Jerusalem - "Al Quds" dot com - Today, Wednesday, the Israeli occupation forces stormed a neighborhood in the town of Silwan, south of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

According to press sources, the occupation forces stormed the Wadi Al-Rababa neighborhood and spread out in its lands and fields in large numbers.

Jenin - "Jerusalem" dot com - Ali Samoudi - Salah Abdullah Youssef Breiki (19 years old) was killed at dawn on Friday. 3 were injured and another young man was arrested during the Israeli occupation forces' storming of Jenin, which witnessed violent armed clashes, during which heavy explosive devices were thrown that shook the city.

Eyewitnesses reported to Al-Quds.com that special units of foreigners infiltrated the Al-Sibat neighborhood in the center of Jenin, and besieged it along with Dibbet Al-Atawi Street. Martyr Ahmed Alawneh.

Alawneh told Al-Quds.com that undercover soldiers stormed his house, searched him and arrested his son, Baraa (22 years), without knowing the reasons, especially since he is not wanted and lives a normal life.

Meanwhile, sirens sounded in the camp and city of Jenin with the storming of the occupation forces reinforced by more than 40 patrols, and the clashes and armed confrontations intensified between the army and the resistance fighters, who threw and detonated more than 20 explosive devices.

The occupation soldiers opened fire, injuring Breki, as the emergency doctors at Martyr Khalil Suleiman Governmental Hospital reported that he was hit by a bullet that penetrated the neck and exited from the shoulders, which caused complications that led to his death. Three young men were also injured by shrapnel.

During the operation, the occupation patrols chased motorcycles, shot their owners, and deliberately destroyed a number of them, while destroying the memorial to the martyr Muhammad Rakarneh.

Our correspondent monitored that the armed clashes continued until the withdrawal of the last patrol from Jenin, after which the resistance launched a new attack on Al-Jalama checkpoint and opened fire on it.

It is noteworthy that the martyr Briki shaved his hair in honor of the martyr Uday al-Tamimi during his pursuit.

The city and camp of Jenin witnessed angry symbolic marches for the martyr, in which the participants vowed the occupation to carry out more operations and revenge for the martyrs.

Beirut - (AFP) - The Lebanese pound recorded its lowest levels against the dollar in the parallel market, at a time when the country's political crisis is deepening, which prevents any reforms capable of pulling it out of the chronic economic collapse.

The exchange rate touched the threshold of 40,000 pounds against the dollar on Monday, according to applications and money changers, at the lowest level since the start of the economic collapse that Lebanon has been witnessing for three years, and the World Bank ranks it among the worst in the world.

Since the summer of 2019, the lira has lost nearly 95 percent of its value against the dollar, while the official exchange rate is still fixed at 1,507 pounds.

This coincides with an acute liquidity crisis, and banks stopped providing depositors with their money in dollars.

Banks and money transfer companies adopt different exchange rates.

The prolonged economic crisis is considered the worst in Lebanon's history.

And it is accompanied by political paralysis that prevents taking reform steps that limit the deterioration and improve the quality of life of the population, more than eighty percent of whom live below the poverty line.

The authorities have not yet succeeded in implementing reforms required by the international community to provide support in order to stop the bleeding.

The fund announced in April that it had reached a preliminary agreement with Lebanon on a $3 billion aid plan over four years.

However, its application is also linked to the government's commitment to prior reforms, including the unification of exchange rates.

This comes amid an acute political crisis, as the Lebanese parliament failed twice in a row to elect a new president for the country in light of deep divisions reflected by the lack of consensus among the political forces over the name of a successor to the current president, Michel Aoun, whose term of office expires at the end of this month.

Because of the same divisions that prevent consensus on a president for the country, the efforts of Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati to form a government have not borne fruit since the parliamentary elections that took place in mid-May.

The international community is pressing for the election of a new president within the constitutional deadlines to avoid deepening the economic crisis.

Nablus - "Jerusalem" dot com - The occupation forces continue to harass citizens in Nablus, for the tenth day in a row, by closing some roadblocks and roadblocks.

These forces closed most of the main and secondary checkpoints and prevented citizens from moving vehicles from inside or outside Nablus.

The occupation forces often prevent the movement of vehicles through various checkpoints and roads, especially in the villages in the south and east of the governorate.

An Israeli security source said that the siege on Nablus will continue as long as there is a need for it.

Washington (AFP) - With a slight decline in inflation, rising rents and a rebound in the price of gasoline helped keep consumer prices high in the United States in January, according to government data released Tuesday, indicating that the battle is far from over for makers. policies.

The US central bank has raised interest rates rapidly over the past year to increase borrowing costs and ease demand in the world's largest economy, while inflation has soared.

But even with the consumer price index, an important measure of inflation, falling from last year's levels, which were the highest in decades, the numbers point to difficulties.

As the entire economy feels the effects of central bank policies, the consumer price index rose 6.4 percent in January from a year earlier, according to Labor Ministry data.

The percentage is slightly lower than the figure recorded in December and is the lowest annual increase since October 2021.

But it remains well above policymakers' target of 2%.

From December to January, the consumer price index increased by 0.5 percent, compared to 0.1 percent in December, which indicates that the Federal Reserve still has to move.

The report stated that "the housing-related index was the largest contributor...as it constitutes about half of the monthly increase in all subjects." He added that the food and gasoline indices also contributed.

Excluding volatile food and energy, the core index has increased by 5.6 percent since January 2022, also the smallest increase in nearly a year.

US President Joe Biden said in a statement, "There is still more work to be done as we transition to more consistent and stable growth. We may see setbacks along the way."

He added that the recent data "confirm that we have made historic progress and that we are on the right track and we must complete the task."

While commodity prices have fallen as supply chain disruptions ease, a strong labor market is supporting wages and thus demand.

