Day: July 8, 2024

General Abbas Ibrahim received in his office the Vicar General of the the Antonine Maronite Order and the President of the Antonine Art Institute, Beirut Father Boutros Azar, along with the Institute’s Director, Father Charbel Bou Abboud. Fathers Azar and Bou Abboud thanked General Ibrahim for his visit to the Antonine Art Institute and his participation in a seminar on “Defining Human Rights in Lebanon: Rights and Duties.”

They briefed General Ibrahim on the schedule of activities carried out by the Institute in various artistic, social, cultural, and national fields.

Father Azar emphasized the Institute’s role in serving humanity and its aspirations to build a nation based on the principles of dialogue, encounter, and solidarity through joint artistic and cultural endeavors.

For his part, General Ibrahim expressed his pleasure in visiting the Antonine Art Institute, touring the Icon Workshop, getting acquainted with the artists and staff in its various departments, and reviewing the diverse activities of
the Institute, all of which contribute to the welfare of humanity and the nation.

Source: National news agency – Lebanon

WASHINGTON: urricane Beryl has produced over 10 inches of rain across southeast Texas, The Guardian reported. Forecasters have warned that the hurricane will bring heavy amounts of rain, flash flooding, and high winds as it travels up the Lone Star state.

‘Beryl continues moving north. Heavy rains have caused flash flooding in/around the Houston area. Rain continuing to fall will aggravate ongoing issues. Strong/gusty winds persist,’ the National Weather Service Houston reported.

The weather forecaster also warned that isolated tornadoes remain a possibility.

Roadways in Houston are closed amid extreme flooding caused by Hurricane Beryl, as drivers are warned to avoid travel if possible.

More than 2 million people are affected by power outages as Hurricane Beryl travels across Texas.

Customers in the southeast part of Texas are without power, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks outage in the US.

The latest power outage statistics come as swaths of the state are still affected by flooding and high
winds.

1,775 flights were cancelled at US airports as Hurricane Beryl made landfall early on Monday, creating hectic travel conditions as summer vacations continue.

The George Bush Intercontinental airport in Houston had the greatest number of cancelled flights according to flightaware.com, with 500 outbound cancellations, 452 inbound cancellations, and 19 flight delays as of Monday.

A man in Texas is dead after a tree toppled by Hurricane Beryl fell on the man’s home, trapping him inside.

In a post to X, Harris county sheriff Ed Gonzalez confirmed that a 53-year-old man was killed while taking shelter from the hurricane at home with his family. An oak tree reportedly fell on the home’s roof and knocked over rafters, which fell on the man.

Source: Emirates News Agency

Ramallah – Ma’an – Armed settlers, under the protection of the occupation forces, attacked the village of Burqa, east of Ramallah, on Monday evening.

The head of the Barqa village council, Sayel Kanaan, said in a phone call with WAFA that settlers attacked the village from the north and fired live bullets at the citizens who confronted them, without any injuries being reported.

Kanaan added that after the settlers withdrew, an occupation army force stormed the village from the same area and detained more than 20 young men near Al-Nour Mosque, which led to the outbreak of clashes, without any injuries or arrests being reported.

Source: Maan News Agency

ABU DHABI: The Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi (DCD), the regulatory body of the social sector in the emirate, has launched its programme to support the growth of the Emirati family, which was approved by the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, headed by H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.

The programme includes six initiatives to support UAE Nationals to marry and raise children, build and grow families, and contribute to family and societal cohesion. The Emirati Family Growth Support Programme aligns with Abu Dhabi’s strategy for enhancing family quality of life, with goals extending to 2028. The initiative focuses on the growth and stability of Emirati families, recognising them as the primary drivers of development and prosperity in the country.

