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.

The New Development Bank announced today (Thursday) that it has issued a record three-year green bond worth $1.25 billion, signaling the New Development Bank's return to international capital markets.

The New Development Bank stated that this is the first US dollar green bond issued by the bank, demonstrating its commitment to sustainable capital markets. The net proceeds from the bond issuance will be allocated to financing and refinancing eligible green projects .

The Shanghai-based bank, founded by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) in 2015, aims to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS countries and other emerging economies.

In 2021, the New Development Bank began expanding its membership and accepted Bangladesh, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay as new members.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday inaugurated the extraction of gas from a Turkish field in the Black Sea , in a move that comes a few weeks before general elections that the country will witness and in the midst of Ankara's efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in the field of energy.

The ceremony comes at a time when Erdogan is preparing for a frantic election, scheduled for May 14, which is seen as the most pivotal in Turkey's contemporary history.

Turkey had discovered quantities of gas off the coast of Zonguldak province, in a natural gas field, which Erdogan said was the largest in his country. According to the Turkish president, this field will contribute to reducing the country's dependence on energy imports.

In June, Turkey began construction of an underwater pipeline connected to the seabed from the port of Filius, about 400 km east of Istanbul on the Black Sea coast.

In a first stage, the facility will start extracting ten million cubic meters of gas per day.
"The total will reach 40 million cubic meters per day after the opening of new wells later," Erdogan said.

Experts say that extracting ten million cubic meters of gas per day meets about six percent of Turkey's annual consumption, which is estimated at sixty billion cubic meters, which gives a boost to the economy.
During the inauguration ceremony, which was broadcast live on Turkish television, Erdogan said, "It is a historic step on the path to the country's self-sufficiency in energy," according to what was reported by the official Turkish news agency Anadolu.

"When production reaches the maximum level, the gas extracted from the Black Sea will cover approximately 30 percent of Turkey's annual need," he added.

Last year, Türkiye received 40 percent of its gas needs from Russia. Turkey also imports gas from Azerbaijan and Iran, knowing that Ankara is looking for ways to diversify its sources of supplies, especially after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine last year.

Inflation in the country reached 50.5 percent, while the exchange rate of the Turkish lira is witnessing a significant deterioration, which has led to a high cost of living that is difficult for the majority of Turks to bear.

Several Arab and Islamic countries , led by Saudi Arabia, announced that tomorrow, Friday, is the first day of Eid Al-Fitr , while some countries announced that it falls on the day after tomorrow, Saturday.

Thus, the month of Ramadan, which began on Thursday, March 23, will be 29 days for the countries that announced the start of Eid al-Fitr on Friday, and 30 days for those who approved it on Saturday.

And the Saudi Press Agency reported that the Supreme Court announced that “tomorrow, Friday, is the first day of Eid Al-Fitr for this year 1444 AH, after the sighting of the crescent of the month of Shawwal was confirmed,” and thus the month of Ramadan will end on its 29th day.

In a related context, the UAE, Qatar, the Sultanate of Oman, Iraq, Yemen, Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Sudan announced Friday, the first day of Eid, after the crescent of the month of Shawwal was established as well, according to separate official statements by the Qatari and Emirati Crescent Investigation Committees, the Iraqi Sunni Court and the Yemeni Endowments.

Bahrain and Kuwait also announced the same position, according to two separate statements by the Sharia Vision Authority in the two countries. In turn, the Egyptian Dar Al Iftaa announced that tomorrow, Friday, is the first day of Eid Al-Fitr.

On the other hand, the Omani Endowment stated in a statement that Saturday is the first day of Eid Al-Fitr, after the crescent of Shawwal could not be seen, and Friday, which completes the month of Ramadan, will be 30 days.

Religious authorities in some Shiite-majority countries said that Friday is the completion of Ramadan, and therefore Saturday is the first day of Eid.

The office of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the highest Shiite authority in Iraq, Sayyid Ali al-Sistani, said that due to the lack of sighting of the crescent on Friday evening, "Saturday will be the day of Eid al-Fitr."