The basic figure fluctuated during the past months, as it fell to 5.6 percent in June, before rising to 6.6 percent in September and then falling again.

Meanwhile, analysts believe that the Federal Reserve is closely watching the costs of services, except for housing, food and energy.

"Policy makers have more work to do to mitigate inflation towards target and are likely to continue to raise rates and keep policy restrictive for some time," said Rubella Farooqui, US economist at High Frequency Economics.

Fed Governing Council member Michelle Bowman warned Monday that it would be "necessary (most likely) to tighten monetary policy further to bring inflation down toward our target."

She added that in light of the uncertainty associated with the economic outlook, "I expect that we will continue to face surprises due to economic and geopolitical developments and upcoming data."

Rome - (AFP) - Canadian director and producer Paul Haggis has been arrested in southern Italy on charges of sexually assaulting a young foreign woman, two Italian news agencies reported Sunday, quoting the public prosecutor.

The news agencies ANSA and AGI quoted the public prosecutor in Brindisi as saying that the director and screenwriter "is seriously suspected of committing crimes of sexual assault and bodily harm, with aggravating grounds, against a young foreign woman."
Haggis denied these accusations, saying through his Italian lawyer Michele Laforgia, "Initiate investigations as soon as possible, as I am completely innocent," according to the two news agencies.

AFP could not obtain additional information from the public prosecutor's office or from Laforgia on Sunday.

Paul Haggis, 69, who wrote and directed the movie "Crash", a work that won him several Oscars, was supposed to attend the "Alora Fest" film festival, which starts Tuesday in the city of Ostuni, located in the province of Brindisi.

The public prosecutor indicated that the alleged victim was with Haggis before the festival.

He explained that "the suspect forced the young woman, whom he met some time ago, to have sexual relations with him," adding that she "was forced to undergo medical treatment" as a result of one of these relationships.

AMMAN - (Xinhua) Zina Barhoum, the world-renowned Jordanian soprano and founder of the Amman Opera Festival, affirmed her deep admiration for China's ancient and unique civilization.

In an interview with Xinhua News Agency, Zina said that she firmly believes that there is still a lot of space to enhance cooperation between China and Arab countries in the field of culture and music.

Zina, who recorded her first album at the age of fourteen, added that she tried to learn the Mandarin language because she is very fond of the Chinese cultural scene and music.

She said, "The Chinese's unique embrace of their ancient civilization amazes me a lot, especially that they have introduced modern and advanced technologies into it, and the world should learn from them that they are wonderful people who work hard and intelligently.
"I admire the Chinese for their love of music and culture, and I respect them as dreamers," she added.
She pointed out that the Arab-Chinese cooperation has always been present at the level of the economy and in all fields, expressing her hope that there will be more cooperation in the fields of technology, artificial intelligence, music and culture to build bridges linking the world together.

The Jordanian artist said that she was invited to sing in China on several occasions.

She also released an album titled "Alcantara 2 Decorations in China" that highlights the song "Dream of the Silk Road" as a duet with Chinese artist Wang Chuanyu.

She indicated that she recorded the entire album in Jordan with the Sichuan Philharmonic Orchestra before its official release date, when she was invited to perform the song on the closing night of the Arab Arts Festival in Chengdu, explaining that it was the first time that she sang in Chinese.

The Jordanian soprano said that she had tried to learn Mandarin in the past, which helped her understand the phonetics of the language and the process of her learning the song with a teacher assigned to her by the Chinese embassy in Jordan before traveling to China.

The soprano said that singers and artists have a major role in building bridges between countries in the field of cultural cooperation, stressing the need for extensive cooperation with China.

She stressed that she focuses on the message of bridging cultures in a world of love and interdependence, and that she is honest with herself as an artist, noting that art speaks a universal language that everyone can understand, and that it transcends borders and breaks misconceptions. Simply put, art brings the world closer together, and that singers and artists represent their countries when they travel to perform.

She explained that the experience of cultural exchange teaches each artist a new cultural language and how to promote and build stronger relationships with the other through conversation on the cultural level.

The Sopranos said that her album, "Alcantara 2, an Ornament in China," seeks to shed light on the history of the ancient Silk Road and the connection of cultures between China and the Arab world.

She added, "The world to this day reminds us that love and teamwork are all we need in order to gain the strength to make a difference and fight any threat that humanity may face."

Geneva - (AFP) - Islamic thinker Tariq Ramadan will be tried next year on charges of rape before the Geneva judiciary, in incidents dating back more than 14 years, according to the Swiss Attorney General's office on Monday.

"The Public Prosecution confirms that the indictment has been submitted and that Mr. Tariq Ramadan has been referred to trial before the criminal court. The accused will be tried for rape and sexual coercion," a spokesman, Olivier Fransi, told AFP, confirming information published by Swiss public television.

In this case, the plaintiff, who has been called "Brigitte" in the media, accuses the Islamic thinker, who is now 60 years old, of luring her into a hotel room in Geneva on the evening of October 28, 2008, confirming that she was subjected to violent sexual practices accompanied by beatings and insults.

She converted to Islam after she met him a few months ago during a book signing session, and then during a conference in September. An intimate exchange of correspondence followed on social media. On the day of the accident, she was on a date with Ramadan to drink tea.

Ramadan's lawyer, Gorik Canonica, told AFP in Geneva on Monday that "the Public Prosecution was content with copying the complaint without including anything that would disqualify it. It will be up to the judges to completely acquit Mr. Ramadan, and we are quietly awaiting the trial."

The plaintiff filed a complaint with the judiciary in Geneva in April 2018. The public prosecutor opened an investigation in the same year.

"My client took this procedure and she is worried. She does not feel the desire for revenge, but she feels relieved and regains confidence in the institutions," said the victim's lawyer, Francois Zimray, noting that the verdict will be issued in the first half of 2023.

