Today, Wednesday, the Israeli Central Court in Tel Aviv issued a 20-year prison sentence and a fine of 180,000 shekels against the young man, Muhammad Bani Odeh, from Tammun, south of Tubas .

According to the Hebrew Channel Seven, the occupation accuses Odeh of carrying out an operation in Jaffa more than two years ago, which resulted in the injury of an Israeli.

Forests, oceans and wetlands are amazing carbon sinks and thus limit the effects of climate change , but a recent study showed that nine species of animals play an important role in achieving the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Some wild species facilitate carbon capture, by treading on the ground, eating plants and animals, or through their feces.

Preserving nine species, namely marine fish, whales, sharks, gray wolves, otters, sea otters, musk oxen, African forest elephants and American bison, captures 6.41 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide annually, according to the study published in the journal Nature Climate Change. They were prepared by 15 scientists from eight countries.

The amount of carbon dioxide captured by these animals, combined with all other measures to reduce emissions, constitutes 95% of the amount needed annually to achieve the global goal of removing 500 gigatonnes of carbon from the atmosphere by 2100, which would keep global warming below a threshold. 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to the pre-industrial era.

Oswald Schmitz, the study's lead author, said, "Wild animals account for only 0.3% of carbon emissions within the global biomass, and this figure is not taken into account when calculating the amounts of carbon emitted into the atmosphere. However, several types of animals can contribute to the control significantly." significantly alters the carbon cycle, by causing changes of 15 to 250% in the amounts of carbon dioxide absorbed and stored by plants and soils.

Among these animals are the elephants of the Congo Basin forest, whose role is not only to eat tree seeds and defecate, which is an effective carbon storage process, but also contribute to the germination of trees through their feces. Also, by trampling on plants that grow beneath others, they provide more space for tall trees, which capture a large amount of carbon.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the number of these elephants has decreased by 86% over the past 31 years.

Restoring this species could store an additional 13 million tons of carbon annually, according to the scientists.

As for their extinction, it will cause a loss of 7% of the stored carbon quantities, equivalent to three tons in total, according to a study published in 2019.

Fish are the main contributors to the carbon storage process, as they alone are responsible for capturing 5.5 gigatonnes of this gas annually.

US President Joe Biden will open his "democracy summit" on Wednesday, considering it a "turning point" in confronting authoritarian regimes, during which he will announce about $700 million to support "democratic renewal" in the world.

The United States , Costa Rica, the Netherlands, Zambia and South Korea are participating in organizing the second edition of this summit, which comes in the midst of the war in Ukraine, and against the backdrop of fears of the growing power of China.

Democracies are under pressure from the United States to Israel, where a judicial reform project deeply divided the country and sparked mass demonstrations before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally announced his "suspend".

"They cannot continue this path, and I think I have expressed my opinion clearly," Biden said on Tuesday evening, noting that he does not intend "in the near term" to invite the Israeli prime minister to visit the White House.
In an online speech at the summit, Netanyahu said, "Israel and the United States have known differences of opinion from time to time, but I am keen to stress that the alliance between the largest democracy in the world and Israel, a strong, proud and independent democracy in the heart of the Middle East, is firm and unshakable. Nothing can change that."

Biden is expected to announce an investment of $690 million to support "democratic renewal" in the world, largely at the virtual summit, said a senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

He stressed that this amount should be used to promote fair and free elections, defend human rights and freedom of the press, and fight corruption, explaining that it will be added to the 400 million that were released in the first edition of the summit held under the auspices of President Biden in 2021.

It is expected that a large part of the discussions will also revolve around the threats posed by new technologies, according to what the US official confirmed, referring to spying programs in particular.

The leaders of each of the five host countries will preside over a virtual plenary session during the summit on Wednesday, and the US President's session will focus on "democrats' response to global challenges", to which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was invited.

Thursday, on the second day of the summit, activities will be held in the capitals of each of the host countries.

At least 121 countries were invited to attend the summit, eight more than at the first summit.

The many working sessions, most of which are virtual, bring together civil society officials to discuss challenges to democracy around the world, including in the field of technology, while Westerners accuse the "Tik Tok" application in particular of working as a tool for Beijing.

President Biden fulfilled his campaign pledges regarding this summit, and revived US alliances after the years of Donald Trump's rule, but he disappointed many observers by cozying up to leaders accused of authoritarian abuses and with controversial human rights records. Last year, Biden visited Saudi Arabia and Egypt to participate in the COP27 summit and established working relations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

However, none of these three countries were invited to participate in the summit.

Others not invited include Hungary, led by nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Singapore and Bangladesh.

The US State Department refused to address the criteria that determined whether or not to invite certain countries, speaking of a social, economic and regional distribution. "We are not looking to identify democratic and non-democratic countries," a spokesman said.

India, the world's largest democracy, was invited days after opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was excluded from the Indian Parliament.

Neighboring Pakistan declined the invitation, saying it wanted, according to a spokesperson, to "work bilaterally" with the host countries.

Freedom House, a democracy research group supported by the US government, said that the year 2022 witnessed a decline in democracy around the world, according to its annual report.

South Korea offered to host the third edition of this summit at an unspecified time, according to the US official.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad issued today (Wednesday) a decree to make a government reshuffle that includes five ministers, according to the Syrian official media .

And the Syrian News Agency (SANA) stated that President Al-Assad "issued today Decree No. (91) of 2023, which provides for a government reshuffle that includes five ministers."

The decree stipulated naming Firas Hassan Kaddour as Minister of Oil and Mineral Resources to succeed Bassam Tohme, Mohsen Abdel Karim Ali as Minister of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection to succeed Amr Salem, and Abdel Qader Joukdar as Minister of Industry to succeed Ziyad Sabbagh.

The decree also stipulated the naming of Louay Imad al-Din al-Munajjid as Minister of Social Affairs and Labor to succeed Muhammad Saif al-Din, and Ahmed Bustahji as Minister of State.

The decree ended the naming of Muhammad Fayez Al-Barsha as Minister of State.

The amendment also comes more than a month after a devastating earthquake struck several areas in Syria, killing 1,414 people and wounding 2,357, according to the Syrian Ministry of Health.

The Russian administration announced on Wednesday that Melitopol, one of the main cities in southern Ukraine, was hit by a missile attack by the Ukrainian army, which caused a power outage.

Melitopol is the Russian capital in the section it controls from the Zaporizhia region, where the nuclear power plant of the same name is located, which is occupied by Russian forces and is visited by the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, on Wednesday.

In recent days, Russia has accused Ukraine of intensifying attacks and strikes in Melitopol, where 150,000 people lived before the war . According to the occupation administration in the city, the bombing hit a depot for locomotives at dawn, without causing any injuries.

The official in the region , Vladimir Rogov, said on Telegram that the bombing was carried out with the American high-precision HIMARS system, and the city is located more than 65 km from the front.

"Because of the fires launched by Kiev, the electricity supply infrastructure was damaged, and electricity distribution was cut off in Melitopol and many nearby villages," he added.

On the Ukrainian side, the city's exiled mayor , Ivan Fedorov, reported the explosions Wednesday, saying he hoped to receive "good news" from Ukraine's armed forces about the target sites.

Russia had accused Ukraine of carrying out strikes on Melitopol on March 27. On March 23, Kiev was accused of launching a homemade bomb attack, which resulted in the injury of a policeman, and on the 15th, an occupation official was killed in a car bomb attack.

For weeks, speculation has been circulating about a possible Ukrainian counterattack towards Melitopol, because advancing towards it and retaking it would cut off the land corridor that Russia occupied to connect its lands with the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014.

To be able to inflict new defeats on Russia, Ukraine needs long-range munitions to destroy Russian supply routes and warehouses.

Until now, the range of the missiles in its possession did not exceed 80 km.

The United States promised ammunition with a range of 150 km.

Ukraine launched successful counterattacks, and the fall offensive in the south allowed Kherson to be recaptured in November, preceded by Himars strikes and attacks on Russian-appointed officials.

After arriving from Reunion Island, Stephen Mayo (23) joined the ArcelorMittal plant in Eisenhötenstadt, Germany , for an apprenticeship at the giant steel group.

This sector is one of the sectors most affected by the shortage of specialized labor force in Europe's largest economies .

Faced with this challenge, the government of Olaf Scholz should adopt a bill on Wednesday aimed at easing the rules for obtaining visas and work permits for citizens of non- EU countries.
For example, it will soon no longer be necessary to present an employment contract to settle in the country, as this is replaced by a points system that measures the "abilities" of candidates to integrate into society.

The goal is to attract more workers. Thus, Berlin is going against the general trend in Europe of closing borders to immigrants.

For Stephen, it was the higher salary and future career behind his decision to leave his island for this city near the border with Poland on Germany's eastern frontier.

This decision was a relief for the giant group, whose director in Germany, Rainer Blaschick, realized that attracting young apprentices like himself was "increasingly difficult".

