Today, Sunday, the Israeli occupation forces carried out a raid and search campaign in the village of Rummana, west of Jenin.

Local sources stated that the occupation forces renewed their raid into the village of Rummana, and raided the home of Mahmoud Abu Bakr, and searched him under the pretext of searching for his son, Kamel, as he was not in the house. They also raided a club and barbershop belonging to the citizen, Rabah Abu Hammad, and checked the identities of his customers, while a young man from the Ighbariya family was handed a report to review its intelligence services.

The occupation forces set up a military checkpoint in the vicinity of the schools, and began searching citizens' vehicles and checking their identity cards, which led to clashes, during which sound bombs and metal bullets were fired, without any injuries reported.

Bethlehem - "Jerusalem" dot com - Najeeb Farraj - The prisoner Jawad Jawarish , who is detained in the occupation prisons , resorted to declaring an open hunger strike about a week ago, because he was not allowed to meet his two captive brothers Abdullah and Orabi inside the prison, protesting against this repeated method.

The prisoner Jawad has been in the occupation prisons for 20 years, and he is sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of belonging to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of Fatah movement, while the two brothers Abdullah and Orabi have been in administrative detention for a year and a half, and they are residents of the city of Bethlehem and the authorities did not allow them By meeting each other, and this is not the first time that the two brothers have been administratively detained, as they have previously been administratively detained more than four times for the first, and five times for the second, and throughout these years they were not allowed to meet.

The forbidden meeting without limits

In this regard, Muhammad al-Zagloul, head of the Freed Prisoners Association in Bethlehem Governorate, says that the two brothers Abdullah and Orabi have not been able to visit their brother since his arrest or see him on the pretext of security ban, and now they are being administratively detained for more than five years on intermittent periods without allowing the three brothers To meet even while they are inside prisons, and this is not the first time that prisoner Jawad has tried to meet with his brothers. In 2016, he demanded this, and his request was rejected. Arrests were repeated, and the Prison Service’s position was repeated not to allow them to meet. Jawad, from Ashkelon prison, declared his hunger strike until he responded to his request and instead In order for the occupation forces to back down from their decision, they isolated him in a solitary cell in a scene that perpetuates their racist and fascist decisions, and he is determined to continue the strike until his just demand is fulfilled.

Endless racism

Zaghloul added that the situation of the three brothers and the decision to prevent them from meeting each other is further evidence of the difficult situation of the prisoners and the policies of its fascist administration, which have no justification for such a measure.

And he continued: If this administration claims that the reason is security, then this is a lie and slander, so what is the security danger that could result from three brothers gathering in the same room or the same section while they are restricted in their freedom, and under strict security control measures.

And he continued: This is nothing but a mere part of the policy of oppression and collective punishment, such as that practiced by detaining the bodies of the martyrs and preventing their families from saying goodbye and guiding them, according to religious and social custom, as it is a punishment for the family and the loved ones of the martyrs.

Security decision

Al-Zagloul considered that the policy of preventing prisoners from meeting their siblings or sons of prisoners in prisons is repeated constantly, and it is not easy for them to meet with each other. Rather, the Prison Service plans, by a decision of its intelligence, not to allow this, and if some of them are allowed, it is not easy for that to happen.

He pointed out that the prisoner Khalil Abu Aram, who has been imprisoned since 2002, was forced to go on hunger strike for more than a month after he was prevented from meeting his son Ahmed, who was administratively arrested, and there were also more measures to suppress the prisoners, including preventing them from meeting their children who came to life. Through smuggled semen, this is in addition to a number of other repressive measures to isolate prisoners and prevent them from socializing with their families, such as the security ban, and not participating in the funerals of their loved ones, but preventing them from doing so inside prisons is considered the most fascist measure. as described.

The head of the Freed Prisoners Association in Bethlehem called for organizing the widest popular campaigns to support the prisoner Jawarish in his strike so that his just demands are met.

Al-Bireh - "Al-Quds" dot-com - The national campaign to recover the bodies of the martyrs and the municipality of Al-Bireh opened today, Thursday, the mural of the martyr's mother, which embodies the hope of hundreds of mothers of martyrs whose bodies are held by the occupation, for the funeral of their martyr sons in a manner befitting their national and human dignity.

The artwork was drawn by the artist Fouad Al-Yamani and inspired by the image of the Palestinian photographer Alaa Badarneh by Hajja Najma Hamdouni, who worships the Jenin district, mourning her son, the captive martyr Yasser Hamdouni, who rose after 14 years in the occupation prisons.

This action comes as the occupation continues to detain the bodies of 118 male and female martyrs since the return of the detention policy in 2015, in addition to 256 martyrs in the number graves.

The mural was painted on the wall of the new Al-Bireh secondary school for girls / opposite the Ammar tower in the city of Al-Bireh.

BEIJING (Xinhua) -- A new study said that in the absence of vaccines for the Omicron mutant , extending the vaccination period between doses may contribute to halting the rapid emergence of this sub-mutant of COVID-19.

The study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine earlier this month, was led by Gao Fu, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the study, the researchers evaluated levels of neutralization against the original SARS-CoV-2 and sub-variants of Omicron including BA.4 and BA.5 in blood samples collected from people who had received three doses of Chinese inactivated vaccines, three doses of a ZF2001 protein subunit vaccine. , or two doses of inactivated vaccines boosted by ZF2001.

