Arab League Secretary General: Arab Countries must uphold Arab interests as cornerstone of their international stances

Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the Arab League, expressed his gratitude and thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister for the warm hospitality Arab leaders and participating delegations received upon their arrival in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

He also congratulated the Kingdom for holding the chair of the 32nd Arab Summit, SPA reported.

In a speech he delivered before the summit, Aboul Gheit said that, at this difficult historical stage, the Arab countries must uphold Arab interests as the cornerstone of their international positions, and commit to coordinate and resort to collective action.

He expressed hope that the Jeddah Summit would be a starting point for reaching an Arab

solution that would stop the bloodshed in Sudan, correct mistakes committed in the past, and seek to safeguard the higher interests of the Sudanese.

He also welcomed President Bashar Al-Assad and Syria’s return to the Arab league, hoping Arabs will contribute to finding effective solutions to challenges in Syria.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

HM King attends lunch banquet hosted by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa attended a lunch banquet hosted by Saudi Crown Prince and Minister, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, in honour of the Arab leaders, marking their participation in the 32nd Arab Summit.

After the banquet, HM King Hamad bid farewell to the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, as well as Arab leaders.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

King’s Arab Summit speech roadmap for future of Arab action

Speaker of the Council of Representatives, Ahmed bin Salman Al-Musallam, has lauded the keynote speech delivered by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa while participating in the 32nd Arab Summit, hosted by Saudi Arabia in the city of Jeddah, noting that it represents a roadmap for future Arab action.

He indicated that the royal speech, with the insightful vision embedded in it, embodied a pivotal strategy of utmost importance to address Arab challenges, and charted a lofty methodology for the future of the region, noting that HM the King emphasised the importance of continuing the march of joint Arab action, and strengthening the just and comprehensive peace approach, to ensure security, stability and prosperity for all.

Speaker Al-Musallam pointed out that HM King Hamad had appreciated the efforts of Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the 32nd Arab Summit President, and the support of HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, in serving the causes of the Arab Nation, providing the success requirements for the Arab Summit, the resumption of diplomatic relations and humanitarian efforts, and everything that would achieve good for the peoples and countries of the region.

He also praised the royal keynote address in which HM the King expressed Bahrain’s wise diplomatic policy regarding the situation in Sudan, preserving the legitimate rights of Egypt in the Nile waters, completing the peace process to reach a just solution to the Palestinian issue, as well as achieving peace between Russia and Ukraine.

Al-Musallam said that the King’s speech constituted a roadmap for the future of the Arab world according to a civilised and humane vision, as it emphasised the ancient history of the Arab Nation, religious values, and the promotion of the values of human coexistence, as well as religious and civilisational rapprochement.

He also hailed HM King Hamad’s wishes for the success of the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 28), which will be hosted by the UAE later this year, which is an all-inclusive platform for agreeing about ways to face future challenges.

He expressed pride in Bahrain’s hosting of the 2024 Arab Summit.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

Jeddah Declaration: Arab Leaders affirm importance of promoting joint Arab action

The leaders of the Arab countries have stressed the importance of strengthening joint Arab action based on common foundations, values, interests, and common destiny.

These stances were expressed in the “Jeddah Declaration” issued at the conclusion of 32nd session of the Arab League Council at the Summit Level today (Jeddah Summit). The following is its text:

“Jeddah Declaration, Jeddah – the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

At the generous invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Arab leaders held the 32nd session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level (Jeddah Summit) on May 19, 2023, under the chairmanship of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Emphasising the importance of strengthening joint Arab action based on common foundations, values, interests and one destiny, and the necessity of unifying ranks, solidarity and cooperation in maintaining security and stability, protecting the sovereignty of our countries and the cohesion of their institutions, preserving their achievements, striving for further progress concerning Arab action, and taking advantage of the human and natural assets that our region enjoys addressing the challenges of the new era in a way that serves the goals and aspirations of a promising future for our peoples and future generations.

Emanating from our keenness to secure conditions, utilise opportunities, strengthen and dedicate partnerships and consolidate understandings among our countries based on common interests, and increase cooperation to achieve sustainable development goals and implement the ambitious development visions of our countries through a comprehensive renaissance in all fields to keep pace with global developments and create a future that meets the hopes and aspirations of our peoples and achieves the common interest and benefit of our countries, inspired by the past experiences of our countries and aware of the amount of challenges surrounding Arab security and the events that some of our countries went through, as well as the importance of preserving our culture and values, and our firm determination that the citizens of our countries be the target of development and a solid pillar of stability and progress, and security the key to stability, we:

1- We reaffirm the centrality of the Palestinian issue to our countries as one of the key factors of stability in the region. We condemn in the strongest terms the practices and violations targeting Palestinians in their lives, property and existence. We stress the importance of intensifying efforts to achieve a comprehensive and just settlement to the Palestinian issue and find real grounds for achieving peace based on the two-state solution in accordance with international references, mainly the Arab Peace Initiative, relevant international resolutions and the principles of international law, to ensure the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state on Palestinian territory on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. We also call upon the international community to fulfill its responsibilities to end the occupation and stop repeated attacks and violations that impede political solutions and undermine international peace efforts, reiterating the need to continue efforts to protect the occupied city of Jerusalem and its holy sites in the face of the occupation’s condemned endeavors to change its demography, identity and historical and legal status quo. We support the historical Hashemite custodianship to protect Islamic and Christian holy sites and the Jordan-run Jerusalem and Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf, which is the sole body authorized to administrate the affairs of Al Haram Al Sharif, as well as supporting the role of Al-Quds Committee and Bayt Mal Al-Quds Agency in defending the holy city and the resilience of its people.

2- We are following up with interest on the developments and events taking place in our brotherly Republic of Sudan, expressing our deep concern at the ramifications of the crisis for the security, safety and stability of our countries and peoples. We reaffirm the need to ensure de-escalation, resort to dialogue and unity, alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people, preserve national state institutions, prevent their deterioration and avoid any external interference in Sudan’s affairs that would fuel conflict and threaten regional peace and security. The meetings of Jeddah, which commenced on May 6, 2023, among Sudanese groups, is an important step that can be built upon to end this crisis and restore security and stability in Sudan and protect the capabilities of its people.

3- We welcome the decision made by the Arab League Council at the ministerial level to resume the participation of delegations of the Syrian government in the meetings of the Arab League and its affiliated bodies, expressing hope for this decision to support the stability of Syria, preserve its territorial unity, and resume its role within the Arab world. We stress the importance of continuing to intensify pan-Arab efforts aimed at helping Syria overcome its crisis in line with the joint Arab efforts and brotherly relations that connect all Arab peoples.

4- We support all efforts that could guarantee security and stability in the Republic of Yemen and fulfill the aspirations of the brotherly Yemeni people. We also advocate for the UN and regional efforts seeking to come up with a comprehensive political solution to the Yemeni crisis based on the three terms of reference: the GCC initiative and its implementation mechanism, the Yemeni National Dialogue outcomes, and the UN Security Council Resolution 2216. We reiterate support for the efforts of the Presidential Leadership Council in Yemen to achieve security, stability and peace in the country in a way that ensures an end to the Yemeni crisis.

5- We express our solidarity with Lebanon and urge all Lebanese parties to dialogue in order to elect a President of the Republic who fulfills the aspirations of the Lebanese people, the regular work of the constitutional institutions, and the adoption of the required reforms to get Lebanon out of its crisis.

6- We call for stopping foreign interference in the domestic affairs of Arab countries and categorically reject all support for the formation of armed groups and militias outside the scope of state institutions. We stress that internal armed conflicts will not result in the victory of any one party, but will rather exacerbate the suffering of the peoples, destroy their achievements and impede their progress.

7- We stress that sustainable development, security, stability and peace are inherent rights for all Arab citizens. These will only be achieved through concerted efforts and through firmly fighting crime and corruption at all levels. We also stress the need to mobilise potentials and capabilities in order to create a future that is based on creativity and innovation and that keeps abreast of various developments in a way that serves and enhances security, stability and the well-being of our people.

8- We believe that visions and plans based on investing in resources and opportunities and addressing challenges can localize development and activate available capabilities. Such visions and plans should utilise technology in order to achieve a comprehensive Arab industrial and agricultural renaissance to which our countries should contribute through integrated potentials. We should boost our solidarity and enhance our interdependence and unity in order to achieve the ambitions and aspirations of our Arab peoples.

9- We express our commitment to and pride in our values and culture based on dialogue, tolerance, openness and non-interference in other countries’ affairs under any pretext. Meanwhile, we emphasise our respect for the values and cultures of others and the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of states. At the same time, we believe that cultural diversity contributes to better understanding and coexistence. We categorically reject using the dominance of some cultures as a pretext for interfering in the domestic affairs of our countries.

10- We seek to exert more efforts to preserve our culture and inherent Arab identity among our sons and daughters and to strengthen their pride in our well-established values, customs and traditions. We pledge to make every effort to highlight our cultural and intellectual heritage and spread our well-established culture to make it a bridge for communication with other cultures.