The shortage of specialized labor has become a real problem. There are currently 2 million vacancies in Germany as the 60's retire.

Due to an aging population, the labor market is expected to lose seven million people by 2035 if the government does not take any steps according to a study by the Institute for Labor Market Research (IAB).
Forty-four percent of German companies from various sectors surveyed by the Ifo institute confirmed that they were affected by a labor shortage in January.

Faced with this difficult situation, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz encouraged employees not to retire early while companies are testing the increasing use of robots, as is the case in the field of providing care for the elderly.

At the beginning of the month, Scholz warned in parliament that relying on Germany's population alone "would not be sufficient" to make up for the shortfall.

Industrialists are trying to face shortage challenges themselves by proposing to train foreigners.

New Eisenhotenstadt (City of Ironworks) was built in the 1950s during communist East Germany. ArcelorMittal employs 2,700 people and welcomes fifty new trainees annually, such as Stephen Mayo.

"For the sake of my future career I have to stay here," he told AFP at the factory, though he misses his country.

Employment Minister Hubertus Hill said during a recent visit to the factory, where he met apprentices, that proper training is important to "retention" of young people.

But it is particularly difficult to find candidates in eastern Germany because of lower incomes compared to the West and an inhospitable reputation.
"So we will also attract the workers we need by opening legal immigration channels," the minister explained.

Achim Dirks, deputy director of the German Chambers of Commerce (DIHK), said at the beginning of the year that the shortage could "impede the achievement of important transition goals" in Germany towards "electric vehicles or renewable energy".

For example, the ArcelorMittal group plans to replace a fossil-fuel furnace with a new hydrogen-electric unit by the end of 2026.

The shift to greener production processes will eliminate some jobs but will create new jobs and thus new job opportunities.

"We are facing a major technical transformation... If we want to transform our facilities over the next four years, we have to start changing the method of training starting now," Blachik says.

Russian oil giant Rosneft announced on Wednesday that it had signed a contract with an Indian partner to "significantly increase" shipments of Russian oil, while Moscow, targeted by Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, seeks to redirect its sales to Asia.

Rosneft said in a statement that its president , Igor Sechin , during a trip to India "signed an agreement with Indian Oil Company to significantly increase oil supplies to India."

The Russian company did not specify the value of the signed contract nor the quantities agreed upon under this deal.

This announcement comes a day after Russia announced that its oil exports to India increased 22 times in the year 2022.

Russia, which is targeted by severe Western economic sanctions and an embargo on oil derivatives because of its attack on Ukraine, is trying to redirect its oil and gas exports to other countries, especially in Asia.

India and China, two big energy consumers, are at the forefront of countries that Moscow relies on to offset contracts in Europe.

"The parties also discussed ... possibilities of payment in the national currency," Rosneft said in its statement on Wednesday, as Russia tries to remove the dollar from its economy to become less dependent on Washington.

According to data from the Indian Ministry of Commerce mentioned in the press release, last year Russia became, for the first time in its history, one of the five main trading partners of India, while the volume of trade between the two countries amounted to $38.4 billion.

The Captive Club said that the family of the prisoner and thinker Walid Daqqa , in cooperation with the competent authorities, announced a campaign to demand his release from the occupation prisons, due to the seriousness of his health condition.

Yesterday, the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs warned of the seriousness of the health condition of prisoner Daqqa, who has cancer in the spinal cord, and has been detained for 38 years. He was recently transferred to the Israeli Barzlai Hospital, after suffering a new setback, as he entered the stage of real danger.

The prisoner Daqqa is going through an unstable condition caused by acute pneumonia, and a tube was inserted into the lung area to withdraw fluids, and to find out the causes of the acute pneumonia he suffers from, in addition to his suffering from back and leg pain, and fatigue and emaciation when speaking.

The prisoner, Daqqa, 60, from the town of Baqa al-Gharbia in the lands of 1948, has been detained since March 25, 1986. He is from a family consisting of three sisters and six brothers, noting that he lost his father during his years of detention.

The prisoner Daqqa is considered one of the most prominent prisoners in the occupation prisons, and he contributed to many paths in the detention life of the prisoners, and during his long career in detention, he produced many books, studies and articles, and contributed cognitively to understanding the prison experience and its resistance.

It is noteworthy that the occupation imposed a life imprisonment sentence against him, which was later determined to be (37) years, and the occupation added two years to his sentence in 2018, to become (39) years.

Recently, it was confirmed that he had a rare type of cancer in the bone marrow, and he needs treatment and close follow-up, noting that he is in Ashkelon Prison.

For the freedom of Abu Daqqa and all our free prisoners, participate via the campaign link:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091256805982&mibextid=LQQJ4d

Today, Wednesday, the Captive Club confirmed that a serious deterioration occurred in the health status of the prisoner, Khader Adnan , who has been on hunger strike for 53 days, refusing to arrest him. To refuse medical examinations and treatment.

The club stated in a statement that the prisoner Adnan suffers mainly at this stage from continuous vomiting, frequent loss of consciousness, and great difficulty in sleeping.

And he indicated that the prisoner Adnan refuses to undergo medical examinations, and to take any kind of treatment, as his refusal of examinations and treatment is the most important tool that can contribute to resolving his battle.

Today, Wednesday, an Israeli court sentenced the prisoner , Khalil Muhammad Awawdeh (40 years), from the town of Beit Ithna, west of Hebron, to 16 months in prison, and a fine of 5,000 shekels, with an 8-month suspension.

According to the Prisoners' Club, the occupation accuses the prisoner, Awawda, of trying to bring a phone into the prison.

He stated that the prisoner, Awawda, was supposed to be released on October 2, 2022, after he went on a hunger strike that lasted for 172 days against his administrative detention. However, the occupation authorities, and shortly before his release, charged him with an attempt to A phone was inserted during his transfer from the Israeli "Asaf Harofeh" hospital to "Ramle", and kept his arrest until today.

On Wednesday afternoon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed his government ministers to refrain from commenting on US President Joe Biden's statements.

According to the website of the Hebrew newspaper, Israel Hume, the aim of this step is to contain tensions with the US administration.

Biden had said in a press conference that he would not invite Netanyahu to visit the White House in the near future, and that his government must make a settlement regarding judicial reforms.

Netanyahu responded to him later, by saying that "Israel is an independent state that takes its decisions by the will of its citizens and not on the basis of external pressure."

Today, Wednesday, the Central Bureau of Statistics stated that the number of Israeli colonial sites and military bases reached 483 sites until the end of the year 2021 in the West Bank .

In a statement, on the occasion of the 47th anniversary of Earth Day, the agency said, "These sites are distributed in 151 settlements, 25 inhabited outposts that were considered as neighborhoods belonging to existing settlements, 163 colonial outposts, and 144 other classified sites, which include (industrial, tourist, service areas, and camps for the occupation army)." .

The year 2022 witnessed a significant increase in the pace of building and expanding Israeli settlements , and the occupation authorities approved about 83 colonial plans to build more than 22,000 colonial units throughout the West Bank, including Jerusalem.

According to the statement, the occupation authorities and colonizers, with the protection of the occupation army, carried out 8,724 attacks against Palestinian citizens and their property during the year 2022, with 1,515 attacks on religious property and places, 362 attacks on lands and natural resources, and 6,847 attacks on individuals.

He pointed out that the occupation authorities carried out a total of 378 demolitions during the year 2022, affecting 953 facilities in the West Bank, including the city of Jerusalem, and most of them were concentrated in the Jerusalem governorate, with 118 demolitions, or 31%.

And the statistics indicated that the number of Palestinian and Arab martyrs reached about one hundred thousand martyrs, since the Nakba in 1948 until today (inside and outside Palestine), while the number of martyrs from the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Intifada until 12/31/2022 reached about 11,540 martyrs, and during the year 2022 the number of martyrs reached There are 231 martyrs in Palestine, including 56 children and 17 women.

The occupation controls more than 85% of the land of historical Palestine

The estimated number of Palestinians in the world at the end of 2022 was about 14.3 million, of whom 5.4 million reside in the State of Palestine, and about 1.7 million Palestinians in the 1948 lands, while the number of Palestinians in Arab countries reached about 6.4 million Palestinians, and about 761 thousand in foreign countries, in When the number of Jews in historic Palestine reaches 7.1 million, and thus the number of Palestinians and Jews in historical Palestine equals by the end of the year 2022, at 7.1 million each.

The Israeli occupation exploits more than 85% of the total land area in historical Palestine, knowing that the Jews during the British Mandate era and until 1947 exploited only 1,682 square kilometers, which constituted 6.2% of the land of historical Palestine.

The occupation exploits 76% of the total area classified as (C).

