Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:24 pm - Jerusalem Time

Meta launches a virtual reality helmet for professional use

San Francisco, (AFP) - The Meta group (Facebook and Instagram) on Tuesday unveiled a new virtual reality helmet specifically designed for professional use, a year after changing its name and announcing its desire to build a parallel world of Metaverse.


The $1,500 Meta Quest Pro helmet features several advanced technologies aimed at improving users' sense of being with other people.


It is assumed that the new helmet allows not only the possibility of viewing virtual worlds, but also the actual surroundings of the user, thanks to high-resolution cameras installed on it and directed to where the user is looking.


The helmet includes cameras directed at the user, aiming to reflect his facial expressions on his avatar in the virtual world, during a meeting he holds with his colleagues, for example.


During the "Connect" electronic conference organized to address the company's developments in terms of technologies and services for virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality, the founder and president of "Meta" Mark Zuckerberg said, "If the user smiles or frowns (...) his avatar is supposed to be able to reflect this expression."


"The number of apps (available on Quest) generating more than $5 million in revenue has doubled since last year," said Andrew Bosworth, chief technology officer of the US group.


The company also announced new partnerships, most notably with Microsoft, with the aim of making its platforms in the world of Metaverse more widely used.

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:24 pm - Jerusalem Time

A worker was injured in Hebron and settlers cut olive trees near Ramallah

Governorates - "Jerusalem" dot com - A worker was injured, this Friday morning, as a result of the Israeli occupation forces shooting at him at one of the openings near the Tarqumiya crossing, west of Hebron .


According to local sources, the worker sustained moderate to minor injuries while trying to cross the security barrier to reach his workplace.


In the context of the Israeli attacks, settlers cut down dozens of olive trees in the plain of the village of Turmusaya, north of Ramallah .

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:24 pm - Jerusalem Time

3 prisoners continue their hunger strike

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - 3 prisoners in the Israeli occupation prisons continue their open hunger strike to demand their release.


Khalil Awadeh strikes in refusal of his administrative detention, as the occupation refuses to this day to respond to his demand for his release, despite a decision to freeze his detention issued yesterday, Friday.


Awawdeh, 40, from the town of Ithna, Hebron district, entered his 161st day of strike. He had been on strike for 111 days, suspended his strike for only a week, and returned to the strike after the prison administration refused to find a solution to his case and renewed his administrative detention for a period of 4 months, which is the renewal. his second.


The two detained brothers, Ahmed and Adal Hussein Musa, from the town of Al-Khader / Bethlehem, have continued their hunger strike for 15 days, starting from the date of their arrest on August 7, 2022, in rejection of their administrative detention, as they are in the cells of “Ofer” prison. The occupation issued an order against Ahmed. Administrative detention for four months, and for Adal for a period of 3.


The Captive Club stated that the 44-year-old detainee, Ahmed, is a former prisoner, and in 2019 he carried out a hunger strike that lasted for 29 months, and ended with an agreement to release him. He is a patient who suffers from severe heart problems and has undergone several surgeries. Over the past years, he is married and the father of seven children.


Adal, 34, is a former prisoner who spent about seven years in the occupation prisons, including five years continuously. He is married and has two children.

ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:24 pm - Jerusalem Time

Dabaiba: I will only hand over power to an elected Libyan government

Tripoli (dpa) - Libyan Prime Minister Abdel Hamid al-Dabaiba said on Monday that he would only hand over power to an elected government, effectively ruling out resignation in favor of a new transitional government.


Dabaiba added at a cabinet meeting in the capital, Tripoli: "We want this stage of ours to be the last of the transitional stages, and we will adhere to that, and if we go to elections, we will hand over power after that, because we want that."


Al-Dabaiba spoke about the demonstrations and protests that have swept many Libyan cities since last Friday, indicating that the people’s demand in them is to change the current faces, pointing out that there is no way to achieve this except for elections, commenting by saying: “The people must put their papers in the ballot boxes and choose Whoever wants, whether for parliament or the presidency."


Dabaiba affirmed the people's right to freedom and expression, explaining that this right is "guaranteed by law and cannot be argued about."


During the ninth meeting of the Council of Ministers at its headquarters in Tripoli yesterday, Monday, Dabaiba said: "I spoke with many Libyans, and encouraged them to go out and determine their fate. The people are the masters of the country, and we are at their service, and the people are demanding their rights that were robbed of them over the past ten years."


He added, "The first of these rights is self-determination in approving the constitution and political destiny, and we will stand with the people in that, and no individual, party or party can make the political decision by force against the decision-making people, just as it is not possible to argue about elections and democracy, and it is not possible allow any individual or group to benefit from the making of election laws.”

ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:24 pm - Jerusalem Time

Tensions escalated between Washington and Riyadh over oil production cuts

Washington - (AFP) - Tensions escalated further between Saudi Arabia and the United States on Thursday, as they exchanged criticism over oil production cuts and Riyadh's position on Moscow.


In a rare statement, the Saudis responded to the United States, which considered the reduction in black gold production as a "bias" towards Russia and the policies of its President Vladimir Putin.


And the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in the statement that "the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has seen the statements ... which included describing the decision as siding with the Kingdom in international conflicts and that it was a decision based on political motives against the United States of America."


Riyadh expressed its "total rejection" of the US accusations, stressing that the decisions of the "OPEC +" alliance depend primarily on a "pure economic perspective."


Last week, the "OPEC +" alliance, made up of the 13 members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and their ten allies, led by Russia, decided to cut production quotas by two million barrels per day, starting from November.

The decision came despite US President Joe Biden's warning that there would be "consequences" to the move, which could lead to higher oil prices and thus fill Russia's coffers from its oil revenues to finance its war in Ukraine.


For its part, Riyadh said that the United States "proposed" to postpone the decision of "OPEC +" for a month so that the price of gasoline does not rise and thus influence the American voters.


This means that the White House asked Riyadh to wait until after the midterm legislative elections in the United States, scheduled for November 8, which are crucial in determining the remainder of Joe Biden's presidential term.


Washington's response to the Saudi statement was exceptionally swift and strong.


The White House said Thursday that Saudi Arabia "could try to manipulate or divert attention, but the facts are clear."


"In recent weeks, the Saudis have made it clear to us privately and publicly that they intend to cut oil production, knowing that this will increase Russia's revenues and mitigate the impact of sanctions. They have gone in the wrong direction," said John Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council.


"They could easily have waited for the next OPEC meeting to see how things develop," Kirby added.


And Kirby added, "Other OPEC countries told us, in private contacts, that they also oppose the Saudi decision, but they felt the need to support" Riyadh's strategy. He explained that Washington "will continue to monitor any indication of (Riyadh's) position in terms of responding to the Russian aggression against Ukraine."


Joe Biden pledged, after the “OPEC +” decision, to conduct a “reassessment” of the long-standing strategic relationship between the two countries, which is based on a simple principle: Saudi Arabia supplies the market with oil, and in return the United States guarantees its security, especially through huge arms deals with it.


The US President visited Saudi Arabia in July to confirm this principle, and thus the White House considered the "OPEC +" decision a diplomatic insult.


The decision of "OPEC +" proves that that visit - and the famous greeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - is politically costly for the 79-year-old Democrat, after he promised during his campaign for the presidential elections to make Saudi Arabia a "pariah" due to the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.


Many Democratic members of Congress are calling for a freeze on massive arms sales to Saudi Arabia, but the White House has not yet determined what the "consequences" mentioned by Joe Biden will be.

ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:24 pm - Jerusalem Time

The closure of the pro-opposition Venezuelan embassy in Washington

Washington - (AFP) - The Venezuelan embassy in Washington announced the closure of its headquarters after the Venezuelan opposition dissolved the "interim government" of Juan Guaido, who has the support of its employees, on Friday.


Guaido declared himself "acting president" in January 2019 and received great international support. The matter led to the return of Venezuelan diplomats , accredited in the American capital and loyal to President Nicolas Maduro, to their country after the Organization of American States agreed to appoint an envoy from the opposition in their place.


Subsequently, supporters of Nicolás Maduro occupied the embassy building in April for several weeks, leading to intense confrontations with supporters of Juan Guaidó and protesters in the street, until the police cleared the building.


Guaidó failed to overthrow Maduro, and the international support he enjoyed gradually dwindled. At the end of December 2022, three main opposition parties in Venezuela supported the dissolution of the "interim government", despite their support for it when it was formed in January 2019.


In the wake of this decision, the embassy said in a statement that it "and all its representatives have officially ceased to exercise their duties" as of Thursday, expressing regret for depriving its citizens in the United States of consular services.


In a statement, the outgoing ambassador, Carlos Vecchio, expressed his regret for the "political, economic and moral error" committed by the opposition in dissolving Guaido's interim government, noting that Nicolas "Maduro is the only beneficiary of this decision."

OPINIONS

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:24 pm - Jerusalem Time

A realistic tragedy that made me cry in Jenin!!

Written by: Ibrahim Daibes

I do not hide that I cried and was very sad as I read this incident from Jenin.. The young Farouk Salama was preparing for his wedding and wedding ceremony, but his destiny was to be martyred by the occupation bullets after he and the family prepared all the needs of the wedding. They made wedding preparations in a small room. It stayed there and no one used it. Baskets of chocolate and other sweets were ready, and the groom's family was preparing to distribute them to the camp's residents. His wedding cards were also distributed to all the family and friends, and henna was printed on his hands. He says, "I also bought a set of gowns to give the wedding a tribal atmosphere."


Also, in detail, he had prepared special sacrifices and meals because the family was preparing to hold a big party, and before the final ceremony, henna was used.. There are many other details, but we have reached a point, grief and worry.. While he was slaughtering his wedding sacrifice, the occupation forces killed him inside a butcher shop in Jenin camp. Where he used to slaughter sacrifices for his wedding..!!


And his mother, may God be with her and helps her, started calling in a hoarse voice, “Don't be too long, Farouk..Your suit is ready. Don't be too long.


And a thousand curses on the occupation, and all patience and stamina to the mother in particular and the family and friends in general: and your story, Farouk, must reach the whole world..!!


A new division instead of uniting with the "Barta'a" occupation!!


We are suffering from fragmentation and division, and it was agreed in Algeria to restore national unity, and we saw leaders from various factions shaking hands and smiling in front of the television cameras.. The meeting ended and nothing happened. Rather, the division widened and we heard about the “People’s Congress” led by Omar Assaf, who was arrested by the authority, period. Perhaps a short and clear message was communicated to him, before his release.


As is clear and usual, the occupation did not stop, even for a moment, from practicing its expansionist ambitions, the last but not the least of which is Israel inventing fake graves to control the endowment lands in Jerusalem, and Qalqilya is a city besieged by settlements and bypass roads and suffocated by the apartheid wall and the settlers' orgy increases the suffering of Nablus and the siege that suffocates it as well. The settlements emit gases that cause global warming, which destroys agriculture. In Jenin, they continue to destroy homes and issue notices of demolition. To make things worse and darker, the results of the Israeli elections have returned the extreme right, led by Netanyahu, to power.

ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:24 pm - Jerusalem Time

Syrian sources: American forces transport 45 tankers of Syrian oil to Iraq

Damascus - (dpa) - Syrian sources reported that the American forces took out dozens of tanks loaded with Syrian oil, in addition to other vehicles carrying military equipment, from Syrian territory towards Iraqi territory through the crossings in rural Al-Hasakah.


Today, Thursday, the Syrian News Agency (SANA) quoted the sources as saying, "A convoy consisting of 35 vehicles, including 20 tanks loaded with stolen oil from the oil wells occupied by the American occupation forces on the island, in addition to a number of covered trucks and refrigerators, headed through the illegal Al-Walid crossing to the north of the country." Iraq".


The sources added, "Another convoy of the occupation, including 25 tanks loaded with Syrian oil stolen from the oil fields in Rumailan and Al-Shaddadi, headed to Iraqi territory through the illegal al-Mahmudiya crossing in the Yarubiyah countryside, in conjunction with the low flight of three helicopters belonging to the occupation forces."


According to the agency, "the American occupation forces transported a few days ago a convoy consisting of 55 tanks loaded with stolen Syrian oil in batches to Iraqi territory through the Mahmoudiya crossing in the Yarubiyah countryside, northeast of Hasakah."

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:24 pm - Jerusalem Time

China launches a new environmental satellite

TAIWAN, China (Xinhua) -- Early Thursday morning, China launched a new satellite for disaster reduction, emergency management and environmental monitoring, from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province.


A Long March-2C carrier rocket carrying the S-SAR01 satellite took off at 6:53 am (Beijing Time).


The satellite entered the predetermined orbit, and the Ministry of Emergency Management and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will be the primary users of the said satellite.


The China National Space Corporation said that by obtaining S-band radar imaging data with a resolution of 5 meters, the satellite will support the purposes of disaster prevention, reduction, relief and environmental protection, and the satellite will also be used in the fields of natural resources, water conservancy, agriculture, forestry and earthquakes. and others.


The launch marked the 443rd mission of the Long March series of carrier rockets.

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:24 pm - Jerusalem Time

The Civil Defense warns of wind speeds and the risk of torrential rains in some areas

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - The Civil Defense Authority warned citizens of wind speeds, which could reach 70 km/h tomorrow.


And the Civil Defense stressed, in a statement issued today, Monday, the need to install everything that is liable to fly over the roofs of buildings and balconies, and called on farmers to take precautions to protect greenhouses.


He also warned of the danger of torrential rains forming in some areas of the Jordan Valley as a result of the expected heavy rains tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, calling on drivers to drive safely and not risk crossing water and torrential pools.


Likewise, the Civil Defense called on citizens to safely use heating devices to avoid the outbreak of fires or suffocation from toxic gases resulting from them.

ECONOMY

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:24 pm - Jerusalem Time

Starting to export steel and aluminum products from Britain to America without fees

London - (dpa) - The exemption of British steel and aluminum products from additional US tariffs that were imposed under former President Donald Trump came into effect today, Wednesday.


The dispute between Britain and the United States was settled last March after the United States announced its intention to treat steel and aluminum imports from Britain with a system of tariff quotas instead of Section 232 of the British Trade Expansion Act, which imposed additional duties on these imports.


Under the new deal, British manufacturers will be allowed to export up to 500,000 tonnes of steel and 21,600 tonnes of aluminum to the US annually without being subject to the additional duties.


The British steel industry companies considered this exemption from fees a great victory, and it will provide new economic opportunities for companies across the supply chains of this sector, which includes 80,000 workers.


In return for the US concessions, Britain would allow an end to additional duties imposed on some US products such as wine, Levi's jeans and Harley-Davidson motorcycles.


"From today, British steel and aluminum exporters can return to exporting to our largest trading partner across the Atlantic," said Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Secretary of State for British International Trade.