The results showed that in each vaccine group, levels of neutralizing antibodies against all Omicron sub-variants tested were significantly lower than levels against the original strain of the virus, indicating that said sub-variants have the ability to evade immune protection.

But for ZF2001, the researchers found that levels of neutralizing antibodies rose as the interval between the second and third doses increased, particularly against sub-Omicron variants.

For vaccine recipients who had a four- to six-month interval between the second and third doses, their neutralizing antibody levels were approximately a factor 10 higher against the original variant and about 30 higher against all of the Omicron sub-variants, compared to those with a one-month interval between doses.

The authors explain that the better performance of ZF2001 is due to its use of its receptor-binding domain as an antigen, which can induce increased levels of neutralizing antibodies against sub-Omicron variants by administering multiple booster doses.

ZF2001 was jointly developed by the Institute of Microbiology under CAS, and Anhui Qifei Longcome Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd. China granted conditional market approval for the vaccine in March.

The sub-Omicron variant has become a dominant strain of COVID-19 worldwide, causing cluster infections in China, where regions including Beijing, Tianjin and Shaanxi have recently reported locally transmitted COVID-19 cases of the Omicron variant arriving from abroad.

According to the study, in order to better protect against immune evasion of current and potential future pandemic variants, there is still a need to develop updated vaccines as boosters.

JERUSALEM - (Xinhua) - The Israeli Foreign Ministry today (Thursday) summoned the Mexican ambassador, Mauricio Osuncaro, over the attack on its embassy in Mexico City by Mexican demonstrators.

"We take the incident very seriously, and we expect the Mexican government to live up to its international obligations," the ministry said in a statement.
"We will raise the matter to the Mexican ambassador," she added.

The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth said that Mexican demonstrators attacked the Israeli embassy in Mexico City during protests demanding that Israel extradite a former senior official wanted in connection with the disappearance of 43 students in 2014.

The newspaper pointed out that the demonstrators demanded the extradition of the former head of the Criminal Investigation Agency, Thomas Zeron.
She added that the demonstrators wrote "Free Palestine" and "Death to Israel" on the walls.

Zeron, who has been in Israel since 2019 and is seeking asylum, faces allegations of serious wrongdoing surrounding an investigation into the disappearance of 43 students in 2014, and the misappropriation of more than $50 million.

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - Today, Thursday, President Mahmoud Abbas received the first copy of the Palestinian "biometric" passport .

This came during the President's inspection tour of the headquarters of the General Passports Directorate of the Ministry of Interior, to see the progress of work on issuing the Palestinian "biometric" passport according to the latest internationally approved specifications.

The President said, This is good news for the Palestinian citizen, and it is a source of pride for all of us that the new Palestinian passport works in accordance with the highest international standards approved by the most prestigious countries in the world.

United Nations (United States), (AFP) - The United Nations extended Monday, for at least two months, the exemption of 13 Taliban officials from the travel ban, but this extension did not include two officials in the movement responsible for the educational sector in the country, according to a diplomatic source. .

Since the extremist Islamic movement assumed power in the country last summer, the international organization has been extending this exemption every three months, but this time the extension came in the interest of 13 out of 15 officials in the movement.

The two officials who were denied this exemption are Acting Assistant Minister of Education Saeed Ahmed Sheidkhel and Minister of Transcendence by designation Abdul Baqi Basir Awal Shah, better known as Abdul Baqi Haqqani.

According to the source, these two ministers no longer benefit from the exemption from the travel ban issued against them.

This exemption, which aims to allow the Taliban to trade abroad with other countries, expired on Monday.

These two ministers are now banned from traveling abroad, in the first severe reaction by the United Nations to the dramatic set back of women's and girls' rights in Afghanistan.

According to the diplomatic source, the decision was taken by the United Nations sanctions committee in charge of Afghanistan, which is represented by the fifteen members of the Security Council.

Diplomats told AFP that after arduous negotiations between the 15 members of the UN Security Council, a compromise was reached that provides for extending the exemption for the thirteen Taliban leaders by "60 days + 30 days."

Given the current situation in Afghanistan, some countries supported removing the exemption entirely, but other countries, somewhat close to Afghanistan, did not agree to adopt this hard line, according to diplomats.

Niamey - (AFP) - Niger , which is a major supplier of uranium to the European Union, is facing difficulty in securing resources from this ore due to low prices, the difficulty of exploiting reserves, and international investors who appear very greedy at times.

In response to a question by Agence France-Presse, the Nigerian Minister of Mines, Jacob Hadizato Oseni, regrets that "the global uranium industry is witnessing a continuous trend of falling prices."

He mentioned in particular the "environmental pressure" after the Japanese Fukushima reactor disaster or the exploitation of "rich deposits in Canada in particular."

In practice, this means that work has stopped since 2014 at the huge construction site of the Imurarin field, which was supposed to produce five thousand tons annually for 35 years, "due to market conditions," as explained by the French "Orano" group, which was supposed to manage the site.

The former Areva group recently reduced its operations in this country, which secures 20 percent of Europe's uranium needs.

And last year, the company "Kominac", one of its subsidiaries that has existed since the seventies of the twentieth century in the desert region of Arlit, stopped its activities after running out of resources.

The production of its second site, which is managed by its subsidiary “Sumer”, decreased, with 2,000 tons extracted in 2021, compared to 3,000 tons nine years ago.

