The Minister of the so-called Israeli National Security , Itamar Ben Gvir , took advantage of the killing of the security guard of the mayor of Al-Taybeh in the occupied interior, Shuaa Mansour Masarwa , to serve him politically.

Ben Gvir arrived at the mayor's house, trying to find out the repercussions of the guard's death, but his main goal was to exploit the incident politically.

According to the Hebrew website Ynet, one of Ben Gvir's assistants took a picture from inside the house of the mayor of Taybeh, while he was sitting with him, in the presence of Israeli police officers, without Masarwa knowing that he had taken it.

Masarwa said that Ben Gvir took the photo and published it without his knowledge, while a close associate of the mayor said that Ben Gvir tried to hold a joint press conference with him, but Masarwa categorically refused.

Between the graves and the prisons of the occupation, the Al-Zubaidi family is spending the days of Eid Al-Fitr in Jenin camp, in light of the occupation’s targeting of a group of its children, who were not spared from persecution around the clock.

Perhaps the current Eid al-Fitr is the most difficult, harsh and most painful, as described by the editor Jamal Al-Zubaidi , who indicated that this is the first Eid after the assassination of Dawood Muhammad Al-Zubaidi, the martyrdom of Naim Jamal Al-Zubaidi, and the arrest of the two brothers Yahya and Jibril Al-Zubaidi, in addition to a series of martyrs from family members and cousins. .

Throughout the days of Ramadan, images of pain in the family's life were repeated at the Iftar and Suhoor tables in the absence of loved ones, and the images will not differ, as the editor Jamal says, "In Eid, our wounds that will not heal, since the beginning of the occupation, none of our family has been spared from targeting and oppression," referring to He, too, was arrested many times, and spent four years behind bars, during which he lived through the difficult prison conditions and their effects on the prisoner and his family.

He says: "My brother Muhammad was one of the first fighters, detainees, and victims of medical negligence, so he was martyred after his liberation due to illness, and the years passed, and his sons became fighters, who lived the experience of persecution, injury, and captivity, and they are Abdul Rahman, Yahya, Zakaria, Daoud, and Jibril, who were liberated after a journey of suffering and steadfastness." , pointing out that his family provided many martyrs.

Captive, persecuted and martyred.

Naeem is considered the third in the family of the editor, Jamal Al-Zubaidi, consisting of 7 members. His mother gave birth to him during his father’s arrest in Junaid prison. Al-Zubaidi says: “The occupation spoiled our joy at the birth of Naeem, as I was under administrative detention, and when Naeem was arrested after he grew up and got married, his wife was pregnant.” In the third month, and like her father, his daughter, Elijah, saw the light while he was in the occupation prisons, and she is currently 8 months old, and her father did not see her during his captivity.

Al-Zubaidi indicates that his son Naeem lived the experience of captivity several times, starting in 2015 and during which he spent three months, and his arrests were repeated during the years 2018 and 2019. He was on the lookout for him. They stormed his house at dawn on the twentieth of July 2020, and after smashing its contents and destroying the furniture, the soldiers beat him and his brother Anton, arrested them and transferred them to the Al-Jalama checkpoint. An hour later, Anton was released, who was transported by ambulance to the hospital from the effects of the beating. His wife, who is pregnant with his first fetus, did not enjoy his wedding and the occupation deprived him of this joy, which was not complete for the whole family.

The editor, Al-Zubaidi, explains that Naim suffered a lot in his arrest due to investigation, torture, and then the verdict, and after his release on 10-6-2022, he returned to his normal life, until the occupation targeted him again, and he was martyred at dawn on 1-12-2022, during an armed clash with the special units on On the outskirts of the camp, his comrade Muhammad al-Saadi was also martyred in the same military operation. On 28-2-2023, Naim’s wife gave birth to their second child, who bore his mother’s name, Sana, after his will.

Martyr Daoud Al-Zubaidi .

Before Naim’s martyrdom, his cousin, the fighter Daoud Al-Zubaidi, the founder and leader of the Martyrs’ Brigade in the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, died on 15-5-2022, in an Israeli hospital, two days after he was shot by the occupation during his aggression on the Jenin camp. He is a freed prisoner who spent 12 years with various arrests. He is also the husband of his sister (the martyr Naim), whose assassination during his treatment in Israeli hospitals was a great shock to his family, who accused the occupation of deliberately liquidating and executing him, especially in light of his body being held until today.

Al-Zubaidi recounted several cases of detention that affected his sons, especially under administrative detention, pointing out that they had previously fought an empty stomach battle.

His father says, "We have always wished, as a family, to live our lives normally and unite all of us without the disturbances of the occupation. Hardly a period or a year passes without targeting and arrest, and in some years the occupation has left three of my sons in its unjust prisons."

The European Union is drawing up plans for possible evacuation of its nationals from Khartoum if the security situation permits, according to an official in the bloc, on Friday, in light of the battles taking place in the Sudanese capital between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.

"We are trying to coordinate an operation to remove our civilian citizens from the city, which is currently in a very dangerous situation. We are working on various possibilities to get people out," the official said.

He explained, "Currently, the assessment of those on the ground, including the European Union embassy, is that the security conditions are not available to proceed with such an operation."

The official indicated that the European Union mission and seven of its member states that have diplomatic representation in Khartoum, "will follow the situation closely, awaiting the moment when it becomes possible to do so."

And he stressed, "At that moment, we expect to be fully prepared to proceed with the evacuation of our nationals."

Since April 15, the streets of Khartoum and other cities have been witnessing fierce battles between the army, led by Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan , and the Rapid Support Forces, led by Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo, nicknamed Hamidati.

The clashes left more than 400 dead and 3,500 wounded, according to a new toll reported by the World Health Organization.

And the European Union announced on Monday evening that its ambassador in Khartoum was "assaulted" at his home in the capital. A relief official in the Union was also wounded by bullets as a result of the ongoing violence.