The investigation progressed slowly because it was not possible to question Ramadan, who was in pretrial detention in Paris on other rape charges. Immediately after his release in November 2018, he was subject to judicial control, which prevented him from leaving France. So the public prosecutor had to obtain the approval of the French judicial authorities to hear his statement in Paris.

This measure was later partially lifted, allowing Ramadan to attend witness hearings in 2020 in Geneva.
Ramadan's lawyers who filed a complaint against "Brigitte" for "slander" indicated that he met the woman but refrained from having sex.

In Paris, the public prosecutor's office in July requested that the Islamic thinker be prosecuted for the rape of four women, allegedly committed between 2009 and 2016. But in August, his lawyers asked for the directives to be suspended, as long as the appeals court did not rule on expert reports that concluded To the "effect" of Ramadan on the four plaintiffs.

Paris - (AFP) - Despite promoting itself as the first defender of user privacy, the American giant Apple group is facing a torrent of criticism about advertising ambitions that it intends to achieve, according to its competitors, by adopting striking measures on the principle of competition.

After it radically changed the trade of personal data on the Internet by banning cookies on its browser, the Apple group in the spring of 2021 entered the same market through mobile applications.

In concrete terms, the new system, called App Tracking Transparency, allows iPhone users to refuse to share advertising identifiers for their devices. As expected, the majority of users refused to allow trackers to monitor activities across the network.

Application developers (from the giant Facebook group to small startups) have thus lost the ability to target advertising directed at Apple customers, although these are classified as among the preferred advertising targets for advertisers because of their usually high purchasing power.

The update contributed to the collapse of part of the value of technology companies on the stock exchange. The Meta Group (which owns especially Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp), expected in early 2022 that this update would cause it lost profits of ten billion dollars during the year, and announced in November that it would lay off 13% of its employees.

"In fact, a large part of the profits in the mobile device sector pour into Apple," Mark Zuckerberg, head of the Meta network, said Wednesday during a conference organized by the New York Times, especially through commissions on paid applications and digital purchases.

Other groups that rely heavily on targeted advertising, such as Snap, owner of the Snapchat app, have also had to reconsider their plans and lay off employees following Apple's decisions.

However, the sector now intends to subject Apple before the courts.

In France, a pressure group linked to the online advertising sector hopes to achieve legal success in a lawsuit it filed before the Competitiveness Authority accusing Apple of abusing its important position.

In May 2021, the Commission's board had initially rejected a request by the pressure group to impose restraining measures on the American group, considering that Apple had not yet "implemented a practice that would potentially harm competition."

However, the judiciary continues to study the content of the complaint, especially on the basis of the principle of self-preference, meaning that Apple adopts more flexible rules with its applications.

The head of the "Digital Alliance" association active in the field of e-marketing, Nicolas Riolle, expressed Thursday his regret that things are "not moving at the required speed in the face of the very strong effects on competition," noting that similar judicial measures were taken in Germany and Poland.

In parallel, the "France Digital" association, which includes application developers, filed a complaint against Apple before the French Authority for the Protection of Personal Data.

While Apple does not announce any figures on its advertising revenues, estimates by Wedbush Securities analysts indicate that Apple's annual revenue from the App Store is approximately $4.5 billion.

Studies expect that these revenues will rise to $30 billion in 2025, especially if Apple adds ads to its Apple TV service or Maps application. It will then occupy the fourth position in the digital advertising sector behind Google, Facebook and Amazon.

However, Apple relied heavily on building its image on respecting privacy, emphasizing on giant posters that its applications do not collect personal data.

"It is very good that each side is committed to data confidentiality, but it should not be false propaganda," Romain Robert, director of programs at the privacy advocacy association NEOP, told AFP.

Two developers specializing in information security recently revealed that Apple is able to track users' browsing through the App Store, without them having any possibility of rejection.

After this information, a class action lawsuit was filed against Apple in California on November 10. In response to questions from AFP on the matter, Apple declined to comment.

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - Today, Wednesday, Palestine won the fifth place in the " Kuwait International Competition for Memorizing, Reading, Reciting and Reciting the Noble Qur'an", with the participation of 115 contestants from 80 countries from all over the world.

The Minister of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, Sheikh Hatem Al-Bakri, stated , "The young Moataz Hefzy Abu Sneineh, the reciter of the Ibrahimi Mosque, ranked fifth in the branch of recitation and recitation of the Holy Qur'an."

He said: "The Ministry of Awqaf pays great attention to centers for memorizing the Holy Qur'an and its recitation, and that this victory is added to a series of successes achieved by the Ministry in international and local competitions, which previously won first and advanced ranks."

BRUSSELS - (AFP) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron expressed a desire for calm during a Thursday-Friday night meeting in Brussels after the differences that emerged publicly between Paris and Berlin.

And the German Chancellor said at the end of the first day of a European summit that led to a joint road map to try to reduce energy prices, that "the cooperation between Germany and France , as well as between the chancellor and the president, is intense and fruitful."

In response to a question about the disagreement with the French president, who on Thursday doubled his criticism and warned Germany against isolation, Schulz said that he meets Macron "constantly" and has now set a date for a next meeting with him, Wednesday, in Paris.

But this meeting will be held next week instead of the French-German cabinet, which was postponed due to disagreements over a number of issues.
Schultz stressed that he "did not feel isolated in any way" during the long and arduous talks on the energy file.

Macron Schulz was in great disagreement when they arrived Thursday at the European Union meeting and held a private meeting that lasted half an hour, without advisers, before they met the other leaders of the bloc countries.

In statements to reporters, the French president expressed his satisfaction that this meeting "allowed many things to be clarified" in order to "obtain Germany's approval" of the final text, stressing that France played its "role" by creating "unity between positions."