Does this mean the end of Nigerien uranium? And the answer: not necessarily.

After years of decline, prices are witnessing some increase, as the price per pound of uranium has reached $50, a figure far from the $110 in 2007, but higher than the prices recorded at the end of 2010.

"Prices are low compared to the cost of production, and a large number of mines have been closed for this reason," a French expert in this field, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP.

He added, "The recovery today is slow and in the long term, there are great needs, especially for power plants in Russia or China."

And this future whets the appetite of global companies.

Chinese, Australian, American, British, Italian, Canadian, Indian and Russian companies have obtained exploration permits in recent years.

"Today we have 31 concessions for uranium exploration and 11 valid uranium mining permits," Nigeria's minister of mines told AFP.

On November 5, the Global Atomic Corporation conducted its first token extraction to announce the start of uranium mining at its site, about 100 kilometers south of Arlit.

It promised to pump about 121 billion CFA francs (184.4 million euros) into building a mine in 2023.

Nigerian President Muhammad Bazoum confirmed at the end of last year that "uranium (...) is open to those who have the technical ability to exploit it."

He told a French expert, "There is a future for uranium in Niger, but not necessarily with France."

Historically, Niger has not benefited much from the richness of its soil. In 2020, its contribution to the national budget did not exceed 1.2 percent.

This issue turned several times into a political and economic confrontation with the former French colonial power.

In 2007, President Mamoudou Tanga demanded an increase of up to 40 percent in the purchase price of uranium by the French company Areva.

His successor, Mahamadou Issoufou, a former Areva employee, was furious that uranium revenues, of which his country is the fourth largest producer in the world, constituted no more than "five percent of national budget revenues" at the time.

In 2014, after lengthy negotiations, an agreement was signed under which Niger would get better benefits by building the giant Imorarine mine, which is still waiting.

Ali Idrissa, coordinator of the Niger Network of Transparency and Budget Analysis Organizations, a coalition of NGOs, confirms to AFP that "there is no win-win partnership: Niger did not have a profit from uranium exploitation."

Chiroma Isami Mamadou, a Nigerian expert, says that uranium "brought nothing but ruin to us (...) and all the benefits to France," referring to the almost complete monopoly by "Urano" (formerly Areva) for nearly half a century.

"Since the establishment of mining companies in Niger, until the end of 2021, Niger has benefited from 85 percent of the direct economic repercussions of mining companies, which consist of mining fees, taxes and other fees, and profits," Orano says, in response to a question by AFP.

The French company adds that it has invested tens of millions of euros "in projects to improve the health of the population, the education of children, access to water, and the economic development of municipalities in the regions where the mining sites are located."

Amman-"Jerusalem" dot com- The Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Jordan, Nayef Bandar Al-Sudairy, sponsored yesterday the graduation ceremony of students with disabilities on scholarships from the diploma program at the Hashemite University , which was held at the "Nazik Hariri" Center for Special Education.

The ambassador affirmed the interest and care of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Muhammad bin Salman, for this dear group of people with disabilities, whether from the Kingdom or others around the world. He said: The celebration held by the attaché in the presence of children with disabilities is only a simple expression of the Saudi human values represented by the wise leadership that pays great attention and support to this category.

In turn, the cultural attaché, Dr. Issa Al-Rumaih, that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia attaches great importance to persons with disabilities through the establishment and development of institutions to provide an appropriate environment that facilitates coexistence with disabilities by providing treatment, education, rehabilitation and job opportunities and empowering them in various fields that are commensurate with their capabilities, and giving them priority in benefiting from public and private services as well In the cultural, voluntary, recreational and other fields, which contributes to development, construction and social participation in accordance with the Kingdom's 2030 vision, stressing the keenness of the Cultural Attaché at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Jordan to educate society about the rights of people with health, social and educational disabilities to consolidate the concept of equal opportunities between the individual and society as part of the humanitarian duty the National.

For his part, the President of the Hashemite University affirmed the university's interest in students with disabilities, not in a specific college or department, but rather the result of the participation of the university's faculties, units and employees. In Jordan, headed by His Royal Highness Prince Raad bin Zaid, to express his pride in the Hashemite community today as a friendly university for people with disabilities, and even described it as a legend with its achievements, efforts and aspirations.

The representative of the owners of the "Nazik Al-Hariri" center, Muhammad Al-Sheikh, also affirmed the center's belief in the rights of its children with disabilities to receive the highest levels of care and rehabilitation that they need in order to reach their full potential and abilities that enable them to be independent and self-reliant.

The Sheikh expressed his pride in the qualitative partnership with the Hashemite University and the Cultural Attache, and in announcing that the first batch of students with disabilities obtained certificates of training courses and professional diplomas accredited by the Hashemite University for the professions that were trained in the Nazik Hariri Center.

The ceremony included a video showing artistic skills for Saudi students with disabilities, such as weaving skills, making perfumes, and playing the piano. It also included musical segments and theatrical dance performances by students with disabilities.

At the end of the ceremony, graduate students with disabilities from the diploma program from the Hashemite University were honored.

The ceremony was attended by many official figures and parents of students with disabilities.

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - Minister of Transportation and Communications Assem Salem said today, Tuesday, "The Jordanian authorities have begun working to take measures to facilitate travel through the Karama Crossing / King Hussein Bridge in an easy and comfortable way that respects the dignity of our people."