DCD supervises the Emirati Family Growth Support Programme, with initiatives implemented by several partners, including the Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority, th
e Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, and the Abu Dhabi Housing Authority. The programme includes multiple initiatives designed to encourage citizens to marry, have children, build stable families, support family growth, and enhance the role of parents in raising and nurturing their children. Through these efforts, DCD aims to strengthen family cohesion and create a most prosperous society.

The programme includes the facilitated Marriage Loan Initiative, the Maternity Leave Support for Women Working in Private Sector initiative, and the Home Visit Service Initiative to support new mothers. It also includes Rental Assistance for Newlyweds to provide temporary housing for newly married couples, the Extending Housing Loan Repayment Period initiative to exempt a percentage of the housing loan amount for each additional child born in the family, starting from the fourth child to the sixth, within specific criteria and conditions, as well as the Loan Partial Deduction initiative, if the beneficiary has four or mo
re children.

Dr. Mugheer Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development, said: ‘Our wise leadership is dedicated to providing decent standards of living for all individuals, Emirati families in particular, and spares no effort to enhance the quality of life for citizens and residents. This reflects our leadership’s belief in the importance of human beings as the country’s true wealth and the foundation for comprehensive and sustainable development.’

Dr. Al Khaili added: ‘The Emirati Family Growth Support Programme, which was approved by H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, comes within the umbrella of the Abu Dhabi Family Wellbeing Strategy launched by the Department of Community Development. This constitutes a significant leap forward in DCD’s efforts, alongside its partners, reflecting efforts to work as a single, unified team that ensures a decent life for all.’

He continued: ‘Abu Dhabi has always b
een a city that supports children, empowers young people, and is family friendly. From this standpoint, we affirm our commitment to supporting young people and those about to get married by providing a supportive system based on a belief in the importance of family in building society, enabling them to establish stable families. We are dedicated to supporting parents and helping them overcome the challenges they face in raising their children, as the family is the fundamental building block for creating a responsible society that continues the path of progress and preserves our national achievements.’

Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Abu Dhabi Housing Authority, said: ‘The Abu Dhabi Housing Authority works within an integrated system alongside the community sector entities affiliated with the Department of Community Development to implement the growth programme for Emirati Family, by providing a set of housing initiatives that will contribute to the programme’s objectives. This c
omes in line with the Authority’s continuous commitment to work in line with the directives of the leadership and in accordance with their aspirations aimed at achieving societal well-being and the Emirati family’s stability as they are integral aspects to the ongoing comprehensive development process witnessed in the emirate’.

Hamad Ali Al Dhaheri, Undersecretary of the Department of Community Development, explained that the launch of the Emirati Family Growth Support Programme reflects DCD’s role in bolstering the progress of the Emirati family, increasing the population, and enhancing its stability in order to realise our leadership’s vision of a sustainable future for whole country. Therefore, the programme is part of DCD’s commitment to supporting the sustainability of Emirati society through family formation, growth and stability.

Al Dhaheri added: ‘The family is the nucleus of society and the basic building block for its stability and sustainability, and our children are the pride, foundation, and th
e true wealth of the nation. Therefore, we encourage newly married young Emiratis and families to grow their numbers, because they play a vital role in achieving social stability and preserving national identity.’

He stressed that strengthening the role of the family in society requires integrated efforts from all stakeholders. Thus, supportive initiatives will be provided within the framework of the programme, keeping in mind specific standards and conditions. This will have a positive impact in enhancing cooperation and solidarity between members of the Emirati community, who strive to achieve the UAE’s vision of building a strong and cohesive society.

Abdulla Al Ameri, Director General of Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority (SSA), said: ‘The UAE’s wise leadership is committed to supporting the growth of the Emirati family, recognising its vital role in the development of the nation. The Abu Dhabi government is actively developing initiatives and programmes to ensure a high standard of life and well-being
for all citizens. As the entity responsible for regulating the social sector, the Department of Community Development is successfully establishing a comprehensive framework that enhances the quality of life for families, youth, and parents. These efforts emphasise the role of the family, recognising that strong and stable families are the foundation of our society and essential for sustainable development in Abu Dhabi emirate.’