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:24 pm - Jerusalem Time

Zeevi assassination cell leader.. The occupation transfers captive Ahed Abu Gholami for investigation

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - Today, Thursday, the Israeli occupation prisons administration transferred the official of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in the prisons branch , Ahed Abu Ghulamy, for investigation.


Raymond prison, in which Abu Ghulamy is held, witnessed a state of alert, following his transfer for investigation. As mentioned in a statement of the prisoners' committee in the popular.


It is noteworthy that Abu Ghulamy is considered one of the leaders of the captive national movement and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and he is the leader of the military wing of the front in the occupied West Bank, and responsible for the cell that carried out the assassination of the Israeli Minister of Tourism, "Rehavam Ze'evi" in occupied Jerusalem.


Abu Ghulamy was arrested with the Secretary-General of the Front, Ahmed Saadat, and a group of his companions, following the occupation's storming of Jericho prison in 2006.


On January 1, 2008, and after dozens of hearings, the Israeli military court in Jerusalem sentenced Abu Ghulamy to life imprisonment and an additional five years.

SPORT

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:24 pm - Jerusalem Time

World Cup 2022: Messi begins his last dance against Saudi Arabia

Doha - (AFP) - Argentine star Lionel Messi takes the first step of his last dance in the ranks of the "Albiceleste" team, when he faces his Saudi counterpart at Lusail Stadium, on Tuesday, in the third group competitions of the Qatar 2022 World Cup in football, which is witnessing a confrontation between Poland and Mexico. at stadium 974.


Messi, who won the Golden Ball seven times, said on the sixth of last October that the 2022 edition will be his last, and there is no doubt that he wants it to be the culmination of a triumphant march during which he won all possible titles in the ranks of Barcelona, Spain, and then Paris Saint-Germain, France, as he was crowned with his country. in the Copa America in 2021, to lead it to its first continental title since 1993.


Messi, 35, is participating in his fifth World Cup, and his most prominent result was his runner-up in the 2014 Brazil edition.


"We are very excited. We have a very good group and are very eager. But we are thinking of going step by step. We know that the World Cup groups are not easy," said Messi, who shines in the ranks of Paris Saint-Germain this season, in an interview with the South American Football Federation website.


Argentina is entering this tournament armed with a series of 36 matches without losing over the past three years. And if it is destined to beat Saudi Arabia , it will equal the record held by the Italian national team.


Coach Lionel Scaloni has a homogeneous and solid squad that, in addition to Messi, relies on veteran Angel Di Maria, Juventus winger and Inter striker Lautaro Martinez, in addition to the attacking duo Christian Romero from Tottenham, England, and Lisandro Martinez from Manchester United as well.


The last experience of the Argentine national team, the 1978 and 1986 champions, who settled for the final eight in Russia 2018 when it lost to France 3-4, was its crushing victory a few days ago against its UAE host, five clean.

On the other hand, the Saudi national team must play the match of its life if it wants to achieve a positive result against the South American giants.


The Saudi national team, which includes 12 players from Al Hilal, the Asian champion, has enjoyed technical stability since French coach Herve Renard took over his training in July 2019, when he succeeded in leading him to the finals for the sixth time in his history after leading a group that included Japan and Australia.


And the Saudi national team dreams of repeating the dream of qualifying for the final price round, as it did in its first participation, specifically in the World Cup in the United States in 1994, when its star Saeed Al-Owairan scored for him the historic and wonderful winning goal against Belgium, before losing Al-Akhdar against Sweden 1-3.


Renard has great experience in continental and international tournaments, after he led Zambia to its first title in the African Cup of Nations in 2012, and then succeeded in achieving the same achievement with Ivory Coast three years later, becoming the first coach to win this honor with two different teams in the continental championship. He led Morocco in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.


"To make great performances in a major tournament, you have to be very strong at the collective level," said Renard, who is counting on the likes of Salman Al-Faraj and Salem Al-Dosari, in an interview with AFP.


And about meeting Messi, he said, "It will be great! When you decide to become a coach, you want to face the best opponents."


And whether Saudi Arabia will play under pressure in the nearest World Cup in terms of distance, "No. We have been received by His Highness the Crown Prince (Prince Mohammed bin Salman). He blessed us for qualifying for the World Cup, stressing that there is no pressure imposed on the players and that we only have to show a beautiful image of "Saudi football. I see it as a smart move. It's perfect and realistic communication. But that doesn't mean that we will be complacent in our mission."


On the other hand, Saudi national team midfielder Hattan Bahbari considered that the key to achieving a positive result against Argentina at the start of Al-Akhdar's career is the group's solidarity and maximum efforts.


Bahbari, who participated in the 2018 World Cup in Russia in one of the training sessions for his country, said, "We have been drawn into a very difficult group, and we will face the ancient Argentine national team, which includes resonant names at the beginning of the journey."


The teams met four times, Argentina won twice and drew twice.

And at Stadium 974, the only one of the eight World Cup stadiums that will be completely dismantled, Poland and its veteran scorer Robert Lewandowski will face Mexico.


In his ninth participation, most notably in 1974 and 1982, Bello Chervoni (white and red) is counting on the new striker of Barcelona, Spain, and one of the creators of Bayern Munich's glories in the last decade.


The 34-year-old wants to make up for a disappointing start in 2018, when his team bottomed out in the group stage and failed to score a goal.


"Of course I am thinking about the last World Cup. I will do everything to realize the dream of scoring in the World Cup," said Leiva, the best scorer in Poland's history (76 in 134 international matches).


Coach Cheslav Mikhneevich expressed his desire to "keep the ball as long as possible, build quick sentences after possession and pass quickly to relieve the opponent's pressure," considering that organizing the midfield is "the main dilemma" for him.


Despite surviving in the first level of the European Nations League, Poland suffered three defeats, including a heavy one against Belgium 1-6.


As for Mexico, participating for the 17th time, most notably in 1970 and 1986 at home when it reached the quarter-finals, its Argentine coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino hopes that Wolverhampton striker Raul Jimenez will be able to participate.


The 31-year-old has not played with the El Tree since last August due to a thigh injury, after a stuttering start to the season with another knee injury.

ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:24 pm - Jerusalem Time

Volodymyr Zelensky: from actor to military leader and political leader

Kiev - (AFP) - Wearing a khaki T-shirt, tired features, light beard and regular media appearances, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has become a symbol reflecting Ukrainians' determination to defeat Russia despite its huge military arsenal.


Weeks before the Russian invasion on February 24, his presidential term, which he began three years ago, was losing some momentum, as the former comedian was struggling to fulfill his electoral promises in a country plagued by poverty and corruption. It was easy for his opponents to say that the scale of responsibility he assumes is greater than a comic actor, and Western countries regret that the new Ukrainian president at the time seemed unable to implement the required reforms.


"Before the war, many people treated Ukraine as a failed state and Zelensky as a weak president," says political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko.


And when Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine at dawn on February 24, Moscow was convinced that its offensive would be short and that the weak Ukrainian authority would collapse.


All major Ukrainian cities were subjected to heavy bombardment, Kharkiv, Lviv, Dnipro and Odessa, and the Russian army marched towards the Ukrainian capital, Kiev.


"There were rumors that (the Ukrainian president) would flee," Fesenko recalled.


However, the reality was different. Zelensky attracted attention after he appeared in a video clip recorded in front of the buildings of the Presidential Administration in the center of Kiev, and his advisers surrounded him.


His eyes staring into the camera lens, he said, "We are all here, our military is here, the citizens, the community, we are all here, to defend our independence, our state."