"We do not always adopt the same positions, and this is normal," he added, trying to downplay the importance of the differences that the French side talked about before and during the summit.

Translation by "Jerusalem" dot com - Walla Hebrew website said, on Tuesday evening, that the United States intends to pressure Israel to reconsider the instructions for opening fire in the West Bank .

According to the site, the United States will ask Israel to take steps that will reduce the risk of harm to Palestinian civilians and protect journalists, in order to prevent incidents such as those that the Palestinian-American journalist Sherine Abu Aqleh was subjected to, which was confirmed by the US State Department deputy spokesman in Daily press briefing.

Yesterday, an Israeli officer said in a press interview that the investigation into the Abu Aqelah case showed that there was no deviation from the instructions for opening fire, and there were no defects in the process.

And identical sources reported a few weeks ago that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken had requested, in a phone call with Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, that Israel reconsider the instructions to open fire in the West Bank.

من المقرر ان تجري في مطلع الشهر القادم، اي بعد ايام قليلة ، انتخابات الكنيست للمرة الخامسة في اقل من اربع سنوات، مما يدل على ان الاسرائيليين أنانيون ويفضلون المصالح الخاصة على العامة، لأن الانتخابات مكلفة وتثير التوتر والارتباك في صفوف الذين عليهم واجب ومسؤولية الانتخاب.
الا اننا وأرضنا اصبحنا مسرحا لهذه المعركة السياسية، ويتنافس المرشحون على اظهار تعصبهم ودعمهم للتطرف لكسب الاصوات، وتجيء ونحن بالمقدمة ويتنافس المرشحون على التطرف ودعم الاستيطان والتوسع وتجيء والقدس الشرقية التي ضموها بالقوة بعد الاحتلال، في مقدمة هذه المنافسات، حيث يتسابق المرشحون الى الحديث عن تهويد القدس والتوسع الاستيطاني في داخلها ومحيطها. ويتنافس هؤلاء في تقديم عروض اغراء لصالح الجماعات الاستيطانية وكسب اصوات اعضائها، وذلك بالبيانات والمنشورات الانتخابية التي تؤكد «يهودية» المدينة والتوسع الاستيطاني فيها، ورفض اية مقترحات او مطالب باعادة تقسيم المدينة او تدعيم الوجود الوطني الفلسطيني فيها.
وان كانت هذه هي مطالبهم فإن مواقفنا واضحة وقوية ولن يتمكنوا من الغاء وجودنا فنحن باقون صامدون واعدادنا تتزايد رغم كل التحديات!!

الشهيد رابي عرفة اقوى نموذج للمعاناة والصمود

الشاب رابي عرفة اغتالته رصاصة اسرائيلية على معبر في محافظة قلقيلية، وكما يقول والده، فقد كان من المقرر ان يتم عقد قرانه يوم غد الجمعة ، الا ان رصاص الغدر حوّل حفل الزواج الى مأتم لتشييع جثمان هذا الفتى الذي قضى في مقتبل العمر.
ويقول الوالد قدرنا ان نعيش على هذه الارض وتحمل ظلم الاحتلال والحصار والجدار وندفع فاتورة باهظة وهي فاتورة الدم النازف والجرح المؤلم ونحن نرى فلذات اكبادنا يتم اغتيالهم بدون اي مبرر او سبب.
ان هذا الشاب يعتبر نموذجا حادا للمعاناة والآلام التي يعاني منها ابناء شعبنا، وهم رغم كل ذلك متمسكون بالارض والحقوق والدفاع عن الوطن والمستقبل.
لك ولامثالك من الشهداء كل الرحمة يا رابي، ولأهلك وعائلتك واصدقاءك كل المحبة والدعوات بالصبر وتخفيف آلام هذه المعاناة القاسية ولوطننا كل التضحية، والحق والدفاع عنه بكل الوسائل وكل المجالات لأن هذا الوطن الذي يمثل نموذجا لا مثيل له في كل انحاء العالم، يستحق التضحية، والدفاع القوي لدحر هذا الاحتلال الذي لا يعرف قانونا ولا مشاعر انسانية ولا حقوق ولا يفهم غير لغة الغطرسة والقوة، وسيجيء اليوم الذي يدرك فيه ان هذه السياسة العمياء قصيرة النظر، مصيرها الزوال بالتأكيد.

Ramallah - "Alq - We are working within a strategic partnership with the Palestinian government and people to achieve economic growth and long-term development goals," said Kanthan Shankar, Director of the World Bank in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and North Africa. Shankar added in an interview with the "Today's File" program on TV: "We have many Among the programs that contribute to achieving economic growth and building state institutions, in addition to projects that address direct needs, especially developmental ones, and that support the steadfastness of the Palestinian people. It focuses on achieving economic diversification, strengthening resilience, achieving long-term development goals in the Palestinian territories, addressing the conditions of the poor, vulnerable and marginalized groups, especially at this stage of rising prices, achieving social protection for them and enabling them to obtain job opportunities and employ youth. To move from emergency programs to strategic plans, to promote development and development in Palestine, and to empower the private sector. Palestinian Radhi, pointing out that the investments implemented by the Bank in several areas such as energy and electricity, in addition to investment in the health sector in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, show the extent of the important achievements made by the Bank in the region, whose role is not limited to providing services to the Palestinian people only, but also work Partnership with the Palestinian government on the reform agenda and providing a suitable environment for the public and private sectors. Shankar pointed to the issuance of a report from the World Bank several years ago confirming the opportunities that can be invested in developing the economy in Area C and benefiting from it in achieving economic growth through investment in these areas Pointing to projects that will be implemented in Area C based on mutual understandings and agreements, for example the projects implemented by the World Bank in Area C.

Hebron - "Jerusalem" dot com - Today, Sunday, at least 3 civilians were injured by Israeli occupation forces' bullets, along with dozens of students and young men who suffocated, during clashes in separate areas of Hebron, south of the West Bank.