‘At SSA, we are proud to be involved in programmes which foster the development of Emirati families, support newly married couples, and extend maternity. These initiatives contribute to achieving the highest levels of social stability by supporting growth and strengthening family and community bonds amongst Emirati families. By helping newly married citizens to achieve a secure foundation, our aim is to encourage young people to build resilient families. We also recognise the vital role of motherhood within the family structure, and the importance of ensuring a harmonious balance betw
een family and professional responsibilities. Such efforts not only enhance family cohesion and stability, but also contribute to the overall prosperity of society in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.’

Hamad Hareb Al Muhairi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Housing Authority, said: ‘Through the rental assistance initiative, we seek to provide financial support to married citizens in a way that contributes to enhancing their stability at the beginning of their family life, in addition to encouraging the Emirati youth to marry and start their families by facilitating requirements related to housing needs as they are among the key factors that contribute to enabling individuals to start a family life. The other two initiatives which are to deduct an amount of money from the housing loan and the initiative to extend the repayment period for housing loans aim to reduce the financial burdens on citizens and encourage them to have children in a way that contributes to enhancing the growth of the Emirati family. He also state
d that these services will be available next September.

Programme initiatives:

The Emirati Family Growth Support Programme provides support to citizens through various programmes, including the Marriage Loan Initiative that will be implemented by the Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority. It aims to promote a culture of simple marriages by providing a financial advance without interest or fees to citizen employees working in the public and private sectors who are about to get married.

The Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority will also implement the Maternity Leave Support for Women Working in Private Sector initiative, to extend the maternity leave of citizen mothers working in the private sector to 90 days to ensure sufficient time to rest and care for the newborn.

The Home Visit Service Initiative will also be implemented by the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, which will provide assistance during the first weeks of motherhood, with the aim of supporting parents’ well-being and monitoring the child’s gro
wth and development.

The fourth initiative that will be implemented by the Abu Dhabi Housing Authority is the Rental Assistance for Newlyweds, providing annual rental assistance to newly married couples through specified financial support that will last for four years. The support will gradually decline, with specific incentives linked to the birth of children.

The fifth initiative is the Loan Partial Deduction, which is an exemption of a percentage of the loan amount, specifically linked to the birth of a fourth, fifth, and sixth child in the family.

The Abu Dhabi Housing Authority will also implement the initiative titled Extending Housing Loan Repayment Period, for housing loans for a period of three years linked to the birth of the fourth, fifth, and sixth child.

To support parents in raising their children and enable them to begin a stable family journey, the programme aims to develop work-life balance systems and policies in cooperation with various partners. One of the key initiatives is designed t
o support working mothers and fathers with caregiving responsibilities, providing them with the flexibility needed to balance their daily lives and responsibilities. Additionally, the programme includes early childhood support initiatives that offers care services in government nurseries and creates more opportunities for children to enroll in these facilities.

The Emirati Family Growth Support Programme will be implemented over a period of 5 years, during which the positive impact of the initiatives will be assessed to ensure their contribution to building a more stable and prosperous community.

Source: Emirates News Agency

Ramallah Ma’an – Representatives of civil society organizations organized a listening session this morning, Monday, at the Carmel Hotel in Ramallah with the representative of the Ministry of Social Development, Mr. Abbas Diab, Director of the Disability Card Department for Persons with Disabilities in the Ministry.

The hearing was attended by representatives of the Palestinian Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession (MUSAWA), the Palestinian Coalition for Disability, the General Palestinian Union of Persons with Disabilities, Ramallah and Al-Bireh Branch, the Young Men’s Christian Association – Jerusalem, the Al-Baidar Organization for the Defense of Bedouin Rights, the Hurriyat Center, the Human Rights and Democracy Media Center – Shams, and Mada News Agency.

