بدأ نادي مؤسسة البيرة، التحضير لدوري المحترفين، على ملعب ماجد أسعد بالبيرة.

ويخوض البيرة الموسم الجديد بتغييرات كبيرة، سواء على صعيد الجهاز الفني أو الإداري، أو حتى اللاعبين.

فعلى الصعيد الفني يقود البيرة هذا الموسم المدرب فراس أبو رضوان، والذي يخلف وليد فارس، بعد اعتذار الأخير.

وأبرمت إدارة البيرة تعاقدات جديدة، ولعل الأمر الأبرز هو إبقاء النادي على الحارس المميز معاذ سماحة، والذي كان سببا مباشرا في بقاء الفريق في دوري المحترفين في الموسم الماضي، رغم أنه شارك بعدد كبير من المباريات وهو مصاب.

كما تم التجديد للاعب المخضرم حسين جوهر، الذي تعاقد معه النادي في الانتقالات الشتوية الماضية، وأعاد لاعبه السابق حسام ولويل من إسلامي قلقيلية، فيما تعاقد مع لاعب الأمعري محمد عصفور، ولاعب بيت حنينا محمود أبو وهدان، وحارس منتخب الشباب الذي شارك مؤخرا في كأس العرب مهدي عاصي.

فضلا عن تواجد لاعب منتخب الشباب المتألق محمد شلطف مهاجم منتخب الشباب الحالي الذي تألق في بطولة كاس العرب وقاد الفدائي الشاب للدور نصف النهائي، وزميله عبد الحميد أبو قبيطة الذي حرمته الإصابة من التواجد مع المنتخب، لكن كان عنصرا مهما من العناصر الشابة التي اعتمد عليها البيرة في الدوري الماضي.

Istanbul - (AFP) - A senior adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blamed the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) on Sunday for the clashes in Paris after three Kurds were killed in a shooting.

"This is the PKK in France (...) the same terrorist organization you support in Syria," Ibrahim Kalin, the Turkish president's foreign affairs advisor, said in a tweet, which he attached with pictures of burning cars.

MASAFER YATA , Hebron - (Xinhua) A delegation of Western diplomatic mission heads in the West Bank and Jerusalem visited today, Thursday, the Masafer Yatta area, south of Hebron , where 8 residential communities are threatened with displacement from their lands.

The delegation's visit of solidarity with the residents in the gatherings came in the wake of the Israeli Supreme Court's approval last May of the army's recommendation to forcibly transfer 8 villages in Masafer Yatta, justifying that their residents "failed to prove" their claim that they were permanent residents there before declaring it a military training area for Saleh. Army.

Residents of Masafer Yatta say that the Israeli occupation authorities want to "evacuate and completely close the area and turn it into military training areas under the name of Shooting Range 918, not caring about the forced displacement of the population."

The diplomatic delegation included a number of representatives from Belgium, Denmark, the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The delegation toured several places in the threatened communities and met with Bedouin Palestinian families who live in them, in addition to seeing the damage that affected some homes as a result of the military exercises of the Israeli army.

The representative of the European Union in Palestine, Sven Kun von Burgsdorff, said during a press conference that the delegation's presence came in solidarity with the residents of Masafer Yatta who are threatened with displacement and forced transfer, and this demonstrates "our desire to direct international focus to what is happening here."

Burgsdorff stated that the Israeli Supreme Court made the decision ignoring that the Israeli occupying power has duties under international law, expressing his concern about this decision, which is a violation of international law.

Burgsdorf added that the occupying power, according to international law, has no right to expel and displace people for military reasons, stressing that there is no reason to displace people from the region and threaten economic life.

The representative of the European Union in Palestine called on the international community to take action to stop the expulsion of the population, build solar energy facilities and shelter for people, protect their basic rights, and provide education, food and water.

Burgsdorff explained that if the Israeli authorities displace the residents of Masafer Yatta, this will be "the largest forced transfer since 1999, and this is our great fear as we stand and fight to protect your basic human rights."

The visit of the European delegation was welcomed by officials and local residents.

Fouad Al-Amor, coordinator of the "Protection and Resilience Committees" in southern Hebron, told Xinhua that the presence of the European delegation strengthens the elements of resilience among the residents of Masafer Yatta, and it is a strong message to Israel that its procedures and practices are illegal.

Al-Amor stressed that the residents of Al-Musafer are determined to stay in their lands and homes, whatever the cost, and they will not leave them despite being shot at by the Israeli military exercises taking place in the area.

Al-Amor expressed his hope that the visit would constitute a safety valve for the Palestinian residents of Masafer Yatta and prevent their displacement from their lands at any moment, calling on the diplomatic delegation that is currently visiting Masafer Yatta to transfer the suffering of the residents to the decision-makers in their countries and pressure Israel to stop its military exercises.

The area witnesses protests almost daily by local residents and Israeli and foreign peace activists.

The area of the villages threatened with eviction is estimated at 30,000 dunums (1,000 square meters) and is inhabited by more than 2,000 people, including women and children.

Israel has classified approximately 38 population centers inhabited by more than 5,000 Palestinians as “firing” areas, which constitute 18% of the area of the West Bank, according to the United Nations Coordination Office in Palestine.

CAIRO - (Xinhua) - Three people were killed today (Saturday) in a fire that broke out in a natural gas pipeline in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.

Cairo Governorate stated in a statement on its official page on the meeting website (Facebook) that the central operations room in the governorate had received a report of a fire in the gas line at the intersection of Al-Nasr Road with Ahmed Fakhry Street in the Nasr City neighborhood.

The statement indicated that Major General Khaled Abdel-Al, Governor of Cairo, Major General Ashraf El-Gendy, Director of Cairo Security, Civil Protection Forces, and officials of the gas company and utility companies immediately moved to the site of the accident, which “resulted in 3 deaths.”

The civil protection forces were able to extinguish the fire and carry out cooling operations, and the line is being repaired by the gas company.
The forensic laboratory experts were also notified to remove the traces of the fire and find out its causes, according to the statement.

Brussels - (AFP) - Brussels on Wednesday proposed a plan aimed at reducing European gas demand by 15 percent to overcome the decline in Russian supplies, by reducing the heating of some buildings, delaying the closure of nuclear power plants, encouraging companies to reduce their needs, and other measures. .

In order to prepare for the winter, the European Commission has prepared a set of measures that will enable the 27 European Union countries to face a possible disruption of Russian supplies, which until last year accounted for 40 percent of its imports.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, " Russia uses gas as a weapon. In the event of a complete shutdown, Europe must be ready."

The plan, which still needs to be discussed by member states, states that each country will have to "do everything in its power" to reduce its gas consumption, between August 2022 and March 2023, by at least 15 percent compared to the average of the past five years. in the same period. Countries will have to submit detailed road maps by the end of September to achieve this.

The Nord Stream gas pipeline, through which a third of Russian gas shipments to the European Union pass, was halted on July 11 for routine maintenance, which is scheduled to end Thursday. However, the Europeans fear that Moscow will not pump gas again, especially since it has reduced its shipments through the aforementioned pipeline by 60 percent in the past weeks.