On Thursday, the US Department of Defense announced that it was in the process of sending military personnel to the region in anticipation of a possible evacuation of its embassy staff in Khartoum. While the statement did not specify the number of these reinforcements or the country in which they would be stationed, a US official told AFP that the US military would be stationed in Djibouti.

On Friday, South Korea and Japan announced that they would send military aircraft to evacuate their nationals stranded in Sudan.

The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund , which is the largest in the world, recorded gains of $ 84 billion in the first quarter of the year, thanks to an improvement in the stock market after large losses last year, according to what the central bank announced Friday.

The strong performance, equivalent to a yield of 5.9 percent, offsets about half of the fund's massive loss of $165.4 billion last year in the turmoil of the Ukraine war.

The fund, which is among the world's largest investors, had a value of $1.34 trillion in late March, equivalent to roughly $245,000 for each of Norway's 5.5 million residents.

"Equity investments were the most positive contribution to the quarter's returns," Deputy Fund Manager Trond Grand said in a statement.

"The rise in the stock market was largely driven by the technology sector and consumer luxury goods," he added.

The fund, whose revenues are fueled by Norwegian oil and gas companies, aims to finance future spending in the country whose welfare system is known for its generous.

According to the "Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute" classification, the Norwegian fund ranks first in the world, ahead of the China Investment Corporation and the funds of Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Singapore.

Stocks, which made up 70 percent of the Norwegian fund's portfolio in late March, posted gains of 7.4 percent in the first quarter of the year.

The fund owns stakes in more than 9,200 companies around the world, representing 1.5 percent of the total market value.

Bond investments, which represent 27.3 percent of assets, gained 2.7 percent over the same period.
Real estate holdings and those in unlisted renewable energy projects, which represent 2.4 and 0.1 percent, respectively, declined by 1 percent and 3.9 percent.

The Kremlin confirmed again on Friday that it does not intend to launch a new mobilization campaign during which young men will be recruited and sent to fight in Ukraine , denying press reports that students had received summonses from the army to perform compulsory military service.

In response to a question about what was reported by Russian media about university students in Moscow and other Russian cities receiving summonses to perform military service, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, "There are no discussions in the Kremlin regarding any wave of mobilization."

"Honestly, this is the first time I've heard of this," he added.
"Any summons? I don't even know what (you're talking) about."

In September 2022, the Kremlin ordered a partial mobilization campaign, during which hundreds of thousands of young men were recruited, who provided momentum for its faltering offensive in Ukraine.

Since then, rumors of a new wave of mobilization have spread.
These rumors multiplied after President Vladimir Putin signed a law last week that was hastily approved by Parliament to facilitate the mechanism of mobilizing those wanted for compulsory conscription.

According to this new law, summonses for those wanted for compulsory military service can now be delivered electronically, via the Russian public services portal, or even handed over the summons to a third party, while the old law required handing over the summons.

Many young Russians required to perform compulsory military service took advantage of the old law to evade receiving their summons, whether by ignoring it, changing their place of residence, or even leaving the country.

Under the new law, every person required for compulsory service is considered to have evaded military service "if he refuses to receive his summons order or if he cannot be reached."
The law stipulates a long prison term for those who evade joining the army.

The name of Elon Musk has topped the headlines in recent hours, as his companies were held responsible Thursday for a missile explosion in Texas , the turmoil of financial markets from New York to Paris, and the loss of world celebrities, including Pope Francis, to document their accounts on Twitter.

These three events, brought together by none other than Elon Musk, demonstrate the unprecedented influence wielded by one of the richest men on the planet.

“Very few people in the world get as much attention as Elon Musk, and no one else has generated so much news about him since Donald Trump ,” said Andrew Celebak, a professor of media at the University of Florida .

The South African-born billionaire, who holds US and Canadian citizenship, co-founded six companies (including SpaceX, Tesla, and Norlink) and runs several companies, including Twitter, which he bought last October for $44 billion.

"Usually, the general manager is supposed to be the mature person in the group, who keeps things in order," says independent analyst Rob Enderle. "But Musk is the opposite, he lacks maturity and often derails things."

It began on Thursday in the United States with the explosion of a prototype missile "Starship" four minutes after take-off.

This developed rocket from "SpaceX" is the largest and most powerful in the world. And a modified version of it will transport humans to the moon with the US space agency (NASA) by 2025, and perhaps one day, to Mars.

Despite the craft's failure to separate from the launchpad, which led to the decision to detonate it, Elon Musk has praised his teams for their role in running the "fantastic" first test flight.

At the same time, the European markets closed Thursday after a chaotic day due to the disappointing results of Tesla, whose price cut policy reflected a decline in its quarterly profits.

From the Paris Stock Exchange to New York, these results affected the entire auto sector, with reverberations across other sectors. "Tesla has dragged non-essential consumer goods with it" in this downward spiral, said Art Hogan of B. Riley Management.

At the same time, Twitter has weathered a new storm: after months of procrastination, the platform has withdrawn from thousands of accounts the blue verification marks that for years had served as a guarantee of the accounts' authenticity and the reputation of their owners.

Donald Trump, Beyoncé, Jack Dorsey (co-founder of Twitter), and even Pope Francis have lost their blue tick, as have many other personalities and journalists.

The blue tick now refers to users who pay $8 a month to get this badge and other benefits (increased account visibility, tech perks, less ads), like Donald Trump Jr. or the Dalai Lama.

The date of April 20 was not chosen at random to implement this step, as this date in its American formula (4/20) symbolizes cannabis in the United States. And Musk, the head of Tesla and SpaceX, has been making jokes about it, to the extent that he bought the platform at $54.20 a share.

Elon Musk, 51, has become a central figure in the new American capitalism, with his trans-planetary ambitions, anti-WALK political views (the Awakening, a progressive faction of the American left) and his seemingly unfunny jokes that either pleased or angered his 135 followers. million on Twitter.

