-Farra stated that the players hope to be among the world champions in the sport of taekwondo, and to raise the name of our country, as well as increase Experience and gaining it through participation with major Arab, continental and international stars.

next round

This, and the Competitions Committee in the Basketball Association will hold a meeting this week, to set the dates for the next two matches in the semi-finals and the stadium that will host them. Khadamat Al-Bureij neighborhood will meet Khadamat Jabalia, and the Stars Academy will meet its counterpart Shabab Al-Maghazi. The Referees Committee will hold another meeting to determine the two arbitration staff to manage them. Khadamat Al-Bureij Club and Al-Nujoom Academy completed the finalists’ contract for the golden square, the semi-finals of the Sector Championship for the junior basketball category, under 16 years old, by defeating both the YMCA and Rafah Services in the fourth-last round competitions in the second group.

The Football Association considers hooliganism

This, and the Football Association will hold a session today, Sunday, in the presence of representatives of the Officers Committee and the Referees Committee, which submitted its report and the report of the match evaluator, in order to consider the riots that occurred in the Palestinian Al-Ahly and Beach Services match on Friday at the summit of the nineteenth round of the First Division. And fireworks and firecrackers were thrown in the direction of the beach players from the Al-Ahly fans’ stand after scoring the winning goal and the match for the beach, which led to the injury of four beach players, as the federation is scheduled to take decisive decisions to prevent the recurrence of such games that pose a threat to the players’ lives.

It is noteworthy that the Football Association decided to complete the Premier League matches in the remaining five rounds that will start today, Sunday, without an audience, which may prompt the federation to treat the fans of first-class clubs with the same scale, which was confirmed by the proposals submitted by the federation’s advisors, as happened after the youth meeting. Rafah and Al-Shujaia Union, as well as imposing financial and administrative penalties against violators.

The police is considering installing cameras attached to it

On the other hand, Rami Mahani, director of stadium security in the Gaza Strip at the police, said that the latter is studying many solutions to reduce chaos and rioting in stadiums, with the aim of continuity of matches and the fans’ enjoyment of watching league and cup matches, foremost of which is the installation of fixed cameras belonging to the stadium police in stadiums. all.

He stated that among the proposals presented was to work according to the legal requirements, to criminalize the throwing of firecrackers with deterrent penalties that amount to imprisonment and ban entry to stadiums for anyone who incites riots, follow up on social networking sites, and support the federation in taking appropriate penalties against fans who create problems, as well as players and administrators. Mahani called on the clubs and fans' associations to hold awareness lectures for the fans with ideal encouragement away from insulting and cursing, stressing that what is happening in our stadiums does not reflect the civilization of our people and clean encouragement.

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - Director General of Customs and Excise Louay Hanash said that for the first time in the State of Palestine, a value-added tax law is being drafted in response to national economic aspirations, in a way that achieves justice in tax collection, and it is in its final stages of implementation on the ground.

Hanash added, in an interview with Voice of Palestine Radio, today, Thursday, that the value-added tax amounted to 16%, which is the highest limit, and this law allows freedom for the national economy and control over some necessary commodities for citizens, and that the tax is not unified in the sense of liberation from the unified customs cover imposed by the Paris Agreement.

He explained that there are sectors that are completely exempted and others that are subject to a zero rate, such as tourism, the agricultural, plant and educational sectors, to encourage growth and prosperity, provided that the real estate, free professions, electronic trade and others sectors are regulated.

Istanbul - "Jerusalem" dot com - Hamas considered today, Monday, the campaign of arrests carried out by the Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank, at dawn, which particularly targeted activists, leaders and cadres of the movement, as a desperate attempt that will not succeed in obscuring their role in struggle or extinguishing the flame of the movement. The continuous popular against the crimes of the occupation.

Musa Dudin, a member of the Hamas political bureau, said in a press statement that the occupation’s threat to re-arrest a number of those released if they engage in work with Hamas expresses the bankruptcy and helplessness of the occupation in confronting our people’s heroism and confronting its escalating terror against the land and sanctities. like he said.