Brussels is seeking to activate a warning mechanism for the twenty-seven countries, which makes it possible to set “binding targets for reducing demand” in the event that there is “a significant risk of a serious shortage or an exceptional increase in demand.”

In the spring, the European Commission presented a strategy for liberation from Russian hydrocarbons, by imposing a minimum level for filling gas reserves, diversifying suppliers, and developing renewable energies.

- Act now -
Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans called on countries to act now, so that "we don't have to do it in an emergency and in more catastrophic circumstances".

Europeans fear a tough winter despite increased imports from Norway, Azerbaijan and Algeria, and US LNG shipments tripling since March.

Von der Leyen estimated the possibility of reducing annual gas consumption in the European Union by about 45 billion cubic meters, of which about 11 billion cubic meters is through reducing heating or air conditioning in buildings. In 2020, Russia supplied about 153 billion cubic meters to the twenty-seven countries.

Brussels is asking countries to adopt binding measures to reduce heating and air conditioning in public and commercial buildings, "where this is technically feasible".

It also encourages the use of alternative sources of heating in cities. It recommends media campaigns to urge families to lower the thermostat by one degree this winter, which will save "up to 10 billion cubic meters of gas annually."

However, “protected customers” (households, social services, hospitals, small and medium enterprises, to which supplies are guaranteed) represent less than 37 percent of total gas consumption. Therefore, the Commission aims to consume electricity production plants and industries.

Realizing that "renewable energy must be given priority," Brussels notes in its plan that "a transition to coal, oil or nuclear energy may be necessary for a temporary period." For this purpose, it asks countries wishing to give up civilian nuclear energy to postpone their projects to close down nuclear plants.

For industries, the plan suggests alternative solutions, and proposes "compensation" for companies in exchange for reduced consumption.

And for sectors that do not have enough room to dispense with gas, the European Commission considers that reducing demand gradually, rather than waiting for a sudden interruption, will be "much less expensive."

The Commission's goal is to avoid the closure of factories and the loss of machinery that could be broken due to a complete stop. It also wants to maintain the production of basic commodities (chemicals, medicines, etc.).

However, the European employers' organization Business Europe warned that production cuts imposed on companies could have "catastrophic economic effects and an often irreversible effect," adding that it should "remain (cutting production) as a last resort."
The 27 countries may endorse the commission's plan at a meeting of energy ministers on July 26 in Brussels.

BEIRUT - (Xinhua) - Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Taiani affirmed here his country's readiness to support Lebanon in matters it needs to recover from its current crisis.

This came, according to official Lebanese statements, following meetings held by Tajani with the Speakers of Parliament and the caretaker government, Nabih Berri and Najib Mikati, Defense Minister Maurice Salim, and Army Commander General Joseph Aoun.

Taiani affirmed, "Italy stands by Lebanon in the difficult circumstances it is going through," pointing to "the constant readiness to support Lebanon in matters it needs to rise from its current crisis, and to strengthen cooperation between the armies of the two countries."

Since 2019, Lebanon has witnessed an economic collapse, which the World Bank ranked among the worst in the world since the middle of the last century, as the country suffers from political, economic, living and health crises.

Berri's office said in a statement that he discussed with Taiani "the general situation and political developments, especially the need to expedite the achievement of the constitutional due date represented in the election of a new president for Lebanon, and the bilateral relations between Lebanon and Italy."
For his part, Mikati reviewed with Tayani, according to a statement issued by his office, "the bilateral relations at all levels, the situation in Lebanon and the stumbling block in electing a new president."

Mikati praised the "active Italian presence to support Lebanon at all levels and the initiatives that Italy is taking to help the army, in addition to the humanitarian aid it provides annually to Lebanon."

As for the Lebanese Minister of Defense, he thanked, during his meeting with Taiani, "Italy's continuous support for the army and Rome's hosting of conferences devoted to its support and the Lebanese armed forces."

For its part, the Army Command stated in a statement that General Aoun met with Tayani and discussed ways to support the Lebanese Army in light of the difficult circumstances the country is witnessing.

A high-ranking Italian minister traditionally visits Lebanon at this time every year to greet and inspect his country's unit operating in the United Nations forces operating in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Italy currently holds the command of UNIFIL and participates in it with a unit of 1055 officers and soldiers.

UNIFIL has been operating in southern Lebanon since 1978 under Security Council Resolutions 425 and 426 to monitor the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon. It was strengthened in 2006 by Security Council Resolution 1701, which put an end to the war between Israel and Hezbollah in July of the same year.

According to its latest data, UNIFIL includes about 9,923 soldiers from 48 countries.

Translation by "Jerusalem" dot com - The Israeli army announced, on Monday evening, that it had shot down a Hezbollah helicopter after it infiltrated from the northern borders towards the western Galilee.

The army spokesman said that the helicopter was shot down electronically in the afternoon, and that there were no injuries or damages.

He indicated that the helicopter was under the supervision of his forces until it was shot down.

Kuala Lumpur - (AFP) - The Malaysian authorities announced on Saturday the end of rescue operations and the search for bodies in the rubble of an unauthorized campsite that was destroyed by a landslide on December 16, killing 31 people.

Police say 92 people, including dozens of children, were mostly asleep at the site when tons of mud and earth fell on a hill near the town of Batang Kali on the outskirts of the capital, Kuala Lumpur.

All the victims are Malaysians, including eleven children, and 71 people have been rescued.

"We found the last body, which is of a child," rescue official Havisham Muhammad Nur told AFP.

"We will end search and rescue operations," he added.

About 700 people from various government agencies and emergency services, equipped with sniffer dogs and bulldozers, searched the rubble and muddy ground for survivors and bodies.

Among the many victims were families who had come to relax at the end of the year.

According to the authorities, the camping site was not licensed and its operators will be punished if they are found responsible for the accident.

Landslides are common in Malaysia , where heavy rains usually occur at the end of the year.

No heavy rains have yet been recorded in the area where the disaster occurred.

Four people were killed in another landslide in March caused by heavy rains that flooded their homes on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.

In 1993, a mudslide triggered by heavy rains caused the collapse of a 12-storey apartment building near the capital, killing 48 people in one of Malaysia's worst natural disasters.

Kiev (AFP) - Ukrainian cybersecurity services have neutralized more than 4,500 Russian cyberattacks since the beginning of the year, a Ukrainian official confirmed Monday.

"The aggressor state carries out on average more than ten cyberattacks per day. But fortunately, Ukrainian society has not heard of most of them," said Ilya Vityuk, head of the cybersecurity department of the Security Service of Ukraine, in an interview with MyUkraine TV.

"We have entered 2022 with eight years of experience in hybrid warfare... At the moment of the invasion, we were prepared for the worst-case scenario," he added.

According to this official, about 800 cyber attacks were recorded in 2020, more than 1,400 in 2021, and the number tripled in 2022.

"Massive cyber attacks were repulsed in January and February, which for us represented additional training before the Russian invasion," Vitiuk said.

He stressed that Moscow is targeting, in particular, the energy sector, logistical services and military installations, as well as government databases and information sources.