11- We appreciate the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s keenness, during the year it held the presidency of the 32nd Arab League summit, on a number of initiatives that are bound to contribute to advancing the joint Arab work in the cultural, economic, social and environmental fields, including:

– The initiative of teaching the Arabic language to non-native speakers, which targets the children of the second and third generations of Arab immigrants, in a way that contributes to enhancing civilizational communication between Arab countries and the world, and highlights and preserves the well-established Arab civilisation and culture.

– The Culture and Green Future Initiative aims to raise the level of commitment of the cultural sector in the Arab countries towards the goals of sustainable development and to develop cultural policies related to sustainability, in addition to contributing to supporting environmentally friendly cultural practices and supporting the creative economy in the Arab countries.

– The initiative of sustaining the supply chains of essential food commodities for the Arab countries relies mainly on a set of activities and the provision of investment opportunities with economic and financial feasibility that contribute to meeting the needs of Arab countries for food commodities.

– The initiative of research and excellence in the water desalination industry and its solutions stimulates scientific and applied research and innovation in the desalinated water production industry and water solutions for interested and needy countries. It focuses on spreading and sharing knowledge and experiences, contributing to improving the economics of this industry in order to reduce costs, raise the efficiency of operations and improve its environmental sustainability, in addition to the issuance of specifications, standardizations and institutional restructuring for the water sectors to make them a strategic industry for the Arab countries.

– The initiative to establish a think tank for research and studies in sustainability and economic development would embrace new directions and ideas and highlight the importance of sustainable development initiatives in the Arab region to enhance joint and multilateral interest in research cooperation and the conclusion of strategic partnerships.”

Source: Bahrain News Agency

Arab Summit: Mauritania President Stresses Importance of Developing Arab Joint Action

President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani has stressed the importance of joint Arab efforts to boost Arab presence internationally.

In his speech at at the 32nd regular session of the Arab League Council at the summit level today, Ghazouani said the profound geostrategic changes looming amid the crises currently sweeping the world call for unifying efforts and overcoming differences.

These geostrategic changes should also serve as a reminder of the importance of increasing joint Arab action to boost the collective Arab ability to withstand challenges and achieve development and stability, the Mauritanian president added.

He also highlighted the need to enhance economic exchange among Arab countries in preparation for establishing a common Arab market that paves the way for sustainable and comprehensive development.

He pointed out that the current situation in Palestine and the fateful conflicts and challenges in the Arab world confirm the need to develop joint action, expressing his country’s condemnation of the Israeli aggressions in Palestine, and reaffirming the adherence to the Palestinian right to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

On the developments in both Libya and Yemen, the Mauritanian president affirmed his country’s adherence to solutions that preserve territorial integrity and lay the foundations for stability in the two countries, expressing optimism about the looming breakthrough in the two countries.

On the situation in Sudan, Ould Cheikh called for exerting all possible efforts to stop hostilities permanently and effectively in Sudan, creating appropriate conditions for providing humanitarian support, and establishing a comprehensive political solution, praising the Arab efforts made in this regard.

The Mauritanian president concluded his speech emphasizing the importance of joint Arab action, strengthening economic partnerships between Arab countries, and the need to enhance economic exchange between them in preparation for the establishment of a common Arab market.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Jeddah Declaration: Arab Leaders Stress Centrality of Palestinian Cause, Call for Strengthening Arab Action

The leaders of the Arab countries emphasized the centrality of the Palestinian cause, expressing their strong condemnation of the practices and violations that target the Palestinians and undermine efforts to establish their independent state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Arab leaders, during the 32nd regular session of the Arab League Council at the summit level (Jeddah Summit), underlined the importance of strengthening joint Arab action, solidarity and cooperation, protecting the sovereignty of states and the cohesion of their institutions, and making further advancement of Arab action to keep pace with the challenges of the new era, in a way that serves the goals and aspirations for a better future for the Arab peoples and generations to come.

This came in the “Jeddah Declaration” at the conclusion of 32nd Regular Session of the Arab League Council at the Summit Level today (Jeddah Summit). The following is its text: At the generous invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Arab leaders held the 32nd regular session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level (Jeddah Summit) on May 19, 2023, under the chairmanship of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Emphasizing the importance of strengthening joint Arab action based on common foundations, values, interests and one destiny, and the necessity of unifying ranks, solidarity and cooperation in maintaining security and stability, protecting the sovereignty of our countries and the cohesion of their institutions, preserving their achievements, striving for further progress concerning Arab action, and taking advantage of the human and natural assets that our region enjoys addressing the challenges of the new era in a way that serves the goals and aspirations of a promising future for our peoples and future generations.