In Lebanon, Sunni Muslims celebrate the holiday on Friday, and so do the Shiites who imitate the late religious authority, Sayyid Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, while the rest of the Shiites celebrate the holiday on Saturday.

The blessed month of Ramadan began on Thursday, March 23, in 27 Arab and Islamic countries, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Palestine, and Muslim communities in France, Austria and the Australian continent.

Today, Thursday, writer, poet and translator Salma al-Jayousi (95 years old) passed away in the Jordanian capital, Amman, according to a statement published by the family on social media.

Al-Jayousi was born in 1928 AD to a Palestinian father and a Lebanese mother in Safed , Palestine, and grew up in the city of Acre , and in the Al-Baqaa neighborhood in West Jerusalem.

She grew up in Palestine, emigrated after the Nakba of 1948 and lived in Jordan. She studied high school at the German Schmidt College in Jerusalem, studied Arabic and English literature at the American University in Beirut, and obtained a PhD in Arabic literature from the University of London.

The late woman received many awards and honors from many countries in the world, and the General Union of Palestinian Writers and Writers issued her poetry collection, "Keep us safe with time."

In 2019, President Mahmoud Abbas awarded the late Kabira the Medal of Culture, Science and Arts in the Creativity category.

Today, Thursday evening, President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree pardoning the remaining custodial sentences for a number of convicts.

This decision comes on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr.

The United States announced Thursday that it had released an Algerian from Guantanamo and deported him to his country after he spent more than two decades in the American military prison on the island of Cuba .

Thus, the number of detainees in Guantanamo is reduced to 30, after this number had reached its peak to about 800 detainees.

The US Department of Defense (The Pentagon) said in a statement that Saeed bin Ibrahim bin Omran Bakush was transferred to Algeria after an official decision to release him was issued earlier this year.

She added that keeping Bakush, 52, in detention "is no longer necessary to protect the United States from a major and continuing threat to its national security."

Bakush was arrested in Faisalabad, Pakistan, in 2002, when the United States conducted a campaign during which hundreds of al-Qaeda operatives and fighters were arrested on suspicion of their involvement in the attacks carried out by the jihadist organization in the United States on September 11, 2001.

Although he was never considered more than a simple fighter in the jihadist organization and not directly linked to the attacks that bloodied the United States, the US military kept him imprisoned at the US military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Like the rest of his comrades, this detainee was considered an enemy combatant, which enabled him to be kept in this military prison outside the US justice system.

With his release, 30 detainees remain in Guantanamo, 16 of whom are eligible for deportation as soon as the United States finds countries that agree to receive them.

Today, Thursday, a number of civilians suffocated during the Israeli occupation forces' raid into Beita town, south of Nablus .

The mayor of Beita, Mahmoud Barham , said that the occupation forces stormed the eastern neighborhood of the town, and raided and searched a number of citizens' homes.

He added that clashes broke out in the town between the young men and the occupation forces, who fired live bullets and sound and gas bombs at them, which resulted in two injuries with live bullets, one in the shoulder, and one in the hand.

Moroccan singer Saad Lamjarred has been granted conditional release in Paris after he appealed his prison sentence for rape, his lawyers told AFP Thursday, noting that their client "will remain under judicial supervision" pending his new trial.

The lawyers said that the Paris Court of Appeal "accepted the request for release" submitted by his lawyers, Thierry Herzog and Jean-Marc Fedida, and that Lamjarred would be released on Thursday evening.

In the verdict issued against Lamjarred, who is famous in the Arab world, the Criminal Court in Paris, on February 24, expressed its “conviction” of the occurrence of the rape described by the plaintiff, Laura B. In the suit she brought "in a consistent and meticulous manner".

The plaintiff told the court that Lamjarred, whom she met in a nightclub in October 2016, had beaten and raped her in a luxury hotel room in Paris.

The Arab star was imprisoned as soon as the verdict was issued against him.
Lamjarred pleaded not guilty throughout the trial and appealed the verdict days after it was issued.

Lamjarred is also wanted for trial before the Criminal Court in the Var region, southern France, on the background of similar accusations related to supposed incidents that took place in the city of Saint-Tropez in 2018.

This artist was previously accused of rape in similar circumstances in New York and Casablanca, Morocco.