The Israeli occupation took advantage of the classification of lands according to the Oslo Accords (A, B, and C) to tighten control over Palestinian lands, especially in areas classified (C), which are completely subject to the control of the Israeli occupation, as the Israeli occupation directly exploits 76% of the total The area classified as (C), where the regional councils of the settlements control 63% of it, while the area of the areas of influence in the Israeli settlements in the West Bank (including the closed areas designated for the expansion of these settlements) amounted to about 537 square kilometers at the end of 2022, representing about 10% Of the area of the West Bank, while the areas confiscated for the purposes of military bases and military training sites represent about 18% of the area of the West Bank at 1,016 km2, in addition to the annexation and expansion wall that isolated more than 10% of the area of the West Bank, and more than 219 Palestinian communities were damaged as a result The construction of the wall, which is about 714 km long. Since 1967, the Israeli occupation authorities have confiscated about 353 thousand dunums of Palestinian lands and classified them as natural reserves in preparation for their seizure.

As for the number of settlers in the West Bank, it reached 719,452 settlers, at the end of the year 2021, and the data indicates that most of the settlers live in Jerusalem governorate by 326,523 settlers (constituting 45.4% of the total number of settlers), of whom 239,951 settlers are in J1 area (including The part of Jerusalem governorate that the Israeli occupation annexed by force after its occupation of the West Bank in 1967), followed by Ramallah and Al-Bireh governorate with 143,311 settlers, 95,279 settlers in Bethlehem governorate and 50,067 settlers in Salfit governorate. As for the lowest governorates in terms of the number of settlers, they are Tubas and the northern Jordan Valley with 2,629 settlers. The ratio of settlers to Palestinians in the West Bank is about 23 settlers for every 100 Palestinians, while the highest is in Jerusalem governorate with about 69 settlers for every 100 Palestinians.

70 colonial plans to build more than 10,000 colonial units in Jerusalem during 2022

Within the policy of deportation and replacement, the Israeli occupation authorities are taking accelerated Judaization measures in Jerusalem in order to obliterate the Islamic and Christian monuments, displace the Palestinians from the city of Jerusalem, and replace them with Israelis coming from all over the world. During the year 2022, the Israeli occupation authorities approved about 70 colonial plans to build more than 10,000 buildings. A colonial unit in the Jerusalem governorate and its surroundings, at a time when the Israeli occupation authorities demolished more than 258 buildings and issued demolition decisions for more than 220 buildings, including 100 residential buildings in the Al-Bustan neighborhood within the collective demolition policy, which leads to the displacement of 1,550 people, the majority of whom are children and women. In addition, the frequency of targeting Palestinians increased, as 19 Jerusalemites were martyred and about 2,486 were injured by the Israeli occupation bullets during the year 2022. The number of arrest cases launched by the Israeli occupation in Jerusalem governorate increased during the year 2022, as the number of arrest cases reached about 3,504 cases, compared to about 2,879 cases in The year 2021, an increase of about 22%.

More than 8,700 attacks carried out by the occupation and its settlers in 2022

The Israeli occupation authorities and settlers, under the protection of the Israeli occupation army, carried out 8,724 attacks against Palestinian citizens and their property during the year 2022. These attacks were distributed by 1,515 attacks on religious property and places, 362 attacks on lands and natural resources, and 6,847 attacks on individuals. On the other hand, the year 2022 witnessed an attempt by settler groups on 63 occasions to establish outposts, most notably the attempt of the right-wing Nahla movement to establish more than 10 outposts on 7/20/2022. The occupation forces and settlers also launched a total of 223 confiscation operations of about 294 Palestinian property, including 48 agricultural tractors. , and 53 cars for citizens. These attacks also caused the uprooting, damage and destruction of 10,291 olive trees, including 2,400 trees in the Nablus governorate.

378 demolitions affected 953 facilities in the West Bank in 2022

During the year 2022, the Israeli occupation authorities carried out a total of 378 demolitions, affecting 953 establishments in the West Bank, including the city of Jerusalem. Most of the demolitions were concentrated in the Jerusalem governorate, with 118 demolitions, or 31%, leaving 178 demolished establishments in the city of Jerusalem, of which 98 were demolitions. Self, and the Israeli occupation authorities issued 1,220 demolition notices, of which about 33% were in Hebron Governorate, 18% in Bethlehem Governorate, and 9% in Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate, in addition to the destruction of many infrastructure sites that serve the Palestinians, including roads, water and sanitation networks. Entertainment places...etc.

About a hundred thousand martyrs since the Nakba

The number of Palestinian and Arab martyrs since the Nakba in 1948 until today (inside and outside Palestine) reached about 100,000 martyrs, while the number of martyrs from the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Intifada until 12/31/2022 reached about 11,540 martyrs. 2,240 martyrs, of whom 2,181 were martyred in the Gaza Strip, most of them were martyred during the aggression on the Gaza Strip, while during the year 2022, the number of martyrs in Palestine reached 231 martyrs, including 56 martyrs of children and 17 women, while the number of wounded reached about 10 thousand, and the number of prisoners in prisons The Israeli occupation, as it is at the end of February 2022, reached 4,700 prisoners (of whom 150 are children, in addition to 29 female prisoners), and during the year 2022, the occupation authorities arrested about 7,000 Palestinians throughout the Palestinian territories, including about 882 children and 172 women, of whom 129 are women. From Jerusalem governorate, while the number of administrative detention orders against citizens who have not been charged with any charges reached 850.

The policy of the occupation forces did not stop demolishing Palestinian-owned buildings and the resulting displacement of residents from their homes throughout the West Bank, as the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Territories (OCHA) documented since 2009 that the occupation forces destroyed 9,353 homes or facilities since 2009. 2009, including 1,639 facilities funded by donors, which led to the displacement of 13,641 citizens. The demolitions were 19% in East Jerusalem, 79% in areas classified (C), and about 2% of the demolitions were in areas classified (A) and (B). OCHA documented About 953 facilities were demolished during the year 2022, including 140 facilities funded by donors, which led to the displacement of 1,031 citizens and affected 28,446 citizens, inhabited and uninhabited agricultural and residential facilities represented about 70% of them.

It is noteworthy that the Palestinian people commemorate the Earth Day annually, in which six Palestinian youths were martyred in the 48 lands in response to the occupation’s decision to seize 21 thousand dunums of the lands of Galilee, the Triangle and the Negev, on the thirtieth of March 1976, and this day has become a memory to perpetuate and embody the adherence of the Palestinian people With his land and homeland, and in memory of the martyrs of Earth Day.

"My father, do not sleep and wait for me. I ask the Lord of the Worlds to give me the strength to break the glass of the prisons and bring you to our house, to spend the month of Ramadan and all the days with us. I am sad for your separation." Hassan Maraba, 46, on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, which she received with her mother and four brothers, deprived of their father, who is still detained and detained in the Israeli "Megiddo" prison.

And her mother added: "My daughter could not bear our tears, our grief, and our constant pain since the beginning of Ramadan, so she wrote this letter to send it to his father. Since his arrest, despite her young age, she has not stopped expressing her longing and pain through writing that draws her thoughts alone and expresses all of us."

And she continues: "Because she is attached to her father like the rest of her brothers, they always miss their father, and they cannot forget him, and every day she cries for his separation and his distance from her, especially in the holy month."

From the village of Fahma in Jenin Governorate, the 46-year-old prisoner, Hasan "Abu Ali", hails from and dedicates his life to his wife and his family consisting of 4 members, the eldest of whom is 17 years old and the youngest 7 years old. His companion, Rana Maraba, says: "Since our marriage, he works and dedicates himself to live a beautiful and stable life." Amna, he filled the lives of his children with all love, and had nothing to do with politics or affiliation with an organization.

And she adds: "At about two o'clock in the morning on January 11, 2023, the soldiers stormed our house, detained us and isolated us in one room until the search campaign ended, sabotaging and destroying all the contents, and after confiscating the cell phones that were not returned to us until today, they took my husband from us." .

And she adds: "Without taking into account the presence of children, and their horror at the sight of the soldiers, they handcuffed their father and blindfolded him, prevented us from saying goodbye, and arrested him in the midst of our shock and transferred him to military patrols, noting that my husband suffers from a difficult health condition, he has discs and pains that do not stop in the back and joints, and he suffers from Ulcers in the stomach and colon, and imprisonment exacerbated the complications of his condition.

Umm Ali stated that the occupation forces detained her husband for more than a month in torture cells in "Al-Jalama" prison, during which time there was no news of him, and they refused to allow the lawyer to enter the medicines he was taking. After the investigation was over, they transferred him to "Megiddo" prison, and the court still refuses to release him. After 7 sessions, his detention was extended until 16-5-2023.

And she added: "For the first time we live the atmosphere of Ramadan without my husband and his children. Sadness overshadows us and we see it in their eyes whenever they see their father's place empty, and difficult moments we live at the Ramadan table, and this atmosphere is very different from the previous Ramadans that he lived with us and spent with obedience to God Almighty."

And she continued: “We hope that this difficult and difficult period in our lives will end, as the Ramadan table is without taste or flavor, and we spent the time praying and then praying to be with us soon, God willing.”