Musk, says Andrew Celebak, "went from low-profile entrepreneur, to tech superstar, to billionaire playboy in the industry. Now he's pretty much replaced Donald Trump as Twitter's main troll."

But negative publicity is not profitable for Musk. According to Forbes magazine, which closely follows great fortunes, Elon Musk lost more than $11 billion on Thursday.
In addition to their owner, these companies play an important role in society, from environmental issues to space exploration, global stock markets and politics.

Musk has been targeted by several authorities concerned about wrongdoing, including the spread of misinformation on Twitter or accusations of racial discrimination at Tesla.

Several investors want Musk to focus his attention on the problems plaguing his two main companies, Tesla and SpaceX.

But Elon Musk recently founded X.AI, a new artificial intelligence startup tasked with "trying to understand the nature of the universe," Musk explained in an interview on Fox News.

"There is always a problem when the president of a company becomes more interested in fame than leadership," says Rob Enderle, considering that Musk "begins to think that he can do everything."

Today, Friday, a group of settlers stormed the village of Al-Mughair , northeast of Ramallah .

And local sources reported that dozens of settlers, under the protection of the occupation forces , stormed the village and closed the eastern entrance to it.

The same sources added that the Israeli occupation forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets during the clashes that erupted between the occupation forces and the civilians who tried to repel the incursion.

The "little harvest" of corn has become Brazil's most important crop in a decade, ahead of the traditional early-year harvest. Thanks to him, Brazilian maize production this year will set a new record.

Thus, Brazil will become the largest exporter of corn in the world, ahead of the United States , thus occupying a position it had reached only once, in 2013.

Brazil's maize production is expected to reach 124.9 million tons (10.4 percent increase compared to last year), of which 76.3 percent will come during the second harvest, according to the latest report by the National Supply Company (CONAP), which was published. this week.

This comes despite a "delay in the soybean harvest" due to "heavy rains" in the state of Mato Grosso (central west), the main producer of soybeans and corn in the country, where the mild winter allows for a second harvest.

On his farm in Sinop, in the Brazilian grain reservoir of Mato Grosso state, Elson Jose Redivo completed the sowing of corn a few weeks ago, which he had begun following the soybean harvest.

In this region, the fields extend farther than the eye can see, while the farmers' schedule is linked to the soybean and corn crops, which extend over "about 100 percent" of the farmland spread over an area of 1,550 hectares. The corn harvest will take place in June.

Contacted by AFP by phone, Redivo explains that the rise in the selling price of maize, driven in particular by the opening of ethanol plants based on this grain from 2017, has encouraged producers to invest more in the "small harvest" known as "safrinia" ( Safrinha).

"The maize (obtained) from the second harvest has become more attractive, and we have more fertilizers, genetically improved seeds and agricultural machinery, which allows for faster and more accurate sowing," he says.

"We were able to increase the areas" allocated to corn cultivation and "improve our productivity, thus significantly increasing our production," he added.
Genetically improved varieties currently occupy almost all Brazilian maize fields.

For his part, Joao Pedro López of the raw materials market analysis firm StoneX asserts that with such production expectations "the country will be able to increase the exportable surplus", which will allow it to sell more abroad.

This comes as demand for Brazilian maize rises, in light of the harvest problems faced by traditional exporters, such as the United States and Argentina, which have been affected by climate change, and Ukraine, which is at war.

Likewise, demand has increased with the opening of the Chinese market to corn, after the signing of an agreement between Brasilia and Beijing in early 2022, according to Lopez.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, the South American giant can export 52 million tons of corn this year, compared to 31.9 million tons in 2022, thus overthrowing the United States, whose exports are expected to reach 49 million tons.

"Brazil is positioning itself as a competitor to the United States and has the potential to increase its production," says Enori Barbieri, vice president of the Brazilian Maize Producers Association (Abramilho). "There is still a lot of land available for this crop... and our production can still improve further," he adds.

But in order to improve its performance abroad, while meeting growing domestic demand driven by the needs of the meat sector and the ethanol industry, Brazil will have to face a number of challenges.

Lucilio Alves, a researcher from the Center for Advanced Studies in Applied Economics at the University of São Paulo, says Brazil must "successfully increase its investments in agricultural equipment" in order to "accelerate sowing and harvesting...and continue to improve its logistical infrastructure for the sale of produce."

For his part, Riccardo Arioli of the National Agricultural Confederation points out that "in Mato Grosso, we noticed a storage deficit of about 60 percent during the last harvest" of soybeans and corn.

On Friday, violent battles erupted in the streets of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum , between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, despite calls for a truce for civilians on the first day of Eid al-Fitr .

Witnesses spoke of gunfire and air strikes before sunrise, as has happened every morning since April 15, in battles that resulted in "413 dead and 3,551 wounded," according to a new toll from the World Health Organization.

The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors confirmed in a post on Facebook that "on the night of Eid al-Fitr, several areas of Khartoum were bombed and are still being exposed to shelling and mutual clashes between the army forces and the Rapid Support Forces." She added that these confrontations "left destruction to buildings, facilities and public property."

Diplomatic contacts intensified in an attempt to silence the guns, at least during the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Friday that he cut short his visit to the Asia-Pacific region for several days "because of the situation in Sudan."

On Thursday, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the army commander and head of the transitional sovereign council in Sudan since the 2021 coup, announced that he had received contacts from a number of leaders of the countries of the region - especially South Sudan and Ethiopia - and from officials abroad - headed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. American Anthony Blinken.

All of these leaders called on Al-Burhan to stop the fighting on Eid Al-Fitr against the Rapid Support Forces led by Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, nicknamed Hemedti, the second in power since the coup.

The Rapid Support Forces announced their "acceptance of a 72-hour truce" starting at 4:00 GMT to give a respite to the Sudanese who are still caught in the crossfire.

In Khartoum, Abdel Wahed Othman, 53, criticizes "those who love power too much." "They are fighting for power but they don't care about the poor who don't have water or electricity and find it difficult to feed themselves," he says.