And Ilya Vitiuk added, "We monitor risks and threats, moment by moment, throughout the day and week... We know by name most of the Russian intelligence hackers who work against us. After Ukraine's victory, they must be tried before an international military court."

Washington - "Jerusalem" dot com - Saeed Erekat - The "House of Representatives Committee investigating former President Donald Trump's efforts to cling to power, dubbed the "January 6 (2021) Committee" revealed on Thursday its official report and the final outcome of its 18-hour historical investigations. A month into the deadly attack on the Capitol and former President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

"This report will provide more detail on the multi-step effort devised and advanced by Donald Trump to overturn the 2020 election and obstruct the transfer of power," Rep. Penny Thompson (D-Mississippi), chairman of the Jan. 6 committee, wrote in the report's foreword.

"Based on the information presented in our hearings earlier this year, we will present new findings about Trump's pressure campaign on officials from the local level down to his vice president, which was orchestrated and designed solely to erode the will of the electorate and keep him in office after the end of his term." elect".

The committee released the more than 800-page report days after the committee's final meeting in which its nine members -- seven Democrats and two Republicans -- voted to recommend that the Justice Department pursue criminal charges against Trump as he works to win back the White House in the upcoming 2024 election.

It was the first time in history that a congressional committee made criminal referrals against a US president. The Jan. 6 committee, led by Thompson and committee vice chair Liz Cheney, R-Wyoming, believes there is sufficient evidence for the Justice Department to prosecute Trump on four specific counts, including obstruction of a formal procedure—congressional certification of electoral votes. Inciting or aiding rebellion.

And in keeping with the committee's summer hearing series and executive summary, the full report — divided into eight chapters — lays largely the blame for the January 6 attack on the 45th president's feet.

And in the first chapter, titled “The Big Lie,” a reference to Trump’s extensive efforts to delegitimize the 2020 elections and falsely claim that they were stolen from him, while the second chapter, titled “I Just Want to Find 11,780 Votes,” focuses on Trump’s attempt to pressure. State and election officials in Georgia and elsewhere to overturn the election results.

The witnesses, nearly all Republicans, testified that Trump and his inner circle worked hard to sow doubts about Joe Biden winning the election; waged a multi-pronged campaign to pressure state officials, senior members of the Justice Department, and then-Vice President Mike Pence to help overturn the election; He directed a crowd of thousands of his supporters to demonstrate in the "Capitol Building" to disrupt the legislators' process of counting the electoral votes that would certify the results of the election; He refused to call off his supporters as they brutally assaulted police officers and stormed the Capitol.

"Among the most shameful findings of this commission is that President Trump sat in the dining room outside the Oval Office watching the violent riot in the Capitol Building on television. No man acting in that manner at that moment could serve in any office." Said Representative Liz Cheney.

The committee's detailed report, seen by Jerusalem, alleges that Trump and his inner circle conducted at least 200 public or private acts of "communication, pressure, or denunciation" targeting state and local election officials, as well as state legislators, to overturn results between Trump's loss in November 2020. and January 6, 2021.

The report revealed that because there were 68 meetings and phone calls or texts addressed to state or local officials; 18 generic words targeting them; and 125 social media posts, the commission says.

The report also revealed more details about the fraudulent voter plan, which the commission alleges Trump embraced when it became clear that state officials in Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania and other key battlegrounds would not overturn results in their states and replace Biden voters with Trump voters. .

While the committee referred conservative attorney John Eastman to the Justice Department on Monday for his role in the scheme to pressure Pence into rejecting states' electoral votes on Jan. 6, the report identified Trump-aligned lawyer Kenneth Chesebrough as central to the perception of the conspiracy.

As mandated, the commission has also issued a number of recommendations to both Congress and federal agencies. She called for reforms to the Electoral Count Act of 1887 to make it clear that the vice president did not have the power to unilaterally reject electoral votes, an update already in the works. Congress will pass such a recommendation this week as part of the overall spending package.

The committee also urged congressional committees to consider whether to create a "formal mechanism" to assess whether Trump and the others identified in the report would be barred from holding office in the future under the Fourteenth Amendment.

In addition, the Jan. 6 commission recommended that federal agencies undertake a "whole-of-government strategy" to root out and counter violent extremism, including white nationalists. She urged law enforcement to designate future testimonials for the presidential election as a "special national security event." This will require additional planning, coordination, and security for future certification events on January 6 at the Capitol.

"Based on our investigative findings," Thompson wrote, "these recommendations will help strengthen the barriers to our democracy."

The report is the culmination of a sweeping congressional investigation that included 11 public hearings, more than 100 subpoenas, more than 1,200 witness interviews and the collection of hundreds of thousands of text messages, emails and other documents.

Paris - (AFP) - Actor Johnny Depp releases an album with famous guitarist Jeff Beck, and is preparing for a European tour, as he seeks to present a new image away from the atmosphere of the recent trial over his turbulent relationship with his ex-wife, Amber Hurd.

This album is titled "18", and it includes, in particular, new versions of well-known works, and it will not be a major station in the career of Jeff Beck, a member of the "Yardbirds" band and the processions of David Bowie, who last month turned seventy-eighth.

While the harmony between the duo appeared in John Lennon's "Isolation", Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" provided an opportunity for the English guitarist to provide a solo link, while the famous singer's voice remained far from the depth found in the performance of the original song.

The work also includes a version of the song "Venus in Force" by "Velvet Underground", with a musical nature of the industrial rock and roll atmosphere, in which the voice of the 59-year-old actor appears here also less powerful than the original song.

Since the lyrics revolve around sadomasochism, some saw this as a somewhat funny choice after the resounding trial in the United States between Johnny Depp and his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard.

The lyrics to the single "This Is a Song for Miss Hedy Lamarr", one of two original songs composed by Johnny Depp, drew a lot of comment. The star of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series indicated that he did not "believe in humans", speaking of a woman who was "erased by the very world that made her a star."

Johnny Depp sued his ex-wife after she described herself as a "public figure representing domestic violence," without naming her ex-husband, who demanded compensation of $50 million, and she responded to him by claiming double compensation.

After deliberating for six weeks, the jury concluded on June 1 that the ex-couple had traded defamation. However, they ruled in compensation of $ 10 million in favor of Depp, while the value of compensation awarded to Amber Hurd did not exceed two million dollars.

Rock is nothing new in Johnny Depp's life. Before his rise to fame with the series "21 Jump Street", he was a member of the "Bad Boys" band (which later became "The Kids"), and he even participated in the first part of the Iggy Pop concert, but his singing career did not continue beyond that.

In recent years, Johnny Depp had an experience with the band " Hollywood Vampires", which also includes Alice Cooper and Joe Perry (guitarist for the band "Aerosmith").

Beck and Deeb recount that they met in 2016, and had a friendship about "cars and guitars." The guitarist said, "When Johnny and I started playing together (...) we felt like we were 18 years old. So, we chose this title for the album."

The choice of release date for the album shortly after the trial was not accidental. Beck also invited Depp to participate in his current European tour.