More than ten months after the start of the war, exhaustion is evident on his face and his beard has grown, but every evening his determination is the same that he directs to his compatriots in videos posted on social media.


Meanwhile, Zelensky and his army inflicted surprising defeats on Putin's army: in April, the Kremlin retreated from entering Kiev, in September it lost control of the Kharkiv region, and then in November it lost Kherson, the capital of the region of the same name.


The Financial Times, which awarded Zelensky the title of Man of the Year, did not hesitate to compare him to former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who led the war against the Nazis.


In Russia, on the contrary, Zelensky is presented as the leader of a neo-Nazi genocidal clique or the leader of drug addicts, even Satan.


"The Russian Orthodox Church must officially announce that Zelensky personifies the arrival of the Antichrist," political analyst Arayik Stepanyan said on Russia 1 in November.


But Zelensky, 44, is also the leader of the media battle. He has previously appeared on the cover of the fashion magazine "Vogue" with his wife, Olena, as well as in the southern city of Kherson, which was recaptured by Ukrainian forces in November, singing the national anthem surrounded by soldiers.
These scenes contrast with those showing Putin operating isolated in the Kremlin.


Zelensky has also used his popularity and the suffering of Ukrainians to extract more weapons and more funding from his Western allies.


For this purpose, he always presents his country as a bulwark against Russian imperialism and as a defender of democratic values, as he did in June when he told Czech deputies that Moscow is targeting "a vast area from Warsaw to Sofia and from Prague to Tallinn."


And he takes a tough line on leaders who ask him to make concessions to Moscow, such as French President Emmanuel Macron.
He received in his office the leaders of Western countries who visited Kiev successively, as well as Hollywood stars.


Zelensky, who grew up in the industrial city of Kryvyi Rig in a predominantly Russian-speaking region, did not expect to play this role.


Before entering politics, he made a successful career as a comedian, in Ukraine as well as in Russia, where the same TV channels that insult him today would invite him to appear on their screens.


As of 2015, he plays an honest but naive history professor who accidentally becomes the president of Ukraine, in a hit series.
However, the fantasy became reality with his election in 2019 by Ukrainians fed up with a corrupt political class, including their billionaire president, Petro Poroshenko.


"Zelensky turned out to be a real patriot, fighter, president," says Volodymyr Fesenko.


With winter in Ukraine and Russian missiles destroying the country's energy facilities, Zelensky will have to maintain the resilience of his citizens, who face frost and darkness, and the resolve of his allies.
According to Fisenko, Zelensky must "preserve society's will to resist and ... to support the West," because "the feeling of war exhaustion is a real challenge."

OPINIONS

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:24 pm - Jerusalem Time

Jerusalem is not for sale or bargaining

Written by: Sri Al Qudwa*


And Jerusalem, with all its civilized, Arab and Islamic components, and its cultural and religious heritage, remains the eternal capital of the State of Palestine with its Islamic and Christian sanctities, and in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy and international law. The Israeli flag is a natural matter, and therefore the march of the flags will pass according to its natural course, as he put it, and that those sterile positions and Israeli statements about Jerusalem will not give legitimacy to the occupation of the city and the occupation will end, no matter how long it takes.

The international community, especially the US administration, must assume its responsibilities to stop the Israeli violations and stop dealing with the existing double standards, which the occupation benefits from in its continued evasion of the entitlements of the peace process and pushing the region towards more acts of chaos and rival conflicts, which reflect the extent of the ideological conflict within Israeli society, which is mainly based on violence. The hostility and practice of hatred against the Palestinian people, especially in Jerusalem and the occupied Palestinian territories, which contributes to the continuation of the policy of extremism and terrorism, which has become an essential part of the Israeli work system and the approach adopted by the extremist and racist occupation government.

The occupation government does not care about the decisions of international legitimacy and the endeavors and initiatives to establish peace and justice. In light of the practice of this policy and the continuation of the aggression against Al-Aqsa Mosque, targeting it with Israeli flags, and trying to impose policies of Judaization and theft of history, these positions cannot achieve security and stability in the region as long as the occupation government continues its war on the people. The Palestinian, his land and sanctities, dealing as a state above the law, rejecting the resolutions of international legitimacy and the foundations on which the peace process was based, and not abiding by them, and flouting all international resolutions in disregard and disregard for international law.

The occupation government must realize the facts it practices on the ground and that the only way to achieve stability and lasting peace passes through fulfilling the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, foremost of which is the establishment of an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and that Jerusalem and its sanctities are not for sale and peace will not be at any price, and the Palestinian people stationed in Al-Aqsa Mosque and cannons On behalf of the Islamic and Christian sanctities in the city of Jerusalem, the capital of the eternal state, they will keep the covenant and the promise, as they confront with their bare chests the settlers who are trying to desecrate Al-Aqsa Mosque, and stand together to protect it from the Israeli occupation forces, believing in the inevitability of victory and ready to confront the usurper occupier, no matter the sacrifices.

No one can overlook the legendary steadfastness and resistance of the Palestinian people to the occupation, especially the Palestinian people in the city of Jerusalem, who show courage that is unparalleled in this time and defend the Holy City and its sanctities, embodying national unity and ensuring the integration of Palestinian performance in all places of presence, whether in the occupied interior or in places of diaspora. In order to thwart the occupation plans that target the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and the holy sites.

And those demonstrations that took place in various countries of the world to condemn the occupation and its racist aggression are only an affirmation that the Palestinian people face the occupation and its settlers with more patience and steadfastness in order to fight the battle to defend Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa and thwart all plans that target the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem, stressing that the fate of these plans is failure, as the previous ones And that the Palestinian people will be victorious and achieve their goals of liberation and the establishment of their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

* Ambassador of Arab media in Palestine
Editor-in-Chief of the Palestinian Al-Sabah newspaper

ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:24 pm - Jerusalem Time

Japan is considering developing its long-range missiles in light of the Chinese threat

Tokyo - (AFP) - Japan is considering deploying more than 1,000 long-range cruise missiles to boost its ability to counter China's growing regional threats , local newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reported Sunday.


Tokyo plans to develop anti-ship missiles to increase its range from 100 kilometers to about 1,000 kilometers, which would be enough to reach coastal areas of China and North Korea, according to the newspaper, citing unnamed sources.


It will also have to carry out modernization operations to enable the ships and aircraft currently owned by Japan to launch new missiles that can hit targets on land, according to the newspaper.


The "Yomiuri" that the missiles will be deployed in the Kyushu region and its environs and on the islands located in southwestern Japan near Taiwan.


AFP was not immediately able to obtain comment from Japanese officials.


The plan is part of Japan's attempt to reduce the missile capabilities gap with China and deal at the same time with North Korean threats, according to the newspaper.


It is noteworthy that the constitution of Japan after World War II does not officially recognize the army, while defense spending is limited to financing defense capabilities.


Recent geopolitical tension, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's more hostile stance toward Taiwan, has led to calls within Japan to reconsider its defense programmes.


And Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged to dramatically increase defense spending, knowing that it remained at about one percent of gross domestic product.


Local media reported that the Japanese Ministry of Defense will most likely request 5.5 trillion yen ($40.2 billion) for the next fiscal year, compared to the 5.18 trillion yen it asked for in the current fiscal year.


But it is expected that the ministry will also demand approval of a list of equipment whose price has not been specified, including the cost of developing long-range cruise missiles, according to the Asahai Shimbun newspaper.

SPORT

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:24 pm - Jerusalem Time

Italian Championship: International Belotti leaves Turin after seven years

Rome - (AFP) - Italian Torino announced Friday that its international striker Andrea Belotti, who has reached the end of his contract, will leave the club after a seven-year adventure.