Agence France-Presse (AFP) recorded a profit of 1.2 million euros in 2022, a significant decrease on the basis of its previous annual performance, but it continued to record improvement thanks to commercial revenues that exceeded 200 million euros for the first time.

The agency said in a statement that in 2022, for the fourth year in a row, it achieved profits amounting to 1.2 million euros, a “sharp” decline compared to 2021 when it achieved record profits of 10.6 million euros, thanks to an agreement concluded with Google in particular regarding Neighboring rights, the value of which has not been disclosed.

However, in 2022, for the first time in the agency's history, commercial revenues crossed the 200 million euro mark, reaching 208.6 million euro.

This increase in commercial revenues - by about 5.3% - was due to "three strategic development axes", which are video and digital investigative reporting, in addition to the activity directed to companies and institutions.

State compensation for costs related to AFP missions related to the public interest amounted to 113.3 million euros, a decrease of 3.3% compared to 2021, which raised the total revenue to 321.9 million euros.

Operating expenses over the year increased by almost 4% at comparable exchange rates to €302.6 million, with “travel resumption after the pandemic”, “cost of covering the war in Ukraine” and “impact of global inflation”.

According to the agency, these elements affected operating profits, which decreased by 35% to 4.8 million euros compared to 2021 at similar exchange rates.
However, the debt reduction path continues according to plan.

The long-term debt, amounting to 50.2 million euros at the beginning of 2017, was reduced to 32.8 million in 2022. It is expected to be repaid in 2028.

However, it is feared that the year 2023, which is the last in the framework of the 2019/2023 Goals and Means Decade, will be more difficult, especially due to the rise in global inflation and the crisis experienced by important participants such as technology companies.

However, France-Presse believes that this "should not preclude the achievement of the objectives of the goals and means contract, or even exceed them in many cases."

Agence France-Presse is headquartered in Paris and employs 2,400 people in 151 countries. With more than 130 digital investigative journalists located around the world, AFP is a world leader in this sector.-AFP reported a profit of 1.2 million euros in 2022, down significantly on the basis of its performance. the previous year, but continued to improve thanks to commercial revenues exceeding 200 million euros for the first time.

The agency said in a statement that in 2022, for the fourth year in a row, it achieved profits amounting to 1.2 million euros, a “sharp” decline compared to 2021 when it achieved record profits of 10.6 million euros, thanks to an agreement concluded with Google in particular regarding Neighboring rights, the value of which has not been disclosed.

However, in 2022, for the first time in the agency's history, commercial revenues crossed the 200 million euro mark, reaching 208.6 million euro.

This increase in commercial revenues - by about 5.3% - was due to "three strategic development axes", which are video and digital investigative reporting, in addition to the activity directed to companies and institutions.

State compensation for costs related to AFP missions related to the public interest amounted to 113.3 million euros, a decrease of 3.3% compared to 2021, which raised the total revenue to 321.9 million euros.

Operating expenses over the year increased by almost 4% at comparable exchange rates to €302.6 million, with “travel resumption after the pandemic”, “cost of covering the war in Ukraine” and “impact of global inflation”.

These elements, according to the agency, affected operating profits, which decreased by 35% to 4.8 million euros compared to 2021 at similar exchange rates.
However, the debt reduction path continues according to plan.

The long-term debt, amounting to 50.2 million euros at the beginning of 2017, was reduced to 32.8 million in 2022. It is expected to be repaid in 2028.

However, it is feared that the year 2023, which is the last in the framework of the 2019/2023 Goals and Means Decade, will be more difficult, especially due to the rise in global inflation and the crisis experienced by important participants such as technology companies.

However, France-Presse believes that this "should not preclude the achievement of the objectives of the goals and means contract, or even exceed them in many cases."

Agence France-Presse is headquartered in Paris and employs 2,400 people in 151 countries. With more than 130 digital investigative journalists around the world, France Press is a world leader in this sector.

The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories, Chairman of the Supreme Ifta Council, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein , announced today, Thursday evening, that tomorrow, Friday, will be the first day of Eid Al-Fitr .