Johnny Depp will also star in the movie "La Favorite" by the French Maewen, about the relationship between King Louis XV and the Countess de Barry. Filming is expected to begin this summer, in which Depp embodies the role of the king, especially in the Palace of Versailles.

Today, Sunday, the Israeli Ministry of Health announced that it had recorded 4,333 cases of coronavirus during the last day, after conducting 12,758 laboratory tests.

According to the ministry, 430 patients are in serious condition, including 74 on ventilators.

She noted that 11,101 Israelis have died since the virus began spreading years ago.

Written by: Ibrahim Darwish

London - The New York Times published an opinion article by commentator Thomas Friedman , in which he presented his vision of peace possibilities in the Middle East, in light of President Joe Biden's tour to Israel, Palestine and Saudi Arabia.

He believes that peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia may save Israel from its dilemma as a Jewish and democratic state. Being an occupied country in the West Bank, it will not get this status. Friedman presented his idea, saying that the antidote to Israel lies in the role of the Arabs inside Israel and peace with Saudi Arabia, which he says will not accept it without a price.

Friedman said: “It is a great thing for President Biden to visit the Middle East, as America played a vital role in advancing the peace process there. And as someone who has been following the region for decades, I tell you that I see something new. There is something paradoxical, just as surprising: Only Saudi Arabia and the Arabs in Israel can save Israel as a democracy - not America. This is because the Arab voters inside Israel, and Saudi Arabia, are able to force Israel to choose. Israel could have a democratic state in Israel and the West Bank, but with the passage of time, and with the high birth rate among Arabs, it may not be Jewish. They can have a Jewish state, not a democracy, but it cannot continue to occupy the West Bank forever.

Friedman comments: “These are existential questions that have confronted Israel since 1967, when it occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem. But Israel has increasingly refused to choose, to the extent that political parties from right to left have chosen in the last four elections to ignore "the Palestinian question, and this is a matter of concern." It must not be the same when, on November 1, Israelis go to elections for the fifth time in less than four years. And at a time when the United States is tired of trying to convince the Palestinians and the Israelis of a two-state solution, Friedman believes that the Arabs inside Israel, along with Saudi Arabia, can play an important role in a Jewish and democratic state.

Where is the logic in this talk? The answer is plain to see, he says. Israel will not become a viable democracy as long as it occupies forever the 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank. Occupation means applying Israeli laws to Jews living in the West Bank and treating Palestinians based on other military laws, with fewer rights or opportunities to own land, build homes, trade, communicate, travel or organize politically. The occupation may not be comparable to the apartheid regime in South Africa, but it is an ugly relative, and it is eroding Israel's morality, as well as Jewish democracy. The occupation has become alienating, especially among liberal Jews in America, and if the situation continued in this way, Joe Biden might have been the last pro-Israel Democratic president.

The writer excuses Israel that it is not the only one responsible for this, but also the progressives and what he called the Palestinian propagandists who promote this on university campuses, and accuses them of lack of honesty. He says that the second Palestinian intifada destroyed the peace camp, which erupted after Yasser Arafat “rejected” an offer from Ehud Barak of a demilitarized Palestinian state in most of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and Hamas’s rockets and suicide operations increased Israel’s sense of insecurity. He added that many supporters of Israel in the United States kept silent during the 12 years of rule of Benjamin Netanyahu, who did everything to discredit the Palestinian Authority as a partner for peace. And without crediting her for her efforts to reduce Palestinian violence. And he worked to make the two-state solution impossible, by building settlements deep in the West Bank, beyond the Israeli separation wall, and in the areas on which the future Palestinian state will be established. He says that the Palestinians shot themselves in the feet through their division between the West Bank and Gaza, and their elimination of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, whom he says is “the loyal, effective and reliable prime minister” who worked between 2007-2013. This is why the recent Israeli elections ignored the existential threat to the Jewish state by continuing to occupy the West Bank, and the reason is that the occupation was out of sight and thought. This is why the United States withdrew from active participation, until Donald Trump came along and gave his son-in-law Jared Kushner the free hand to advance his plan. It is a long story, he says. In short, the Palestinians and Netanyahu rejected the Trump plan.

Hence the role of the Emiratis and their leader, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, and the ambassador to Washington, Youssef Al-Otaiba. Instead of allowing the process to collapse, they proposed a comprehensive peace, trade and tourism with Israel if the latter agreed not to take a unilateral decision to annex areas in the West Bank that the Trump plan granted it. Hence the Abraham Accords of 2020 were born. Friedman comments that the UAE played an important role in stimulating the deal, as the more the Middle East becomes like the European Union, and the less similar it is to the civil war in Syria, the better. However, the UAE and the countries that signed the normalization agreements, Sudan, Morocco and Bahrain, hesitated to participate in the Palestinian cause, as they have a bad idea of the Palestinian leadership, and do not want to delve into the chaos of the issue. All they want is to trade with Israeli tech companies and empower themselves. Which leads the writer to talk about the Saudi role in this context, as peace with Saudi Arabia is a great prize, and it will open the door to peace with the entire Islamic world, and an outlet for a huge amount of investments. And “but prominent Saudi officials told me that their support will not come for free.” King Salman is emotionally linked to the Palestinian cause, and his son, Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince, knows that if Saudi Arabia makes a cheap deal with Israel, it will open the way for its enemy Iran to launch a media war against Saudi Arabia. in the Islamic world. It will be an ugly war."

Despite these concerns, Israel and Saudi Arabia privately discussed the conditions for normalizing relations. The writer believes that the Saudis, he believes, want the process to come in two stages. He quotes here the former US envoy to the Middle East, Dennis Ross, as saying that the Saudis may have offered, as a start, to open a commercial office in Tel Aviv that would deal with Saudi economic interests, and “a great psychological move towards Israel.” In exchange for this, Saudi Arabia may demand something greater: that Israel must stop all settlement construction east of the Israeli security barrier in the West Bank. And approval of the Saudi-Arab initiative, which stipulates negotiations based on the two-state solution. Ross says that Israel's commitment to the settlements means that the Israelis will stop building on 92% of the West Bank, noting that 80% of the settlers live west of the wall.

The second phase comes with the end of the Israeli occupation and a peace agreement with the Palestinians. Perhaps the Saudis promised to open an embassy in Tel Aviv and another in Ramallah or in West Jerusalem, depending on Israel's choice, but there must be embassies on both sides, and Israel promises to preserve the status quo in Al-Aqsa. To help Biden, who arrives in Saudi Arabia on Friday, and to return with something in his hand, the Saudis announced the opening of their airspace to all flights, including Israeli flights. The writer does not expect Israel to jump on these proposals, but if the Saudis adopted these ideas and made them a policy, they would play a role in the November elections and contribute to sparking a discussion about the nature of democracy in Israel.