He added: Our people will continue the path of steadfastness, struggle, and uprising in the face of the occupation, and will pay the price for its crimes, until our legitimate rights are completely taken away, and liberation and return are achieved.

Rabat - "Jerusalem" dot com - Dr. Mohamed Salem Cherkaoui, Director in charge of running the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Al-Sharif Agency , affiliated to the Al-Quds Committee, headed by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, and based in Rabat, affirmed that Jerusalem "was, is and will remain a civilized center for humanity that brings together followers of monotheistic religions." ".

This came during Cherkaoui's speech today at the table of the MAP forum on the subject of "Bayt Mal Al-Quds Al-Sharif Agency: 25 years of giving in the service of Jerusalem and the Jerusalemites", in the presence of the Ambassador of the State of Palestine in Rabat, Jamal Al-Shobaki, and a number of representatives of Moroccan bodies supporting the Palestinian people.

Cherkaoui praised the initiative of the MAP to provide the opportunity for Bayt Mal Al-Quds Al-Sharif to shed light on the outcome of its achievements in Jerusalem in the past 25 years, coinciding with the commemoration of the silver anniversary of this institution.

On this occasion, he said, "We pledge our trust to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, who supervises the work of the agency that was established in 1998 at the initiative of the late King Hassan II, may God rest his soul, to preserve the great religious landmark and support the residents of Al-Quds Al-Sharif in their steadfastness. ".

Al-Sharqawi explained that the disruption of the natural, economic, demographic and environmental balance of the Holy City reflects a miscalculation that complicates the living situation of the Palestinians, and undermines the chances of a decent life for their generations, which creates a state of rejection, which pushes young people, sometimes, to take risks. Therefore, international reports have unanimously agreed. However, the proposed plans to besiege the city and harass its Arab residents and make them a minority within their city do not help at all to correct the existing situation on the basis of the least losses. Rather, they impose a reality that is difficult for the city’s Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims, to accept.

Al-Sharqawi touched on the Agency's experience and its field presence in Jerusalem, and said: We spared no effort to communicate with bodies and institutions, on all available occasions, and through the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to request support that enables the Agency to implement its programmed projects in Jerusalem.

Al-Sharqawi explained that the agency was able, during the period between 2000 and 2022, to implement 200 large projects, some of which were launched in 2008 and are still continuing today, and dozens of medium and small projects, benefiting all groups of Jerusalemite society, and distributed to all neighborhoods of Jerusalem. Completed a total of 64 million dollars.

He pointed out that despite the limited funding, the agency was able to maintain a regular annual pace of completion with a budget that varies between $3.5 million to $5 million in some years, in light of what he described as "difficult working conditions, imposed by the city's peculiarity, and the nature of its political and social terrain." complex".

He added that the contributions of countries stopped in 2011, since the Agency has not received any contribution from any country since then, so that the Kingdom of Morocco remains the sole financier of this institution with 100 percent in the category of state donations, and about 70 percent in the category of donations from institutions and individuals. .

Kiev ( Ukraine ) (AFP) - The European Union is discussing tougher sanctions against Moscow on Monday for its invasion of Ukraine, as President Volodymyr Zelensky sacked the chief prosecutor and head of the security services over suspicions of several cases of treason committed by local officials on behalf of the Russians.

Arriving at the Brussels meeting, the EU foreign policy chief declared that resuming grain exports from Ukraine was a "matter of life and death" and there was "hope" for a deal this week to open the port of Odessa.

Borrell said that "the lives of (...) tens of thousands of people depend on this agreement," which is being negotiated between Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations and aims to remove about 20 million tons of grain stuck in Ukrainian silos due to the attack launched by Moscow, through the Black Sea.

The European Union intends to continue its pressure on Moscow by imposing new sanctions on the one hand and providing financial and military support to Ukraine on the other, according to Borrell.