According to a medical source at Al-Ahly Hospital, a 19-year-old man arrived at the hospital with moderate injuries, while another young man was injured by rubber bullets and several others suffocated during clashes in Al-Zawiya area in the center of Hebron.

In Arroub camp, a 12-year-old boy was wounded with a rubber bullet in the eye, and was taken to Beit Jala Hospital for treatment.

Clashes broke out in the camp, causing dozens of students to suffocate as the occupation threw gas bombs.

Large numbers of the occupation forces were present at the entrance to the camp, and prevented the citizens from leaving.

Clashes also broke out on the Halhul Bridge, the northern entrance to Hebron, while the occupation soldiers positioned themselves at the entrance to Al-Shuhada Street, and fired stun grenades and poison gas at young men and shops in the area.

New York - (AFP) - Major US banks achieved strong results at the end of 2022, propelled by higher prices and market volatility, but they expected the economy to deteriorate and allocated more money to deal with potential defaults.

And the largest of them, JPMorgan Chase, considers that the most likely scenario is a “moderate recession” starting from the last quarter, while “Citigroup” and “Bank of America” indicated the possibility of a “deterioration” in economic prospects, and Wells expected Fargo said the economic environment was "less favorable".

In preparation for the eventual inability of their customers to pay their debts, banks have built up their reserves by $1.4 billion at JPMorgan Chase, $640 million at Citigroup, $403 million at Bank of America, and $397 million at Wells Fargo. .

Meanwhile, banks continued to reap profits, albeit at times less than achieved in 2021.

Thus, net profit in the fourth quarter increased by 6% to $11 billion at JPMorgan Chase and by 2% to $6.9 billion at Bank of America.

But it fell 21% to $2.5 billion at Citigroup and 50% to $2.9 billion at Wells Fargo.

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said the US economy remains "strong now, with consumers continuing to spend their money and businesses in good shape."

He emphasized that the negative effects of the Covid pandemic continue to fade. But he stressed that there were still many uncertainties about the "end effects" of geopolitical tensions such as the war in Ukraine, the fragility of energy and food markets, inflation and the key rate hikes initiated by the US Federal Reserve.
Dimon stressed that the bank will remain "vigilant and prepared for all possibilities."

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - The Central Bureau of Statistics said that the number of workers in economic institutions operating in the private and civil sectors in Palestine within the economic activities during 2021 reached 524,263 workers (349,539 workers in the West Bank, 174,724 workers in the Gaza Strip), with an increase It is 3.8% compared to 2020.

The statistics reviewed, in a statement issued today, Thursday, the relative distribution of activities in 2021, as the internal trade activity contributed the largest percentage to employment, at a rate of 39.4% of the total number of workers, followed by the services activity at 30.8%, and the industry activity contributed at 22.1%, while the activity contributed 22.1%. Financial and insurance activities contributed by 2.8%, while information and communication activities contributed by 1.8%, followed by construction activities and transport and storage activities by 1.6% and 1.5%, respectively.

The number of workers was distributed among unpaid workers (employers and members of their families) at a rate of 34.4% of the total number of workers, and wage workers at a rate of 65.6%, and they received compensation in the amount of $2,743.3 million.

The statistics showed that the production achieved in the economic institutions in Palestine (excluding Jerusalem) recorded an increase of 9.6% compared to 2020, and its value amounted to 14,385.0 million dollars (12,292.6 million dollars in the West Bank, 2,092.4 million dollars in the Gaza Strip), as for the relative distribution of activities in the year 2021; The industry activities contributed 34.7% of the total production, while the internal trade activities contributed 31.6%, compared to 20.7% the contribution of service activities, while the financial and insurance activities contributed 7.4%, information and communication 3.5%, and the contribution of construction and transportation activities reached and storage by 1.3% and 0.8%, respectively.

The results of the statistics showed that the added value achieved by economic institutions amounted to $9,755.1 million for the year 2021, and it witnessed an increase of 9.7% compared to 2020. This mainly resulted from easing the measures taken to limit the spread of the Corona virus in Palestine. As for the relative distribution of activities in 2021 The internal trade activities recorded the highest contribution to the added value at a rate of 38.3%, followed by industry activities at a rate of 24.7%, while services activities contributed at a rate of 23.5%, while the contribution of financial and insurance activities amounted to 7.7%, and information and communication activities at a rate of 3.9%, in addition to The contribution of construction, transportation and storage activities to the total value added amounted to 1.0% and 0.9%, respectively.

بكين - (شينخوا) قال بنك التصدير والاستيراد الصيني، إنه قدّم قروضاً بقيمة 920 مليار يوان (حوالي 136.47 مليار دولار أمريكي) لصناعة التجارة الخارجية في النصف الأول من العام الجاري، بزيادة نسبتها 22 بالمائة على أساس سنوي.

وأضاف البنك أنه وبنهاية شهر يونيو الماضي، ارتفعت قروض البنك غير المسددة لقطاع التجارة الخارجية بنسبة 19 بالمئة مقارنة بالعام السابق، لتسجل 2.68 تريليون يوان.

وقال البنك إنه سيعمل بنشاط على تعزيز العرض الائتماني وزيادة الدعم للاقتصاد الحقيقي في النصف الثاني من العام الجاري.

ويعتبر بنك التصدير والاستيراد الصيني، بنكاً سياسياً تموله وتملكه الدولة، يدعم التجارة الخارجية للصين، والاستثمار والتعاون الاقتصادي الدولي.

Translation by "Jerusalem" dot com - The Israeli army revealed, on Monday morning, that it had uncovered a tunnel for Hamas that had been dug from the northern Gaza Strip towards Kibbutz Alumim, adjacent to the border.