Prince Harry accused the royal family of withholding information from him regarding wiretapping of his phone by British newspapers, in a statement published on Tuesday as part of the lawsuit he filed against the publisher of the Daily Mail newspaper.

For the second day in a row, the youngest son of King Charles participated in a session of the High Court in London, where hearings are being held in cases against the "Associated Newspaper" (ANL), which several celebrities accuse of illegally collecting information about them.

In his statement signed on February 24, which was seen by AFP, Harry discussed his strained relations with the media since the death of his mother, Diana.

He pointed out that the royal family had deterred him from flirting with the press because "that would have sparked a chain of unwanted events and reactions."

He continued, "There is no doubt that the royal family was withholding information from me regarding the hacking of my phone, and it only became clear to me in recent years when I filed a lawsuit personally."

Harry, who is on an exceptional visit to the United Kingdom, suddenly came to London to participate in a hearing in which the "ANL" house is trying to drop lawsuits brought against it by the youngest son of King Charles, singer Elton John and actress Liz Hurley.

The six prosecutors accuse the "ANL" house of using investigators to eavesdrop on them.

The media group had "categorically and unequivocally refuted this absurd defamation which appears to be a planned attempt to involve the Daily Mail publications in a wiretapping scandal involving articles dating back 30 years".

The British tabloid press was rocked about ten years ago by scandals of illegal wiretapping, which had been practiced since the beginning of the first decade of the twenty-first century.

The sudden appearance of Prince Harry in London comes just over a month before his father, the king, is crowned on May 6. Harry and his wife Megan moved to the United States after their withdrawal from the royal family in 2020, but they have not yet announced whether they will accept the invitation.

After a documentary about Harry was shown on Netflix in December, the prince released his controversial memoir, Spear, in early January, in which he details the breakdown of his relationship with his father and brother William.

The body of Uday Abdel-Fattah Ahmed arrived in the Gaza Strip this morning, Wednesday, after he drowned in the Italian coast .

It is noteworthy that a boat sank off the Italian coast a few weeks ago, with the deceased Ahmed on board.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo will send FIFA President to hold talks with FIFA officials about hosting the U-20 World Cup, after the draw that was scheduled for Friday was canceled due to the Bali governor's call to exclude Israel from the tournament.
There is no official diplomatic relationship between the two countries, and support for the Palestinian cause in the largest Muslim-majority country has raised tensions over hosting Israel.
In a video clip posted on the Internet, Widodo said on Tuesday that he would send FIFA President and Minister of State Eric Tohir to hold talks with FIFA, in light of doubts about the host country.
No date was set for Tuhir, the former president of the Italian club Inter, to meet with FIFA officials.
The meeting will be held in the Qatari capital, Doha, according to what was revealed by the official of the Indonesian Federation, Eko Rahmanto, to Agence France-Presse.
The draw for the tournament, which will be held between May 20 and June 11, 2023 in six cities with the participation of 24 teams, was scheduled for Friday in Bali, but the International Federation (FIFA) canceled the event without giving reasons or setting a new date, according to what the Indonesian Federation announced on Sunday.
Officials said a possible factor in the cancellation of the lottery was Bali Governor Ian Koster's call to exclude Israel over its policies toward the Palestinians, in a letter to the Ministry of Youth and Sports last month.
The International Federation did not respond to a request for comment.
Israel is scheduled to participate after qualifying for the first time to the finals, while Jakarta pledged to protect its participation.
The organizers hoped that hosting Israel's matches on the Hindu-majority island of Bali would lead to solutions, but Koster's opposition cast more doubts.
About 100 conservative Muslim demonstrators marched in the capital, Jakarta, this month to protest Israel's participation.
While FIFA did not comment on the cancellation of the lottery draw, the country's president called for politics not to conflict with sports.
Widodo's intervention comes after football officials in Jakarta feared losing the right to host the first major tournament, and isolating the country spherically through exposure to sanctions from the International Federation if they failed to resolve the issue.
The country is hosting the tournament after one of the worst stadium disasters in football history, which led to the death of 135 people in a stampede in the city of Malang, east Java last October, including more than forty children.
Officials are trying to polish the game's reputation after being suspended by the International Federation in 2015 for a year, due to government interference in the game.

(AFP) - Scotsman Scott McTominay scored a new brace and led his country to a 2-0 victory over its Spanish guest on Tuesday, inflicting its first loss under the supervision of its new coach, Luis de la Fuente, in the second round of Group A competitions of the 2024 European Cup qualifiers. .
McTominay imposed himself as a star for the second match in a row, after scoring two goals from his country’s hat-trick against Cyprus in the first round of the qualifiers, raising his tally to 4 goals in two matches.
Scotland topped the group with a full score of 6 points, 3 points ahead of Spain, while Norway, tied with Georgia 1-1 earlier today, after losing 3-0 against Spain at the start of the qualifiers, ranks fourth with a point equal to Georgia, who played their match The first after she missed the first round.
The champion and runner-up of each of the ten groups, in addition to three teams from the European Nations League and the host country, qualify directly for the finals scheduled for the summer of 2024 in Germany.
The new coach of the "La Roja" team, de la Fuente, who replaced Luis Enrique after the disappointing exit from the World Cup in Qatar in the final price against Morocco with a penalty shootout 0-3 after they tied negatively, made 8 substitutions compared to the match that he won against Norway on Saturday.
At Hampden Park, Scotland opened the scoring after 7 minutes, after defender Pedro Burrow fell on the left flank to take advantage of Andrew Robertson and pass the ball back to McTominay inside the area, who shot past goalkeeper Arisabalaga Kepa.
The "La Roja" team almost equalized the score, but Joselo's header, who scored two goals within 106 seconds against Norway, hit the crossbar (23).
Boro tried to make up for the mistake he had made, hitting a ball from 25 meters with his right foot, which was narrowly blocked by goalkeeper Angis Gun (29), before Scotsman Lyndon Dykes won his struggle with Garcia, entered the area and hit a falling ball, "Loeb", which passed over the goal a minute before the half-time whistle ( 45+1).
McTominay added a second personal goal for him and his team at the start of the second half, after a pass from Kieran Tierney was intercepted by the Spanish defense, and the “Red Devils” player followed it up on the fly into the net (51).
Goalkeeper Kiba crossbar saved Spain from a third goal after a free kick by John McGinn (57).
Within the same group, the Norwegian national team, without its star striker, the giant Erling Haaland, who was absent due to injury, failed to win the second match in a row, after falling into a 1-1 draw against Georgia.
Georgia, seeking to qualify for the finals of a major tournament for the first time in its history, prepared for its continental match with a landslide victory over Mongolia 6-1 in a friendly on Saturday.
French coach Willy Sagnol contributed to the development of the Georgian national team in the last 12 months, as he led it to the second classification in the Nations League competition.
Since its exit from the group stage in 2000, Norway has failed to qualify for the European Cup final 5 times, while it has only achieved an orphan victory in its last six matches in various competitions.
Norway failed to win against Georgia after it had previously won the three previous matches that brought them together, knowing that the last meeting between them, before this evening, dates back to May 1999 in the European Cup 2000 qualifiers (Norway won 1-0).
In Batumi, the visiting team opened the scoring early through Spanish Real Sociedad striker Alexander Sorloth (15), before the hosts equalized through French second-division Metz striker Georges Mikotadze in the second half (60).
The Italian star of Napoli, Khvica Kvaratskhelia, played the match without succeeding in scoring.
In Group D, Croatia compensated for its 1-1 draw with Wales in the first round by defeating its host Turkey 2-0, scored by Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic (20, 45 + 4).
Croatia, runner-up to the World Cup Russia 2018 and third to Qatar 2022, topped the group with 4 points, equal to Wales, who defeated its guest Latvia 1-0, with a goal by Kiefer Moore (41).
Turkey, which returned with a valuable victory from Armenia 2-1 at the start of the qualifiers, froze at 3 points in third place, while the latter was absent from the competitions of this round.
In the ninth group, Switzerland achieved its second victory in a row by dropping Israel 3-0. It was scored by Robin Vargas (39), Zaki Amdouni (48) and Sylvain Widmer (52).
Switzerland has not missed the European Cup finals since 2012 and the World Cup since 2002, and it seems a strong candidate to obtain one of the two group nine cards to the 2024 German finals.
Switzerland, which defeated Belarus 5-0 in the first round, equaled 6 points with Romania, which inflicted its second consecutive loss on Belarus by defeating it 2-1.
The third Kosovo fell into the trap of a tie for the second consecutive match against Andorra 1-1, after tying with Israel with the same result in the first round.

Canada unveiled Tuesday a budget aimed at making the country a "superpower" for clean energy and developing its capabilities in producing rare earths and electric cars in the world.

In the face of the rising cost of living, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland also announced specific assistance for the poorest, which will benefit 11 million Canadian families, and the launch of a new dental care plan for the nearly nine million Canadians who do not have health insurance.

