Jerusalem - Ma'an Report - The attacks of the occupation authorities on the people of Jerusalem have been escalating in recent weeks, including continuous raids, imposition of fines and various taxes, in addition to arrests, summonses and increasing demolitions. Wadi Al-Joz neighborhood In Wadi al-Joz neighborhood - the neighborhood closest to the Old City - 17 Jerusalemite families live in a state of anxiety and follow-up on their legal status, after being notified twice during the last week of the demolition of homes that have been standing for decades, under the pretext that "the land is green and construction is prohibited on it." The families explained that 70 individuals live in the homes, and they have been trying for years to license their facilities, but the municipality refuses the procedures. They added that the Nature Authority is seeking to control the entire land to turn it into an 'open area.' The residents pointed out that the occupation authorities have begun in recent years to implement their project on the land of Wadi al-Joz at the expense of the residents, where they demolish homes, displace families, prevent construction, and turn the lands into open green areas and paths for settlers, or public parking lots. Al-Issawiya town In the town of Issawiya, a member of the town's follow-up committee, Muhammad Abu al-Hummus, explained that a campaign of attacks on the town has been ongoing for more than a week, with raids taking place around the clock, setting up checkpoints inside the town and at its entrances, closing entrances, imposing fines, withdrawing vehicle licenses, in addition to raiding shops, confiscating goods, storming homes, and distributing summonses to the municipality and demolition notices. Abu Al-Hummus pointed out that during the storming of Al-Issawiya, the forces were firing bombs, bullets, rubber bullets, and wastewater. Continuous arrests The occupation police said in a statement that during the last week, they arrested 489 Palestinians holding West Bank-Gaza ID ca rds and those who transferred them, on the pretext of entering the city illegally. Daily arrests of Jerusalemites from the city's towns and neighborhoods continue. In statistics from the Wadi Hilweh Information Center - Jerusalem, it said that since the war on the Gaza Strip, more than 3,775 cases of arrest have been monitored in Jerusalem, including more than 1,765 "West Bank and Gaza ID holders", and 185 "demolition and bombing" operations of residential, commercial and agricultural facilities in the city were monitored. Source: Maan News Agency
HM King congratulates President of Bolivia
Manama, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa sent a cable of congratulations to His Excellency President Luis Alberto Arce Catacora of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, on his country's Independence Day. Source : Bahrain News Agency
Bahrain records real economic growth of 3.3% in Q1 2024
Manama, National accounts estimates issued by the Information and eGovernment Authority showed that the real GDP of the Kingdom of Bahrain increased by 3.3% and 3.4% at constant and current prices, respectively, during the first quarter of 2024. The GDP reached 3610.8 million Bahraini Dinar at constant prices during the quarter compared to 3494.8 million Bahraini Dinar during the corresponding quarter of 2023. The estimates also indicated that the oil sector grew by 3.4%, while the non-oil sector grew by 3.3% at constant prices. Accommodation and Food Service activities are considered one of the largest non-oil activities, achieving a growth rate of 10.7%, followed by Financial and Insurance activities with a growth of 7.4%, then Information and Communications with a growth of 6.6% at constant prices. Financial and Insurance activities were the largest Non-oil sector contributing to real GDP according to preliminary estimates which recorded 16.7%. Followed by Manufacturing by 14.8%. The transition to the In ternational Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities, revision four (ISIC4) has been completed in line with local, international and regional requirements, and to keep pace with the global trend of implementing the updated version of the Standard Industrial Guide for Economic Activities issued by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. This classification is considered an approved classification of all economic activities, and it is used internationally and nationally to classify data according to the type of economic activity, in which one code is developed for each economic activity according to a set of principles, definitions and rules presented in the manual. It is also one of the most important tools for studying the economy of countries and international comparisons. There is no doubt that this transition will make a qualitative leap at the local level in terms of supporting the exchange and flow of data between different local institutions and authorities, and will help unify the reading and presenting the data, facilitate its processing, conduct local comparisons, reduce duplication of work between governmental and non-governmental entities that deal with the classification of economic activities, and create an understandable common language to raise the accuracy and flow of statistical data between entities. Coinciding with the transition, the Authority has improved the coverage of the economic activities, which increased the GDP. Comprehensive and updated databases have also been prepared for annual and quarterly national accounts estimates from the year 2010 with the updated classification. Source : Bahrain News Agency