"Dear Andrea, we have taken note of your decision to embark on a new experience. Our paths will separate from today," the Italian club wrote on its website, the day after the expiration of the "Gallo" (rooster) contract.


"We lived together seven seasons, a particularly strong bond in modern football, and we always share the same passion, joys, sufferings, emotions and disappointments," he added, in thanks to the 28-year-old captain.


Belotti arrived in Turin from Palermo in 2015, and scored 113 goals in 251 matches for him in various competitions.


The Italian international (44 games, 12 goals), who won the European Cup with his country, did not announce his future destination.

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:24 pm - Jerusalem Time

The occupation arrests 8 citizens from separate areas

Jerusalem - "Al Quds" dot com - The Israeli occupation forces arrested, at dawn and today, Tuesday, 8 citizens from separate areas in Jerusalem and the West Bank.


and arrested

An Israeli force, two brothers, Walid, and Abd al-Rahman Salem al-Khatib, from the town of Hizma, northeast of occupied Jerusalem, after raiding several homes in the town.


Another force arrested 5 young men from the Jalazoun refugee camp in Ramallah at the Qalandia military checkpoint, while they were returning from Jerusalem.


The citizen, Hassan Abdel Salam Al-Awiwi (39 years old), was arrested while trying to travel through Al-Karama crossing.





PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:24 pm - Jerusalem Time

European Union ambassadors visit Ain Samia School, which is threatened with demolition

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - Representatives, ambassadors and consuls of the European Union visited today, Friday, the Ein Samia School , east of Ramallah, in protest against the decision of the Central Occupation Court in Jerusalem, issued last Wednesday, to demolish it immediately.


The representative of the European Union in Palestine, Sven Kun von Burgsdorff, said, "This is not the first visit in which we meet in protest against the occupation's decisions, and Israel, as an occupying power, must respect the right to education under international law and relevant international agreements, and guarantee the right of Palestinian children in Area C." ", Gaza, and the rest of the regions, to reach their schools easily."


He stressed that this demolition decision is a clear violation of all international obligations, and it is an illogical decision that is not considered a legal formulation, and it amounts to the crime of forced displacement.


In turn, the spokesman for the Ministry of Education, Sadiq Al-Khdour, considered that targeting the school is part of targeting the national identity and Palestinian education in all regions, calling for serious action and addressing the world with the need to support our children's right to education in light of this attack.


Al-Khdour said that the presence of the school enhances the existence of the population and provides the right to education, and students do not have to travel long distances with it, stressing that if the school is demolished, it will be rebuilt with all partners, and students will study in tents and in the open if this is not possible.


He added: We do not deal with these schools with the same standards compared to other schools. When we talk about a school with 7 students and 5 teachers, this confirms that we are concerned with providing the right to education and its implementation, and we do not study the feasibility in terms of economic and cost, but rather from the moral feasibility and value. Ethical, and commitment to what should be towards students in providing the right to education.


For his part, the director of the Jerusalem Center for Legal Aid, Issam Al-Arouri, said that the occupation court in Jerusalem canceled the precautionary order to stop the demolition of the school last Wednesday based on a change in the instructions of the building regulations in force in the occupied Palestinian territories, and in the context that Israel changed its narrative and began to deal with our lands as a land And that any construction in Area C is tantamount to an attack on the property of the occupying power, and since that time the school has not been protected and is under imminent danger of demolition.


Al-Arouri added that we are planning a legal process that begins next week with a request to exempt the school from the licensing application, stressing that the only thing that can save the school is to put urgent and imminent political pressure in the hope of giving us a period of several days for a new legal move that may save the school.


The citizen Muhammad Hussein Ka'anbeh said that the school and the area as a whole are constantly attacked by settlers and the occupation soldiers, and some time ago they confiscated the school's equipment, and all this comes in the context of the displacement of the population, but we will not leave the area.


It is noteworthy that the school was inaugurated in mid-January, in coordination between the Ministry of Education and the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, and with European funding through one of the international institutions operating in Palestine, with the efforts of volunteers, to serve the students of Ain Samia Al-Badawi community, as one of the resilience and challenge schools in the designated areas. (c).


The Ain Samia Bedouin community is located on the outskirts of the Jerusalem desert, to the northeast, where the Al-Amreen / Al-Ka'abneh Bedouin clan settled about 35 years ago, which includes about 300 citizens who experienced the bitterness of displacement and deportation many times before they settled in this place, where the occupation forces seized parts A large area of land in the community and the surrounding area for the benefit of the "Kawkab al-Sabah" settlement.


The residents of the community suffer from repeated attacks by settlers with the aim of seizing the rest of the land and expelling the citizens from it.


It is noteworthy that the hills surrounding the settlement witnessed the establishment of several outposts in the form of pastoral outposts, each consisting of a caravan and a herd of sheep or cows, with the aim of intimidating the citizens in the area and cleansing them ethnically using a mixture of terrorism and the official tools of the occupation, where the two sides constitute two sides of the same coin practicing forced displacement. which amounts to a war crime against the protected population under occupation.


PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:23 pm - Jerusalem Time

A naval activity for the Gaza factions in support of Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the prisoners

Gaza - " Jerusalem " dot com - Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip organized, on Tuesday evening, a naval activity off the Zikim Israeli military site in the far northwest of the Strip.


The participants in the vigil raised the Palestinian flag, and slogans emphasizing the support and support of Gaza, Jerusalem and the West Bank , and the prisoners in the occupation prisons.


During a speech on behalf of the factions, Khader Habib, a leader in the Islamic Jihad, called on the international community and the United Nations to work in order to lift the injustice against the Palestinian people.


Habib emphasized the right of the Palestinian people to their land and sea, calling for the continuation of the resistance approach in order to achieve this.

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:23 pm - Jerusalem Time

Rayan and Awadeh continue their hunger strike

Ramallah - "Al Quds" dot com - The two detainees , Raed Rayan and Khalil Awadeh , continue their open hunger strike in rejection of their administrative detention, and the occupation refuses to this day to respond to their demand to end their administrative detention.


The Captive Club confirmed in a statement that they are facing serious health conditions, which are exacerbating with the passage of time, in addition to a number of systematic abusive policies aimed at undermining and putting pressure on them, as they remain to this day in "Ramla" prison.


The detainee, Raed Rayan (28 years old), from the town of Beit Duqqu / Jerusalem, has been on hunger strike for 106 days, and has been in administrative detention since 3/11/2021, when an administrative detention order was issued against him for a period of six months, and the order was renewed for the second time for a period of 6 months. Note that he is a former detainee who spent nearly 21 months under administrative detention.


While the detainee Khalil Awawda (40 years old) from the town of Ithna / Hebron resumed his hunger strike on 7/2/2022, after he suspended it earlier after 111 days of the strike, based on promises to release him, but the occupation reneged on his promise, and issued a A new administrative detention order is issued against him for a period of four months, noting that he has been detained since 27/12/2021, when the occupation issued an administrative detention order against him for a period of six months, and his detention order was renewed for the second time for a period of four months, and he is married and the father of four children, and a former prisoner who spent years in occupation prisons.

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:23 pm - Jerusalem Time

Bar Lev: The image of the soldiers in Operation Shuafat was "alarming"

A translation of "Jerusalem" dot com - Omer Bar Lev, the Israeli Minister of Internal Security, described, on Tuesday, the pictures of his forces and the army deploying at the " Shuafat " checkpoint when carrying out the shooting attack last Saturday evening, which led to the death of a female soldier and the injury of others, as "exciting." to worry."