It is scheduled that the foreign ministers of the European Union countries will consider two proposals by the European Commission to prevent the purchase of gold from Russia in order to align European sanctions with those imposed by its partners in the Group of Seven, and to include new Russian personalities on the union’s blacklist.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned his European counterparts during Monday's meeting against any attempt to ease their sanctions on Russia or submit to the demands of Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Undoing (the sanctions) or yielding to his demands will not work. It never worked. It is a trap," he said.

The successive measures adopted by the Union so far isolated Russia and hit it economically, but did not make it back down or stop its attack on Ukraine that began on February 24.

And the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, during a visit to Azerbaijan, announced an agreement with this former Soviet republic located in the Caucasus, to double the European Union's imports of Azerbaijani gas "within a few years."

At a time when Russia continues its bombing of many Ukrainian cities, President Zelensky announced on Sunday evening that he had taken "a decision to relieve the Prosecutor (Irina Venediktova) and the head of the security services (Ivan Bakanov)" from their duties.

He pointed out that the Ukrainian authorities are currently investigating more than 650 suspected cases of treason committed by local officials, including 60 cases in areas occupied by Russian forces and those loyal to Moscow.

Zelensky added that "the large number of crimes against the foundations of national security, and the links established between Ukrainian law enforcement officials and the Russian special services" is something that "raises very serious questions," stressing that "every question will be answered."

Venediktova, in particular, led the investigation into alleged atrocities committed at the beginning of the invasion of Russian forces in the city of Bucha, a suburb northwest of Kiev, which in the eyes of the West became a symbol of Russian "war crimes" in Ukraine.

On the ground, six people were killed, Monday, in Russian bombing of the city of Toritsk, located in the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine, according to what the Ukrainian Emergency Service announced on Facebook.

"Rescue workers recovered five bodies. Three people were also removed from the rubble, one of whom died in hospital," a statement said.

And Russia announced on Saturday that it had officially ended a measure it took eight days ago to "stop operations" of its army, and resumed bombing with greater intensity in the Donbass region, which constitutes full control over the main goal of Moscow in the short term.

In the south, the city of Mykolaiv was subjected to "heavy missile attacks on the night of Sunday to Monday," according to what the region's governor, Vitaly Kim, said via Telegram, without mentioning any casualties at the present time.

Putin had warned in early July that Moscow had "not yet started serious matters" in Ukraine.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu went to the army command center, where he met officers participating in the attack on Ukraine, according to what the Russian Defense Ministry announced, without giving further details.

The ministry said the minister "gave directions to make destruction a priority, through the use of high-precision weapons, artillery and long-range missiles."

In Russia, Russian journalist Marina Ovsyanikova, who became a well-known face after she stormed a live television broadcast to denounce the war in Ukraine, said on Monday that she was released hours after her arrest in Moscow.

"I'm home," she wrote on Facebook. All is well. I realize now that it is better to leave the house with a passport and a suitcase."

Her lawyer, Dmitry Zakhvatov, said his client had been arrested on suspicion of "defaming" the army while speaking to a Moscow court she had gone to last week in support of dissident Ilya Iashin, imprisoned for criticizing Russia's offensive in Ukraine.

Her brief arrest came just days after Ovsyannikova demonstrated alone near the Kremlin, waving a placard criticizing military intervention in Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin.

On July 24, the war on Ukraine enters its sixth month, and there is still no comprehensive toll on the civilian casualties of the conflict.

Kiev (Ukraine) (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Washington Tuesday of seeking to prolong the war in Ukraine, as explosions rocked a Russian military facility in Moscow-controlled Crimea.

Simultaneously, the first United Nations grain ship left Ukraine for Africa: the first shipment of food aid since Kiev signed an agreement in July with Russia, mediated by Turkey and supervised by the United Nations, providing for the resumption of Ukrainian grain exports after it was halted due to the war between the two countries. the two countries.