At the same time, Lieutenant General Al-Burhan delivered a speech on state television to the Sudanese on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, in his first appearance since the fighting began on April 15. Al-Burhan did not refer in his speech to any truce.

Al-Burhan, who appeared in a military uniform, said, sitting in an office between two flags of Sudan, "Our country passes this year on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr, and our country was hit by a very serious wound."

He added, "There remains constant hope that we, along with our great people, will overcome this ordeal and come out of it more united, stronger and coherent, and our chant will grow stronger: 'One army, one people'."

"Your armed forces are advancing in defeating the rebels," he said, stressing that he is "confident in overcoming this ordeal with wisdom and strength, in a manner that preserves the security and unity of the country and enables us to secure a transition to civilian rule."

For its part, the United States announced Thursday that it is deploying troops in East Africa in anticipation of a possible evacuation of US embassy staff in Sudan. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that these additional US forces would be deployed in Djibouti, in East Africa.
Khartoum airport has been closed since Saturday, while embassies call on their nationals to report their whereabouts, but to stay in their homes.

After talks he held with the president of the African Union and other international leaders, "everyone was convinced that the truce is urgent in Sudan," according to the US Secretary of State, who called on the two competing parties to try to negotiate again in order to stop the fighting, which is concentrated especially in Khartoum and Darfur (west).
The telephone network only works intermittently.

Khartoum's five million residents live their seventh day amid air strikes, explosions and street clashes. Many families have run out of provisions and no longer have electricity or running water. A large number of them are trying to flee between the checkpoints of the Rapid Support Forces and the army, amid corpses scattered on both sides of the road.

Since the conflict between the two generals turned into a pitched battle, a large number of civilians fled abroad as well. The United Nations stated that between ten thousand and twenty thousand people, especially women and children, went to neighboring Chad.

The ongoing shootings also severely damaged new hospitals Thursday, according to the Doctors Syndicate. Four hospitals were hit in El Obeid, 350 km south of Khartoum.

Both sides are making declarations of victory and accusations against the other that cannot be verified on the ground due to the seriousness of the situation.

Doctors said that the air force, which targets the bases and sites of the Rapid Support Forces deployed in residential areas, does not hesitate to drop bombs, sometimes on hospitals.

The Doctors Syndicate stated that "seventy percent of 74 hospitals in Khartoum and the areas affected by the fighting have stopped working," either because they were bombed, due to a lack of medical supplies and staff, or because fighters took control of them and expelled the paramedics and the wounded.

Most humanitarian organizations have had to suspend aid, which is essential in a country where more than one in three people go hungry in normal times.

Three WFP staff were killed in Darfur at the start of the fighting. The United Nations no longer counts the "looting and attacks" on its stocks and staff, and it condemns "sexual violence against humanitarian workers".

The think tank "International Crisis Group" warned that "neither Al-Burhan nor Daglo seems to want to surrender, so the situation may get worse."
He added that "a long-term conflict would be devastating for Sudan," the third largest producer of gold in Africa and one of the poorest countries in the world.

"Even if the army eventually regains control of the capital and Dagalo withdraws to Darfur, a civil war could break out," and with it "the possibility of destabilizing neighboring countries: Chad, the Central African Republic, Libya and South Sudan, which are already affected at various levels of violence," he said.

On the other side of the country, on the coast, dozens of demonstrators took to the streets in Port Sudan against what a banner said was "the presence of the UAE ambassador in eastern Sudan." Another banner read, "No to foreign interference."

Republican Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis announced that he will make a foreign tour that includes several countries allied to the United States, including Japan and Israel , in an apparent effort to build momentum before his expected candidacy for the 2024 presidential elections.

DeSantis said in a statement that he will visit Japan, South Korea, Israel and Britain, stressing that this tour is an opportunity to "expand economic partnerships" for his US state.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry said that the Republican governor will visit the country on April 24 and 25. He is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida .

According to the statement, DeSantis will also meet Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi for a working dinner on Monday.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declares his intention to run for the US presidential elections in 2024, a pledge to make his state in the south of the United States a laboratory for conservative ideas.

He is seen as one of Donald Trump's leading rivals in the Republican primaries.

While it has been confirmed that the trip is for business opportunities in Florida, it likely appears as an attempt by DeSantis to bolster his diplomatic and national security capabilities.

Tokyo and Seoul are two major allies of Washington in Asia. Israel is also a traditional destination for potential presidential candidates in the United States, especially Republicans.

The authorities in Lebanon have deported about fifty Syrians in about two weeks and sent them back to their war-ravaged country, security officials and a humanitarian source said Friday, amid rising anti-Syrian sentiment exacerbated by the economic crisis .

"More than 50 Syrians have been deported by the army in about two weeks," a military official told AFP on condition of anonymity. A security source confirmed this information.

The two sources said, "The Intelligence Directorate in the Lebanese army is handing over the violating detainees to the Land Border Regiment, which is in charge of placing them outside the Lebanese borders."

Commenting on this step, the military official explained that "the detention centers are full," and the other security services refused to receive the Syrian detainees.

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians fled to Lebanon after the outbreak of the civil war in 2011 and the suppression of protests against the regime.

According to the authorities, there are about two million Syrian refugees on Lebanese soil, about 830,000 of whom are registered with the United Nations.

The security and military officials made it clear that the Lebanese authorities did not coordinate their efforts with Damascus. They pointed out that a number of deported refugees returned to Lebanon with the help of smugglers for $100 per person.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees told AFP on Friday that it was "monitoring" the situation, adding that it "continues to call for respect for the principles of international law and to ensure the protection of refugees in Lebanon from refoulement."

Lebanon has previously made several attempts, described as the voluntary return of Syrian citizens to their country. However, human rights organizations consider this return to be forced.

A humanitarian source told AFP that he had noticed an increase in the number of raids launched by the army's intelligence services targeting Syrian citizens in Beirut and the Mount Lebanon region since the beginning of April.