Justin Trudeau's government has granted large tax breaks ranging from 15 to 30 percent to a wide range of power generation sectors, from marine energy to the nuclear sector as well as the extraction of base metals for electric batteries.

The announced measures also build on past tax breaks and investments in "clean economy" projects, such as producing hydrogen from renewable sources.

Freeland said the world was going through "the most significant economic transition since the Industrial Revolution," referring to the fight against climate change.

"Today and in the years ahead, Canada must seize this historic moment, this incredible opportunity before us, or we will be left behind as democracies around the world build the clean economy of the 21st century," she added during her budget presentation to Parliament.

With these tax breaks likely to reach more than 80 billion Canadian dollars (54 billion euros) in the next decade, Ottawa hopes to close the gap with the billions that the United States has allocated for electric cars, batteries and renewable energy projects.

The International Energy Agency says the clean technology sector is expected to be worth more than $630 billion worldwide by 2030, more than three times the current level.

Ottawa's budget includes billions of dollars to attract more private investment in this sector. It also promises to keep energy prices and carbon credits as negotiated in the event that market prices fall below the minimum stipulated in the contracts.

For its part, the Canadian Labor Conference expressed its "concern that a 3 percent cut in funding for the public health sector could have a significant impact on workers and the services that people depend on."

Canada will see weak economic growth in 2023, as the government forecasts in its budget, while emphasizing the risk of a "moderate recession" in a worst-case scenario.

Ottawa currently expects its gross domestic product to grow by 0.3 percent this year before rising to 1.5 percent in 2024. However, the government does not rule out the possibility of a contraction (0.2 percent) in 2023.

According to the draft budget, public debt will rise next year to 43.5 percent of GDP, then gradually decrease to less than forty percent by 2027-2028.

The Egyptian national team, led by its star Mohamed Salah, put forward the 2023 African Cup of Nations in football, scheduled for Ivory Coast early next year, by defeating host Malawi 4-0 on Tuesday, while defending champions Senegal and Tunisia won the qualification ticket.
And to the host Ivory Coast, six teams have so far secured their qualification: Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, South Africa, Burkina Faso and Senegal.
Egypt, the record holder for the number of titles (7, the last of which was in 2010), raised its tally to nine points from four matches at the top of Group D, with a goal difference from Guinea, while Malawi and Ethiopia were equal with three points.
The "Pharaohs" now need one point from one of their matches against hosts Guinea in June or at home to Ethiopia in September, to ensure official qualification.
And it took turns to score the goals of Egypt, absent from the last World Cup in Qatar, each of the midfielder Tariq Hamed (34 years) with a powerful shot from outside the area, scoring his first international goal (4), Omar Marmoush after a turmoil inside the area after a corner kick carried out by the English star Liverpool Mohamed Salah (16), Salah with a powerful shot from inside the area after exchanging the ball with striker Mustafa Mohamed (20) and Ahmed Sayed “Zizou” after a cross from Mohamed Hani (49).
This is the first time that Egypt has scored four away goals since 2015 against Chad (5-1).
His Portuguese coach, Roy Vittoria, said, "The Egyptian national team was the best back and forth against Malawi, and deserves to get six points in the two matches.. I am happy with Mohamed Salah's brilliance and his scoring of two goals in the two Malawi matches, and my greatest happiness came after the collective performance of the players."
Tunisia, holders of the 2004 title, reached the finals for the 21st time in its history and the 16th in a row (a record), by defeating its host Libya 1-0 in Benghazi in Group X, with Haitham Jouini's goal from a header after a corner kick (16).
The "Carthage Eagles" raised their tally to 10 points from four matches, a point ahead of Equatorial Guinea, which went a long way towards qualification, with its third successive victory at the expense of Botswana 3-2, noting that the champion and runner-up of each group guaranteed their qualification to the finals.
Tunisia coach Jalal Al-Qadri bemoaned the missed opportunities.
And the Tunisian national team, which achieved its fourth successive victory, is the only one that has not conceded a net so far in the qualifiers.
Senegal secured its place in the continental finals for Group Twelve, after beating its host Mozambique with a clean goal scored by Boulaye Dia in the 18th minute, after a pass from star Sadio Mane.
With this victory, the defending champion raised its tally to 12 points at the top of the group, to secure official qualification, while Mozambique remained second with 4 points, against Rwanda (two points) and Benin (one point).
In the same context, the South African national team also qualified for the finals after defeating its Liberian host 2-1, to return after its absence from the previous edition.
Zakeli Libasa (19) and Mihalali Mayampila (54) scored for Bafana Bafana, while William Jebor scored Liberia (35).
And the South African national team raised its score to 4 points, to ensure qualification with Morocco from the eleventh group, after the exclusion of Zimbabwe.
On the other hand, the rise of the Mali national team was postponed after losing to Gambia Saqr-1 from Group G, with a goal scored by Omar Colby (79).
The Gambian team raised its tally to 6 points behind the Congo, while the Mali team leads the group with 9 points, while the South Sudan team lies at the bottom of the standings with three points.
Burkina Faso qualified by drawing 1-1 with its host, Togo, in Group Two, which witnessed Cape Verde's victory over its host, Eswatini, 1-0. Burkina Faso raised its score to ten points, compared to 7 for Cape Verde, which is close to qualifying.
In Group C, Cameroon, the defending champion five times, most recently in 2017, suffered its first loss against Namibia 1-2 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Scored for the winner Peter Shaluleli (55) and Absalom Eibondi (79), and for Cameroon Vincent Aboubakar (72).
Namibia took the lead with five points from three matches, one point ahead of Cameroon, in a group that eliminated Kenya due to its international ban.
Namibia coach Colin Benjamin valued his country's victory, saying, "We achieved a very impressive victory over the strong Cameroon team. I congratulate our players for their hard work, in order to score all the points in the Cameroon match."
In turn, Cameroon coach Rigobert Song expressed his disappointment after the defeat of the "Untamed Lions": "We failed to take advantage of the opportunities that were available to us in the match, which made the Namibia national team punish us."
The conflict intensified in the ninth group, with Mauritania tied with its guest, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 1-1, as Gabon leads (7 points), by a point from Sudan, two from Mauritania and three from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Argentine captain and star Lionel Messi crossed the 100-goal barrier with his country by scoring a hat-trick in a landslide victory over submerged Curaçao by 7-0 on Tuesday in Santiago del Estero in an international friendly football match, the second for the Albiceleste at home, after winning the world title in Qatar.
Seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, Messi scored his hat-trick in 20 minutes, taking his tally of international goals to 102.
It is Messi's seventh hat-trick with his country, and he scored his first international goal 17 years ago, specifically in March 2006 when Argentina lost to Croatia 3-2 in a friendly match.
Messi consolidated his position in third place in the list of historical scorers in the world, behind his Portuguese rival Cristiano Ronaldo (122) and Iranian Ali Daei (109).
Messi also moved away from his closest pursuers on the list of historic scorers for Argentina, Gabriel Batsiuta (56 goals) and Sergio Aguero (41).
Messi, 35, opened the scoring in the 20th minute, and Italian Fiorentina striker Nicholas Gonzalez scored the second three minutes later, before the "flea" added his second and third personal goal for his country in the 33rd minute.
Chelsea midfielder Ansu Fernandez added the fourth goal after two minutes (35), which is the same time that the French star Paris Saint-Germain needed by scoring the third and fifth personal goal for Argentina (37), ending the first half festival.
Juventus winger Angel Di Maria added the sixth goal from a penalty kick (78), and Seville defender Goncalo Montiel concluded the festival with the seventh goal (87).
Argentina played the second match since winning the World Cup for the third time in its history when it beat France 4-2 on penalties in the final, which ended in an exciting 3-3 draw in regular and extra time.
Argentina beat Panama on Thursday with a clean double, including Messi's second goal in the 89th minute, raising his tally of international goals to 99.

The Israeli forces launched, at dawn and Wednesday morning, a campaign of arrests among citizens in separate areas of the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem .

Those forces carried out a massive incursion into the city of Nablus , covering several areas, and concentrated in the eastern region and the outskirts of the Old City.

The Israeli forces arrested Anan al-Sudani from his house in the old Askar camp, east of Nablus, after besieging him and demanding that his son surrender, who was not arrested because he was not at home.

They also surrounded a house in the vicinity of the eastern cemetery on the outskirts of the Old City, before arresting Abdullah Abu Safi, while Abdullah Ammar Faraj was arrested south of Nablus.

A young man was slightly wounded by shrapnel from a bullet, and was treated on the field in the old Askar camp, according to the Red Crescent in Nablus.

Resistance fighters clashed with the occupation forces during their storming of Nablus.

In Ramallah , the Isralei forces arrested Ali Atta "Al-Rimawi" and Wahbi Al-Rimawi, after storming their homes in the town of Beit Rima, northwest of Ramallah.