Salem stressed, in an exclusive interview on Voice of Palestine Radio and Palestine TV, that there is a Palestinian-Jordanian interest in developing work on the crossing, and the need to transfer the modern Jordanian experience in managing airports to it.

He added, "Jordan will modernize some of the buses operating on the bridge, up to their complete modernization, with an increase in the number of baggage handlers from 7 to 30." Available and using only two windows.

Salem added that the Jordanian government will begin, starting next year, to work on building a modern and modern bridge at a cost of $200 million, with international support provided, provided that its construction will be completed within two years.

He added that work is underway to establish a public intercity bus company to provide modern and fast service to citizens.

Regarding fuel subsidy mechanisms for the public transport sector, the Minister of Transport and Communications explained that subsidy will be transferred through bank accounts after canceling the cycle system due to the need for months to operate it.

Doha - (AFP) - Qatar announced on Wednesday that it will cancel the requirement that those wishing to travel to it possess a negative result for a Covid examination, starting from November 1, that is, 20 days before the start of the FIFA World Cup in the emirate.

And the Qatari Ministry of Health said in a statement that, starting next Tuesday, “the submission or presentation of a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result or rapid antigen test will be canceled for all visitors before traveling to Qatar.”

And the 2022 World Cup, which Qatar will host from November 20 to December 18, will be the first major global sporting event to be watched by large audiences since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

More than a million fans are expected to flock to the Gulf emirate to attend the matches.

In its statement, the Ministry of Health stated that it will also cancel, starting next Tuesday, the requirement to “perform a rapid antigen examination or a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for citizens and residents after arriving in the State of Qatar.”

Currently, both citizens and foreigners must undergo one of these two examinations within 24 hours of their arrival in Qatar.

As of November 1, no foreign tourist will be able to enter Qatar if they do not have a Haya card.

As for the “Ehteraz” application to trace contacts of people with Covid, which all residents of Qatar must now download on their phones in order to be able to enter any closed public place such as metro trains or commercial centers, it will no longer be compulsory, starting next Tuesday, except in health centers exclusively.

The ministry said that these updates were decided especially "in light of the continued decline in the number of cases of Covid-19 virus infection around the world and in the State of Qatar."

KUNMING, (Xinhua) -- Fossils of dinosaurs have been discovered in 9 local sites in the province since the end of 2020, said the information office of the government of southwest China's Yunnan Province on Wednesday.

The bureau added that urgent excavation work for the fossils of the aforementioned dinosaurs will be conducted by the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The fossils, which are located in Lufeng City, Wuding County, and Shuangbai County, Zhuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, respectively, were superficially buried, and the bone shapes could be easily identified, said Chen Jun, deputy director of the provincial natural resources department, adding that several fossils were exposed to the surface due to rains.

A preliminary survey showed that one group of dinosaur fossils in Shuangbai County dated to the middle and late Jurassic period, while the other fossils dated to the early Jurassic period.

More than 410 sets of dinosaur fossils have been excavated in Chuxiong Prefecture since 1938.

Tehran - (AFP) - Iran reiterated on Saturday, through its foreign minister, its denial of supplying weapons to Russia "for use in the Ukraine war", stressing its position not to support one party against another.

Kiev and a number of its Western allies have recently accused Moscow of using Iranian-made drones to target Ukrainian regions.

The issue is expected to be discussed at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday.

During a call with his Portuguese counterpart, João Gomes Cravinho, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said, "The Islamic Republic has not and will not provide any weapons to be used in the Ukraine war," according to the Tehran Foreign Ministry on Saturday.

And he considered that "arming any of the parties to the crisis will lead to prolonging the war... We did not and will not consider war the right path, whether in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria or Yemen."

In a call with European Union Foreign Minister Josep Borrell on Friday, the Iranian minister stressed that the "defense" cooperation between Moscow and Tehran is not linked to the Russian invasion of Ukraine that began on February 24.

"We have defense cooperation with Russia, but our policy towards the war in Ukraine is not to send weapons to both sides of the conflict, to stop the war and to end the displacement of people," he said.

Ukraine accused Moscow on October 10 of using Iranian-made drones as part of several deadly strikes by Russian forces across Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said that Russia used such drones to target energy facilities on the same day.

In September, Ukraine reduced the Iranian diplomatic presence in Kiev against the backdrop of the marches issue, in a move that Tehran regretted and considered based on "baseless" reports.

And last month, the United States announced imposing sanctions on an Iranian company over the transfer of drones to Russia.

Washington - "Al Quds" dot com - (AFP) - The United States condemned Russia's plan to accelerate the naturalization of residents of Ukrainian regions, and saw the move as a new attempt to subjugate the population.

US State Department spokesman Ned Paris said that the plan is part of "Russia's attempt to subjugate the Ukrainian people and impose its will by force... This is something we strongly express our rejection of."

Kiev (Ukraine) - (AFP) - The conflict in Ukraine, where mystery still surrounds the fate of the last soldiers holed up in the Azovstal plant in Mariupol, will be strongly present during Thursday's meeting between the US President and the leaders of Sweden and Finland, which seek to join NATO to meet from Moscow.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is also holding talks with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, whose country joined the alliance in 1949.

On the other hand, Sweden and Finland have just started the procedures for joining NATO with their formal candidacy on Wednesday.
US President Joe Biden "strongly welcomed the historic nominations of Finland and Sweden to join NATO."