According to the Israeli army, the tunnel, which was dug tens of meters underground, did not penetrate the new security barrier, and its construction was completed a year ago, and did not pose a threat to any of the Israeli settlements.

The commander of the Gaza Division in the Israeli army, Nimrod Aloni, whose term ended today, said that during the past weeks, his forces worked to target the tunnel branching from two fronts, indicating that he crossed the old border security fence, but did not cross the new one, and that he did not pose a threat at any stage.

He pointed out that the tunnel was destroyed in Operation "Guardian of the Walls/Saif al-Quds," but recently efforts were made to restore its old route, and after conducting audits, two branches of the tunnel were found.

Aloni said that thwarting the tunnel and neutralizing it is part of a long line of overt and covert operations that have seriously damaged the Hamas tunnels project, and which will continue to be pursued.

Budapest - (AFP) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Friday that the European Union had "shot itself in the chest" by imposing sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine, calling on EU leaders to adjust their policy in this regard.

"At first I thought we had just put a bullet in our foot, but the European economy has put a bullet in the chest and suffocated," Orban told national radio.

He added, "There are countries involved in the policy of sanctions, but Brussels must admit that they were wrong, that (sanctions) did not achieve their goals, and even on the contrary, they had side effects."

Orban was a fierce opponent of the embargo on the bulk of Russian oil, which was imposed by the European Union in early June as part of the sixth package of its sanctions against Russia. The union made a concession to Orban by excluding the oil that arrives through a line supplied by Hungary.

He said the Hungarian Prime Minister that "Brussels believed that the policy of sanctions will harm the Russians, but it causes more damage to us."

Hungary, which imports 65% of its oil and 80% of its gas, declared on Wednesday a "state of emergency" to deal with the energy crisis.

In particular, the measures stipulate that individuals who consume more gas and electricity than the average must pay the price of the excess quantity at the market price and not at the rate adopted in the country.

Orban continued in his radio interview, "We are forced to make (individuals) pay a higher price, otherwise the system is no longer viable."

For its part, Russia has sharply reduced gas deliveries at a time when Russian giant Gazprom Group confirmed on Wednesday that it is unable to guarantee the proper functioning of the now-stopped Nord Stream gas pipeline that supplies Europe with gas, saying it is unable to confirm whether it will restore a German turbine running. Fix it in Canada.

Translation by "Jerusalem" dot com - The Israeli General Security Service " Shin Bet " announced, on Tuesday, the arrest of 8 Palestinians, residents of Ramallah and Qalandia camp , for allegedly carrying out a series of recent shootings.

According to the Shin Bet's statement, the arrests took place in the past weeks, and the weapons used in the attacks were seized, and no injuries were reported.

She pointed out that among the detainees, Bilal Al-Barghouti and Ahmed Aqel, residents of Beit Rima, carried out two shooting attacks in the village of Nabi Saleh on two different dates, last year and the current one, and one of them carried out a shooting attack at a settler vehicle near the village of Rawabi.

Among the detainees, Hassan and Alaa al-Manasra, from Qalandia camp, carried out a shooting attack at the Qalandia crossing, while Ahmed Abu Arida, from the camp, opened fire at another Israeli point.

Also, among the detainees , Jibril Al-Zubaidi and Muhammad Al-Mahrouq, carried out a shooting attack towards the Beit El settlement in the middle of December 2018.

The statement claimed that their arrest led to the removal of a real threat.

Governorates - "Jerusalem" dot com - A number of citizens were injured, this evening, Wednesday, during clashes with the Israeli occupation forces in Barqa and Sebastia, northwest of Nablus , and in the village of Al-Janiyah, west of Ramallah , and the town of Beit Ummar and the Al-Aroub camp, north of Hebron.

In Hebron, dozens of citizens suffocated in clashes with the Israeli occupation forces, which erupted at the entrance to Al-Aroub camp. Dozens also suffocated during clashes that broke out in the Al-Zahr area, south of the town of Beit Ummar, near the "Karmi Zur" settlement, which was built by force on the citizens' lands. During which the occupation army fired live bullets and tear gas canisters at the citizens, which led to dozens of suffocation. They were treated in the field.

And in Nablus, dozens of citizens suffocated from tear gas, today, Wednesday, during clashes with the Israeli occupation forces in Cyrenaica, northwest of Nablus.

The mayor of Sebastia, Muhammad Azem, said that the occupation forces stormed Al-Bayader Square in the town of Sebastia, amid heavy gunfire and tear gas canisters, which led to the injury of a number of citizens.

Today, Wednesday, the Israeli occupation authorities renewed the arrest of the secretary of the Fatah movement in Jericho and the Jordan Valley , Nael Abu Al-Assal , for the fifth time in a row, after he was scheduled to be released on Thursday.

It is mentioned that Abu Al-Assal has been in Raymond prison, and he has been administratively detained for a year, and he was previously arrested three times.

Jerusalem - "Jerusalem" dot com - Three children, including a baby girl, suffocated this evening, Thursday, as a result of inhaling tear gas fired by the Israeli occupation forces, during clashes that broke out in the Ras al-Amud neighborhood in occupied Jerusalem .

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Jerusalem reported that its crews transported three children, including a 7-day-old baby, from Ras al-Amoud neighborhood, who were suffocated by tear gas canisters fired by the occupation soldiers towards the citizens and their homes.

It added that more of its crews headed towards the neighborhood, after dozens of injuries were reported with rubber-coated metal bullets and suffocation.

Local sources reported that clashes broke out in Ras al-Amoud neighborhood, adding that the occupation forces arrested Louay Alqam after raiding his house and assaulting his family in the neighborhood.

In Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, settlers attacked citizens and smashed the windows of several vehicles, under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces, who arrested two young men after assaulting them.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society in Jerusalem said that its teams dealt with 18 injuries to citizens in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, after the settlers attacked them under the protection of the occupation forces.