The war that broke out on February 24 led to the imposition of harsh Western sanctions on Russia and unprecedented financial and military aid to Ukraine, and this caused tensions, especially between Washington and Moscow.

Putin generally criticized the United States for seeking to "destabilize and create chaos in the region and the world" through US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

"The situation in Ukraine shows that the United States is trying to prolong this conflict. They act in the same way, raising the possibility of conflicts in Asia, Africa and Latin America," Putin said in televised remarks.

He considered the visit "a blatant expression of disrespect for the sovereignty of other countries and (Washington's) international obligations."

The accusation comes as a fire broke out in an arms depot in the Djankoy region of Crimea, which

Moscow annexed it in 2014.

The fire broke out around 6:15 am local time (3:15 GMT) in a temporary storage of military equipment near the town of Myskoye in the Djankoy region, causing an explosion of ammunition, according to a statement by the Ministry of Defense carried by Russian news agencies.

Two civilians were wounded, according to Crimean governor Sergei Aksyonov, who visited the site of the fire. An evacuation of residents took place in a nearby village.

And the ministry confirmed in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the explosion was "the result of an act of sabotage" without holding any party responsible.

It revealed that "damages were caused to a number of civilian facilities, including power lines, an electric generation station, and a railway, as well as a number of residential buildings."

In response to this explosion, the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Administration, Andreich Ermak, welcomed on the Telegram application "the disarmament process completed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine," which, according to him, will continue "until the complete liberation of Ukrainian lands."

This incident comes a week after the explosion of munitions used in military aviation in a warehouse located on the land of the military airport in Saki in western Crimea, killing one person and injuring others.

While Russia described what happened as an accident, experts say that satellite images as well as ground video recordings suggest that it was a Ukrainian attack.

Since the invasion of Ukraine, Crimea has played a major role in Russia's strategy. The offensive into southern Ukraine, which allowed Moscow to seize large swathes of territory in the first weeks of the war, began.

Russian planes also take off almost daily from Crimea to strike targets in areas under Kiev's control; Many areas of this peninsula are within range of Ukrainian guns and drones.

Despite the conflict, Crimea remains a favorite destination for many Russians who spend their summer vacations on its beaches.

The Russian-controlled Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine has been a source of intense tension for several days. The facility, the largest in Europe, was targeted with several strikes, which Moscow and Kiev are exchanging accusations of standing behind.

The fear of a nuclear catastrophe prevailed, which prompted the UN Security Council to hold a meeting last Thursday. However, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu tried on Tuesday to reassure Russia regarding Russia's intentions in the nuclear field.

Shoigu emphasized that "the primary goal of Russia's nuclear weapons is to deter any nuclear attack."

French President Emmanuel Macron discussed by phone, on Tuesday, with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, the situation at the Zaporizhia station. The phone call took place “in the morning” and lasted “an hour and twenty minutes,” according to what the French presidency announced, which is scheduled to reveal at a later time the content of the conversation.

As conflict disrupted Ukrainian grain exports for months, exacerbating food insecurity in many developing countries, the first United Nations ship loaded with grain set off for Africa on Tuesday.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure announced that the ship left the port of Pivdenye in southern Ukraine, carrying "23,000 tons of wheat" to Ethiopia.

The World Food Program confirms that 345 million people, a record number, in 82 countries today face food insecurity, while starvation threatens about 50 million people in 45 countries if they do not receive humanitarian aid.

The first commercial ship left on August 1, and 16 ships have departed from Ukraine since the agreement entered into force, according to a count by the Ukrainian authorities, but no United Nations humanitarian ship has yet left the port.

"I hope that other ships chartered under the World Food Program will arrive at our ports, and I hope that there will soon be two or three additional ships," Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said Sunday at the port of Pivdenye.