Bahrain ENT Congress to hold accompanying exhibition
Manama, The first Bahrain ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) Congress will feature an accompanying exhibition in collaboration with MED-EL, Government Hospitals have announced. The conference is organised by the Government Hospitals in cooperation with the Royal Medical Services (RMS) and Education Plus and will be held on September 4. The exhibition underscores the Government Hospitals' commitment to supporting wide-scale medical events, including those that showcase advanced ENT medical devices. This contributes to enhancing Bahrain's medical sector by providing experts and doctors an opportunity to explore the latest innovations in the field. The Government Hospitals expressed gratitude to MED-EL for sponsoring the congress and praised Education Plus for their organisational efforts in achieving the congress's goals. Source : Bahrain News Agency
Bahrain Summer Toy Festival concludes, attracting more than 97,000 visitors
Manama, The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) announced the successful conclusion of the first edition of the Bahrain Summer Toy Festival 2024 at the Exhibitions World Bahrain, where it attracted more than 97,000 visitors from the Kingdom and abroad. Dana Osama Al Saad, Deputy CEO for Resources and Projects at the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), announced the successful conclusion of the Bahrain Summer Toy Festival in its first edition. She commended the cooperative efforts of the relevant government authorities and private sector institutions, emphasising the positive impact of these collaborations on the event. Al Saad expressed her appreciation to Al Dana Amphitheatre, Spacetoon, Exhibition World Bahrain, and the National Bank of Bahrain for their joint and constructive efforts, which resulted in an exceptional summer entertainment festival. She emphasised that the event has significantly bolstered tourism across the Kingdom and strengthened the hospitality sector. She a lso expressed her aspiration to make the festival an annual event in cooperation with all partners, in line with the plans to develop the tourism sector and achieve the goals of the Tourism Strategy 2022-2026. The Bahrain Summer Toy Festival contributed to boosting the tourism movement in the 2024 summer season, resulting in a significant increase in the occupancy rates of hotels and hospitality establishments. It also increased tourism and commercial activity in Zallaq and Sakhir areas, enhancing the occupancy levels and commercial activity of resorts, hotels, restaurants, cafes, and various shops located in the vicinity. The event had a significant impact on supporting the participating establishments due to the high public turnout, which reflects the Authority's commitment to promoting and supporting national businesses during all occasions and events it organises by BTEA, particularly those related to the field of tourism and hospitality. Visitors, particularly citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and residents expressed their positive reception of the festival. In its inaugural edition, the festival demonstrated a strong commitment to social responsibility by welcoming children from various charitable organisations and national initiatives. These included the Royal Fund for Fallen Servicemen, the Bahrain Association for Parents and Friends of the Disabled, Al Sanabel Orphan Care Society, and the Bahrain Down Syndrome Society. Source : Bahrain News Agency
The dollar is on its way to the 4 shekel threshold for these reasons
Bethlehem Ma'an - Observers expect the dollar to cross the 4 shekel threshold, in the event of a wide-scale conflict in the region, in addition to financial fluctuations in world markets. Amid market turmoil and security tensions in Israel, the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange opened down nearly 3%, and the foreign exchange trading week opened with another decline in the shekel, trading around 3.83 shekels, and the euro is approaching 4.2 in the last 10 days, and the local currency has lost about 5% of its value. The expected offensive response by Iran and its allies, and if Israel responds, and the war expands, will certainly lead to the dollar exceeding the 4 shekel mark, and the euro may reach about 4.30 shekels. If the security escalation is delayed, we will actually see some compensation in the rise in foreign currency prices due to the shekel marathon by exporters and manufacturers every month to pay salaries and bills to suppliers in shekels, according to Yedioth Ahronoth. After the Israeli currency weakene d last week, the dollar and the euro rose this morning. The euro jumped 1.5% against the shekel and is trading near 4.2 shekels, and the dollar, which weakened against other currencies in the world after weak US economic data published over the weekend, is also rising against the shekel, but at a lower rate of 0.3%, to trade this morning at 3.83 shekels. In just 10 days, the shekel has lost about 5% of its value. On July 25, its representative rate was 3.65 shekels, and this morning, it is trading at about 3.82 shekels. Source: Maan News Agency
