Day: August 1, 2024

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi met with the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Pahala Nugraha Mansury, in Jakarta yesterday.

During the meeting, the two parties discussed various topics, including the importance of exploring areas of cooperation between the GCC and Indonesia and ways to develop and strengthen them. They also reviewed collaboration within the framework of the joint action plan between the GCC and Indonesia (2020-2024).

Furthermore, they discussed the region’s latest political and security developments and issues of common interest. Al-Budaiwi emphasized the numerous connections and relationships that link the GCC countries and Indonesia, contributing to coordinating efforts to enhance cooperation in all areas and achieve common interests.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Security forces in Maysan arrested 3 suspects wanted for various crimes and seized unlicensed weapons during a security operation carried out in the city of Amara, the center of the governorate.

Maysan Police Command said in a statement that the National Iraqi News Agency / NINA / received a copy of it: “The detachments of the Hittin Police Department, in cooperation with the First Maysan Emergency Regiment, were able to arrest three suspects according to criminal and legal articles, including an accused of premeditated murder and another of terrorism, in addition to seizing (5) pieces of Kalashnikov weapons and a pistol, indicating that the necessary legal and investigative measures were taken against them.”

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

The Real Estate Price Index (RPI) showed a 1.7% increase in the second quarter of 2024 compared to the same quarter of last year. This rise is mainly due to a 2.8% increase in residential prices, according to a General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) report released today.

The report revealed that residential land plot prices have increased by 2.8% year-on-year, primarily driven by the residential sector, significantly impacting the overall increase in real estate prices. Specifically, prices for apartments rose by 2.9%, while residential building prices decreased by 0.1%, villa prices by 0.5%, and house prices by 1.4%.

The report also showed that the commercial sector experienced a 0.4% decrease in real estate prices due to declines in the prices of commercial land plots by 0.4% and commercial galleries by 0.6%. However, the prices of commercial buildings and commercial centers remained stable during the second quarter of 2024, showing no significant change.

However, the agricultural sector recorded an
increase of 1.5% due to increased agricultural land prices by 1.5%.

The RPI is based on recorded data from real estate transactions available at the Saudi Ministry of Justice. This index serves as a vital tool for supporting relevant authorities in making economic and statistical decisions related to real estate price movements and future forecasts across different periods and sectors, including residential, commercial, and agricultural.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Turkish intelligence mediated a major exchange operation that included the exchange of a total of 26 individuals in prisons of 7 different countries, namely the United States of America, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus.

According to Turkish security sources, the exchange operation that took place in the capital Ankara today, Thursday, included 26 prisoners who were transferred to Turkey on board 7 planes, including 2 from the United States of America and one each from Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Russia.

This operation entered history as the most comprehensive hostage exchange operation between the United States, Russia and Germany in recent years.

Turkish intelligence provided channels of dialogue for this historic process, brought the parties together in Turkey over the past month, and was able to effectively use intelligence diplomacy and follow up on mediation activities between the parties from the beginning of the negotiations until their end / according to security sou
rces /.

Among the important names included in the exchange process are the Wall Street Journal correspondent / Ivan Gershkovich / imprisoned in Russia, the US Marine / Paul Whelan /, the German citizen / Rico Krieger / imprisoned in Belarus, and the Russian dissident / Ilya Yashin/.

The security sources revealed that the management of this exchange process between 7 different countries took place in Ankara by Turkish intelligence from the beginning of the negotiation process until the last moment when the exchange operations were carried out.

Due to the large number of those included in the exchange process, all individuals were taken from the planes under the supervision of Turkish intelligence personnel and transferred to safe areas, and Turkish intelligence also supervised the movement of the planes to and from Turkey.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

The Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) reviewed the crude oil production data for the months of May and June 2024 and noted the high overall conformity for participating OPEC and non-OPEC countries of the Declaration of Cooperation (DoC).

The Committee noted the Republic of Iraq, the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Russian Federation assurance during the meeting to achieve full conformity and welcomed the recent submission of their compensation plans for the overproduced volumes since Jan 2024 to the OPEC Secretariat.

During today’s meeting, the member countries that participated in the June 2nd, 2024 meeting in Riyadh along with Oman, reiterated that the gradual phase-out of the voluntary reduction of oil production could be paused or reversed, depending on prevailing market conditions. These countries had announced the extension of the voluntary reduction of oil production by 2.2 million barrels per day until the end of September 2024 and outlined plans for this reduction to be gradually phased
out on a monthly basis until the end of September 2025.

The Committee will continue to monitor the conformity of the production adjustments decided at the 37th ONOMM held on the 2nd of June 2024, including the additional voluntary production adjustments announced by some participating OPEC and non-OPEC countries and will continue to closely assess market conditions.

The JMMC retains the authority to convene additional meetings or to request an OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting, as outlined during the 37th ONOMM held on the 2nd of June 2024.

The next meeting of the JMMC (56th) is scheduled for 02 October 2024.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Babylon Police announced today, Thursday, the arrest of a gang of three people who defraud users of MasterCard bank cards and trade in illegal communication sim cards.

Babylon Police Media Director, Brigadier General Adel Al-Husseini, said, “The police, in cooperation with the intelligence services, were able to set up an ambush and arrest a gang of three people today, Thursday, specializing in manipulating and defrauding users of MasterCard bank credit cards and seized a thousand illegal communication sim cards .

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

Minister of Investment Eng. Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih met yesterday with Egypt’s Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development Affairs and Minister of Health and Population, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar.

The two sides explored ways to enhance and expand cooperation, particularly in attracting Saudi investments to the Egyptian health sector, including pharmaceuticals, and complementary industries.

Abdel Ghaffar emphasized the depth of the historical relations between Saudi Arabia and Egypt and the aspiration to leverage the two countries’ strategic geographic location to support investments in the health sector across Asia, Africa, and the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Al-Falih praised the efforts to promote investment cooperation between the two brotherly countries at the governmental and private sector levels, which aligns with their shared development goals.

Saudi Ambassador to Egypt Saleh bin Eid Al-Husseini attended the meeting.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

The Lebanese Ministry of Health announced today, Thursday, that the number of victims of the Zionist attack on the southern suburb of Beirut has risen to seven martyrs and 74 wounded.

The Ministry stated, in a statement, that the operations of removing the rubble of the building targeted by the Zionist entity’s aircraft in the “Hreik” neighborhood in the southern suburb of Beirut are still ongoing, stressing that the final toll of the attack is seven martyrs, including two children and 3 women, and 74 wounded.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

Minister of Investment Eng. Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih met yesterday with Egypt’s Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat.

Both parties discussed ways to strengthen relations between the two countries and enhance partnerships in the field of investment.

Saudi Ambassador to Egypt Saleh bin Eid Al-Husseini attended the meeting.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Federal Police forces arrested a suspect in terrorism and another in murder in Baghdad.

The Ministry of Interior stated in a statement: “Within the operations to follow up on those wanted on charges of terrorism and murder and against whom judicial arrest warrants were issued, the detachments of the Fifth Federal Police Division, in cooperation with the intelligence effort detachments and the security forces operating within the sectors of responsibility, carried out a security duty that resulted in the arrest of a suspect wanted in accordance with the provisions of Article (4 of Terrorism) north of Baghdad, and within the follow-up of previous criminal incidents, a suspect was arrested in a murder that occurred last July in Al-Mirzat area.”

It added: “The operation was carried out based on intelligence information and professional technical work, during which the perpetrator was identified and arrested in a tight ambush in Al-Shaab area. The accused were referred to the competent authorities to complete th
e investigative and legal procedures against them.”

Source: National Iraqi News Agency