Gaza - "Jerusalem" dot com - Ahmed Al-Masharawi - The Competitions Committee of the Palestinian Basketball Association in the Gaza Strip announced the start dates for the Golden Square matches - the playoffs, what is known as the elimination rounds of the Premier League Championship, sponsored by Jawwal.

The committee decided to kick off the first matches next Friday, July 29, in the first-leg, with Khadamat Al-Bureij and its neighbor, Shabab Al-Bureij, at the hall of the late behind the wheel at 8:00 pm.

The committee decided to hold the second meeting, which will bring together Al-Maghazi services and Rafah services, next Saturday, July 30, at the Martyr Saad Sail Hall, as a home playground for Al-Maghazi services.

The second meeting between the two neighbors, Al-Burij Al-Khadamat and Al-Shabab, will be in the return leg, on the second Tuesday of August, at the Hall of the late Behind the Wheel.

UNITED NATIONS - (Xinhua) -- The intergovernmental conference to draft the first-ever treaty on marine biodiversity opened its fifth and likely final session at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Monday.

The new treaty aims to codify international law on territorial waters, sea lanes and marine resources, while defining the legal framework for all activities in the oceans and seas.

"It is my hope that we can make real progress in these two weeks, with the goal of finalizing the agreement as soon as possible," said Intergovernmental Conference Chair Rina Lee, calling on delegates to prepare to work hard while delving into the technical and legal details.

The fifth session, which will run until August 26, is expected to be the last in a series that has begun since 2018 to draft an international legally binding instrument under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction.

Li said the negotiations aimed to address marine genetic resources, including issues related to benefit-sharing, and measures such as area-based management tools, environmental impact assessment, capacity-building, and transfer of marine technology.

She added that delegates were asked to submit text proposals for the fifth session, noting that a workbook containing all the materials was released in early August.

In its resolution 72/249 of 24 December 2017, the General Assembly decided to convene an intergovernmental conference to elaborate on the text of an international legally binding instrument on the conservation and use of marine biological diversity.

By: Gershon Baskin

Here's the situation: Israel and Palestine are stuck in a political impasse. The current Israeli government and any potential Israeli government in the coming years do not have a political mandate or political will to negotiate any kind of agreement with the Palestinian people.

This most important issue facing Israel is not on the political agenda of any political party that will lead the next government. The Palestinian side faces a divided political house between the West Bank and Gaza where the two governments do not have much legitimacy from their own streets. The Palestinians are united only by their overwhelming desire to hold elections. Israel is stuck in a political stagnation due to its inability to form a stable government with a long political life, and therefore; It faces repeated elections with a fundamentally unchanged constituency. Those of us on both sides, in Israel and Palestine, who believe we must go back to the table to figure out how to move forward toward resolving this conflict, have no political leaders to turn to and few constructive ideas about how to do so and end the impasse.

The vast majority of the younger generation on both sides see no hope for peace, and therefore; They are either completely detached, have no desire to contact the other party, are preoccupied with their careers, or tend to adopt extremist ideas.

I saw a recent poll by a leading Israeli pollster that found that less than a third of Israelis believe there is a need to end the occupation of the Palestinian people. Does this mean that two thirds of Israelis believe that Israel can continue to rule over millions of Palestinians and that is a good thing? Do these millions of Israelis believe that there is no price to pay for the continued denial of the rights of the Palestinian people to enjoy the same rights as the Israeli people? The number of Palestinians who believe in the necessity of reaching a political agreement with Israel is declining.