The Israeli forces stormed the towns of Zababdeh, Qabatiya and Marka in Jenin , amid being fired upon by the resistance fighters.

And those forces arrested the young Qusay Maali.

In Hebron , the citizen, Abdullah Muhammed Sweilem Tamizah, was arrested after his house was raided and searched in the town of Beit Ithna.

In Bethlehem , the Israeli forces arrested Mahmoud Radwan Hamamreh, from Beit Sahour, while he was crossing the "Container" military checkpoint.

Meanwhile, Mahmoud Abu Jamous, from the village of Al-Auja, north of Jericho, was arrested.

In occupied Jerusalem, the Israeli forces arrested the young men, Jihad Shadi Bishara, Muhammad Shadi Bishara, Abd al-Rahman Rami Hijazi, Abdullah Muhammad Hijazi, and Abd Ashraf Zahayqa, all from the town of Jabal al-Mukabber. While they arrested Saeed Ramadan Dabash, after they raided his house, And I searched him in the town of Sur Baher.

Two shepherds were injured, this morning, Wednesday, when settlers attacked their homes east of Bethlehem .

According to local sources, a group of settlers assaulted shepherds in their homes in the Kisan wilderness area, beating and wreaking havoc with their property, which led to the injury of Ali Youssef Abyat (70 years old), and his son Jihad, in his thirties, with bruises and wounds.

Walking 8,000 steps, or about 6.4 kilometers, once or twice a week contributes to a significant reduction in the risk of early death , according to a study published Tuesday.

It is already known that regular physical activity reduces the risk of death, but the study published in the journal "Jama Network Open" deals with the health benefits of vigorous walking just a few days a week.

Researchers from Kyoto University and University of California, Los Angeles analyzed data on 3,101 American adults.

The researchers found that those who walk eight thousand steps or more once or twice a week are 14.9 percent less likely to die over a ten-year period than those who do not walk that much.

Those who walked such long distances three to seven times a week had a 16.5 percent lower risk of dying.

The benefits of walking distances of 8,000 steps or more once or twice a week are most evident in people over the age of 65.

The scientists noted that the study showed "a link between the number of days a person walks 8,000 steps or more per week and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and all other causes."

They conclude from the study that "people can achieve significant health benefits from walking just a few days a week."

The researchers based this study on the daily steps recorded by the participants between 2005 and 2006 and then studied their mortality rate ten years later.

632 of those included in the study did not reach the limit of walking eight thousand steps at least one day a week, while it was found that 532 people walk this amount or more once or twice a week, and that 1937 people walk this distance from three to seven times a week. .

Americans walk an average of 3,000 to 4,000 steps per day, according to data from the Mayo Clinic, which stresses that walking as a regular physical activity can reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and depression.

Today (Tuesday), the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to summon the Chargé d'Affairs of the Iraqi Embassy in the Kingdom of Bahrain and withdraw him to the Ministry's headquarters, at Bahrain's request.

Ahmed Al-Sahhaf, spokesman for the ministry, told the official Iraqi News Agency (INA), "Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein directed the return of the Iraqi Chargé d'Affaires to the Kingdom of Bahrain to the ministry's center in Baghdad."

Al-Sahhaf added, "This measure comes to enhance the status of Iraqi diplomacy, which the ministry pursues in preserving diplomatic norms."

Al-Sahhaf did not give any details about the reason for summoning the Iraqi Chargé d'Affairs and withdrawing him from Bahrain.

The Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today (Tuesday) that it had summoned Chargé d'Affaires at the Iraqi Embassy in the Kingdom, Moayad Omar Abdul Rahman, and handed him a letter of protest for what it described as his "repeated violations of diplomatic norms."

According to the Bahrain News Agency (BNA), the Bahraini Foreign Minister, Dr. Abdullatif Al-Zayani, informed the Iraqi Chargé d'Affairs of the ministry's strong condemnation of his recent unacceptable behavior that contradicts the diplomatic protocols in the Kingdom, and contradicts his diplomatic duties, as it is an unacceptable interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom. Bahrain contradicts the principles governing relations between states enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.

Bahrain is witnessing a multibillion-dollar economic revival based on the implementation of new mega projects, which contribute to putting the kingdom in a position to compete with its wealthy neighbours, while at the same time consolidating stability in it after more than a decade of turmoil.

The road does not appear to be paved for the smallest Arab Gulf states located near the wealthy Emirates and gas-rich Qatar, while it is linked to Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter and the largest Arab economy, by a 25-kilometer bridge.

Bahrain, which consists of 30 islands and which has witnessed unrest since the 2011 demonstrations, is undergoing a major modernization and reform process aimed at diversifying its revenues, benefiting from a great Gulf economic momentum against the backdrop of high oil prices and various plans to diversify the economy.

Numerous construction sites are spread across the kingdom, while Bahrain, an oil producer outside the Organization of Exporting Countries (OPEC), aspires to reduce dependence on crude, which provides 80 percent of its revenues, most of which come from refining.

"The plan is clear: we want to grow and we want to grow faster than the world," Khalid Ibrahim Humaidan, chief executive of Bahrain's Economic Development Board, told reporters in Manama this month.

Bahrain may find in announcing the resumption of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which Manama accuses of fueling unrest there, an impetus for its efforts to achieve stability.

"In an optimistic scenario, the Saudi-Iranian rapprochement will increase and create a more favorable environment for political reconciliation within Bahrain, which in turn may lead to defusing instability from the economic factor," Justin Alexander, an economist on Gulf affairs from the Gulf Economics consulting group, told AFP.

Bahrain enjoys a rich heritage in the trade and business sector dating back to decades ago when it was seen as a pearling center.

However, its historical status has been weakened in light of intense regional competition, especially from Dubai and Doha, but also due to internal economic challenges since the collapse of oil prices in 2014.

The 2011 demonstrations, which coincided with the "Arab Spring" uprisings, ended with a campaign against demonstrators who demanded an elected government. Bahrain banned opposition parties and imprisoned political opponents, which sparked widespread international criticism.

In 2018, wealthier Gulf states agreed to support Bahrain's economic ambitions with $10 billion in loans, sparking a new construction wave in the country.

In addition to plans to build tourism and sports centers, including diving headquarters and a city of games under the sea, Bahrain announced a new passenger terminal at its international airport that can accommodate up to 14 million passengers annually, more than double the previous capacity.

It also opened one of the largest conference centers in the Gulf, hoping to host major events.

A fiscal balance program in the Kingdom aims to achieve a balance in the budget by 2024, while Bahrain's Vision 2030 focuses on reducing dependence on modest resources of oil and gas and developing new sectors such as tourism.

According to a statement by the Ministry of Finance on Monday, the economy grew by 4.9 percent last year, the highest since 2013.

The country, which has a population of 1.4 million people, about half of whom are foreigners, aspires to raise the level of tourism's contribution to the GDP from 7 to more than 11 percent within a few years.

"We are confident that we will continue on this path and achieve the results we desire," said Humaidan, who was speaking on the sidelines of the annual Formula One Grand Prix.

Bahrain, a country about the size of New York City, has a relatively low tax system and modern infrastructure.

The small country is an ally of the West and is home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet. Its strategic location along major shipping routes makes it an important logistical hub in the Middle East, but also puts it at the center of regional conflicts.

"Bahrain has tried to develop new sectors such as financial technology (...). However, since the 2011 protests, tensions in Bahraini society have become a source of concern for investors," says Alexander.

But after the agreement brokered by China this month to end the seven-year-old dispute between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Tehran said last week that it also welcomed the restoration of relations with Bahrain.

At the same time, reformists from a young, Western-educated generation led by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa (54 years old) are carving out their position as a force for change in the country.

Despite the passage of 20 years, the scene that is still fresh in the memory of the world, especially Iraq , to this day, is the one in which Colin Powell , then US Secretary of State, claimed on February 5, 2003, in a session of the UN Security Council, that Iraq possessed chemical weapons with a tube in his hand. Test filled with white powder.

On March 20, 2003, the United States launched a special military operation in Iraq without the approval of the United Nations. Since that time, the picture has changed completely in Iraq as a result of the bloody war that lasted about 8 years, which claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands and caused the displacement of millions of other Iraqis.

Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi, who threw his shoes at former US President George W. Bush during a press conference in Baghdad in December 2008 to protest America's invasion of Iraq, wrote on his account on the micro-blogging site ((Twitter)) "I mourned the death of Colin Powell without saying He is being tried for his crimes in Iraq, but I am sure that God's court will await him," according to Al-Jazeera Net in an article published in 2021.

Al-Zaidi believed that Powell did not acknowledge the mistake he made before the UN Security Council, but rather saw it as an "inaccurate" and "painful" talk and a "black point" in his professional history.

For the United States, the issue of weapons of mass destruction was secondary to its desire to overthrow Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. BBC Arabic quoted Luis Rueda, head of the Iraq Operations Group at the CIA, as saying in an article published on March 14, "We would have invaded Iraq, even if Saddam Hussein had only a rubber band." And a paperclip...we were going to say he was going to use these things to goug out your eye."