And the Mufti said, "In the meeting held by the Palestinian Dar Al Iftaa in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque to investigate the crescent of Shawwal for this year 1444 AH, it was proven that the crescent of Shawwal was sighted this night, and accordingly, tomorrow, Friday, will be the first day of Eid Al-Fitr."

And he added: "From the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, the first of the two qiblas, the second of the two mosques, and the path of the Messenger Muhammad, we congratulate the Muslims in the east and west of the earth, and we congratulate our Palestinian people in the homeland and diaspora, on the advent of this holiday, as we congratulate the Palestinian leadership, headed by President Mahmoud Abbas, calling on the Lord Almighty May He prepare for our nation goodness and guidance, honor and empowerment, and we ask Him, Glory be to Him, to bless us with the liberation of our land, our sanctuary, our extremities, and our captives.”

And the Mufti had announced that the date of the Eid al-Fitr prayer for this year 1444 AH will be at five thirty-five minutes in the morning, according to the winter time of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

He urged the citizens to visit the families of the martyrs, the wounded, and the prisoners, and to strengthen their support, in addition to communicating with their relatives and relatives, recalling the need to expedite the issuance of Sadaqat al-Fitr and the zakat of their money, noting that Sadaqah al-Fitr was estimated this year at ten shekels, or its equivalent in other currencies, and it must be paid before Performing the Eid prayer, in order to obtain its reward, and to make it easier for the needy to benefit from it, and delaying it beyond this date takes it out of the description of Sadaqat al-Fitr, to mere charity.

The Iranian Ministry of Defense has handed over to the army more than 200 new drones equipped with missile capabilities and electronic warfare systems, according to the official media announced Thursday.

In a televised ceremony, the Minister of Defense, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Qaraei Ashtiani, handed over "200 long-range strategic drones" to the Commander-in-Chief of the Army , Major General Abdul Rahim Mousavi , according to IRNA.

The agency stated that the drones produced by the Ministry of Defense are designed for reconnaissance and strike missions and can be equipped with "air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, and long-range bombs."

The United States and the European Union imposed sanctions on Iran over its drone program, accusing it of providing Russia with unmanned aerial vehicles for its war in Ukraine, a charge Tehran denies.

The Israeli occupation authorities released, this evening, Thursday, the prisoner Ahmed Muhammad Hassan Jalamneh from the city of Jenin , after he spent 20 years in the occupation prisons.

The editor, Jalamneh, said that the "Fatah" prisoners in the prisons of the occupation confirm their standing behind President Mahmoud Abbas, who stands firm on the constants and opposes all conspiracies targeting our national project.

He added that the prisoners call on our people and institutions to stand by them and continue activities in support of the family in light of the harsh conditions they live in as a result of the occupation policies, especially the deliberate medical neglect.

He said that the prisoners' message to our people is to unite and close ranks, as it is the only way and the most powerful weapon for our people in confronting the occupation and its crimes against our people.

The occupation authorities released the prisoner, Jalamneh, through Al-Dhahiriya checkpoint in Hebron, from Al-Naqab prison.

On Thursday, the Iraqi Prime Minister , Muhammad Shia al-Sudani, dismissed the security commander of the fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad, after he escaped from one of its prisons.

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The Prime Minister also ordered the closure of this prison attached to a police station located in the Green Zone.

The Green Zone is a heavily fortified area that houses state institutions, embassies, and the homes of senior political figures.

Saad Kambesh , the former head of the Sunni Endowment, which mainly administered Sunni shrines and mosques and other civilian property, was arrested on March 21 and soon sentenced to “four years in prison” after he was found guilty of “deliberately violating his job duties and causing damage to money.” general".

But the convict escaped from his prison.
Following "this incident and based on the report on the details of the escape," Al-Sudani decided to dismiss the commander of the Special Division, Lieutenant General Hamid Al-Zuhairi, due to the "weak measures" taken in this regard.

The prime minister ordered that "all negligent persons be held accountable and punished legally, and a re-evaluation of the performance of the security services."

On Wednesday, an official at the Ministry of the Interior, on condition of anonymity, said that eight officers and 18 policemen had been arrested in connection with this escape.