The vast majority of Palestinians, especially the younger generation, no longer believe in the two-state solution. The reality they see all around them is increasing Israeli land grabs and settlement expansion. Two weeks ago, I traveled all over the southern West Bank and saw dozens of new outposts on hilltops across the region. In the northern West Bank there are more. They all know, as every Israeli knows, that not long ago those few caravans on the tops of the hills would become homes to be called new neighborhoods from the existing settlements kilometers away. The few caravans are already connected to the electricity grid and soon all the infrastructure needed for normal life will be available. At the same time, Palestinians are trapped in small areas in towns and villages with no possibility of expansion while 62% of the West Bank, designated by the defunct 1995 Oslo Accords as Area C, has been placed under full Israeli control. Every Palestinian in the West Bank feels suffocated by Israeli settlements and the military government. Palestinian homes are demolished by Israel almost every day. Every night, Israel arrests dozens of Palestinian youth. Occupation surrounds their lives and there is no escape for them. They see their government as nothing more than a subcontractor of the Israeli regime. It should come as no surprise that Palestinian public opinion polls show an increase in support for the armed struggle against Israel.

This mostly comes from the younger generation who did not live through the terrible era of the Second Intifada. A former Israeli prime minister asked me this week if a third intifada was possible. Of course, not only that, there is a fair chance that if that happens we will face Nakba-type measures to expel entire communities of Palestinians from their homes because there is growing support among right-wingers in Israel for doing so. Israel is already doing this in the Yatta path in the south and in small communities in the Jordan Valley and there is complete silence in Israel and around the world.

What can we do? We who still believe that we must find a way to live together on this earth. First, do we all need to work on our part to gain more power within our political systems. In Israel, we are working to launch a joint Arab-Jewish Equity Party, which even if we do not succeed in the next elections, we will begin to challenge the discourse in Israel, and eventually carve out a place in Israeli political culture where the equality of all citizens is a foregone conclusion rather than a point of contention. In Palestine, there must be elections for a president and parliament and there must be agreement among all parties that the will of the people will be fulfilled and that the separation between the West Bank and Gaza will finally come to an end. The political forces that reject the course of violence in Palestine must unite, gain strength, and become strategic in how they present themselves to the public.

Israelis and Palestinians who believe in a shared future must immediately begin their campaign for the release of Marwan Barghouti from prison after twenty years in prison, and Barghouti remains the only Palestinian capable of winning any election against any other candidate. Barghouti is also the one who believes that ending the occupation and resolving the conflict must happen, preferably through negotiations and cooperation. When there are Palestinian elections, Barghouti will run, and he will win. If he is in Israeli prison, there will be an international campaign for his release. The prospect of a democratically elected Palestinian president in an Israeli jail is not far off. That is why I wrote several months ago to the head of the Israeli Shin Bet and encouraged him, as its new chief, to engage Barghouti in a political dialogue while he was in prison, just as they did in South Africa with Nelson Mandela. But as I have been told with people who have the right to visit Barghouti in prison, no one on the Israeli side has engaged him in any kind of political conversation.

I have lost all hope that the international community will come to our rescue. As long as the United States and most of Western Europe still talk about two states but recognize only one of the two states, it is of no use to us politically or even worse. Maintaining the two-state slogan while doing nothing to achieve it only served to increase the unviability of the two-state solution. So, we are stuck here, by ourselves, the Israelis and the Palestinians, who both have no intention of going anywhere else. This is our situation.

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - The Embassy of the State of Palestine to Germany reported the death of the Palestinian student, Amir Mahmoud Abdel-Karim Odeh (Saadat), from Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the student, Saadat, died by drowning while he was in a German city.

The embassy confirmed that it is communicating with his brother, who was with him, and his family, to follow up with them regarding the transfer of his body.

London, (AFP) - Unemployment rates in Britain are still close to their lowest levels in 50 years, but the value of wages is falling at a record pace, with inflation reaching the highest level in decades, official data showed Tuesday.

The National Statistics Office said in a statement that the unemployment rate was 3.8 percent in the three months ending in June.

That rate was unchanged from the three months ending in May.

ONS's director of economic statistics, Darren Morgan, said that while recent data suggested the number of vacancies remained "historically very high, it has fallen for the first time since the summer of 2020" when the UK briefly emerged from pandemic-related lockdown measures. Covid.

Excluding bonuses, he added, real wages "are still falling faster than at any time since record breaking records began in 2001".