Former Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmoud Kasuri recalled, in statements to Sputnik news agency, his experience as a representative of Pakistan in that session to discuss Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction, stressing that Washington adopted a policy of unilateral measures to invade Iraq, which caused it harm.

Regarding the positions of the member states of the UN Security Council, Kasuri stated that it was clear to the US administration at the time that it was unable to obtain the Council's support in the Iraqi file. The former diplomat stated that "there was a massive backlash, and I think America's reputation suffered greatly from that; first there was Afghanistan, then there was Iraq, and it actually had a very negative effect on the United States."

On the 20th anniversary of America's invasion of Iraq, many netizens expressed their anger on social media, and "Lawyer .. Zaid Al-Tikriti" said on his account on the website ((Twitter)) that "the arguments and allegations invoked by America regarding weapons of mass destruction, It was nothing but a cover for the occupation of Iraq and the destruction of its infrastructure and foreign affairs, in addition to wreaking havoc and destruction on the whole of Iraq."

And "Hanan Abdullatif" indicated in her tweet that "the most heinous crime in the modern era is the crime of America and the coalition countries' invasion and occupation of Iraq under the pretext of weapons of mass destruction, the repercussions of which are still standing in terms of crimes and violations committed against the Iraqi people without punishing the real perpetrators."

Murtada al-Misani published a series of pictures showing American soldiers transporting and destroying Iraqi cultural monuments, and wrote, "The twentieth anniversary of America's occupation of Iraq under the pretext of the existence of weapons of mass destruction and their danger to humanity. These are some pictures of the weapons of destruction that America took from Iraq in order to save humanity," where the words formed The images are ironic and a bitter contrast.

The experience of the Iraqis has proven that this American lie cost Iraq a heavy price that it is still paying to this day. The invasion of Iraq led to the loss of hundreds of thousands of innocent lives and the destruction of their present and future, and this was repeated in Syria, Yemen and Libya.

The actions of the United States have greatly damaged its reputation throughout the Middle East. In January of this year, the Center for Arab Studies in Doha, Qatar, published its “2022 Arab Opinion Index,” which indicated that 78 percent of Arabs believe that the United States “poses a destabilizing threat to the region.”

Razzaq Hameed, 30, a shop owner in Iraq, said, "The war is a lie based on their belief that there are weapons of mass destruction, but the war is not because of weapons of mass destruction, but because of the invasion of Iraq," adding, "They never brought democracy. They killed innocent people. They are the ones who fought democracy and brought us war and destruction."

Between 2003 and 2021, about 209,000 Iraqi civilians were killed in wars and violent conflicts, and about 9.2 million Iraqis became refugees or were forced to leave their homeland, according to Statista, a global statistical database. Many believe that the disaster began with a test tube filled with white powder.

With many US officials acknowledging that Iraq did not possess chemical weapons or weapons of mass destruction, one of the netizens asked on Twitter, "What is the use of regret? ... The war was absurd and hundreds of thousands were killed for no reason..."

The Central Statistical Organization said that the general index for producer prices recorded an increase of 2.47% during the month of February, compared to the previous month, and the general index reached 108.45, compared to 105.84 during January 2023.

The Census indicated, in a press release today, Wednesday, that the producer price index for locally consumed commodities from local production recorded an increase of 2.63%. 2019 = 100).

The producer price index for domestically exported commodities increased by 1.03%, and the PPI for domestically exported commodities reached 109.55 2023, compared to 108.43 in January 2023 (base year 2019 = 100).

The prices of commodities produced by the activity of agriculture, forestry and fishing increased by 7.62%, the relative importance of which constitutes 29.94% of the product basket, as a result of the increase in the prices of commodities within the activity of non-permanent crop cultivation by 13.79%. The average price of each of; Cauliflower 1.61 shekels/kg, cabbage 1.51 shekels/kg, greenhouse cucumber 2.77 shekels/kg, small zucchini 2.58 shekels/kg, eggplant 2.20 shekels/kg, thin green beans 3.18 shekels/kg, green hot pepper 5 shekels/kg , green onions with leaves 6.78 shekels/kg, dry garlic 2.93 shekels/kg, and dry onions 1.64 shekels/kg, despite the decrease in the average price of each of; Green peas 3.76 shekels/kg, green beans 1.72 shekels/kg, and tomatoes 1.74 shekels/kg.

The prices of commodities within the animal production activity increased by 4.95%. The average price of each of; Fresh eggs 16.74 shekels/2kg, large live broiler chicken 10.54 shekels/kg, live baladi goats 30.95 shekels/kg, and live baladi sheep 29.22 shekels/kg.

The prices of commodities within the activity of growing permanent, perennial crops increased by 2.06%. The average price of each of; Small clementines amounted to 1.96 shekels/kg, oranges 1.99 shekels/kg, and strawberries 4.78 shekels/kg.

While the prices of commodities within the fishing activity decreased by 6.51%.

The prices of water supply, sanitation activities, and waste management and treatment increased by 3.74%, with a relative importance of 1.50% of the product basket.

The prices of electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supplies increased by 2.13%, the relative importance of which constitutes 8.23% of the product basket.

The prices of mining and quarrying industry products increased by 0.55%, with a relative importance of 1.41% of the product basket.

The prices of commodities produced by the activities of the manufacturing industries increased by 0.11%, the relative importance of which constitutes 58.92% of the product basket, due to the increase in the prices of commodities produced within the following activities; Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products by 3.30%, manufacture of basic iron and steel by 2.31%, manufacture of grain mill products by 2.13%, and manufacture of shaped metal products except for machinery and equipment by 1.36%, despite the decrease in the prices of manufacturing vegetable and animal oils and fats by 1.04%, and the prices of manufacturing items of concrete, cement and plaster by 0.31%.

Morocco faces the dilemma of striking a balance between defending its "strategic" alliance with Israel without abandoning the Palestinian cause , which still enjoys popular support, after the most right-wing government in Israel's history came to power.

This problem arose recently when King Mohammed VI rebuked the Islamic Justice and Development Party (parliamentary opposition), in response to a position in which he condemned the bias of Moroccan diplomacy in favor of Israel.

In a statement, the royal court described this behavior as "irresponsible" and included "serious fallacies" on the part of the party, which accused Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita of "defending the Zionist entity in some African and European meetings."

The royal palace confirmed that Morocco's position on the Palestinian issue is "irreversible."

Rabat also regularly confirms its commitment to the Palestinian cause, which "is one of the foreign policy priorities of His Majesty the King, Chairman of the Jerusalem Committee," which is concerned with preserving the Islamic character of the city.

In the context, the Moroccan foreign minister said, "The kingdom condemns and always rejects every irresponsible act and every act that could be inflammatory or have a negative impact," commenting on the recent statements of an Israeli minister from the extreme right, in which he denied the existence of the Palestinian people.

Moroccan journalist and writer Jamal Amiar, who wrote a book on "Morocco, Israel and Moroccan Jews," considers that "establishing relations with Israel while supporting the Palestinian cause is not a contradiction, if we are defending the two-state solution."

Morocco defends the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, alongside the State of Israel.

Rabat normalized its diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv in December 2020, within the framework of the Abraham Accords, which included several Arab countries under the auspices of the United States.

In exchange, Rabat obtained recognition from Washington of "Moroccan sovereignty" over Western Sahara, the territory claimed by the Polisario Front, backed by Algeria.

Amiar believes that "the Abraham Accords changed the facts and are still changing many things very quickly."

The pace of partnership between the two countries has accelerated since then, especially in the field of military equipment (drones) and cybersecurity, in an arms race with Algeria in a context of tension between the two neighbors.

If economic cooperation is still far from ambitions, trade exchanges between Morocco and Israel increased in 2022 (+32 percent) in favor of Israel, and the number of Israeli tourists who visited the Kingdom increased (200,000 Israeli visitors), according to official figures.

For his part, Amiar mentions that "the partnership with Israel is based on common security interests and old relations that enabled the building of trust between the two countries."

This partnership is also based on the presence of some 700,000 Israelis who hail from Morocco and have maintained strong ties with their country of origin.

For his part, Zakaria Abu al-Dahab, professor of international relations at Mohammed V University in Rabat, considers that "this human and cultural link reinforces the idea of strengthening relations with the Hebrew state, regardless of the political and geopolitical circumstance."

However, the arrival of a current of the extreme right to power in Israel, against any resumption of negotiations with the Palestinians, and violence in the occupied territories, after an obstacle to this rapprochement.

"Any continuous deterioration in relations between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank or Gaza cannot, of course, but negatively affect public opinion's attitude toward relations with Israel," Amaar explains.

If the response to pro-Palestinian militant activities has weakened in Morocco, sympathy for this cause is still wide.

Recently, a hundred civil society figures appealed to the Moroccan government to put an end to normalization.