"In the year 2023, at least five raids were launched," the source said, on condition of anonymity. He explained that about 450 Syrians have been arrested, and the deportation of at least 66 Syrians has been confirmed.

Since the regime in Damascus regained control of the majority of Syrian territory, some host countries have sought to expel refugees, citing a relative end to hostilities.

Human rights organizations say some refugees have faced persecution, rejecting the notion that it is safe for them to return.
Among the Syrians deported was a defector from the Syrian army, who had warned that "his life is in danger," a relative told AFP. He had been living in Lebanon since 2014, and he was deported with his wife and two children.
Since 2019, Lebanon has been witnessing an economic crisis that is the worst in modern history, according to the World Bank.

A series of small Israeli measures intended to bolster the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority are now in effect after a delay of more than a month, the Times of Israel said.

A senior official in the National Security Council explained to the newspaper, “The Israeli authorities gave final approval this week to reduce the fees that Jerusalem imposes on Ramallah for transporting fuel, from three percent to 1.5%; to raise the percentage of revenue that it transfers to Ramallah from the fees it receives.” of travelers at the Allenby border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan; and expanding the list of tax-exempt imports it processes on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.”

The official indicated that "the first two procedures will be implemented in April," noting that "the list of tax-free imports will be updated at the next meeting of the joint Israeli-Palestinian Economic Committee. The updated list will enable the Palestinian private sector to import specific goods at a predetermined rate while exempting customs." or reduce it.”

According to the newspaper, the Joint Economic Committee was established under the Oslo Accords as an official body to adjudicate financial disputes and promote joint economic initiatives. However, the committee has not met since 2009 amid deteriorating Israeli-Palestinian relations. And the Biden administration announced last July that Israel had agreed to reconvene the committee, although no date has been set for its meeting.

The Palestinian Authority has been calling for the three measures for years, and they are now finally being implemented against the backdrop of constant pressure from the Biden administration, in addition to two Israeli-Palestinian regional summits held in Aqaba, Jordan, and Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, which aimed to ease tensions, according to the newspaper.

The Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh summits brought together senior Israeli, Palestinian, American, Egyptian and Jordanian officials in the first gatherings of this kind in decades, with political and security representation from all participants. Israel and the Palestinian Authority committed to delaying unilateral measures opposed by the other side for three to six months. The two sides also agreed to meet again in Sharm el-Sheikh in April, although an Egyptian official expressed doubts about holding the third meeting by the end of the month, given that no date has been set, according to the newspaper.

She said, "A week and a half before the Aqaba meeting on February 26, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leaked its approval of the three measures mentioned above, and considered them as part of its efforts to improve the financial situation of the Palestinian Authority before the holy month of Ramadan, which began in late March. But after A month passed without any of the steps being implemented. A Palestinian Authority official and a US official in late March blamed Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for failing to sign on to the steps. Smotrich's office at the time declined to comment on the matter.

She noted, "Earlier this month, Israel implemented another commitment aimed at facilitating the livelihood of Palestinians when it began operating the Allenby crossing almost around the clock, after more than a year of pressure from the Biden administration. The crossing is mainly used by Palestinians who are banned from using the airport." Ben Gurion International.

Following the fulfillment of the pledge regarding the Allenby crossing, the US ambassador to Israel, Tom Naides, said he is "focused on expanding 4G cellular network coverage for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, who currently receive 2G and 3G service, respectively." According to the newspaper

The initiative has moved slowly, according to Israeli and US officials, but Naides said he is determined to implement it in the coming months. "I want to get it up and running on their phones by the end of the year."

He is also working on securing funding that was pledged last year from several Arab countries for the East Jerusalem Hospital Network. The United States announced $100 million in funding during Biden's visit, and said the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia would match that amount with $25 million each, but the UAE alone has made donations since then, according to the newspaper.

Naides also revealed that he is working on operating the power plant in Jenin after years of preparation, and he hopes that it will be ready to provide nearly 50% of electricity to the Palestinians by the end of the year as well.

British Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab announced his resignation Friday after an independent report concluded he bullied civil servants in a setback for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak , of whom he was an ally.

"I am writing to you to resign from your government," Raab, the Minister of Justice, also wrote in this letter to Sunak.

He added, "I asked for this investigation and pledged to resign if the facts of bullying were proven, whatever they were," stressing, "I think it is important to respect my word."

Canadian police announced Thursday that they are investigating the theft of gold and other valuables estimated at more than twenty million Canadian dollars ($14.8 million) at Toronto airport over the weekend.

Local police official Stephen Duifstein explained that the gold coins and valuables arrived Monday evening by air at the airport and were then placed in a logistics warehouse, until their disappearance was later noticed.

"The container that contained these valuable pieces was stolen using illegal means inside the storage site," Duifstein told reporters.

The police official did not give any clarification about the method of theft or whether there were suspects in the case.

He told reporters that "our investigators are looking into all hypotheses," describing what happened as "very rare" and noting that this did not affect air traffic at all.

The local newspaper "Toronto Sun" reported that the theft involved more than 1.6 tons of gold, which exceeds the value of twenty million dollars that the authorities talked about.

In a jewelry store in the Bahraini capital, Manama , customers look at trinkets or place their orders, realizing that they will only walk away with natural pearls , the only ones allowed to be produced in the Gulf kingdom keen to capitalize on the ancient tradition.

Bracelets, necklaces, cufflinks and leather goods, all encrusted with natural pearls, are on display in the small shop owned by the Matar family, one of Bahrain's oldest trading families.

Store manager Faten Matar is proud that she belongs to “the first generation to include women” during the two hundred years of her family’s involvement in this field, and she gives advice to customers who sometimes request designs that they saw on the Instagram application. 22 years ago, her father opened the shop to "revive" a tradition that had been neglected for years.

"One of our goals today is to make pearls more attractive to the general public," Faten asserts, as it is seen as an ancient luxury. "We have small jewelry that can be worn on a daily basis and leather collections for the younger ones and even for men," she says.