This comes as inflation in the UK rose to a 40-year high of 9.4 percent amid higher energy and food prices.

The Bank of England expects inflation to peak at just over 13 percent in Britain this year, tipping its economy into recession.

The National Statistics Office will publish the latest inflation figures on Wednesday.

Ramallah - "Al Quds" dot com - The Presidency condemned the Israeli aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip , and calls for an immediate end to it, and holds the occupation forces responsible for this dangerous escalation.

The Presidency called on the international community to compel Israel to stop this aggression against our people everywhere, particularly in Gaza, and to provide them with international protection.

It is noteworthy that this aggression has so far claimed the lives of 8 martyrs and more than 40 injuries.

Washington (AFP) - A network participating in the US "Mega Millions" lottery won Friday night a jackpot of more than $ 1.33 billion, in one of the largest cash rewards in lottery history, organizers announced Saturday.

And the lottery game account in the state of Illinois in the middle of the eastern country wrote, in a tweet on Twitter, "Mega Millions players, check your tickets! We have a winner (...) in Illinois. Stay tuned for more details!"

"We can't wait to find out the winner and hope to congratulate him soon!" said Pat McDonald, CEO of Mega Millions, in a statement.

The grand prize was initially estimated at $1.28 billion, but "the final value was higher than that estimated," based on actual sales, Mega Millions said.

Lucky in Friday's draw will get 1.337 billion if he agrees to pay the installments over 30 years.

But if he wants to receive his prize in one go, he will get “only” $ 780 million, an amount that will be deducted in part for taxes, according to the estimates of those in charge of “Mega Millions”.

The value of the grand prize for this lottery continued to increase steadily for more than three months, and the dreams of the participants in the game grew with it, while no one succeeded in guessing the correct six numbers in the last 29 draws that preceded Friday's draw.
The chances of winning this tempting amount did not exceed one in 303 million. For comparison, the probability of being struck by lightning is one in a million, according to data from US health authorities.
The largest prize in lottery history was $1.586 billion. It was won in January 2016 in the other major US lottery, the Powerball, but the money was divided among three winners.

Bethlehem - "Jerusalem" dot com - Najeeb Farraj - The Israeli occupation forces arrested, this evening, Wednesday, two young men, Awni Ahmed Awni Taqatqa (20 years old) and Saddam Amjad Nassar Taqatqa (21 years old), from the town of Beit Fajjar, south of Bethlehem.

And local sources reported that the occupation forces arrested the two young men after summoning them to the intelligence headquarters in the headquarters of the military government in the "Gush Etzion" settlement area.

Nablus – “Jerusalem” dot com – Imad Saadeh – Two young men were killed in the old town of Nablus, at dawn today, Sunday, while 10 injured people, one of whom was in a serious condition, were transferred to the city’s hospitals, during violent armed clashes between resistance fighters and the Israeli occupation forces that stormed the Al-Yasmina neighborhood. Inside the town and besieging a house in order to arrest wanted resistance fighters.

According to medical sources, the two martyrs are Abboud Sobh (29 years old) and Muhammad Al-Azizi (22 years old) from Nablus.

According to eyewitnesses, members of the Israeli special units infiltrated the Yasmina neighborhood, then large forces of the occupation army followed them, immediately besieging a building in the neighborhood, and violent armed clashes broke out inside the neighborhood that lasted for about 4 hours.

The Fatah movement's organizational areas in Nablus announced, via loudspeakers, a comprehensive strike in Nablus today, Sunday, to mourn the souls of the two martyrs, Subuh and Azizi.

According to the Hebrew website Ynet, the forces of Yamam and Givati carried out the operation against a group of fugitives in Nablus.

According to the site, the Israeli army used LAW and Matador missiles in the process of targeting the building in which the young men were.

He pointed out that the clashes, from inside and outside the building itself, lasted for 3 hours, and that after this long period of clashes, the Israeli army forces managed to enter the building and found weapons, ammunition and explosive devices.