White House spokeswoman Karen Jean-Pierre said that Biden will receive Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto on Thursday in Washington.

The two countries are historically non-aligned, but they have radically changed their position since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, which led to a radical change in public opinion, which was reluctant to join NATO.

Finland shares a border of more than 1,300 km with Russia.
Pending the completion of the accession process, which may take months and requires unanimous alliance members, the White House said in a statement, "While their application to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is being considered, the United States will work with Finland and Sweden to prepare for any threat to our common security and confront any aggression or aggression." threat of aggression."
While Western countries close ranks in an attempt to contain the ambitions of Russian President Vladimir Putin in other countries, battles continue in Ukraine, especially at the Azovstal Steel Plant in the strategic coastal city of Mariupol in the southeast of the country.
And the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that "959 (Ukrainian) fighters, including 80 wounded, surrendered and were captured" since Monday. Ukraine declined to comment on this information.
Denis Pushilin, a pro-Russian separatist leader, said that "the leaders and fighters of the Azov (battalion) have not yet left" from this complex, stressing that about a thousand members of this paramilitary unit involved in the Ukrainian army are still in the factory.
And Ukraine confirmed last week that more than a thousand Ukrainian soldiers, including 600 wounded, are in this huge complex, which is considered the last bastion of resistance to the Russian forces in the city, which was destroyed by the battles.
The Ukrainian General Staff said on Wednesday morning that the Russian army was focusing its efforts "on surrounding our units near Azovstal" with artillery and air strikes.
And on the streets of Kiev, residents saluted the "supermen" who are fighting at this factory. Andrei, 37, said they had "achieved the impossible".
Full control of Mariupol, on the Sea of Azov, would be a major advance for Russia. It allows it to link by land between the Crimea peninsula in the south, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014, and parts of the Donbass region in the east controlled by loyalists to Russia.
However, the head of the town of Mariupol, Vadim Boychenko, confirmed in early April that the city was destroyed by "90 percent," while 40 percent of its facilities could not be repaired.
"The Russians are stealing in Mariupol. The occupiers are now trying to put the port into service again to export millions of dollars worth of grain and steel products," the city's municipality said on Wednesday evening via Telegram.
A US official, who asked not to be named, said on Wednesday that "Russian officials admit that Russian forces are committing dangerous practices in the city, including beating and electrocuting officials in the city while looting homes," while confirming that they "liberated Russian-speaking Mariupol."
He added, "Russian officials are concerned that these practices may encourage the people of Mariupol to resist the Russian occupation even more."
The Ukrainian authorities and foreign bodies are conducting investigations regarding several accusations of war crimes and practices by Russian forces. The International Criminal Court has sent 42 investigators and experts to Ukraine on its largest field mission.
Ukraine's Prosecutor General Irina Venediktova said at the end of April that "more than 800" alleged war crimes had been identified in Ukraine.
Almost three months after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the trial of a 21-year-old Russian soldier, accused of killing an unarmed 62-year-old civilian at the end of February, began in Kiev.
This is the first trial of a Russian soldier on charges of committing a war crime since Moscow's forces entered Ukrainian territory on Wednesday in Kiev. The soldier accused of killing a civilian pleaded guilty, admitting all the facts attributed to him.
The soldier faces up to life in prison.
For its part, the Kremlin said that it had no "information" about this trial, nor about the accused, stressing that the numerous accusations of war crimes against the Russian army were "false or fabricated."
Venediktova said that the appearance of the soldier is "a clear indication (...) that no executioner will escape justice," stressing that more than 11,000 investigations into war crimes have been opened.
The war continues on Earth. In eastern Ukraine, "the occupiers bombed 43 towns in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions," killing "at least 15 civilians," according to what the Ukrainian army announced on Wednesday evening.
The Russians are trying to record a breakthrough near Popasna towards Severodonetsk, one of the large cities that the Ukrainians still control in this region, according to a local official.
The Ukrainian General Staff said Thursday morning that the "occupiers" launched an offensive near Severodonetsk "without success" in their endeavor.
A spokesman for the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Alexander Mutuzyanak, said on Wednesday that the Russian army is trying to "encircle and defeat the Ukrainian armed forces in order to fully control Donetsk, Luhansk and Kherson."
Eastern Ukraine has been the main target of the Russian forces since their withdrawal from the vicinity of the Ukrainian capital at the end of March.
In Russia, one person was killed and others injured in the southwest of the country after an attack on a village on the border with Ukraine, the governor of the Kursk region said Thursday.
"Another enemy attack on Teutkino took place at dawn, which unfortunately ended in tragedy. So far, there is at least one civilian dead," Governor Roman Starovoit said on Telegram, adding that others were injured and receiving medical care.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sought reassurance in his daily video message on Tuesday evening, "The Armed Forces of Ukraine (...) will liberate our land step by step. How long will it take? Only the actual situation on the battlefield will answer this question. We are trying to achieve this as quickly as possible." ".
In this atmosphere, the talks between Moscow and Kiev are not making any "progress", as confirmed by the Kremlin on Wednesday, accusing the Ukrainian negotiators of a "total lack of will" to reach a political settlement.
The day before, the Ukrainian presidency said the talks had been suspended because of Russia.
On the diplomatic front, the United States reopened its embassy in Kiev, which it closed before the start of the Russian attack.
Simultaneously, the Kremlin announced the expulsion of 34 French, 24 Italian and 27 Spanish diplomats in response to the expulsion of Russian diplomats shortly after the start of the Russian invasion.
Paris condemned the Russian decision "strongly", while Rome considered it "hostile", and Madrid rejected it.
However, these response measures do not undermine the determination of Western countries to help Ukraine by providing it with weapons and financial aid.
Zelensky expressed his "gratitude" for the "new exceptional financial assistance" proposed by the European Union, amounting to "nine billion euros in 2022."
Brussels offered a plan worth 210 billion so that the European Union can abandon "as soon as possible" the imports of Russian gas.
The finance ministers of the Group of Seven will hold meetings on Thursday and Friday in Germany, and will study, in particular, ways to support the Ukrainian budget during the current season, as well as combating the rise in food prices.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Moscow not to obstruct Ukrainian grain exports and Western countries to allow Russian fertilizers to reach world markets.