Local sources reported that large groups of settlers stormed the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, under the protection of the occupation forces, and attacked the residents of the neighborhood, throwing stones at their homes and smashing the windows of several vehicles.

The sources added that the citizens repelled the settlers' intrusion, which led to clashes with the Israeli occupation forces, who fired tear gas and sound bombs at the citizens and their homes.

A special translation by "Jerusalem" dot com - Jared Kushner , advisor to former US President Donald Trump , and his son-in-law, revealed that the latter was frustrated with then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , and that he considered supporting the leader of the Blue and White Party, Benny Gantz, publicly, to take over the position Prime Minister before the March 2020 elections.

In his book, which will be published in full on the twenty-third of this month - as reported by the Hebrew Walla website - Kushner indicates how bad the relationship between Trump and Netanyahu was at that time, and how enthusiastic the former was about Netanyahu's political opponent, Benny Gantz, after their meeting on the twenty-seventh of September. January 2020, on the eve of presenting a plan to resolve the conflict with the Palestinians.

Kushner indicated that Trump was frustrated by Netanyahu's speech during the presentation ceremony of the "Deal of the Century" at the White House on January 28, 2020, when he announced that he would work to annex the Jordan Valley and settlements in the West Bank, which - according to Kushner - was not something Trump absolutely agrees.

Kushner pointed out that he specifically asked Israel's ambassador to Washington at the time, Ron Dermer, for Netanyahu to deliver a short speech that did not touch on political matters, indicating that what was stated in Netanyahu's speech and style at the time was not appropriate, and it was an election speech to his voters and presented the plan in a distorted way.

And Kushner indicated that he felt uncomfortable with the Arab ambassadors who attended the ceremony to express their support for the Trump plan, when they heard Netanyahu's speech about annexation, indicating that there would be a balanced plan with concessions from both sides, and this is not the deal as described by Netanyahu in his speech.

Kushner says in his book that when the party ended and he returned to the Oval Office, Trump expressed his disappointment and frustration with Netanyahu, and Trump said at the time: "Bibi gave an election speech ... I feel dirty."

Kushner indicated that after the meeting between Trump and Gantz a day before the ceremony, the former US president praised the leader of the Blue and White party, who was competing with Netanyahu at the time, and said that he loved him very much.

Kushner said that shortly before the election in March 2020, Trump called and asked if he should take the unusual step of publicly supporting Benny Gantz's candidacy for prime minister.

A former senior White House official told the Hebrew "Walla" website that Kushner and former US envoy at the time, Avi Berkowitz, advised Trump not to interfere in the Israeli elections and to deal with the outcome, whatever it was.

Trump, in an interview with Walla website reporter Barak Ravid in April 2021, expressed his deep hope in Netanyahu after he showed his disloyalty to him, and congratulated Joe Biden after winning the 2020 elections, and then said Trump about Netanyahu, "Let him go to hell." .

Trump plans to run for the US presidency again in 2024.

Ramallah - "Al Quds" dot com - The Palestinian Presidency affirmed today, Monday, the full support of the State of Palestine for any decisions taken by the Saudi leadership to preserve its sovereignty and protect its rights.

It also affirmed the position of the State of Palestine led by President Mahmoud Abbas, and the Palestinian people, alongside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its sovereignty under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and his Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman.

The presidency said: "Our confidence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as king, government and people, and its firm positions in supporting the Palestinian cause and preserving our sacred rights and a just solution to the issue, which was confirmed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in his recent speech, and its adherence to the Arab initiative that guarantees Palestinian rights, foremost of which is the preservation of Jerusalem and its sanctities."

The Presidency reiterated its full confidence in the Kingdom's decisions to preserve its sovereignty and preserve its rights, and to defend the rights of our Arab nation, at the forefront of which is our Palestinian cause.

And she affirmed that the State of Palestine, the leadership and the people, stands with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, just as Saudi Arabia has always stood by the Palestinian right, stressing "our complete rejection of the policy of dictating to the Kingdom and influencing its policies that preserve and preserve the Saudi right."

Washington - (AFP) - The US Senate has approved a federal budget bill that includes $45 billion in aid to Ukraine and is scheduled to be put to a vote in the House of Representatives in the coming hours.

The $1,700 billion budget was adopted in the Senate by 68 votes to 29. It is expected to be approved without problems in the House of Representatives on Friday, in order to avoid paralysis of state institutions, starting from the evening of the same day, if Congress does not adopt the text in both houses.

Representatives hope to pass the text, which covers the fiscal year ending in September 2023, before the end of the day, although some disagreements over minute details could keep them in Washington, which is threatened by a winter storm that could cause transportation chaos.

"This bill must pass because it will benefit families, our veterans, our national security, and even the integrity of our Democratic institutions," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said before the vote.

In fact, the bill includes an amendment to a law dating back to the nineteenth century. It has come to stipulate that the US vice president cannot interfere directly in approving the election results.

And former President Donald Trump took advantage of the ambiguity of the old text to indicate that his deputy, Mike Pence, could have stopped Joe Biden’s assumption of power after his unrecognized victory, and this was one of the elements that led to the storming of the (Capitol) building on January 6, 2021. .

Trump, a candidate for the 2024 elections, described the text Thursday as "terrible (...) and full of left-wing disasters, Washington's betrayals and marketing of special interests."

This budget is supposed to finance the work of the US federal state institutions, from the police to diplomacy, the armed forces, economic policy, and others, until September 2023.

The approval of the text in the House of Representatives is not in doubt, with a Democratic majority in it for a few more days, and the day after the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was welcomed by the vast majority of members of Congress.

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy called on members of his caucus to vote against the bill in order to postpone the vote and take advantage of a wider margin when returning from the holidays when the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives emanating from the mid-term elections takes over.