Emanating from our keenness to secure conditions, utilize opportunities, strengthen and dedicate partnerships and consolidate understandings among our countries based on common interests, and increase cooperation to achieve sustainable development goals and implement the ambitious development visions of our countries through a comprehensive renaissance in all fields to keep pace with global developments and create a future that meets the hopes and aspirations of our peoples and achieves the common interest and benefit of our countries, inspired by the past experiences of our countries and aware of the amount of challenges surrounding Arab security and the events that some of our countries went through, as well as the importance of preserving our culture and values, and our firm determination that the citizens of our countries be the target of development and a solid pillar of stability and progress, and security the key to stability, we: 1- We reaffirm the centrality of the Palestinian issue to our countries as one of the key factors of stability in the region. We condemn in the strongest terms the practices and violations targeting Palestinians in their lives, property and existence. We stress the importance of intensifying efforts to achieve a comprehensive and just settlement to the Palestinian issue and find real grounds for achieving peace based on the two-state solution in accordance with international references, mainly the Arab Peace Initiative, relevant international resolutions and the principles of international law, to ensure the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state on Palestinian territory on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. We also call upon the international community to fulfill its responsibilities to end the occupation and stop repeated attacks and violations that impede political solutions and undermine international peace efforts, reiterating the need to continue efforts to protect the occupied city of Jerusalem and its holy sites in the face of the occupation’s condemned endeavors to change its demography, identity and historical and legal status quo. We support the historical Hashemite custodianship to protect Islamic and Christian holy sites and the Jordan-run Jerusalem and Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf, which is the sole body authorized to administrate the affairs of Al Haram Al Sharif, as well as supporting the role of Al-Quds Committee and Bayt Mal Al-Quds Agency in defending the holy city and the resilience of its people.

2- We are following up with interest on the developments and events taking place in our brotherly Republic of Sudan, expressing our deep concern at the ramifications of the crisis for the security, safety and stability of our countries and peoples. We reaffirm the need to ensure de-escalation, resort to dialogue and unity, alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people, preserve national state institutions, prevent their deterioration and avoid any external interference in Sudan’s affairs that would fuel conflict and threaten regional peace and security. The meetings of Jeddah, which commenced on May 6, 2023, among Sudanese groups, is an important step that can be built upon to end this crisis and restore security and stability in Sudan and protect the capabilities of its people.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Jeddah Declaration: Arab Leaders Stress Centrality of Palestinian Cause, Call for Strengthening Arab Action //1//

4- We support for all efforts that could guarantee security and stability in the Republic of Yemen and fulfill the aspirations of the brotherly Yemeni people. We also advocate for the UN and regional efforts seeking to come up with a comprehensive political solution to the Yemeni crisis based on the three terms of reference: the GCC initiative and its implementation mechanism, the Yemeni National Dialogue outcomes, and the UN Security Council Resolution 2216. We reiterate support for the efforts of the Presidential Leadership Council in Yemen to achieve security, stability and peace in the country in a way that ensures an end to the Yemeni crisis.

5- We express our solidarity with Lebanon and urge all Lebanese parties to dialogue in order to elect a President of the Republic who fulfills the aspirations of the Lebanese people, the regular work of the constitutional institutions, and the adoption of the required reforms to get Lebanon out of its crisis.

6- We call for stopping foreign interference in the domestic affairs of Arab countries and categorically reject all support for the formation of armed groups and militias outside the scope of state institutions. We stress that internal armed conflicts will not result in the victory of any one party, but will rather exacerbate the suffering of the peoples, destroy their achievements and impede their progress.

7- We stress that sustainable development, security, stability and peace are inherent rights for all Arab citizens. These will only be achieved through concerted efforts and through firmly fighting crime and corruption at all levels. We also stress the need to mobilize potentials and capabilities in order to create a future that is based on creativity and innovation and that keeps abreast of various developments in a way that serves and enhances security, stability and the well-being of our people.

8- We believe that visions and plans based on investing in resources and opportunities and addressing challenges can localize development and activate available capabilities. Such visions and plans should utilize technology in order to achieve a comprehensive Arab industrial and agricultural renaissance to which our countries should contribute through integrated potentials. We should boost our solidarity and enhance our interdependence and unity in order to achieve the ambitions and aspirations of our Arab peoples.

9- We express our commitment to and pride in our values and culture based on dialogue, tolerance, openness and non-interference in other countries’ affairs under any pretext. Meanwhile, we emphasize our respect for the values and cultures of others and the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of states. At the same time, we believe that cultural diversity contributes to better understanding and coexistence. We categorically reject using the dominance of some cultures as a pretext for interfering in the domestic affairs of our countries.