"This image is certainly disturbing, but we will learn lessons and draw lessons to prevent the recurrence of such a dangerous attack," Barlev said in statements to the Hebrew Kan radio station.


And a video clip of the operation showed the Israeli soldiers standing during the moment the porter got off the vehicle in which he arrived at the checkpoint, then approached them from point zero and fired at them, and fled from the place without any soldier being able to injure him after they showed a slow reaction as a result of their fear of injury.


He indicated that in the coming days there will be a comprehensive investigation into the attack on the checkpoint.


He pointed out that the process of chasing the outlet is still going on, noting that he is still hiding in the Shuafat camp and that he is receiving help from the residents there, which is difficult to reach.


SPORT

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:23 pm - Jerusalem Time

Al-Sadaqa is crowned with the Super Volleyball Cup at the expense of its rivals, Khadamat Jabalia

Gaza - Ahmed Al-Masharawi - Al-Sadaqa Club - the champion of the Premier League - Jawwal and the Gaza Strip Cup, won the Volleyball Super Cup title in the Gaza Strip, by beating its competitor, the runner-up of the league and cup, Khadamat Jabalia, with a score of 3-2, in the match organized by the Football Association in the hall. Saad Sayel, marking the launch of the official championship train for the 2023 season. The match and coronation were attended by Abdul Salam Haniyeh, Assistant Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, Vice President of the Palestinian Volleyball Federation, members of the federation, Ihab Kahil and Hussam Al-Beik, and many legal persons led by Dr. Hazem Shehadeh, President of the Friendship Club. friendship. Yahya Khader, head of the Jabalia Services Club, Muhammad Al-Awawdeh, a representative of a mobile company, sports personalities, and a large number of fans who crowded the hall.

The match was strong, exciting, and full of technical hints and crushing blows. The two teams exchanged control and progress in the five games, and each was close to winning and achieving the title. Al-Sadaqa advanced in the first half with a score of 25-22, and responded strongly by winning the second and third halves with the same score 25-20, then Al-Sadaqa returned to equalize the score by winning the fourth half with a score of 28-26, before deciding the fifth half in his favor with a score of 15_13.

Haniyeh presented the championship cup and gold medals to Al-Sadaqa Club, accompanied by the audience, and crowned Al-Sadaqa with the title, and presented them with the medals, as the green team and the fans celebrated the new coronation, and roamed the hall chanting victory slogans, and their joys continued to the club’s headquarters, while Jabalia services players won silver medals. The referee of the match: first referee Hatem Hamouda, second referee Osama Al-Moqeed, registrar Samir Al-Moqeed, line observers Muhammad Darabih and Harith Abu Al-Amreen, Muhammad Okal from the Competitions Committee, and Jamal Hassouna from the Referees Committee.

Al-Bureij and Al-Salah qualified

Khadamat Al-Bureij Club and Al-Salah Association reached the final of the Sector Cup for the excellent class of handball – the late Fathi Judeh’s tournament, sponsored by the 2022-2023 season in the Gaza Strip, sponsored by the Supreme Council and Jawwal Company, after its victory over the Deir Al-Balah Union and Nuseirat Services, in the opening of the semi-finals of the tournament in the hall Abu Youssef Al-Najjar.

Al-Salah Association - Union of Deir Al-Balah

Al-Salah Association reached the final with its difficult and arduous victory over Deir Al-Balah Union with a score of 28-27, by a goal difference, and Al-Salah decided the first half in its favor 15-12, with the ingenuity of its stars, then Al-Ittihad returned strongly to settle the result of the second half with a score of 15-13, but Al-Salah maintained a difference The goal came in the last moments, despite reducing the difference from Deir Al-Balah Union in the last minute, so Al-Salah won the aggregate score 28-27. The best scorer for Salah Bilal Sabah came with 10 goals, and Fadi Abu Jalal was the best scorer for the federation with 7 goals.

Referee of the meeting: Mustafa Al-Hanjouri and Ali Abu Taha for the arena, Mikati Anis Ismail, registrar Khaled Haroun, resident of the referees Ayman Bashir, Haitham Bawadi, Competitions Committee.

Bureij services (27) _ (23) Nuseirat services

Khadamat Al-Bureij’s rise to the final came, defeating its neighbor, the defending champions, Khadamat Al-Nuseirat, with a score of 27-23 in the same Al-Najjar Hall. The match was full of excitement, strength and vigor, especially in the second half. -15, with a total score of 27-23. The best scorer came for Al-Bureij Muhammad Al-Lahham with 10 goals, and Abdul Aziz Musleh came as the best scorer for his team, Nuseirat, for scoring 12 goals. The referee of the meeting: Muhammad Khairallah and Iyad Barhoum for the arena, Mikati Mustafa Al-Hanjouri, the recorder Majdi Harb, the resident of the referees Ayman Bashir, Haitham Bawadi, the competitions committee. The Competitions Committee of the Federation decided to meet Khadamat Al-Bureij and Al-Salah Sports Association in the championship final, on Wednesday, February 8, at 5:00 pm, at Saad Sail Hall, west of Gaza City.

Preparatory matches

And as part of the clubs’ preparations for the start of the 18th round, next Friday, which was postponed, Khadamat Al-Shati won over Al-Sadaqa, 3-2, at the Martyr Khaled Abu Salmiya Stadium, which is being held as part of their preparations to complete the league competitions in its first and excellent levels. He scored for the first, Muhammad Abu Riyalah, Muhammad Al-Sududi, and Anas Abu Steita, and the goals of friendship were Bilal Al-Najjar, a mistake in his own net, and Saeb Abu Hashish. In another match, the Palestinian Al-Ahly defeated Gaza Sports Club with a score of 2-0, at Al-Sudania Stadium, scored by Muhammad Shbeir and Muhammad Saleh, and in a third match, the Namaa Association and the Beit Hanoun Sports Federation tied, at the stadium of the Arab star Muhammad Abu Trika, with a score of 1-1, scored For the development of Muhammad al-Qadi, and for the other, Ghassan Abu Odeh.

Services calls for restraint

The Rafah Services Club, the league leader and the winter champion, issued an explanatory statement, in which it affirmed its keenness to make the sports process a success and to resort to the laws and regulations governing all tournaments, and to support the maintenance of security and order in the stadiums and punish anyone who begged himself to disturb order and security in our stadiums, stressing that the club did not It was once a cause for tension in the atmosphere and a party to stir up strife in the sports arena, as it is the respected national club that offered martyrs, fighters and athletes. He also affirmed his keenness to submit any request for facts and evidentiary evidence to obtain his rights, and called for a review of the article that stipulates the registration of players. In turn, the Board of Directors of the Rafah Youth Club held an emergency meeting following the Football Association’s decision to prevent the public from attending the remaining matches of the Premier League competitions, as it is discussing the call for an extraordinary general assembly meeting during the coming hours, and the suspension of sports activity, indicating that the Football Association is subject to a campaign of extortion and pressures to serve for specific clubs.

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:23 pm - Jerusalem Time

After a lapse of 25 years, Gaza will host the Palestinian Handball Super Cup tomorrow, after the arrival of Azzun's team

Gaza - "Jerusalem" dot com - Ahmed Al-Masharawi - The delegation of Azzun Club, the West Bank handball champion, arrived in Gaza, via the Beit Hanoun crossing, to play the first leg match of the Palestinian Super Cup against Khadamat Al-Nuseirat Club, the champion of the Strip.