Jerusalem - Pal Sport Agency / Under the special royal patronage of King Abdul Bin Al Hussein, and with the support of His Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein Bin Abdullah, Jerusalem divers from Al Quds Al Sharif will head early next month to Aqaba, with the support of Jerusalemite youth, carrying a message of loyalty and belonging to brotherly Jordan and His Majesty .

The divers appreciated the patronage of His Majesty, who loves diving and its fans in Aqaba, where, under the guidance of King Abdullah, divers will enter the Aqaba crossing by land.

Jerusalem - The Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Turkey, Dr. Fayed Mustafa visited the Palestinian delegation participating in the World Cake Championship held in Istanbul. He was received by the head of the delegation, a member of the Executive Dump of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, Dr. Nizar Talib, members of the participating delegation, and the head of the Turkish Kickboxing Federation. The ambassador praised the honorable results of the Palestinian delegation and the remarkable presence of the delegation in terms of sports and administration.

For his part, the President of the Turkish Federation stressed the continuation of joint cooperation between the Turkish and Palestinian federations through the Palestinian embassy.

At the end of the meeting, Nizar Talib for the Palestinian ambassador, the shield of the Olympic Committee, on behalf of Lieutenant General Jibril Rajoub, Chairman of the Palestinian Olympic Committee.

A translation of "Jerusalem" dot com - Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army , Aviv Kochavi , said Monday evening that his forces have arrested 1,500 wanted men since the start of Operation "breakwater", which began in recent months, and that they have thwarted hundreds of attacks.

Kochavi said in a speech to a special conference of the Israeli General Staff, following the conclusion of the "Chariots of Fire / Month of War" maneuver, that one of the reasons for the increase in attacks in the West Bank stems from the Palestinian Authority's loss of control and rule over some areas of the northern West Bank mainly, which have turned into fertile ground. for the growth of "terrorism".

He stressed that his forces, in light of the current situation, will continue their operations in order to protect the Israelis and thwart any attacks, saying: "We will reach every city, neighborhood, alley, house or basement in order to achieve this and restore security. Our activity will continue and we are ready to increase it as needed."

AMMAN - (Xinhua) - The snow storm paralyzed traffic in Jordan between the governorates as a result of the snowfall in the high mountainous areas, with a thickness of 20 centimeters.

And the heights of the governorates of Ajloun and Jerash in northern Jordan, in addition to the governorates of Tafila, Karak, and Maan in southern Jordan, were covered with a white blanket of snow, as a result of the Kingdom being affected by a snow storm associated with a deep depression affecting the region, which led to snowfall at intervals from yesterday (Tuesday) until this morning (Wednesday). ) was 20 cm thick.

As for the capital, Amman, it witnessed snowfall, but in quantities that amounted to 8 centimeters, and it soon began to melt due to the heavy rains.

And local media reported that snow and rain are still falling throughout the Kingdom, especially the northern, central and southern regions, accompanied by very fast winds and thick fog, especially in the high areas.

The accumulated snow led to the closure of some of the main roads between the governorates and the link with the capital, Amman, as the mechanisms of the Ministry of Public Works and Municipalities have been working since last night to open them, according to a statement by the Public Security Directorate, which stated that most of the roads are passable with caution, except for the Asfour Gap road in Jerash Governorate and the Safout road. In Balqa Governorate, work is currently underway to open them.

And the Jordanian Prime Minister, Bishr Al-Khasawneh, decided to delay the start of working hours for all ministries, official departments, institutions, public bodies, official universities, municipalities, joint services councils, the Greater Amman Municipality, and companies wholly owned by the government today, due to the prevailing weather conditions.

While the Ministry of Education announced the suspension of studies in public and private schools, and Jordanian universities announced the transfer of distance studies.

The Meteorological Department said that the weather today is very cold, cloudy and rainy from time to time in the north and center of the Kingdom and parts of the southern and eastern regions.

And the meteorologists added in a report that with the dawn hours of today, it was heavy rain at intervals in the western parts of the Kingdom, accompanied by thunder and hail, with showers of snow falling from time to time over mountain heights that reach a height of 900 meters above sea level and more, with accumulations occurring. Unevenly according to the height, and the winds are active westerly speed, causing dust in the desert areas, and with the evening and night hours, the effect of the depression gradually recedes, as precipitation rates weaken and the wind speed decreases.