Here comes the role of the Arabs in Israel, as a push from Saudi Arabia may release them to participate in the elections. Here is a simple calculation. Neither the center-left in Israel is able to achieve a majority, nor is the extreme right, which is why the electoral rounds continue. And the Arabs in Israel represent 21% of the population, and they usually get 12 seats, and they replaced the religious Jewish parties as a weighted bloc. Naftali Bennett, the former prime minister, was unable to form a government coalition without inviting the Ra'im Arab party. The Arab party announced its participation in a Jewish government, on condition of resuming negotiations with the Palestinians based on the Arab initiative. This is why Friedman argues that Saudi Arabia and the Arabs in Israel have the potential to salvage Jewish democracy. About "Al-Quds Al-Arabi"

ISTANBUL - (AFP) - An Istanbul court decided on Friday to keep the president of Turkey 's largest doctors' union, Sibnem Koror Venjani, who is being tried on charges of "terrorist propaganda", in detention until the next session of her trial, Thursday.

Venjani was arrested on October 26 because she had called for an investigation into accusations by pro-Kurdish media and members of the Turkish opposition that the Turkish military had used chemical weapons against Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Iraq.

Ankara immediately denounced what it called a "disinformation" campaign, while her arrest sparked protests in Istanbul, where dozens were arrested.

The 63-year-old forensic pathologist entered the packed courtroom Friday, raising her fist in the air, to cheers from her supporters, who were flanked by dozens of riot police.

During the session, she again called for an "effective investigation," including field inspections and autopsies of Kurdish fighters.

"As a human rights defender, I have a responsibility to defend freedom of expression and the public's right to information," she told the judges.

And the PKK announced that 17 of its fighters were killed in chemical weapons attacks in the mountains of northern Iraq.

Venjani is known in Turkey as an expert in forensic medicine and an opponent of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In Berlin, the German government's representative for human rights, Louise Amtsberg, expressed her "solidarity" with Venjani, considering the human rights activist "one of the most courageous voices in Turkey."

"Turkey... must respect the right to expression and opinion," she added.

In turn, the non-governmental organization "Physicians for Human Rights" denounced the Turkish judiciary's decision to keep Finjani in detention, and considered it "a heinous attack on human rights that should be dealt with immediately."

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch issued a joint appeal with five other organizations to release Fenjani pending trial. However, the public prosecutor accused Venjani of "active participation in the propaganda of the PKK" and requested her continued detention.

Chibnem Koror Venjani said her detention helped draw attention to her calls for an independent investigation.

"No one thinks that arrest and imprisonment is difficult for me. In fact, this is a golden opportunity for a human rights defender like me," she added.

(AFP) CIA Director William Burns said Friday he was "convinced" that China plans to send weapons to Russia as part of its war in Ukraine, but the United States has no indication that a decision has been taken or that a decision has been made. No equipment has been delivered.

"We are convinced that Chinese leaders are planning to send lethal equipment," Burns said in an interview with CBS on Sunday.

However, he added, "we did not notice that a final decision was made... We did not notice evidence that they had delivered" weapons to Russia.

The United States has accused China a week ago of planning to supply weapons to Russia to support its attack on Ukraine, which Beijing denies.

According to press information, including that published by the Wall Street Journal, this equipment will be drones and ammunition in particular.

In turn, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken spoke about the matter directly with the Chinese chief foreign affairs official, Wang Yi, in a tense meeting last Saturday in Munich, on the sidelines of a security conference.

Washington believes that Beijing provides non-lethal equipment to Moscow through Chinese companies.

For his part, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN on Sunday that the United States remains "vigilant" in this regard, repeating Washington's warning to Beijing of the "consequences" of such supplies.

"We will continue to send firm messages that sending military aid to Russia at this time ... would be a big mistake and China should not be involved in that," he said.

He stressed that the war in Ukraine involves "serious complications" for the Chinese, but if China decides to take the initiative and supply weapons to Moscow, this will lead to "real costs" for it.

Tripoli - (AFP) - The security authorities of the Libyan government, based in Tripoli, on Monday released the pilot, Amer al-Qajm, of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar's forces, as part of a prisoner exchange deal.

And local media reported that Major General Pilot Amer Al-Qajm was released as part of a prisoner exchange deal, according to which 15 prisoners who were being held by Haftar's forces were released.

The exchange took place in the town of Al-Shwerf, near the municipality of Al-Jafra, 650 km west of Tripoli, which is the dividing line between the forces of western Libya and Haftar's forces.

Haftar's forces did not officially announce the handover of Major General Al-Qajm, who was arrested in December 2019, when his plane crashed while carrying out air strikes in the vicinity of Tripoli, during the military operation that was aimed at controlling the capital and ended in failure in June 2020.

The pilot was captured after his Russian MiG-23 plane crashed in the city of Zawiya, 40 km west of Tripoli, and a video clip was published showing him being held in a security headquarters of the former Government of National Accord.

Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011, Libya has suffered from divisions and political conflict, and two governments are competing for power: one based in Tripoli headed by Abdul Hamid al-Dabaiba since the beginning of 2021, and another headed by Fathi Bashagha, appointed by the House of Representatives last March and supported by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.

Translation by "Al-Quds" dot com - A citizen was killed, this Friday afternoon, as a result of being shot by unknown assailants in Lod, inside the occupied territories.

According to the Hebrew website Ynet, the dead man was Marwan al-Wahwah (52 years old), who was shot on Ben Gurion Street in Lod.

The site pointed out that his brother was killed two years ago by unknown gunmen.

ISLAMABAD (Xinhua) - Pakistan is witnessing a continuous increase in dengue cases amid the recent outbreak of the disease due to the ongoing floods in the South Asian country.

And 386 new cases of dengue fever were reported across the southern province of Sindh in the past 24 hours, according to the provincial health department Sunday evening, noting that the worst-hit area is Karachi, the provincial capital and largest city in the country, which reported 349 cases. New.

The number of dengue cases in September in Sindh rose to 3,020, bringing the local total to 5,589 this year.

Moreover, 166 people were diagnosed with the disease in the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the past 24 hours, the provincial health department reported Sunday evening, bringing the total number of active cases in the province to 1,356.

The eastern Punjab province reported 191 new cases in the past 24 hours, the provincial health authorities said Sunday morning.

The city of Rawalpindi recorded 84 new cases, followed by the capital, Lahore, with 60 cases.

The total number of cases in Punjab this year rose to 3,288.

The country's capital, Islamabad, reported 57 new cases over the past day, bringing the total number of cases in the city to 1,388 this year, according to health authorities.

In response to the high level of concern of cases in the country, the Pakistani government has launched a campaign to combat dengue, which includes promoting public awareness, and has taken special measures in hotspots to curb the spread of the disease.

Paris - (AFP) - Hundreds of people gathered Monday afternoon in Paris to take part in a march in honor of the three Kurds who were shot dead Friday near a Kurdish cultural center by a Frenchman who admitted it was "racist".

A 69-year-old retiree admitted that he shot a Kurdish cultural center and a hairdressing salon in Paris, killing three Kurds, and explained that he did so "because of his hatred of foreigners."

A correspondent at Agence France-Presse said that small structures were erected on the pavement at the sites where the three victims fell, bearing their pictures, in addition to candles and bouquets of flowers.

The procession set off at around 12:30 (11:30 GMT) towards Lafayette Street in the 10th arrondissement, where three female activists of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) were killed on January 9, 2013 in Paris, in an incident whose circumstances have not been revealed so far.

