RAMALLAH: Israel’s security authorities are cracking down hard on Palestinian social-media activists and users for allegedly inciting violence, Palestinian human rights groups claim.

The groups say that Israeli authorities significantly escalated their persecution of Palestinians on social-media platforms, especially Facebook, in 2022. Around 410 Palestinians were detained over the year because of their social-media activities, according to the Palestine Center for Prisoners’ Studies.

ALGIERS: Algerian poet Azzedine Mihoubi, a former minister and presidential candidate, has announced he is quitting politics, denying claims he will challenge President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s re-election bid in 2024.
“My name has been cited by several publications … alongside speculation that has no truth to it,” Mihoubi said in a message shared this week on social media.

LONDON: Poor participation at a rally called by the Iran-backed Houthis on Friday confirms the lack of political support for the militia, Yemeni Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Moammar Al-Eryani said on Saturday.

The Houthis called for its supporters to take to the streets in Yemen’s northwestern city of Saada and other areas to protest against the internationally-recognized government.

CAIRO: The first Arab exhibition for productive families, Bait Al-Arab (House of the Arabs) opened in Cairo in the presence of Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Arab League secretary-general, and several Egyptian and Arab officials, including a high-ranking Saudi delegation.

The products at the exhibition reflect the identity of the 12 participating Arab countries.

It offers an important opportunity to learn about the richness of the cultures of these countries in craftwork and handicrafts in order to protect these industries from extinction.

LONDON: The Palestinian Authority on Friday condemned the approval of a set of punitive measures by the Israeli government against the Palestinian people and its leadership, following its decision to go to the International Court of Justice.