In its report, the Meteorological Department warned of the danger of torrential rains and a rise in water levels in valleys and low-lying areas in the western parts of the Kingdom, including the Dead Sea region, and the danger of snow accumulation on mountain heights that witness snowfalls, and the danger of slipping on roads in areas that witness precipitation of all kinds. And from the risk of low horizontal visibility due to clouds touching the earth’s surface over the mountain heights, and from the risk of low horizontal visibility due to dust in the desert areas, and from the risk of frost formation and the occurrence of freezing in the late night hours over the high mountain heights and parts of the desert regions.

Tomorrow (Thursday) the weather will be very cold and partly to cloudy at times with a chance of light showers of rain in the north and center of the kingdom, and the wind will be westerly moderate.

The Ministry of Water and Irrigation announced that the stock of dams rose to 105 million cubic meters, or 38%.

The ministry said in a statement today that the amounts of rain that entered the dams, during the past 24 hours, amounted to 15 million cubic meters, concentrated as follows: King Talal Dam 8.6 million cubic meters, and Al-Wala 3 million cubic meters, while the rest of the amount was distributed to various Dams except for Al-Tannour Dam.

A translation by Al-Quds.com - The US Ambassador to Israel, Tom Nedis, expressed his hope that he will be able to work towards advancing the two-state solution with the new Israeli government.

Nidis said in an interview with the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, that he has great confidence in the new Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu , noting that the latter assured him that he has control and is the one who leads the wheel in the new government, and therefore we will work with him and I hope we will succeed.

And he indicated that his country still supports the two-state solution and its goal is to protect the Palestinians and Israelis, and that Israel's security is not endangered.

Neidas said: "Our vision is very simple .. We want to preserve the two-state solution to keep it alive .. This solution is beneficial to Israel's security and we will not do anything to harm it."

He renewed Washington's position on its refusal to annex any Palestinian lands or expand settlements, expressing confidence in Netanyahu's ability to control his government.

Nidis denied that he boycotted any minister in the new Israeli government, including Itamar Ben Gvir, noting that he had spoken with some of them and would speak later with others.

And he indicated that his country's government is concerned with the continuation of the current situation in Al-Aqsa Mosque, with the aim of preserving the Abraham Accords and expanding them to include Saudi Arabia and other countries.

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - The Governor of the Monetary Authority , Dr. Firas Melhem, today in Ramallah, with the Egyptian Ambassador to the State of Palestine, Mr. Ihab Suleiman, in the presence of the Deputy Governor, Mr. Muhammad Manasra.

During the meeting, the Governor reviewed the latest developments in the Palestinian banking sector, the efforts made by the Monetary Authority to maintain its stability, develop and develop its business, and the strategic plans that are being worked on to enhance the necessary infrastructure in the digital transformation process in the banking sector, referring to the role of financial technology in moving the wheel of the Palestinian economy. and promoting sustainable development.

The Governor congratulated Mr. Suleiman on assuming the position of Ambassador of the Republic of Egypt to the State of Palestine, stressing the depth of the historical brotherly relationship between the two peoples.

Istanbul - (AFP) - Ankara on Saturday warned its citizens against traveling to the United States and Europe, apparently in response to similar warnings against travel to Turkey .

The United States and major European countries have advised their citizens not to attend mass events and to avoid crowded tourist places in Turkey.

These warnings came against the backdrop of escalating diplomatic tensions related to Turkey's refusal to allow Sweden and Finland to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Ankara recently expressed its anger at anti-Islam protests organized by a right-wing extremist who was allowed to burn copies of the Koran in front of its embassies in Stockholm and Copenhagen.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry warned of "dangerous levels of religious intolerance and hatred in Europe".

"There have been recent verbal and physical attacks against aliens and acts of racism across the United States," it said in a separate statement.

Finland and Sweden broke decades of military non-alignment and applied to join NATO in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

But an application for membership must be approved by all thirty members of the alliance.

Turkey and Hungary are the only two countries that have not yet ratified the two applications.

The Hungarian Parliament is expected to ratify the two requests next month.

But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan still refuses to accept the two requests, accusing the two countries of harboring Kurdish activists and sympathizers of the PKK and its allies in northern Syria and Iraq, whom it describes as "terrorists".

Jerusalem - "Jerusalem" dot com - A group of settlers attacked, on Sunday evening, citizens in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, east of occupied Jerusalem.

The settlers attacked the citizens' homes and properties, smashed the windows of the vehicles, threw stones at the houses, and set fire to the rubbish bins.

Meanwhile, the Hebrew Channel 7 claimed that a settler was wounded by stones thrown at him in the same neighborhood.

Kabul (AFP) - The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for an attack on the Pakistani embassy in Kabul on Saturday, which Islamabad described as an "assassination attempt".

A security guard was wounded by gunfire on Friday at the Pakistani embassy in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

In a statement carried by the SITE website, which specializes in monitoring jihadist groups, the Khorasan branch of the Islamic State said that it had "attacked the apostate Pakistani ambassador and his guards."

Pakistani Prime Minister Shabaz Sharif condemned what he described as an "assassination attempt" targeting the head of the Pakistani mission, calling for an investigation into the incident.

A Kabul police spokesman said that a suspect had been arrested and two light weapons had been confiscated after security forces raided a nearby building.

Although Pakistan did not officially recognize the Taliban government, it kept its embassy open after the Islamists returned to power in August 2021.

An official at the Pakistani embassy told AFP that shots were fired in the afternoon from the embassy's outer wall, noting that "the ambassador and all other members of the mission are safe."