Zakaria Abu al-Dahab believes that "Moroccan society, with all its currents, is not necessarily convinced of normalization, which could be at the expense of the Palestinian cause."

But could the continuation of the confrontations in the West Bank undermine the foundations of the Abraham Accords?
In the opinion of the university professor, "In a turbulent context, which is further complicated by the situation in the Middle East, such as the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the vision becomes unclear."

This is confirmed by the fact that the Negev summit, which was supposed to bring together this month in the kingdom the foreign ministers of the United States, Israel, Egypt, Morocco, the UAE and Bahrain, was postponed, according to diplomatic sources.

Saudi Arabia has adopted a strategy for the aviation sector based on expanding significantly to obtain a share of the market that is dominated by huge companies in other Gulf countries , and in this context it announced the launch of a new national airline and a large order to purchase Boeing aircraft.

The project falls within the framework of the Kingdom's attempts, which have been closed for decades, to become a center of attraction for the business and tourism sectors, but experts in the aviation sector believe that its success in the field of aviation in particular is not guaranteed, despite the great official support.

Earlier this month, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, officially launched Riyadh Air, which aims to turn the Saudi capital into a "gateway to the world," in the words of state media.

Just two days later, officials announced that Riyadh Airlines and Saudi Airlines, the kingdom's current national carrier based in Jeddah, would buy 78 long-haul Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

The deal, which the White House estimated at $37 billion and could later reach 121 aircraft, is the fifth-largest deal in terms of commercial value in Boeing's history.

The CEO of "Riyadh Air" Tony Douglas told AFP that the company will serve the international, regional and local markets, which puts it in direct competition with "Emirates Airlines" and "Qatar Airways".

Independent aviation expert Alex Macheras said the Saudi expansion raises difficult questions about how Riyadh Air can capture market share, especially at a time of increasing non-stop flight options that bypass the Middle East altogether.

"Replicating and building on the successful business models of neighboring Gulf airlines will be challenging in a crowded market where passengers have so many choices," Macheras said.

Saudi Airlines, also known as Saudi Arabian Airlines, was founded in 1945 and received its first plane as a gift from US President Franklin Roosevelt.

At that time, foreigners were entering the Kingdom, especially through Jeddah on the Red Sea coast, and Jeddah is the "gate to Mecca", and a major point of arrival for millions of Muslims who perform the rituals of Hajj and Umrah every year.

Foreign embassies did not move to Riyadh, in central Saudi Arabia, until the eighties.

These days, Riyadh is at the heart of Prince Mohammed bin Salman's comprehensive reform agenda as part of Vision 2030, his economic and social reform project based on stopping the dependence of the world's largest exporter of crude oil on fossil fuels and opening up to social changes.

Officials say the aim is to rival Dubai, an important Gulf business hub, and they expect Riyadh's population of now eight million to rise to 15 or 20 million by 2030.

Last November, plans were announced for a new airport in Riyadh that is set to handle 120 million passengers annually by 2030, up from about 35 million today.

Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan told AFP that the expected growth makes the current model for Saudi Arabia, which has two main centers, Jeddah and Riyadh, insufficient.

"Jeddah alone needs an airline to focus on Hajj and Umrah, and therefore there is a need for an airline that focuses on Riyadh," Al-Jadaan said.

"There is a need to ensure that there is a suitable airport that welcomes people and an airline that is able to connect many of the destinations that investors need," he continued.

"The question about the rate of demand in this equation has not yet been settled, and the Saudis need to be completely confident in the outcome in order to proceed with the order to purchase large aircraft," said Robert Mogielnicki, a researcher at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.

The location of the airports in the Middle East, which is convenient for flights to Europe, Asia and Africa, has contributed to their rise as major hubs.
Airports Council International predicts that the region's airports will see 1.1 billion passengers by 2040, compared to 405 million in 2019.

In addition to "Riyadh Aviation", Saudi Arabia will also launch "Neom Aviation", which will be based in the future city of the same name, to start operations in 2024.

Saudi Arabia's expansion strategy depends in part on taking advantage of its population of roughly 35 million, which officials see as a huge advantage over rivals in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar with much smaller populations.

Macheras said the Boeing order indicates that Riyadh Airlines' vision "appears to be long-haul oriented, consistent with its goals of being a transit hub airline." Regional competitors are watching these developments closely.

A source in Qatar Airways, who preferred not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said, "Riyadh Airlines will certainly acquire a share of the market in the region and the Asian markets in particular." "We are ready to confront a very rich tycoon who is in the making," he added.

Perhaps Riyadh Air will be best served by its owner: the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, which Macheras said will "stake on what will inevitably be a very large initial stage of capital" ahead of the inaugural flights in early 2025.
"It is clear that Riyadh Airlines, although it is a latecomer to the sector, sees that there is a place for another company at the table, and wants to assure the rest of the world that Saudi Arabia is open for business," he said.

Defense for Children International - Palestine affirmed today, Wednesday, that the excessive and lethal force used by the Israeli  forces against Palestinian civilians during their incursions into Palestinian areas affected children mainly, noting that it documented testimonies of children in Jenin who are still living in constant tension and anxiety.

In a report, the movement confirmed that, in addition to violating the right to life of 17 children since the beginning of this year, the practices of the Israeli forces have left significant effects on other children, which appeared in their behavior, thinking, and academic achievement, violating their rights guaranteed by international laws, and threatening their psychological and social security.

In this regard, Defense for Children International documented the reality of a number of children from Jenin governorate, who are the most targeted by the occupation forces, in terms of incursions and the number of martyrs.

Among the 17 children killed since the beginning of this year, six are from Jenin governorate, in addition to using children as human shields, and detaining others for long hours in their homes and using them as military barracks and sniper and observation points, during the storming of the city and its camp, which greatly affected the children.

The child (Y.A., 17 years old) told Defense for Children International: “While my colleague Mahmoud Al-Saadi (17 years) and I were heading to school in the morning, the occupation army stormed the camp and started shooting from all directions. He was martyred (January 21, 2022). We were planning together to graduate from school and go to university and study together, but all of that was shattered. I hate school and its way.”

As for the child (W.Z., 16 years old), he said: “The Israeli raids into the camp have become routine. The army enters at any time, so I can no longer leave the house, and I am afraid of the army’s raids while I am outside the house. I used to go out and meet friends in the alleys of the camp, where there is no place.” For fun or play, let alone when leaving the house is a matter that threatens my life, the details of our lives have become limited to preserving the minimum limits of life with caution, caution, anticipation and tension.

The child (M.N., 17 years old) said: "In every raid, there are martyrs, shooting, destroying homes, and destroying property. Bullets penetrated the walls of our house. Danger pursues me while I am in bed. When I want to move inside the house, I have to crawl on my stomach for fear of sniper bullets, or A stray bullet. Death is more merciful than this fear and anxiety. For more than a year I have not been able to sleep normally or for enough hours. Sometimes I wake up to the sound of bullets and explosions, and other times I wake up due to nightmares. I no longer distinguish between dream and reality.

As for the child (RA, 15 years old), he indicated that the camp "has become full of pictures of martyrs, and behind every martyr there is a story and memories. I saw from the window of the house young men who were wounded by the bullets of the occupation and left to bleed until they died, and I also saw the bodies of martyrs completely burnt. I became afraid of Moving even at home. In the past, I used to hate the night because of the repeated intrusions, but now I hate the whole day, day and night. The camp was narrow in the past, and with its narrowness it accommodated us, our dreams, and our friends, but now it has narrowed to its minimum limits. Our dreams have been suffocated, suffocated by the occupation. With every raid in which a friend is martyred, even our days as ordinary students have become a terrible burden. The camp, the street, and the school are filled with our memories with martyred friends.”

He added: "The Israeli forces killed our teacher, Jawad Bawakna. He was the teacher closest to us. He sent us energy and hope through his activities and his constant movement full of vitality. He had a great ability to support us psychologically in light of these conditions in the camp. Today, we lost one of the most important sources of psychological support. School has become a painful memory for our loved ones, and we are trying as much as we can to stay away from it.”

In one of the incursions into the Jenin camp, the Israeli occupation forces surrounded a house and took the father away from his wife and two children, Tolin (two years old) and Misk (a year old). Putting the family's life in grave danger.

The father of the two girls said to Defense for Children International: "The behavior of his two daughters changed radically after this incident, especially Tolene, who turned from an active and asking questions into a secluded child attached to her mother and distracted, afraid of any sound or movement, except for the frequent nightmares and bouts of crying that afflict her." ".

Defense for Children International affirmed that the practices of the Israeli forces, including killing, arresting, storming and setting up military checkpoints, and many other violations against the Palestinian people, exploiting the policy of impunity that accompanies the protection and immunity from accountability that it enjoys, has led to the deterioration of the situation of children in Palestine. And negatively affected their access to their rights, in addition to the psychological effects of Israeli violations remain in the hearts of people who have been directly harmed or harmed.