He was received by a large delegation of official, legal and sports personalities, led by Abdel Salam Haniyeh, Assistant Secretary of the Supreme Council, where Haniyeh expressed his happiness at the arrival of Azzun to his country, stressing that the match embodies sports unity despite the geographical obstacles.


Haniyeh expressed his happiness at the arrival of Azzun among his family and relatives, wishing that this meeting would continue, and the two teams would play a match worthy of their history, and in a manner commensurate with this historic visit that brings together the game's heroes in both parts of the country.


The Azzun delegation includes 18 members, headed by Riyad Selim.


The Israeli occupation army prevented 8 players from the main strength of the team from entering Gaza.


The sports fans in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and fans of the handball game, will be on a date tomorrow evening, Thursday, to follow the first-leg match organized by the Palestinian Federation for the game after 25 years of interruption, at the Martyr Saad Sail Hall in Gaza.


It is scheduled that a large crowd will attend this historic and important match, and a gathering of official, legal, sports and national personalities, as the Federation and the Supreme Council directed them to participate and attend.


The Federation of the game had obtained the approval of Azzoun’s entry into the Strip after strenuous and continuous efforts made by the President of the Federation, Jamal Abu Youssef, with the support of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, led by Lieutenant General Jibril Rajoub, to accomplish this national mission, as the Gaza Strip will be adorned with this national and sports scene, as it is scheduled to leave Nuseirat Later to face Azzun on the courts of the West Bank halls.

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:23 pm - Jerusalem Time

NASA sets November 14 as a new date for its attempt to launch its rocket to the moon

Washington - (AFP) - The US space agency ( NASA ) has set November 14 as a new date for its attempt to launch its massive rocket to the moon as part of the "Artemis 1" mission.


NASA made two attempts to launch this rocket, at the end of August and then at the beginning of September, but had to cancel them at the last minute due to technical problems.
At the end of September, the SLS, the most powerful rocket ever built by NASA, was returned to the Kennedy Space Center assembly building to protect it from Hurricane Ian, which devastated parts of Florida.
NASA stated that the new 69-minute rocket launch window will open the night of November 13 to 14 at 4:07 GMT.
Two backup dates have been set, 16 and 19 November.
The SLS, which began development more than a decade ago, has yet to be released.
NASA's new flagship "Artemis" program will allow humans to return to the Moon, bringing the first woman and first person of color there.
Fifty years after the last mission of the Apollo program, the Artemis 1 mission will not carry any astronauts on board. This mission aims to verify that the Orion capsule on top of the rocket is safe to transport human crews in the future.

ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:23 pm - Jerusalem Time

Biden's greeting to Mohammed bin Salman is a blow to the image of the defender of democracy

Jeddah - (AFP) - US President Joe Biden shook the image of the defender of democracy and basic rights that he tried hard to paint for himself, during the less than twenty-four hours he spent in Saudi Arabia.


The promises made by each politician outline the features of his path to power and backfire on him later, when compared to the facts.


For the 79-year-old US president, it is about his campaign pledge to treat Saudi Arabia as a "pariah". The announcement he made on July 4, 2021, also appears about the standing of the United States in the international arena. "We lead by example, not by our strength," he said at the time. "We are part of something much greater than ourselves. We stand as a beacon to the world."


How can these words be reconciled with the coverage of the American press on Saturday, at a time when Biden was concluding a quick visit to the oil-rich kingdom?


Many newspapers wore the same image: "the fist of the hand", that is, Joe Biden's greeting to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from one fist to the other, upon his reception at the royal palace in Jeddah.


He is the same man whom the United States, at the behest of Joe Biden, designated as a sponsor of the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.


- Spacing -


The White House sought to demine a meeting it knew was explosive. The Washington Post, in which Jamal Khashoggi was writing articles opposing the kingdom before his death, published an article by the president talking about his trip.


At the start of his first tour of the Middle East, which took him to Israel, the Palestinian territories and Saudi Arabia, the media team made it clear that Biden would take additional health precautions due to COVID-19. Journalists immediately suspected that he wanted to avoid shaking hands with the real strongman in the kingdom.


The president did not abide by these instructions during his friendly visit to the Jewish state, where he multiplied handshakes and hugs. But in Jeddah, he preferred peace with a fist, on the grounds that this would be safer than the virus, but it did not immunize Biden from the media storm.


Fred Ryan, executive director of The Washington Post, called it "worse than a handshake." "He demonstrated a sense of intimacy and comfort that gives Mohammed bin Salman the unconditional rehabilitation he craves," he said in a statement.


The journalists in Biden's delegation did not see the scene, and when they arrived at the gates of the Saudi palace, the US president had entered. However, the official Saudi media quickly broadcast this photo, which instantly went viral, and other photos of the two men followed.


Likewise, the accredited journalists at the White House, who were present in a small room in the palace, were only able to attend one meeting of the American and Saudi delegations on Friday, where the president and his host made brief statements.


It was impossible to hear what they were saying, especially since the reporters, who were far from the large meeting table, were not allowed to hold microphones traditionally used on television and radio to better capture voices.


After that, the American team hastily organized a press briefing.


- 'A drop of oil' -


Joe Biden, who seemed nervous, said that he brought up the assassination issue "at the beginning" of his meeting with the crown prince, telling him "clearly what I was thinking at the time and what I'm thinking about now."


And on Saturday, the US president, who seeks to portray himself as the leader of the battle of democracies in the face of authoritarian regimes, announced, during a meeting with Mohammed bin Salman and Arab leaders, that “the future belongs to countries (...) whose citizens can question and criticize their leaders without fear of reprisals.” ".


And in Israel, Biden stressed, "I never remain silent when it comes to talking about human rights. The reason behind my coming to Saudi Arabia is much broader. It is to advance the interests of the United States."


This means renewing relations with a longtime strategic ally of Washington, a major consumer of arms and an indispensable supplier of oil.


Joe Biden needs more abundant oil production in order to reduce high fuel prices, which may affect the position of his Democratic Party in the upcoming legislative elections in November.


"Tyrants are smiling. Biden's support for human rights can be sold for a drop of oil," Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, wrote on Twitter Saturday.


For her part, Yasmine Farouk of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace considered during a recent discussion that "if there is a country that can extract progress from Saudi Arabia in the field of human rights, it is the United States. (...) If they decide that there are great risks, or It will take a long time to talk to the Saudis about values and human rights, no one else will."

ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:23 pm - Jerusalem Time

Taiwan found the remains of a meteorological balloon suspected of being Chinese

Taipei - (AFP) - The Taiwanese army announced Thursday that it had found the remains of a device suspected of being a Chinese meteorological balloon, and decided to step up patrols to monitor military facilities, amid increasing threats from Beijing against the island.


The military said that "unidentified objects" were seen falling Thursday over the Matsu Islands in the East China Sea, about 280 km from Taipei.


The remains of a balloon with a diameter of one meter and a device inscribed with Chinese characters of the simplified alphabet commonly used in China read "Taiwan Radio No. 1 Factory Co, Ltd" and "Meteorological Instrument", according to the army statement.


"Our initial analysis indicates that the remains belong to a weather-monitoring device," the army said, adding that it had been stored for the purpose of analysis.


The statement declared that "all units are required to reinforce patrols in the camps" and monitor the situation.


In early February, US President Joe Biden ordered the destruction of a Chinese balloon that flew over American territory, including sensitive military sites.


US officials confirmed that it was a spy balloon, likely part of a fleet of similar devices.
China responded by saying that the balloon was intended for weather-related research, and accused the United States of deploying American spy balloons over its territory, which US officials denied.