Gaza - "Jerusalem" dot com - Hamas considered today, Wednesday, the occupation's approval of new settlement plans in occupied Jerusalem, as a deepening Judaization of the land and targeting the identity, and that it is a desperate attempt that will not succeed in obliterating the features of the Holy City and changing the facts of history.

Muhammad Hamadeh, a Hamas spokesman for the city of Jerusalem, expressed his movement’s rejection of these plans, saying: “This Zionist crime will be confronted with the unity of our people and their struggle by all means. Occupied Jerusalem". According to him.

Hamada called on the Palestinian people for more patience and steadfastness in the face of the occupation's violations and its Judaization plans, in defense of our land and our national rights until liberation and return. like he said.

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said, today, Tuesday, that as soon as it was announced that the occupation soldier had been killed near the city of Tulkarm, the Israeli security and military authorities rushed to accuse the Palestinians in a preemptive and intentional manner that reflects the Israeli establishment's view of the Palestinian citizen as an accused in all Conditions must be pursued and punished.

The ministry indicated, in a statement, that after more forces were called in and many roadblocks were set up and mobilized in search of the perpetrators, it became clear to the leaders of the occupation army that the Israeli soldier was killed by what they called "friendly fire". With immediate field investigations, with the intervention of senior Israeli military officials, they were able, within a few hours, to complete their serious and effective investigations, proving that his colleague was the one who shot him.

She said: This picture reminds us of the hundreds of field executions that the occupation army and its members committed against unarmed Palestinian civilians without posing any danger to the occupation soldiers or settlers. None of these ongoing crimes received such Israeli attention or such quick and serious investigations.

And she added: Rather, the occupying state and its military, security and judicial institutions tried to bury the details and circumstances of their crimes against Palestinian citizens without any investigations, and in some cases that had resonance and interaction at the local, regional and international media level, the military establishment carried out some investigations not with the aim of revealing the Israeli murderers and war criminals. And whoever stands behind them, but with the aim of procrastination and blurring the truth or recording it against an unknown person and absolving the occupation army of any responsibility towards it, and sometimes arresting the perpetrator and bringing some charges against him, and if he is tried, the sentence will be lenient and he will soon be released for this or that reason.

And she continued: Also, this racist colonial image always reminds us of the crime of execution of the martyr Sherine Abu Aqelah, who, despite the unprecedented global interest that accompanied her, the occupying state at all levels continues to refuse to conduct any investigations, manipulate words and expressions, and try to politicize the issue or accuse the Palestinians. Falsely and slander, on the way to obliterating it, forgetting it, and completely burying it, in an official Israeli effort to deal with the life of the Palestinian citizen in the worst forms of hatred, hatred, and racism.

And she continued: On the other hand, we remember the victims of the aggressive Israeli war crimes against our people in the Gaza Strip, including the victims of the recent aggression, including women, children, the elderly, and other unarmed Palestinian civilians, despite many Israeli press investigations that prove the involvement of the occupation army in killing the five children in The Fallujah cemetery, east of Jabalia, was attacked by missiles from warplanes, and despite the confession of a number of Israeli officials to this crime, the occupying state, with its official institutions, is trying to evade responsibility for this crime and other crimes in the Gaza Strip, and has not taken any measures against those who committed it, nor has it disclosed them. It did not arrest or prosecute them. The same applies to the crime of executing the young man, Al-Shaham, in the town of Kafr Aqab, inside his house, in a full-fledged crime committed by the occupation forces and his police in a deliberate and intentional manner, and with clear instructions from the military, security and political leaders of the occupation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held the Israeli government fully and directly responsible for the crimes of its field executions, and it is following up these crimes officially and documented with the International Criminal Court, asking it to break its silence and take the necessary legal measures imposed by the court’s regulations and the founding Rome Statute towards Israeli criminals and murderers.