The demonstrators chanted in Kurdish, "Our martyrs do not die," and in French, "Women... Life... Freedom," calling for "truth and justice."

After the attack, the French Kurds referred to the attack as "terrorist" and accused Turkey.

"We decided to come as soon as we heard of this terrorist attack on Friday (...) We are afraid of the Turkish community and the intelligence services," a young Kurdish woman told AFP in English, who came to demonstrate in Rotterdam and asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals.

Often described as the world's largest people without a state, the Kurds are spread across Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Iran.
The abuser had committed violent acts with a weapon in the past.

On Monday morning, the man appeared before an investigative judge in preparation for a possible charge.

رام الله – “القدس” دوت كوم – قالت عضو مجلس النواب الاميركي رشيدة طليب، اليوم السبت، إن إسرائيل تستهدف مقرات وكالات الإعلام حتى لا يرى العالم ذبح الفلسطينيين، وجرائم الحرب.

وكتبت طليب، في تغريدة على تويتر، أن “إسرائيل تستهدف وكالات الإعلام حتى لا يرى العالم ذبح الفلسطينيين، وجرائم الحرب، التي يقودها رئيس الفصل العنصري بنيامين نتنياهو”.

وأضافت: “الهدف هو ألا يرى العالم مقتل الرضع والأطفال وآبائهم. هكذا لا يمكن للعالم أن يرى الفلسطينيين، وهم يذبحون”.

وفجر السبت، ارتكبت إسرائيل مجزرة في مخيم الشاطئ للاجئين الفلسطينيين غربي غزة، بعدما دمرت منزلًا على رؤوس ساكنيه، ما أسفر عن استشهاد 10 فلسطينيين، منهم 8 أطفال، وسيدتان.

ومنذ الاثنين المنصرم، تشن إسرائيل عدوانًا بالطائرات والمدافع على قطاع غزة، ما أسفر عن استشهاد أكثر من 150 شهيدا، من بينهم 41 طفلا، و23 سيدة.

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - Minister of National Economy Khaled Al-Osaily and Director of the Latin America, Asia and Africa Department at the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andrews Bragio, discussed economic and trade relations between the two countries and ways to develop them.

During the meeting that took place at the ministry's headquarters in Ramallah today, Monday, the two sides discussed the preparations for organizing the EXPOTECH conference to be held next December in Palestine , in addition to the possibility of cooperation in the fields of information technology and the green economy, including recycling in industry.

The meeting dealt with the possibility of organizing trade missions between the two countries to view investment opportunities in the sectors of food industries, technology and energy, and the two sides confirmed that three visits of Lithuanian businessmen to Palestine will be organized during the month of November.

Al-Osaili stressed the importance of strengthening joint cooperation relations, which guarantees an increase in the volume of trade exchange, in a way that benefits the economies of the two countries.

In turn, Bragio expressed his country's readiness to transfer Lithuanian expertise in many fields, especially in the field of recycling in industry, financial services and technology, and economic digitization in Palestine.

Osogbo ( Nigeria ) (AFP) - Voters in Osun State , in southwestern Nigeria, voted on Saturday to choose a new governor and began counting ballots, the outcome of which could determine the course of the presidential elections scheduled for February 2023.

The outcome of the election and the circumstances under which it takes place are a final indication of the dominant political parties, seven months before presidential elections in Africa's most populous country.

Osun State has 1.9 million registered voters, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria.

Polling stations officially opened at 07:30 GMT and closed at 13:30 GMT.

The winner of this ballot will be announced on Sunday, said election official Obemibo Adelosi in Osogbo, the state capital.

Two of the candidates vying for the Osun governorship are incumbent Governor Gboyga Oytola of the ruling All Progressives Congress party and Senator Ademola Adeleke of the opposition People's Democratic Party.

Osun is one of eight states in Nigeria's 36 states that did not hold gubernatorial elections simultaneously with the rest of the country due to legal challenges to the earlier results.

On Wednesday, the candidates signed an agreement pledging to accept the election result.

And the police announced the deployment of 23,000 personnel, as helicopters and drones flew to ensure the conduct of the elections without clashes.

Acts of violence were recorded before the polls, as armed men attacked the residence of the Labor Party candidate, Yusef Lawson, but he was not at home at the time.

Nigeria's history is full of turmoil during elections.

In 2011, 800 people were killed in post-election violence.