Before the discovery of oil in the 1930s, most of the Gulf countries depended mainly on pearl diving. On board wooden sailboats, divers have been sailing for months to extract from the seabed this precious stone, which is very popular with the royal families of the region as well as with luxury brands in Europe such as Cartier.

In the thirties, the natural pearl market collapsed due to the economic crisis in Europe and the competition with cultured (industrial) pearls in Japan, which is cheaper and easier to produce.
Like its neighbours, Bahrain's economy has since developed thanks to oil, but the kingdom is proud to be the only country that has banned the cultivation of artificial pearls .

Faten Matar confirms that “for us, this is a challenge because we cannot produce large quantities,” but for customers, especially in the Gulf region, “it is what makes these pearls more wonderful and unique,” holding in her hands a brooch pin studded with similar small pearls, but each One of which is "unique".

She points out that "every woman or man who owns or receives a piece of jewelry encrusted with a natural pearl knows that no one has the same piece," pointing out that making a necklace with matching stones may then take "four to five years or even more," knowing that their prices range from From 500 to more than 25 thousand euros.

Bahrain includes a historical site that includes a small port, an old market, and the homes of ancient families involved in the pearl trade. It is considered "the last complete example of the cultural tradition of pearls," according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which included this site on its list of world heritage.

However, Manama not only intends to preserve this memory, but also wants to make it its distinctive brand. Amidst the skyscrapers of the capital, the Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gems (Danat) is located, which is one of the rare laboratories in the world specialized in pearl analysis.

In a hall equipped with very advanced machines, young gemologists in white shirts examine pearls with the naked eye or under a microscope.

Fatima Al-Mahmoud, who holds a degree in physics and gemology, supervises the x-ray of a pearl.

The young woman explains that the aim of this examination is to find "lines of natural growth" that allow determining the authenticity of the pearl, pointing her finger to irregular circles on the radiological image of the pearl displayed on a screen. This expert feels a great passion for natural pearls and points out that new technologies make it "a science in constant development."

The Danat Institute, which was established in 2017, receives pearls from wealthy merchants or individuals who wish to examine them.
"You can't imagine how many people were surprised after realizing that they had inherited artificial pearls," said Noura Jamsheer, head of the institute.

Jamsheer asserts that the institute's experts are also conducting "ongoing research on the ground" to determine the impact of climate change "on pearls, their number, and the quality of oysters," expressing her particular concern about "the temperature and quality of the water."

The Israeli occupation forces arrested a young woman at the Qalandia military checkpoint, north of occupied Jerusalem.

According to security sources, the occupation forces arrested Rahma Manasra , 20, from Deir Dibwan , east of Ramallah , while she was at the checkpoint.

Today, Thursday, April 20, 2023, Bayt Mal Al-Quds Al-Sharif Agency concluded its social programs for the month of Ramadan for the year 1444 AH, in the Holy City , by distributing Eid Al-Fitr clothing to 300 orphans sponsored by the agency.

The Agency's Community Animation Program in Jerusalem and the Social Assistance Program contributed this year to providing assistance to about a thousand needy Jerusalemite families, making orphans happy, drawing a smile on their faces, and alleviating the orphan's need and hardship.

The Agency gives social assistance programs during the month of Ramadan a top priority to alleviate the burdens of life and the difficulties of living faced by Jerusalemites, as a result of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the repercussions of the global price crisis.

The agency has established a social care program for orphans sponsored within their families, which ensures continuous follow-up of their living conditions on all occasions, whether those related to holidays or studies, as well as in the extracurricular activities and programs that they benefit from.

Twitter has dropped the labels "state-affiliated media" and "state-funded media" from the accounts of media organizations around the world, according to an assessment conducted by Agence France-Presse on Friday for many of the prominent pages on the platform.

According to this assessment, it was found by AFP that many major media outlets from Western countries, Russia, China and other countries have lost these signs that were attached to their accounts.

This comes a day after the platform stripped international celebrities from various fields, including Pope Francis, Donald Trump and Beyoncé, of the blue verification mark of their Twitter accounts, after the platform owned by Elon Musk carried out its threat to withdraw this famous mark from anyone who does not pay for verification.

And the shape of the social network began to change rapidly on Thursday, with the withdrawal of the blue marks that were granted years ago once the identity of the user was verified, according to certain conditions, including the fame of the account holder.

Thus, the blue tick disappeared from the accounts of personalities such as Justin Bieber , Cristiano Ronaldo , Bill Gates or Lady Gaga, as well as from the accounts of many journalists, university professors and activists, including even Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter.

On the political side, the blue verification mark was withdrawn from the accounts of many officials, but some of them got the gray verification mark intended for government accounts or some organizations. This is the case of Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the US House of Representatives.

The blue tick now refers to users who pay $8 a month to get this badge and other benefits (increased account visibility, tech perks, less ads), like Donald Trump Jr. or the Dalai Lama.

The date of April 20 was not chosen at random to implement this step, as this date in its American formula (4/20) symbolizes cannabis in the United States. And Musk, the head of Tesla and SpaceX, has been making jokes about it, to the extent that he bought the platform at $54.20 a share.

The International Monetary Fund announced in a statement Thursday that it had reached an agreement with the government of Kosovo with the aim of setting up an aid program worth 178 million euros in order to obtain "cash" for the energy transition and bear the consequences of global warming .

The statement said the fund's board of directors would ratify the agreement "probably at the end of May".

The assistance, which will be delivered according to the country's needs, will be provided through two of the IMF's instruments: the Standby Credit Agreement (SBA), which provides access to a line of credit in case of need of 100 million euros, and the Resilience and Sustainability Fund (RSF) of 78 million euros.

This fund allows the International Finance Corporation to lend money to help countries finance their energy transition and prepare them for the consequences of global warming.
The loans granted through this tool are long-term with a grace period of years.