The dialogue focused on the rights of marginalized minorities, particularly the rights of people with disabilities and Bedouins, and their urgent and pressing demands.

Representatives of the participating institutions wo
ndered about the reasons preventing the amendment of the 1999 Law for the Disabled, which has been under discussion since 2019 and which violates many of its provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was published late last year in the Official Gazette ‘Al-Waqa’i’.

They also asked about the reasons that prevent the establishment of a higher council for people with disabilities with the participation of their representatives, and the reasons that prevent the full and faithful implementation of the health insurance system for people with disabilities, which the previous government considered one of its most prominent achievements, pointing in this context to the weak formation and performance of the specialized medical committee in determining the percentage of physical and functional disability and the needs that official bodies must secure for the disabled, as well as the shortcomings in defining the disabled person’s rights in the field of health insurance
when visiting government hospitals, such as exemption from fees, for example.

They called for the need to expedite the issuance of a disability card to ensure that the government provides the services it must provide, including humanitarian aid.

They asked about the Ministry’s plans to support and assist the Bedouins in a way that provides them with appropriate services in the health, social and educational fields, wondering about the nature of the Ministry’s programmes dedicated to the Bedouins.

In turn, Abbas Diab pointed out that his ministry has a financial aid system that benefits 120,000 families, noting that this program has stopped providing assistance to the aforementioned families due to the financial crisis that the authority is suffering from and the international donor agencies stopping their support for the program, stressing that the families benefiting from the program used to receive a financial grant once every three months, then once every six months, then the program has stopped until n
ow.

The representative of the Ministry of Social Development pointed out that there is a problem in the work of the medical committees because their members are general practitioners and not specialists, which hinders and negatively affects the role of the Ministry of Development in providing support to people with disabilities.

He revealed that the sectoral committee responsible for caring for people with disabilities is not regular in its work, which needs to be activated until now, pointing out that the Ministry of Social Development has sent many messages to the members of the sectoral committee with the aim of regularizing its meetings and activating its role, but it has not succeeded.

He acknowledged the existence of a defect in the distribution of roles between ministries, which prevents them from fulfilling their duties towards people with disabilities and Bedouins.

It is noteworthy that the meeting comes within the context of implementing the program to protect the rights of people with disabilit
ies and Bedouins, which is implemented by the Palestinian Center for the Independence of the Legal Profession and the Judiciary ‘Equality’ in cooperation with the International Civil Forum and with the support of the Minority Rights Group (MRG).

Source: Maan News Agency

RIO DE JANEIRO: The United Arab Emirates participated in the 3rd Sherpas meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) held in Rio de Janeiro.

Saleh Al Suwaidi, UAE Ambassador to Brazil and G20 Sous-Sherpa, led the UAE delegation to the meeting.

The meeting highlighted developments within the G20 Finance Track, as well the progress made in the taskforce for establishing a global alliance to combat hunger and poverty, in addition to a taskforce to combat climate change.

The meeting also discussed the role of the G20 in mitigating geopolitical tensions witnessed by the international community. Moreover, Al Suwaidi underscored the UAE’s commitment to collaborations and international partnerships to achieve lasting peace.

The UAE’s participation in the G20 reflects the country’s steadfast commitment to multilateral cooperation and international priorities across all sectors. In this regard, the UAE is dedicated to supporting the global agenda while forging partnerships that will benefit the international community and fut
ure generations.

The UAE places a strong emphasis on active participation in international fora and organisations, engaging in constructive dialogue that is enhanced through active platforms representing emerging and developing economies on the global level.

The UAE participated in the meeting following its receipt of an invitation from the Brazilian Presidency of G20. This is the UAE’s third consecutive year to participate in the meeting.

The UAE has demonstrated significant and effective contributions aligned with the priorities of the G20 during its participation as a guest country in France in 2011, Saudi Arabia in 2020, Indonesia in 2022 and in India in 2023.

Source: Emirates News Agency