بقلم: غيرشون باسكن

في كثير من الأحيان أكتب عمودًا عن الأشخاص الجيدين والمنظمات الجيدة التي يجب أن يعرفها الجمهور. أكتب عن المنظمات التي أشارك فيها شخصيًا وتستحق الدعم. هذا العمود هو دعوة للدعم - في الغالب لمتطوعين إضافيين في منطقة القدس يحتاجون إلى أكثر من المساهمات المالية.
منظمة Humans Without Borders) ) (HWB) هي منظمة تطوعية مكرسة لمساعدة العائلات الفلسطينية التي يحتاج أطفالها إلى علاج طبي متقدم في المستشفيات الإسرائيلية. في عصر الحواجز والأسوار وإراقة الدماء، تتمثل إحدى أهم مهامنا في إنشاء والحفاظ على الروابط الشخصية بين المتطوعين الإسرائيليين والعائلات الفلسطينية. مثل هذه الاتصالات الشخصية تعزز التفاهم المتبادل والصداقات الحميمة.
يقوم متطوعو منظمة (HWB) بنقل العائلات من وإلى المستشفيات، وتقديم المساعدة الآمنة وفي الوقت المناسب للأسر الفلسطينية التي هي في أمس الحاجة إليها، وتقديم المساعدة المتنوعة لهذه العائلات عند دخول أطفالهم إلى المستشفى. يقوم متطوعو منظمة (HWB) بحوالي 6000 رحلة فريدة كل عام بين نقاط التفتيش والمستشفيات في القدس ومنطقة تل أبيب الكبرى. كما ينظمون أيامًا ممتعة على شاطئ البحر وفي المنتجعات الفلسطينية المحلية، مما يمنح الأطفال المرضى وعائلاتهم الممتدة يومًا من الاسترخاء والراحة من روتين حياتهم اليومية الصعبة.
كما تمول منظمة (HWB) الإمدادات الطبية - شراء الأدوية والمعدات الطبية والدفع مباشرة للمستشفيات لتغطية تكلفة الإجراءات الطبية-. إنهم يساعدون أكثر من 100 أسرة كل عام، ويقودونهم أحيانًا 5 أيام في الأسبوع وأحيانًا يأخذون طفلًا لإجراء فحص ما بعد الجراحة من حين لآخر.
كل رحلة هي نعمة لتلك العائلة وتجربة فريدة للمتطوع، وخلق والحفاظ على الروابط الشخصية بين المتطوعين الإسرائيليين والعائلات الفلسطينية. تولد مثل هذه العلاقات الخاصة حسن النية وتساعد في تعزيز التفاهم المتبادل والصداقات الدافئة في منطقة مضطربة بشدة.
في عام 2021 ، استمرت كورونا في ضرب أنشطة بشر بلا حدود. اصيب بعض السائقين بكورونا، واختير آخرون، بسبب سنهم أو ضعف أفراد أسرهم، لتقليل التطوع أو التوقف عنه. على الرغم من ذلك، منذ أن قررت الحكومة أن تكرار عمليات الإغلاق الوطنية لعام 2020 أمر لا يمكن تحمله، أصبح من الممكن لمجموعة قوية من السائقين المتطوعين تلبية معظم احتياجات النقل لأطفالنا وأولياء أمورهم. لقد تعلم الناس كيف يعيشون جنبًا إلى جنب مع الفيروس - النوافذ تفتح بغض النظر عن الطقس، وارتداء الاقنعة الالزامي، والمسافة الخطيرة. على حد علمنا ، لم يصاب المتطوعون ولا أفراد الأسرة بالمرض أثناء أنشطة منظمة HWB) ) في عام 2021 ، أداروا ما يقرب من 5800 رحلة ، شارك فيها حوالي 110 أطفال، حوالي خمس مرات في الأسبوع، بعضها مرة كل بضعة أشهر. تم التعامل مع أكثر من 1000 رحلة بقليل من قبل سائقي سيارات الأجرة وأكمل حوالي 80 متطوعًا الـ 4800 المتبقية. في عام 2022 ، استأنفوا أنشطتهم الطبيعية دون القلق بشأن كورونا وزاد عدد الرحلات بشكل كبير. كانت جميع الرحلات تقريبًا إلى مستشفيات في منطقة القدس مع بضع عشرات إلى مستشفيات مثل مركز إيخيلوف الطبي في تل أبيب ومركز شيبا الطبي في تل هشومير.
كما دعمت منظمة (HWB) الجراحة للعديد من الأطفال في مستشفى الأردن في عمان. في حالة عمليات زرع الكلى، لا تغطي السلطة الفلسطينية سوى المصاريف المتعلقة بالجراحة والاستشفاء وتتطلب أن تتحمل الأسرة تكلفة معظم الأدوية والفحوصات بعد الجراحة وحتى الإقامة للأب بينما الأم (المتبرع) والطفل في المستشفى. في مثل هذه الحالات يتدخلون ويساعدون الأسرة التي لا تستطيع تغطية النفقات المعنية. أنشأ مجلس إدارة المنظمة المذكورة لجنة طبية، بما في ذلك ممرضة مسجلة متقاعدة وطبيب متقاعد، والتي وضعت قواعد ثابتة لتقديم المساعدة. تتعامل اللجنة مع طلبات العائلات وتتشاور مع الأطباء الإسرائيليين حول الخطوات المناسبة التي يجب اتخاذها.
في الآونة الأخيرة، قام العديد من المتطوعين بدعم الإخوة والأخوات الأكبر سنًا للأطفال الذين نساعدهم والذين يدرسون في الكليات والجامعات الفلسطينية. غالبًا ما يكون هؤلاء الشباب غير قادرين على تغطية النفقات، مما يجبرهم على ترك دراستهم. إحدى المشكلات هي أجهزة الكمبيوتر المحمولة التي تعتبر باهظة الثمن بالنسبة للأسرة الفلسطينية العادية. تبرع الأعضاء بأجهزة كمبيوتر مستعملة قمنا بتجديدها قبل التوزيع. التعليم هو أحد الأدوات القليلة المتاحة لهؤلاء الشباب للخروج من قيود الفقر. منذ فترة، قررت مجموعة صغيرة من المتطوعين تجديد ورش عمل للأمهات الفلسطينيات أثناء خضوع الأطفال لغسيل الكلى اليومي. في الماضي، كانت الموضوعات التي تمت مناقشتها تتعلق بالنساء وأجسادهن. حققت سلسلة ورش العمل هذه نجاحًا كبيرًا ولكن للأسف لم تتم متابعة ذلك. ألكسندرا، متطوعة حديثة ومكرسة للغاية، تفاوضت مع إدارة مستشفى أوغوستا فيكتوريا من أجل وضع إطار لتجديد ورش العمل والأنشطة.
أنا لست من المتطوعين النشطين للغاية، وزوجتي أكثر نشاطًا. أقوم برحلة أسبوعية مع طفل من بيت جالا من مستشفى أوغستا فيكتوريا في القدس الشرقية بعد غسيل الكلى الذي يحصل عليه ثلاث مرات في الأسبوع. يمكنني أن أؤكد لكم جميعًا أن هذه مهمة مجزية للغاية، ويمكن لأي شخص لديه سيارة وقلب طيب أن يبذل مجهودًا بسيطًا وأن يضع وجهًا إنسانيًا على شخص يعتبر عادةً جزءًا من العدو. هؤلاء هم جيراننا ونحن جيرانهم وعندما يتعلق الأمر بالصحة والجسد البشري، لا يوجد فرق على الإطلاق بيننا. أوصي بشدة بالبحث عن المنظمة على الإنترنت، والاتصال بهم، وإعطاء بعض الوقت كمتطوع للقيام بشيء جيد!

Translation by "Jerusalem" dot com - The Hebrew website Ynet reported today, Saturday, that 18 people were killed in traffic accidents during the past week, including Palestinians from the occupied territories .

The site described this as a bloody week on the roads, after a series of serious accidents, and it may be the bloodiest week in years.

He pointed out that the number of traffic accident victims since the beginning of this year has reached 225.

Tehran - (AFP) - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi pledged on Tuesday that his country would not show mercy to "enemies" of the Islamic Republic, which has been witnessing protests for months following the death of the young woman, Mahsa Amini.

Since September 16, Iran has been witnessing protest movements following Amini's death, after she was arrested by the morality police in Tehran for not adhering to the country's strict dress code.

Officials considered a large part of these movements as "riots", and accused the country's enemies, led by the United States and Western countries, of being involved in it with the aim of destabilizing Iran.

Raisi said in a televised speech on Tuesday that "the recent events were the war of the parties, all the arrogant currents came to the field with all their might... the hypocrites, the supporters of the monarchy, all the anti-revolutionary currents, and all those who were harmed by this revolution, were involved" in the events.

His remarks came in front of large crowds in central Tehran during a funeral ceremony for the recovered remains of 200 soldiers who died during the Iran-Iraq war in the eighties of the last century.

Raisi stressed that "the bosom of the (Iranian) nation is open to all those who have been deceived. The youth are the youth of this country," stressing that "the bosom of the nation is open to all, but we will not show mercy to the enemies."

Human rights organizations outside Iran say that more than 450 demonstrators died during the protests, in which young people and women made up a large part of the participants.

For its part, official Iranian figures reported that more than 200 people, including dozens of members of the security forces, were killed on the sidelines of the protests, which included raising slogans against the authorities. Thousands have also been arrested and some of them have been referred to trial.

The Iranian judiciary confirmed the issuance of death sentences against 11 defendants, two of whom were executed, while the Supreme Court ordered a retrial of two others.

Rights activists say about a dozen others face charges that could lead to the death penalty.