"These agreements should help reduce risks and support Kosovo's efforts to promote macroeconomic stability and support greener growth," Gabriel De Bella, IMF Kosovo Mission Chief, said in a statement.

This country located in the Balkans recorded a growth of 3.5 percent in 2022 with an inflation rate exceeding 11 percent, higher than the European average, as is the case in most Central and Eastern European countries.

Kosovo's economy is expected to grow by 4 or 5 percent this year, with inflation slowing to 5 or 6 percent.

Kosovo continues to witness recurring tensions since November in the north of the country, where the bulk of the Serb national minority lives, which still refuses any allegiance to Pristina with encouragement from neighboring Serbia.

Serbia has not yet recognized the independence of its former province, Kosovo, which declared its independence in 2008, ten years after the end of the war between the Kosovars, mostly Muslims and Albanians, and the Belgrade government.

Kosovo's independence is still not recognized by more than eighty countries, including a number of European Union countries such as Spain, Greece or Romania.

Today at dawn, the anti-drug police managed to thwart an attempt to smuggle a large amount of narcotic substances and pills in the governorates of Hebron and Ramallah .

The media spokesman for the police, Colonel Louay Arziqat , explained that, based on information available to the Hebron Anti-Narcotics Police, and after a monitoring and follow-up process that lasted for more than two months, one of the drug dealers arrived in the city of Yatta, south of Hebron, but in the last moments he managed to flee towards the bypass street, throwing more from his vehicle. Of 2.5 kg of narcotic marijuana, these narcotic substances were seized, and search and investigation procedures are continuing to arrest him.

In a related context, and based on information available to the Ramallah Anti-Narcotics Police, according to which there was a quantity of narcotic substances in the house of a drug dealer in the governorate, and immediately a search warrant was issued for the house, and by searching it, (1202) pills were seized, including (Xanax) pills, which are only dispensed with a medical prescription. And other narcotic pills, in addition to the seizure of 23.3 g of suspected narcotic hashish, and the seizure of 21.3 g of tobacco mixed with a substance suspected of being narcotic hashish.

Arziqat added that the suspect was arrested inside the house, and hearing his statements, he reported that the seized narcotic substances belonged to him and belonged to him.

Arziqat confirmed that the suspect was referred with the seized items to the competent authority to complete the legal procedures against him according to the rules.

On Thursday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken intensified his diplomatic contacts related to the situation in Sudan, especially with the head of the Sudanese Transitional Sovereignty Council and the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, with the aim of reaching a short ceasefire, according to his spokesman.

Blinken separately contacted Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo to urge them to "impose a cease-fire across the country until the end of Eid al-Adha," that is, Sunday, spokesman Vedant Patil said in a statement.

He also participated in a ministerial meeting with the head of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, and other partners, who called "unanimously" to stop the fighting on the occasion of the holiday.

The US State Department noted that this truce should "alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people and pave the way for a longer-term ceasefire."

This appeal comes hours after a similar call was made by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, who is also intensifying diplomatic consultations to reach an end to the battles that the country has been witnessing for six days.

Patel added, "The regional and international community speaks with one voice to demand an end to the violence and demands that the two military leaders hear that voice."

And the US Department of Defense announced Thursday that the United States is in the process of sending military personnel to the region in anticipation of a possible evacuation of its embassy staff in Khartoum.

Today, Friday, a group of settlers stormed the "Al-Hafira" area, south of Jenin .

Security sources said, "A group of settlers stormed the area and performed Talmudic rituals in it, under the protection of the occupation army."

Last night, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it was following up on initial reports of a boat sinking off the Greek coast .

The Political Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ahmad Al-Deek , said that the Embassy of the State of Palestine to Greece is following with interest the news about the rescue operation of a boat that was carrying more than 50 migrants after it sank in the Messinian Gulf, Greece.

Ambassador Al-Deek indicated that about 50 people, including women and children, were rescued, and there is preliminary information about the death of one of the migrants, and rescue operations and investigations by the Greek Coast Guard are still continuing since early Thursday morning.

"We are following this new tragedy to find out the nationalities of the immigrants who were on board this boat, wishing safety for our people wherever they are," he added.

On behalf of the President of the State of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, the deputy head of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement, Fatah, Mahmoud Al-Aloul, today, Friday, laid a wreath at the tomb of the martyr President Yasser Arafat , at the presidential headquarters in the city of Ramallah, on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr.

Al-Aloul congratulated our people, the families of the martyrs and prisoners, and our steadfast people in Jerusalem stationed on the occasion of Eid.

In the same context, the Deputy Governor of Jenin , Kamal Abu Al-Rub, today, Friday, laid wreaths on the shrines of the martyrs in front of the governorate headquarters in Martyr Abu Ammar Square, on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr.

This came with the participation of the region commander, Brigadier General Basem Al-Araj, the Mufti of the Security Forces, Muhammad Salah, and the Director of the Preventive Security Service, Brigadier General Muhammad Nazzal.

The Deputy Governor also extended congratulations on the occasion of Eid to the staff of the Jordanian surgical station.

In the same context, the Governor of Tulkarm , Issam Abu Bakr, laid wreaths at the martyrs’ tombs in the western cemetery in Tulkarm, the martyrs’ cemetery in the Thanabah suburb, and in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the region’s headquarters, with the participation of the leaders of the security services, the coordinators of the National Action Factions and the Fatah Movement, directors and representatives of official and popular institutions. in the province.

Abu Bakr affirmed the continuation of the path of construction and freedom, leading to the end of the occupation and its removal from our land, and the establishment of our independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

The governor conveyed the greetings of President Mahmoud Abbas and his congratulations to our people in Tulkarem Governorate, on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr, sympathizing with the souls of the martyrs, greeting the prisoners, and wishing recovery for the wounded.

In a related context, the Governor of Jericho and the Jordan Valley, Jihad Abu Al-Assal, placed a wreath today, Friday, on the memorial of the martyrs of Jericho and the Jordan Valley.