China has in recent years tightened its military, diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan, which it considers an integral part of its territory and should be restored by force if necessary.


And the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense announced on Tuesday that it had detected Chinese meteorological balloons, without providing details about the number.


And she warned that it would destroy balloons during their flight if they posed a "threat at high levels," stressing that such a situation had not yet been exposed.

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:23 pm - Jerusalem Time

Updated || The occupation arrests 9 Jerusalemites and summons two stationed at Al-Aqsa

Jerusalem - "Al-Quds" dot com - The Israeli occupation forces arrested, this evening, Sunday, 9 Jerusalemite youths, and summoned two of them to Al-Aqsa Mosque.


According to local sources, those forces arrested the boy, Muhammad Walid Ruwaidi (16 years old), from the town of Silwan, south of Al-Aqsa Mosque, after raiding his house.


They also arrested 8 young men from the Beit Hanina area, who are: Malik Al-Jamal, Ayman Dweik, Harbi Shweiki, Muhammad Shweiki, Ibrahim Abu Sbeih, Omar Yassin, Muhammad Masoudeh, Ahmed Shweiki.


The occupation forces summoned the two Jerusalemites, Zina Amr and Khadija Khwais, for interrogation on Monday.

OPINIONS

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:23 pm - Jerusalem Time

Is there a role for Palestinian academics and elites in the next stage?

Written by: Dr. Suleiman Issa Jaradat


A century ago, the Palestinian people were one of its most important concerns, educational and academic development, which was reflected in aspects of social, political, economic, cultural and intellectual life and the struggle against the British Mandate and its resistance, in addition to playing a role in the development, development and renaissance of other peoples who lacked the basics of life at the time.
And after the Palestinian people were exposed to the largest international conspiracy and regional betrayal and the division of the world into two camps in the history of peoples and rights by establishing the Israeli occupation entity in Palestine, and since that era the awareness of the Palestinians has increased to continue their struggles in all legitimate ways and to continue to seek knowledge from all countries of the world until they were among the pioneers in the fields defined at the global level.
Despite the exceptional situation of the Palestinian reality and the efforts that have been made during the past decades and still are, the estimates for the number of PhD holders "PHD" in Palestine are more than 18 thousand, and like the rest of the other segments, they had a role in engaging and actively participating in societal political issues through bodies, associations, federations and unions . In general terms, their experience is significant in tangible practical performance and giving, despite their lack of fairness and giving them opportunities during the past decades to achieve their ambitions in social, political and functional positions compared to the rest of the other groups in our local society in its various orientations and sectors.
And to create an active movement for that important segment and to keep pace with its pioneering role in the next stage and its entitlements through official frameworks only according to what is in force in developed countries or at a minimum in countries that give importance to investing in human resources for elites, academics, administrators, scholars and experts in various fields in state institutions and community institutions (organizational in its various names) And to realize the amount of work required to be followed towards them, especially the challenges they face in the stages that passed to their absence or lack of interest in their presence, intentionally or unintentionally, due to their participation in any entitlements of public concern, and limiting them to some repetitive names and titles that end with announcing on social networking sites and dealing with them legally and principally.
And if we touch on the status of PhD holders in trade unions, bodies, federations, associations, and society, and with a comprehensive review at the level of forming committees for political organizations, then thousands of academics and administrators in Palestinian universities and state institutions are absent and marginalized. The question here is: Why is this segment excluded by invitations and consultations in conferences, meetings and meetings, despite the possibility of obtaining their preparation and creating a detailed database that includes their educational attainment, academic and administrative achievements, efforts, capabilities, experiences, etc. The requirements of the next stage and facing the rapid developments in the world, in our region and in our Palestinian region, and choosing an inclusive and unified framework within clear and declared binding policies and strategies that serve the national affairs for the benefit of society in general and the governmental institution and relevant frameworks in particular to fortify its role and its internal front by establishing close, equal and long-term cooperation relations by contacting and communicating with Elites with a prestigious reputation for the influence of many of them by virtue of their work in changing public opinion, which is in dire need to close ranks and consolidate the principle of partnership between all components to produce the best desired results.
It is clear that there is an opportunity for them to have a role in setting many perceptions, solutions, and solutions to many issues through the support of government institutions and the local community in all its sectors and components with research and studies, and presenting visions and plans with strategic dimensions for renaissance and development, and constitute a living model that will be appreciated, valued, and takes great resonance from all components of our society. The Palestinian Authority to implement the vision of President Mahmoud Abbas and the political leadership with their wise decisions in opening the way for community elites to invest in bright scientific academic experiments and models that stem from the community’s need for them in order to achieve justice and equality. And to take into account the public interest and its demands.
The question is also: Will this segment remain asleep in its slumber, even though it alone bears the responsibility, especially those who have long years of buried ambitions and prestige and surrendered to the fait accompli? A question that needs a psychological, social, political, legal, administrative, and functional explanation from the “PHD” campaign.
Finally: the bell must be rung towards a comprehensive vision for this segment and youth elites, and they are numerous in our Palestinian society, where actual investment must be made for their activity and activating their role in the fields of political, factional, economic, community and union work in various aspects, and their actual and practical participation in programs that meet the needs and require serious study to reconsider the policy Their role is to benefit society from their scientific and practical achievements while not opening the way for the absence of coordination and networking with leadership frameworks, which will lead to repetition and lack of integration, which contributes to wasting energies and wasting opportunity, especially since the next stage needs farsightedness and comprehensiveness at the national and international levels.
* President of the Palestinian Authority for PhD holders in the public office

Wed 15 Mar 2023 9:23 pm - Jerusalem Time

Morocco.. Violent fires in the forests of the north of the Kingdom

Larache - (AFP) - Firefighters and the army in Morocco are trying to control at least four fires that spread in forested areas in the north of the country, according to Fouad Assali, director of the National Center for Climate Risk Management, told AFP.


The forest fires fanned by violent winds have not resulted in any injuries so far, but they have caused the evacuation of nearly 500 families, "as a precautionary measure", in the regions of Larache and Taza, according to official data published in the evening.


Al-Assali explained that forest fires, fueled by violent winds, broke out in the northern regions of Larache, Wazzan, Tetouan and Taza.
A number of villages (villages) were evacuated from their residents, and four "Canadir" water bombers belonging to the army were operating Thursday afternoon over the areas where the fires broke out near the Great Palace area, according to AFP journalists.


In suffocating temperatures, villagers left their homes in a hurry after they were surprised by the spread of fires, and some managed to take cattle and horses with them.


Journalists confirmed to AFP that a small village in the Grand Palace was destroyed by the flames.


Assali said, according to what was reported by the Maghreb Arab News Agency, that efforts are continuing, hoping to control these fires in the coming hours.


Thousands of hectares of forests have been destroyed by fire since Wednesday evening in the provinces of Larache and Ouazzane, according to a preliminary estimate.
Hundreds of members of the Civil Defense, the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces and the Gendarmerie are participating in the firefighting effort, with the support of local authorities.
A few days ago, Morocco was hit by a heat wave, with the temperature approaching 45 degrees Celsius, in a context of exceptional drought and water scarcity.
"The heat is what causes this type of fire. The fire arrived yesterday at dawn in our village, but we are confident that the firefighters will put it out," Ahmed Mezouar, 58, a resident of Larache, told AFP.
"We fear for our homes. A nearby village is completely surrounded by fire. Residents have been evacuated by firefighters. So far we are safe from the fire," he added.