A spokesman for the Afghan Foreign Ministry strongly condemned this "failed attack."

"The Islamic Emirate will never allow malicious elements to threaten the security of diplomatic missions in Kabul," he said in a statement.

He added, "The security agencies will conduct a serious investigation into this incident. After discovering the perpetrators, they will be punished according to the law."

The Taliban took over the rule of Afghanistan again in August 2021, in parallel with the withdrawal of American and foreign forces from the country.

Pakistan receives more than a million Afghan refugees on its soil. The porous borders between the two countries have been home to several armed groups for a long time, which, since the return of the Taliban, have become a growing source of tension.

In November, a Pakistani guard was shot dead at the Chaman-Spin Boldak crossing, which had been closed for a week.

Pakistan accuses its neighbor Afghanistan of facilitating the activity of the Pakistani Taliban and of allowing it to plan its attacks from Afghan soil, which Kabul continues to deny.

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - The US Ambassador to Israel, Tom Nedis, said today, Thursday, that the Palestinian Authority should do more to prevent the escalation of "violence".

He added in radio statements - as reported by the Arabic-speaking Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation - that despite the US administration's request in Washington to the Palestinians to prevent violence, Israel must also prevent the killing of innocent people.

In response to what was published about the possibility of imposing a cordon on cities in the West Bank , Nedis said that Washington does not tell the Israeli army what to do, pointing out that the US administration wants the Palestinians to enjoy freedom of movement and live in safety.

Governorates - "Jerusalem" dot com - A citizen was killed and two others were injured last night, as a result of two fights in two separate areas of occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank.

According to the police spokesman, Colonel Louay Arziqat, the dead man is 28 years old and was killed in the town of Qatna, northwest of Jerusalem, after he was stabbed with a knife during a family quarrel.

He indicated that the police arrested the suspect, and that the security services went to the place to enforce security and public order.

Two young men were injured, one seriously and the other moderately, as a result of a family quarrel in the town of Shuqba, west of Ramallah.

BEIRUT - (Xinhua) China and Lebanon signed (Tuesday) an agreement to exempt holders of diplomatic, private, service and public affairs travel passports from visa requirements, according to a statement from the Chinese Embassy in Beirut.

The statement stated that the Chinese Ambassador to Beirut, Qian Minjian, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Lebanese caretaker government, Abdullah Bou Habib, signed the agreement.

He stated that the ambassador presented, during his meeting with the Lebanese minister, a presentation of the achievements and importance of the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party.

"China will continue to adhere to the country's basic policy of opening up to the outside world, safeguarding world peace and resolutely promoting common development," Ambassador Qian said.

He added that China's high-quality development and opening up to the outside will provide new opportunities for the development of bilateral relations between China and Lebanon.

Qian stressed that China is "ready to enhance practical cooperation with Lebanon within the framework of jointly building the Belt and Road, raise the level of exchanges in various fields, and advance the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind."

In turn, the Lebanese minister affirmed that his country highly appreciates China's important role in the international community, and looks forward to maintaining friendly cooperation and close exchanges with China in various fields, and pushing forward bilateral practical cooperation to achieve more results.

A translation of Al-Quds.com - The so-called "Counter-Terrorism" office in the Israeli National Security Council issued, on Monday evening, a strict warning against traveling to Turkey due to Iranian threats.

According to the Hebrew website, Ynet, the level of warning against travel to Turkey, especially Istanbul, has been raised to the highest level of "4", with an explicit call not to travel to it and an invitation to those who are there to leave it immediately.

Prior to that announcement, he said, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid called on the Israelis to leave Turkey and not travel to it, after revealing that an attempt to kidnap Israelis by Iran in Istanbul had been thwarted.

According to the Hebrew site, Lapid's statements were coordinated with the Mossad and the National Security Agency.

A translation of "Jerusalem" dot com - The so-called Israeli National Security Council warned today, Monday, the Israelis against traveling to Turkey in the presence of a real danger to them.

According to the Hebrew website Ynet, this comes against the backdrop of the Israeli security establishment's fear of Iranian attempts to harm Israeli targets around the world, after accusing Tel Aviv of being responsible for the killing of a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard officer last week.

Israeli security sources said that the increased level of threat to Israelis is also being felt in other countries close to the border with Iran.

Berlin - (AFP) - Germany called on its citizens, Saturday, to avoid unnecessary travel to China , which is witnessing a wave of Covid infections unprecedented in three years.

"We are currently advising to avoid non-essential travel to China. The reason is the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases and the overwhelmed health system," the State Department's Rapid Response Center said in a tweet.

China is facing an unprecedented wave of infections in three years, and the European Union this week urged member states to impose a Covid test in China before leaving, and urged these countries to complete this step by conducting "random checks" upon arrival on European soil.

As a precautionary measure, several countries including the United States, Japan, France and Germany have already issued similar measures.

Despite the resurgence of the epidemic, the Chinese authorities intend to cancel the mandatory quarantine upon arrival in China on Sunday and will again allow Chinese to travel abroad, after three years of ban.

Beijing on Tuesday denounced the imposition of Covid testing by certain countries, considering it "unacceptable" and threatening "retaliatory measures".

The World Health Organization, for its part, has criticized Beijing's controversial methods of counting Covid deaths.

Despite overcrowded Chinese medical facilities and crematoriums, the country has reported few Covid-related deaths.