10- We seek to exert more efforts to preserve our culture and inherent Arab identity among our sons and daughters and to strengthen their pride in our well-established values, customs and traditions. We pledge to make every effort to highlight our cultural and intellectual heritage and spread our well-established culture to make it a bridge for communication with other cultures.

11- We appreciate the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s keenness , during the year it held the presidency of the 32nd Arab League summit, on a number of initiatives that are bound to contribute to advancing the joint Arab work in the cultural, economic, social and environmental fields, including: – The initiative of teaching the Arabic language to non-native speakers, which targets the children of the second and third generations of Arab immigrants, in a way that contributes to enhancing civilizational communication between Arab countries and the world, and highlights and preserves the well-established Arab civilization and culture.

– The Culture and Green Future Initiative aims to raise the level of commitment of the cultural sector in the Arab countries towards the goals of sustainable development and to develop cultural policies related to sustainability, in addition to contributing to supporting environmentally friendly cultural practices and supporting the creative economy in the Arab countries.

– The initiative of sustaining the supply chains of essential food commodities for the Arab countries relies mainly on a set of activities and the provision of investment opportunities with economic and financial feasibility that contribute to meeting the needs of Arab countries for food commodities.

– The initiative of research and excellence in the water desalination industry and its solutions stimulates scientific and applied research and innovation in the desalinated water production industry and water solutions for interested and needy countries. It focuses on spreading and sharing knowledge and experiences, contributing to improving the economics of this industry in order to reduce costs, raise the efficiency of operations and improve its environmental sustainability, in addition to the issuance of specifications, standardizations and institutional restructuring for the water sectors to make them a strategic industry for the Arab countries.

– The initiative to establish a think tank for research and studies in sustainability and economic development would embrace new directions and ideas and highlight the importance of sustainable development initiatives in the Arab region to enhance joint and multilateral interest in research cooperation and the conclusion of strategic partnerships.”

Source: Qatar News Agency

Arab Summit: Sudan’s Envoy Voices Confidence in Arab Solidarity with His Country

The Special Envoy of the Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council in Sudan, Ambassador Dafallah Al Haj Ali, affirmed his confidence in the Arab countries’ standing with Sudan to contain the current crisis and support it in the next phase of reconstruction, appreciating the humanitarian truce initiative by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States to end the fighting in Sudan.

In his speech at the 32nd regular session of the Arab League Council at the summit level today he said that Sudan rejoices in the signs of peace that are taking shape in the Arab region, with the return of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which confirms Saudi Arabia’s keenness and endeavor to achieve stability and security in the region, adding “You know that Sudan is located in a large region that includes 10 countries. It serves as the safety valve and mediator for this region. You can imagine what the repercussions will be for the entire region if this is undermined.” He reaffirmed his country’s firm position on the Palestinian cause, which is considered the top Arab issue, expressing his country’s strong condemnation of the recent Israeli violations in the Palestinian territories.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Qatar’s Mohammed Al Qarni Wins 5,000m Race In Spanish Ibiza

Qatari athletics team sprinter Mohammed Al Qarni won first place in the 5,000m race, at the Spanish Ibiza Track and Field Games, which was held today, with the participation of a group of world champions in various field and track competitions.

Al Qarni, scored a time of (13:23.00) minutes, outperforming a number of Kenyan and Ethiopian runners who participated with him in the race.

Al Qarni’s participation comes as part of the Qatar Athletics Federation’s program to prepare runners for upcoming events, most notably the Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok and the World Championships in Budapest in July and August, in addition to the Asian Games in China in November.

Source: Qatar News Agency

The State of Qatar Strongly Condemns the Storming of Al Aqsa Courtyards by Israeli Minister, Parliamentarians,and Settlers

The State of Qatar in the strongest terms the storming of Al Aqsa Mosque courtyards by an Israeli Minister, Parliamentarians, and settlers as part of what was referred to a flag march, considering it a severe violation of international law, and the Hashemite custodianship of religious sanctities in occupied Al Quds.

In a statement today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned against the escalatory policy adopted by the Israeli government in the occupied Palestinian territories, and stressed that attempts to harm the religious and historical status of Al Aqsa Mosque are not only an attack on the Palestinians, but also on millions of Muslims around the world.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held the Israeli occupation authorities solely responsible for the cycle of violence that will result from this systematic escalatory policy against the Palestinian people and their land and their Islamic and Christian sanctities, urging the international community to take decisive measures to stop these attacks.

The Ministry reaffirmed Qatar’s firm position on the justice of the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the brotherly Palestinian people, including the full right to practice their religious rites without restrictions, and to establish their independent state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Source: Qatar News Agency