Al-Sudani ordered the "closure of the detention center at the Karrada Maryam police station inside the Green Zone, which witnessed the crime of escape, and the transfer of the convicts to the prisons of the Ministry of Justice, and the placement of the senior corrupt detainees in other detention centers, similar to the other wanted persons."

The prime minister also ordered the abolition of "any privacy in dealing with them as was usual, as the crime is one, and it cannot be divided or classified according to position and influence."

Prisoners inside this detention center enjoy a state of prosperity and special treatment, in contrast to overcrowding in other prisons, where the occupancy rate has reached "300 percent," according to the Ministry of Justice.

Iraq, which is rich in oil, is plagued by corruption that has infiltrated all aspects of the state. Condemnations often target junior officials, and rarely reach the very top.

Kempesh was dismissed from his position as head of the Sunni Endowment Diwan in March 2022, and before his arrest he assumed the position of deputy head of the Diwan.

Kambesh fled after a visit from his sister, Asmaa, a member of the Iraqi Parliament, who had breakfast with him that night.

Kempesh was convicted in April of buying a hotel in Erbil, in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, for more than $36 million, "although there was no economic feasibility" for this deal, according to the Integrity Commission.

French police fired tear gas Thursday in a village in southern France where President Emmanuel Macron visited a school, a day after he was booed in protest at a pension reform law.

And after facing angry voters in the Alsace region (east) on Wednesday, the 45-year-old president headed to the southern region of Erroux on Thursday to discuss education.

His visits outside Paris are meant to show his willingness to turn the page on unpopular pension reforms and show he is not trying to alienate voters, many of whom were angry at the way the legislation was passed.

He indicated that he wanted to "appreciate the teachers and increase their wages," saying from a school in the village of Ganj that they would receive an additional 100-230 euros ($110-250) per month after tax from September.

Ahead of his speech, police fired tear gas as hundreds of people chanting "Macron resign!" They blew their whistles, heading toward the school.
Local authorities announced a ban on "portable audio equipment", which a spokesman said targeted loudspeakers.

But the regional director of the Confederation General of Labor (CGT) Mathieu Guy told AFP that the demonstrators were also prevented from entering a safe area near the school, in possession of pots and flutes.
Macron's opponents on the left urged their supporters to knock on the pots during a speech on Monday night.

The pot ban sparked ridicule Thursday, with Communist Party spokesman Ian Brusatte saying he was "impatiently awaiting the legislation under which frying pans would be banned".

Macron stressed on Wednesday that raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 years is necessary to help France reduce its public spending in line with its European neighbors.

He signed the legislation into law on Friday evening after getting a green light in this regard from the Constitutional Court.

Other demonstrations took place Thursday, as union members entered the headquarters of the European "Euronext" stock exchange in one of Paris's main commercial districts.

Some railway workers resumed their strike on Thursday, leading to the cancellation of one in five regional trains and some transport services.

On Thursday, the French Foreign Ministry confirmed that Paris "does not have any candidate in Lebanon " for the presidency of the republic, and this came after Lebanese media reported possible French support for former minister Suleiman Franjieh for this vacant position six months ago.

"The Lebanese must choose their leaders," said ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre, referring to the message sent by Paris in recent months.

Lebanon has witnessed a presidential vacancy since the end of President Michel Aoun 's term on October 31, without an agreement among the deeply divided political class over his successor.
This political crisis exacerbated the country's economic stagnation.

The spokeswoman stressed that "the Lebanese authorities must assume their responsibilities and break the political stalemate in order to quickly elect a new president," adding that the vacancy "casts a shadow first on the Lebanese people."

Lebanon is witnessing one of the worst economic crises in the world since 1850, according to World Bank estimates, with a sharp rise in prices, a historic decline in the value of the national currency, unprecedented impoverishment of the people, and a serious shortage of basic commodities.

She added, "The matter is related to electing a new president and forming a government with full powers that will be able to implement the reforms that Lebanon and the Lebanese people urgently need in the face of the serious crisis they are going through."

The ministry indicated that France is in "many contacts with Lebanese political parties."
And calls for the International Monetary Fund to implement the necessary reforms to provide the necessary assistance to the country.