But Republican senators largely ignored the call, giving Democrats about two dozen votes to pass the text Thursday afternoon.

A dispute over the issue of immigration nearly toppled the text on Wednesday night.

Democrats and Republicans have clashed over the border policy approved during Trump's era to limit immigration, and conservatives want to keep it. But hours of grueling behind-the-scenes negotiations eventually paved the way for a vote on the text Thursday.

"We have a difference of opinion on immigration policy. We're not going to resolve that in this budget," Democratic Senator Chris Murphy told reporters on Wednesday night.

He added that "allowing this dispute to stop aid to Ukraine intended to keep people alive during the cold winter (...) is completely unimaginable."

PAL Sport Agency - Within the competitions of the fourth week of the Central Junior League, and on the grounds of Faisal Al-Husseini Stadium, the Beit Hanina Al-Maqdisi club team achieved an important victory over the brothers, the Al-Bireh cultural team, with a score (2-0), after a strong and enjoyable match from the two teams, and with this victory The Beit Hanina team scored three new points, bringing our total score to seven points, in second place, in partnership with Al Thaqafi.

The goals of Beit Hanina were scored in the second half of the match, after the first half ended in a goalless draw, despite many opportunities that the team was unable to exploit. The cultural, while the second goal came with a beautiful header from the player Abdullah Al-Shweiki, which was made for him from a fixed ball executed by the player Mahmoud Al-Zaghal.

Amman - “Al-Quds” dot com - The Arab Bank Group achieved positive results during the first half of the current year 2022, as net profits after tax amounted to $252 million, compared to $182.4 million as of June 30, 2021, achieving growth. by 38%, while the group maintained a strong financial position, with equity amounting to $10.2 billion.

The credit facilities showed a growth of 6% by the end of the first half of the year 2022, to reach $35.7 billion, compared to $33.8 billion in the same period of the previous year, and this growth is in line with the bank’s prudent strategy in Expansion by offering products and services to a wide range of customers while maintaining geographical and sectoral diversification, while customer deposits increased to reach 47.1 billion US dollars as of June 30, 2022, compared to 46 billion by the end of June 30, 2021, with a growth rate of 2%.

The continued increase in deposits in most of the regions in which the bank is present reflects its competitiveness by focusing on a diversified and stable deposit base.

Commenting on these results, Sobeih Al-Masry - Chairman of the Board of Directors stated: “The positive results achieved by the bank in the first half of the year 2022 reflect the sustainability of the growth process and evidence of the successes achieved by the bank in diversifying sources of revenue, despite the remarkable acceleration In global inflation rates, which affects the performance of the banking sector

For her part, Randa Al-Sadiq - Executive General Manager of the Arab Bank - explained that the Arab Bank Group achieved good operational performance, recording an increase of 6% in its various business sectors as a result of an increase in net interest income by 4% and net commissions by 17%, in harmony. With the bank's strategy to diversify sources of income and provide appropriate financing solutions that meet customers' needs, in addition to the bank's continued control of operating expenses.

Al-Sadiq indicated that the growth in operating profits is based on a solid asset base and is supported by high liquidity levels that take into account achieving better profitability, as the loan-to-deposit ratio reached 75.9%, while the non-performing loan coverage ratio exceeded 100%.

Al-Sadiq indicated that the group maintains a strong capital base, most of which is concentrated within the basic capital, as the capital adequacy ratio, according to Basel III instructions, reached 16.4%, which is higher than the minimum required according to the instructions of the Central Bank of Jordan.

Al-Sadiq added that, as part of the bank's strategy, in which digital transformation is a fundamental axis, the bank continued to launch a series of integrated banking programs and solutions that are enhanced with the latest services and digital channels to provide a distinctive banking experience within the highest levels of ease and security for various segments and sectors.

The Arab Bank has recently launched interactive banking applications that are the first of their kind in Jordan, including the “ArabiNext” application dedicated to the small and medium-sized companies sector, and the “Arabi Junior” application targeting children and adolescents, in addition to issuing continuous updates to the first “Reflect” application, Neobank. In Jordan, it includes new additional features.

In conclusion, Sabih Al-Masri confirmed that the Arab Bank possesses integrated banking experience that extends for more than ninety years in dealing with all variables and circumstances that enabled it to achieve sustainable profits, praising the efficiency of the bank's business model locally and regionally.

In continuation of the institutional approach adopted by the bank in the context of integrating the concept of sustainability in its comprehensive strategic sense within the bank's business and activities, the Arab Bank recently issued a sustainability report for the twelfth year in a row. ,

It should be noted here that the bank continued to win international awards to embody its prestigious position in the banking sector regionally and globally, as it was recently awarded the “Best Bank in the Middle East for the year 2022” award presented by the international magazine “Global Finance”. Headquartered in New York, for the seventh year in a row

Lesbos Island - (AFP) - Port police announced Wednesday that they had found the body of a child "in a state of advanced decomposition" on the southern coast of the Greek island of Lesbos, one of the main entry points into Europe for migrants from neighboring Turkey.

The body was found on "the coast of Ayios Ermogenes in the south of the island, and it was transferred to the hospital in Mytilene (the island's capital), where an autopsy will be performed," according to a coast guard statement.

The statement stated that 54 people were arrested on December 9 near these coasts, including a woman who said that her child had fallen into the water before they landed on the island.

A two-month-old baby was found dead on Friday in the same area when a rubber boat carrying migrants, mostly from Africa, capsized. 32 people were rescued and transported to Mytilene during operations by the Coast Guard.

Many migrants fleeing war and poverty risk their lives by trying to cross a few nautical miles between the Greek islands in the eastern Aegean Sea and Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean.

The International Organization for Migration reported that 368 people have died or gone missing in the eastern Mediterranean since the beginning of the year, compared to a total of 111 people in 2021.