Tayseer Hamida, the head of the Jericho Chamber of Commerce, the deputy secretary of the Fatah movement for the Jericho region and the Jordan Valley, Mithqal Habib, and representatives of the security services and directors of official departments and national action factions participated in the wreath-laying ceremony.

He referred to the challenges facing the Palestinian cause and the difficult conditions that our people live in due to the continuous violations of the occupation everywhere.

Abu Bakr appreciated the efforts of the security establishment in applying the law, stressing the role of all institutions and the state of partnership and cooperation to serve the citizens.

The governor and representatives of the governorate's institutions also visited the house of the martyr Amir Abu Khadija, who was martyred on the first of the holy month of Ramadan, and the house of Colonel Nidal Al-Yahya, a member of the Fatah regional office, who died last week.

Today, Friday, 120,000 worshipers performed the Eid al- Fitr prayer at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied city of Jerusalem.

The Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem said that 120,000 worshipers performed Eid prayers in the courtyards and inside the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, despite the strict occupation measures.

According to local sources, the occupation forces beat the young men with sticks near the Lions' Gate in occupied Jerusalem, while they were on their way to the Eid al-Fitr prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Hebrew newspaper Haaretz said, on Friday, that extraordinary efforts were made during the month of Ramadan to prevent extremist settlers from sacrificing sacrifices in Al-Aqsa Mosque .

According to the newspaper, such an event would have detonated the situation in the entire region in the face of Israel, and not only in the Palestinian territories, noting that the missile strikes from Gaza, Lebanon and Syria could be mainly related to the announcement by extremist groups of their intention to slaughter sacrifices, and not only related to the storming of Al-Aqsa and the assault. to worshipers inside.

The newspaper revealed contacts made by the heads of foreign intelligence agencies with their counterparts in Israel several times, in an attempt to understand what is going on, and members of the cabinet, the cabinet, were briefed in detail on the efforts of the security services to prevent the smuggling of "goats" or any offerings to Al-Aqsa, especially with encouragement. Generous financial rewards are paid to everyone who succeeds in doing so.

She pointed out that the Israeli police and the Shin Bet security service raised the state of alert to thwart such an event, which was succeeded.

The newspaper said: The religious ceremony organized by extremist groups to slaughter sacrifices and encourage them to do so and announce financial rewards, stopped the Israeli security on one foot, fearing that this would lead to igniting the region.

And the newspaper believed that the passage of the month of Ramadan in this way after its end means that Israel will come out a little better than it entered it, especially in light of the fact that the tension reached its peak in late March.

On the other hand, the newspaper believes that the Palestinians, including Hamas, and even other parties in the region, were not looking for an all-out war at the present time, but they wanted to raise the level of "violence" in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and thus succeeded in general. As you say, in addition to activating the strategy of uniting the squares by transferring what is happening in the West Bank and Jerusalem to the various border areas of Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and others, in addition to that they exploited the serious internal crisis in Israel, and the decline of Israeli deterrence.

At dawn on Friday (the first day of Eid al-Fitr), the Israeli occupation forces arrested 6 young men from the West Bank and Jerusalem.

According to local sources, those forces arrested Mohammed Al-Alami, Firas Arar, and Bilal Awad from the town of Beit Ummar , north of Hebron .

Clashes erupted between the young men and the occupation forces in the town, causing many citizens to suffocate.

The young man, Muhammad Abdul-Karim Muhammad Bisharat, a resident of Tammun, was arrested while he was passing through the Hawara checkpoint, south of Nablus .

The Jerusalemite editor Qusay Dari was also arrested from his home in the town of Al-Issawiya in occupied Jerusalem .

Abdul Rahman Al-Bashiti was arrested in occupied Jerusalem, after his house was raided.

The Hebrew newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, said, on Friday, that Israel is facing a new security era, indicating that the next war will be different from the previous ones.

According to the newspaper, Israel is facing the end of the era of limited conflicts, and the beginning of a new security era represented by the real threat of war on several fronts at the same time, which means that the Israeli public must be aware that this war will be different from its predecessors.

The newspaper referred to the Megiddo bombing incident, and the bomber was killed before returning to Lebanon, noting that Israel avoids accusing Hezbollah directly, despite its belief from the first moment that it was primarily responsible for that, and that it recruited a Palestinian for that in order to distance itself from the attack, and chose a target near Jenin, not Nahariya or Safed, and he wanted to carry out the attack without a "signature", but he did not succeed.

It indicated that the current task of the Israeli army and security forces is to learn lessons that will prevent a similar attack.

The newspaper says that Israel is very disturbed by the Iranian interference in Lebanon, pointing to data provided by the Israeli security services regarding Tehran transferring 700 million dollars a year to Hezbollah, and 100 million to Hamas , all of which previously went to Islamic Jihad.

Israel considers that this dramatic change comes as a consolidation of the relationship between Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas, and the desire of all parties to carry out dangerous attacks, and work to help and strengthen Hamas in Gaza and its branch in Lebanon.

Yesterday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that Iran feels increasing self-confidence, in light of the West's lack of deterrence, which has increased its economic and military strength, calling for preparations for a war on several fronts simultaneously.

The family of Al-Quds newspaper and Al-Quds.com website, from their followers and from the general Palestinian people and the Arab and Islamic nations, extend their warmest congratulations and blessings on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr .

Two young men were killed, at dawn on Friday, in two murders in occupied Jerusalem and the occupied interior, on the first day of Eid Al-Fitr.

According to the Hebrew website Ynet, the young man, Ahmed Bashir (21 years old), was shot several times in the Shuafat refugee camp in Jerusalem, as a result of which he was killed.

Meanwhile, a security guard killed the mayor of al- Taybeh , Shuaa Mansour Masarwa, after being shot by unknown persons while he was in the mayor's house.

According to the website, the dead man was 25 years old, and he was from al-Maghar in the Galilee.