RAMALLAH: Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are accusing pastoral Israeli settlements of depriving local herdsmen and farmers of access to their land.
Despite Israeli court rulings to demolish and evacuate the outposts of shepherd settlers, they are rebuilding them.
Muraweh Abdul-Haq, a farmer from the Palestinian town of Sinjil, told Arab News that armed shepherd settlers are grazing their sheep on more than 1,000 dunums of the town’s land, part of which he owns. Settlers have broken his hand and used pepper spray on him, requiring him to be hospitalized.

TRIPOLI: UN Libya envoy Abdoulaye Bathily said on Saturday that if a clear road map and electoral laws are in put in place by June, national elections could be held by the end of the year.
A political process to resolve more than a decade of conflict in Libya has been stalled since an election scheduled for December 2021 collapsed amid disputes over the eligibility of major candidates.
Bathily last month announced a new initiative to break the deadlock by creating a steering committee to enable the elections, seen as critical to any lasting peace.

CAIRO: About 30 female artists from 14 different countries exhibited artworks as part of the International Women’s Art Forum held this week in Hurghada, Egypt.

The event was staged in March, a month reserved to celebrate women, and was part of the Egyptian Tourism Ministry’s efforts to attract visitors to the country during spring.

The forum began on March 5 in Luxor, where artists showcased their works at an exhibition in front of the Hatshepsut Temple.

CAIRO: The mawlid or birthday celebrations in Luxor during the Islamic month of Shaaban celebrate the life of 12th-century Sufi scholar Sheikh Yusuf Abu El-Haggag (1150-1245).

The Egyptian mystic, whose lineage goes back to Imam Hussein bin Ali, was born in Baghdad and died in Luxor.

The celebrations last for seven days in the presence of a large number of devotees from all sections of society.

Held two weeks before Ramadan, the mawlid includes horse racing, traditional music and stick dancing, as well as a parade of boat-shaped floats.

TUNIS: Tunisian President Kais Saied said on Friday he wants to see Tunisia and Syria appoint ambassadors to their countries, the latest sign that full restoration of diplomatic relations with Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government could be imminent.
“A decision must be taken on this issue.,” Saied told foreign minister Nabil Ammar during a meeting, according to a video posted on Facebook by the president’s office.