Bank of Palestine contributes to providing potable water in shelters in northern Gaza Strip in partnership with the Welfare Association
Ramallah - Ma'an - Bank of Palestine, in partnership with the Welfare Association, has contributed to providing potable water for hundreds of families affected and displaced in shelters in the northern Gaza Strip, who are suffering from water scarcity and an unprecedented crisis in the availability of drinking water. This is in continuation of the relief and humanitarian bridge established by the Bank of Palestine Group to provide relief to our affected people in the Strip. This intervention is the twenty-eighth within the ongoing relief bridge since the beginning of the war, especially in light of the severe shortage that the northern Gaza Strip in particular suffers from in all emergency needs, and the loss of all the necessities of life in the Gaza Strip as a result of the ongoing war. Bank of Palestine confirmed that its ongoing humanitarian and relief operations to support our people in the Gaza Strip have not stopped since the beginning of the war on the Gaza Strip, noting that these contributions fal l under the umbrella of its relief and humanitarian program, and are implemented with a number of local and international partners. The bank stressed that it will continue its relief efforts and provide aid to our people in the Gaza Strip, and contribute to meeting their needs and alleviating their suffering in light of the difficult conditions they are going through, so that they can emerge from their humanitarian crisis. According to reports published by some international organizations, the citizens of the Gaza Strip are suffering from dehydration and disease amid unsanitary conditions due to the severe shortage of potable water. The average amount of water that the people of the Strip receive is only about 2 liters of water per day, which is much less than the minimum required per person per day according to the standards of humanitarian work in emergency situations, which is about 15 liters to cover drinking needs and limited domestic use. It is worth noting that the Bank of Palestine Group, through a number of local and international institutions, continues its humanitarian interventions to provide relief to our affected people and displaced families since the beginning of the war, including launching a program to sponsor 20,000 orphans in the Gaza Strip in partnership with the Welfare Association, in addition to providing thousands of hot meals, food parcels, mineral water bottles and health parcels to thousands of displaced people, in addition to providing winter supplies for families and children. Urgent financial assistance was also provided to patients in the Strip in hospitals in the West Bank, Jerusalem and Jordan, and recreational activities and psychological support were implemented for women and children in shelters. Source: Maan News Agency
Jordan implements gradual export restrictions on tomatoes amid price surge
Amman, Khaled Hneifat, Jordan's Minister of Agriculture, announced a policy to restrict tomato export and increase imports to local markets. This gradual approach will continue until exports are halted if the current trend of decreasing tomato imports and rising market prices persists. This decision aims to ensure a sufficient supply of tomatoes for local consumption. The Ministry of Agriculture has observed a reduction in imported tomato quantities and a corresponding increase in market prices, Petra reported. The decrease in tomato imports to central markets has led to higher prices, attributed to the transition between production cycles and rising temperatures. The ministry anticipated that by mid-August, the market would stabilize with regular quantities that meet or exceed local demand, resulting in a decrease in prices prior to that time. Source : Bahrain News Agency
CBB Treasury Bills oversubscribed by 215%
Manama, This week's BD 70 million issue of Government Treasury Bills has been oversubscribed by 215%. The bills, carrying a maturity of 91 days, are issued by the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), on behalf of the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The issue date of the bills is August 7, and the maturity date is November 6. The weighted average rate of interest is 6.39% compared to 6.61% in the previous issue on July 31. The approximate average price for the issue was 98.410% with the lowest accepted price being 98.407%. This is issue No. 2029 (ISIN BH00069G9127) of Government Treasury Bills. With this, the total outstanding value of Government Treasury Bills is BD 2.110 billion. Source : Bahrain News Agency
Bahrain All Share Index marks 1,931.24 points
Manama, Bahrain All Share Index has closed at 1,931.24 points, marking a decrease of 20.09 points below the previous closing. This decrease was due to the drop in the financial sector and the real estate sector. Bahrain Islamic Index has closed at 782.85 points, marking a decrease of 24.76 points below the previous closing. Results indicated that 124 equity transactions took place with a volume of 4,085,484 worth BD 769,166. Investors traded mainly in the financial sector, representing 79% of the total value of securities traded. Source : Bahrain News Agency