Many Western countries expressed their support for the protests, and imposed sanctions on Tehran against the background of what it considers the authorities' suppression of the protesters.

On Tuesday, Raisi considered that the countries that supported the demonstrators had miscalculated.

And he believed that the supporters of the protests wanted to "distract the Islamic community" from its goals, addressing them without naming them, "Why did you miscalculate again? Why do you send us messages through different channels (and think that we) want to talk to you after insecurity has been eliminated thanks to the efforts of The people and the security forces that make sacrifices?

And he stressed that Iran "will not be deceived" by that.

BAGHDAD - (Xinhua) - The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today, Wednesday, the transition of the Iranian -Saudi dialogue sponsored by Iraq from the security track to the diplomatic track, stressing the continuation of the negotiation sessions between Tehran and Riyadh.

The official Iraqi News Agency (INA) quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Al-Sahhaf as saying that "the Iranian-Saudi dialogue has moved from its security track to the diplomatic track," without further details on how this step took place.

Al-Sahhaf stressed the importance of the step towards bringing the points of view closer and resolving the outstanding issues between the two sides, in a way that achieves the interests of each party and the repercussions of these interests at the regional level.

He added, "Iraq is still promoting positive visions and close views," noting that "the last meeting of the negotiating sessions took place in Baghdad and was sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

"We are still coordinating between the two sides for the possibility of achieving other rounds of dialogue that will be held on more consensus," he added.

Al-Sahhaf explained that "the Iraqi Foreign Ministry is working towards adapting the multiple strategic partnerships that are dedicated to the security and stability of the region," adding, "The stability of the region is achieved only by working to devote collective interests."

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia severed its relations with Iran in January of 2016 after its diplomatic headquarters in the cities of Tehran and Mashhad in Iran were attacked by protesters against Riyadh’s execution of the Saudi Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.

In an attempt to bridge the views between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Iraq has sponsored since April 2021 five rounds of negotiations between the two countries in the capital, Baghdad, taking advantage of its positive relationship with both sides.

Riyadh - (AFP) - Saudi Arabia on Thursday launched its first brand to manufacture electric cars , as part of a broader initiative to diversify the economy of the world's largest oil exporter.

And the official news agency, SPA, reported that the company, called "Sir", will contribute to achieving "the Kingdom's goals in reducing carbon emissions and preserving the environment in order to promote sustainable development."

She added that the "Sir" company is a joint venture between the Public Investment Fund and "Foxconn", which "will develop the electrical system for cars."

The agency indicated that “Sir” will work on “designing, manufacturing and selling electric cars equipped with advanced technical systems, such as the self-driving feature, in the Kingdom and the Middle East region, including sedans and SUVs,” noting that the company will provide “30,000 jobs in general.” direct and indirect by 2034.

It is scheduled that the "Sir" cars will be available for sale during the year 2025, according to "SPA".

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Thursday, "The launch of the 'Sir' company does not only aim to build a brand of cars in the Kingdom, but also supports the empowerment of multiple strategic sectors that support the development of the national industrial system, and contribute to attracting local and international investments," considering that one of This would "create many job opportunities for local competencies, and provide new opportunities for the private sector, in a way that contributes to increasing the Kingdom's gross domestic product during the next decade."

Riyadh - (AFP) - Saudi Arabia announced, on Wednesday, the seizure of 29.2 tons of khat this month, which was intended to be smuggled across its southern border from Yemen and the northern border from Jordan.

Khat is a shrub widespread in the Arabian Peninsula, especially in Yemen and East Africa in Ethiopia and Somalia, and its effect is similar to that of amphetamines when its leaves are chewed.

The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted the official spokesman for the General Directorate of the Saudi Border Guard, Colonel Misfer Al-Quraini, as saying, “The land patrols of the border guards in the regions of Najran, Jazan, Asir (south) and Tabuk (north) thwarted attempts to smuggle 29.2 tons of the narcotic plant khat, and 766 tons kilograms of marijuana.

Al-Quraini explained that his forces seized these narcotic substances between December 3-24, pointing to the arrest of 361 accused smugglers, including 23 Saudis, 261 Yemenis, and 70 Ethiopians.

In Yemen, which borders Saudi Arabia, the consumption of the khat plant has been handed down through generations and is very popular with the population. It is also widely smoked and even cultivated secretly among the population in the Saudi cities bordering Yemen.

According to the World Health Organization, the process of chewing khat releases "chemicals" that provide "a mild euphoria, which some compare to the euphoria provided by drinking strong coffee."

The Kingdom, which has the largest economy in the Arab world, constantly announces the seizure of large shipments of Captagon, which the authorities have been fighting attempts to smuggle and distribute for years.

Damascus - (AFP) - Syria appealed on Monday to the international community to "extend a helping hand" to support it after the devastating earthquake that struck the country and its center in Turkey, killing hundreds and thousands of injured.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said in a statement, "Syria appeals to the member states of the United Nations, the General Secretariat of the organization, its relevant agencies and funds, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and other humanitarian action partners from international, governmental and non-governmental organizations, to extend a helping hand and support the efforts made by the Syrian government in facing the earthquake disaster." The destructive".

Foreign Minister Faisal al-Miqdad, during a meeting he held on Monday with representatives of international organizations operating in Damascus, expressed his country's readiness to "provide all required facilities to international organizations in order to provide humanitarian assistance and the necessary needs."

The Syrian government has so far counted the death of 461 people and the injury of more than 1,326 others in the areas under its control. 390 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured in the northern areas outside Damascus' control, according to local medics.

Hundreds of families are still under the rubble in several governorates. The widening of the affected areas and the difficult climatic conditions impede the work of the rescue and ambulance personnel.

The years of the war, which is approaching its twelfth year, drained the country's capabilities and its ability to deal with similar quarts, after battles and bombing rounds limited the ability of service facilities to operate in several parts of the country.

President Bashar al-Assad, whose country has been subject to Western sanctions since the outbreak of the conflict in 2011, received calls and telegrams of condolences and solidarity from leaders of several countries, most notably his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Iranian Ibrahim Raisi, President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain and King of Jordan. Abdullah II.

Today, most Syrians live below the poverty line, and 14.9 million of them suffer from food insecurity and harsh living conditions, in light of an exhausted economy.

Since 2011, Syria has been witnessing a bloody conflict that has caused the death of about half a million people, massive destruction of infrastructure, and the displacement of more than half of the population inside and outside the country.

WASHINGTON (Xinhua) -- A man driving his car crashed into a vehicle barrier on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., early Sunday morning and fired shots before committing suicide.

The accident occurred at East Capitol Street and Second Street around 4:00 a.m. (0800 GMT), according to a press release from the Capitol Police.

The Capitol Police statement said the car "on fire" as the man was getting out. He then "fired several shots in the air" along East Capitol Street.

"When our officers heard the gunfire, they immediately responded and approached the man when he shot himself," the statement read.

Police said no one else was hurt in the incident, and the man did not appear to have been aiming at any of the congressmen - who are currently on recess - and the officers did not appear to have fired their weapons.

Detectives are looking into the man's background, while the death investigation is being handled by the Metropolitan Police Department.