JEDDAH: The fifth consultative meeting between the Islamic Committee of the International Crescent and the National Societies of the Red Crescent and Red Cross in the OIC member states started on Sunday in Jeddah.

The event, hosted by the Saudi Red Crescent Authority under the patronage of Makkah Gov. Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, will run until July 26.

LONDON: The EU has allocated €1 million ($1.1 million) to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East to better protect Palestinian refugees affected by war and forced displacement in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Adam Bouloukos, director of UNRWA Affairs in the West Bank, expressed his appreciation to the EU for its support, “particularly at a time when the protection environment continues to deteriorate.”

TUNIS: Algeria has applied to join the BRICS group and submitted a request to become a shareholder member of BRICS Bank with an amount of $1.5 billion, Ennahar TV quoted Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune as saying. It added that Tebboune said at the end of his visit to China that Algeria had sought to join the BRICS to open new economic opportunities.
The North Africa country is rich in oil and gas resources and seeking to diversify its economy and strengthen its partnership with countries such as China.

BEIRUT: A nongovernmental organization in Mount Lebanon was closed down on Saturday for presenting an “imminent danger” to children.
The Village of Love and Peace purported to offer protection and accommodation to abandoned children or those at risk from their parents.
Lawyer Diana Assaf claimed on social media that the NGO has committed crimes against Lebanese and Syrian children.

AMMAN: Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has denounced the burning of a copy of the Qur’an in the Danish capital Copenhagen, reported Jordan News Agency on Saturday.
Citing a statement issued by the ministry, Jordan described the Qur’an burning incident as an “act of hatred and a manifestation of Islamophobia and inciting violence and disrespecting religions.”
The ministry further stressed its rejection and denunciation of irresponsible behavior that provoke Muslims’ feelings, fuel hatred, and threaten peaceful coexistence.