Gaza beekeepers and struggle for survival

According to a report by Reuters, more than 15 years of Israeli blockade has not quite killed off beekeeping in Gaza, but beekeepers say climate change just might.

This time, it wasn't the bulldozers or the bullets, but the rain and the wind. Weather kept the bees confined to their hives in the spring, when they should have been out foraging for nectar.

"This year was the worst for beekeepers in Gaza," said Waleed Abu Daqqa, who tends hives in the eastern section of the Palestinian coastal enclave. "Lots of bees have died."

Temperatures have been rising for half a century in the territory, where 2 million Palestinians live under an economically devastating blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt since Hamas Islamists took control in 2007.

Over recent years, the number of hives has almost been halved and the production of honey went down to 180 tons from 400 tons a few years ago, said Adham Al-Basyouni, an official from the agriculture ministry.

Beekeepers and their bees have lost access to prime agricultural land, bulldozed near the borders of the strip. The blockade and six wars between militants and Israel have made it difficult and expensive to import supplies.

And now, the "prime factor" causing a bee crisis is climate change caused by global warming, Baysouni said. This year, in Gaza, that unpredictable climate brought an unseasonable cold spell. Few Gazans had the right sort of hives to withstand it.

"We witnessed repeated rain storms that forced the bees to stay inside the hives and they fed on what was inside and that led to poor production," he said.

Bees and other pollinators are vital to agriculture and wildlife around the world, and the impact of climate change is a global problem.

"Radical shifts in temperature, droughts, and floods are disrupting native ranges for pollinators, making ecosystems unsuitable for the processes needed to sustain populations, such as overwinter hibernation, spring nest establishment, and reproduction," wrote bee researchers Diana Cox-Foster and Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman of the US Department of Agriculture.

Ratib Sammour, a Gazan agricultural engineer and beekeeper, has built a successful business selling health products from bees and treating patients with bee stings, known as apitherapy. Now it is at risk.

Not only has honey production fallen, but with it the quantity of other products such as royal jelly, bee pollen, bee venom and bee glue known as propolis.

"When the quantity of bees started to decline it reflected on us," he said.

 

Iran’ 1st fishery park goes operational

Iranian Agriculture Minister Javad Sadati-Nejad has announced the launch of the country’s first fishery industries park, IRIB reported on Tuesday.

Making the announcement on the sidelines of the 6th International Fisheries Industry Exhibition (IFEX 2022), Sadati-Nejad said the country's first fishery park was put into operation in which every year 1,000 tons of shrimp will be produced.

According to the official, the volume of shrimp production in this park will increase to 2,000 tons by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2023).

Sadati-Nejad stressed his ministry’s support for the companies active in the fishery sector. He said, “The Ministry of Agriculture and Iran Fisheries Organization (IFO) support investors active in the field of fisheries and seafood production, which in addition to improving the economy, increasing exports and foreign revenues, it also brings job creation.”

The minister also announced the growth of the export of aquatic and fishery products, including caviar, in the current year.

Iran’s 6th International Fisheries Industry Exhibition was opened at the Tehran Permanent International Fairgrounds on Sunday.

The exhibition aims at providing a platform for exchanging ideas and developing technical and economic cooperation, marketing and promoting trade and production facilities in the domestic and international arena, promoting the exports of fishery products, introducing domestic and foreign developments in the fisheries industry, strengthening and improving the distribution system and facilitating trade relations, upgrading technical knowledge in production, processing, and marketing, introducing new potentials for creating more employment opportunities in the country's fisheries industry and also promoting seafood consumption.

The event covers a variety of areas including fishing equipment, processing of fishery products, ornamental fish farming, and aquarium equipment, machinery for transporting aquatic and fishery products, aquaculture, and storage equipment, export-oriented fishery products, refrigeration facilities, aquaculture, and fish farming in cages, downstream marine industries, aquatic feed and supplements, sturgeon breeding, equipment and tools for water treatment, packaging industry, veterinary and pharmaceutical services, algae and leech breeders, electronic marketing for aquatic goods, weighing systems, as well as banks, credit institutions, and insurance companies.

 

Israeli government and fate of Palestinians

It was not a big surprise to wake up on the morning of November 02, 2022 to find out that the Israeli government and Knesset would now be run by a dominant majority of nationalistic religious Jews, Zionists and hard-line politicians who have previously advocated official ethnic-cleansing and shoot-to-kill policies against Palestinians.

One of them is likely to become public security minister, and others will hold key positions in government. Israel has been lurching further rightwards for the past two decades, and this coalition has nearly won previous elections, so it is not that shocking that they are now in power. And yet, one should ask, how different will Israel be after these elections?

With a clear majority in the Knesset and a firm hold on the executive branch, these old-new political elites will continue to do everything that previous governments have done over the past 74 years - but with more zeal, determination and disregard for international condemnation.

It will likely begin by expanding the Judaisation of the occupied West Bank and Greater Jerusalem, and by expanding military activity in what is already on track to be an exceptionally deadly year for Palestinians. Since the start of 2022, Israeli forces and settlers have killed more than 130 Palestinians, including more than 30 children, across the occupied West Bank. 

The new government will surely intensify the provocative visits of Jewish politicians to al-Aqsa Mosque complex. One can also expect further escalation in house demolitions, arrests without trial and a free hand being given to settler vigilantes to wreak destruction at will. 

It is not clear how far these new elites will go in its policy towards the Gaza Strip. Since 2008, Israel’s policy in Gaza has been so callous and inhumane that one finds it difficult to imagine what could be worse than a siege, blockade and occasional brutal air bombardments on a civil society. 

Similarly, it is difficult to predict the new government’s policies towards Palestinians inside Israel. Under the 2018 nation-state law, Israel formalized its status as an apartheid state. One suspects that, as in the occupied West Bank, much of the same and worse can be expected. One will probably see a continued disregard for the rise of criminal activity, along with stricter policies on house expansions in Palestinian rural areas.

One can also expect a continued suppression of any Palestinian collective attempts to express the minority’s national identity - whether through waving Palestinian flags on campuses, commemorating the Nakba, or in other ways expressing the rich cultural heritage of this community. 

In short, any remaining charade of democracy will disappear under this new regime.

Yet, despite the massive shift in global perceptions towards Israel in recent years - manifested in its depiction as an apartheid state by major international human rights groups, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and the willingness of the International Court of Justice to discuss the decolonization of the occupied West Bank - there seems to be a general reluctance to acknowledge the possibility that there is Jewish racism, as much as there is Christian, Muslim or Buddhist racism.

Suddenly, UN General Assembly Resolution 3379 (passed in 1975 and later revoked), which equates Zionism with racism, no longer seems to be a declaration detached from the realities and complexities in Israel and Palestine. The African and Arab member states that pushed the resolution showed foresight in pinpointing racism as the main danger that Zionism as a state ideology carries with it - not only for Palestinians, but for the region as a whole. 

The disappearance in this election of the Zionist left can also be easily understood if one appreciates the depth and breadth of racism within Israeli society, particularly among youth. As a son of German Jews who escaped German racism in the early 1930s, and now studying it as an adult, I am deeply disturbed at this picture of a society mesmerized by racism and bequeathing it to the next generation.

Will Jewish communities recognize this reality or continue to ignore it? Will governments in the West, and particularly the American administration, acknowledge or disregard this trend? Will the Arab world, which has embarked on a process of normalization with Israel, treat this as irrelevant, as it does not undermine their regimes’ fundamental interests?

One has no answers to these questions. It is actually not necessary to answer these questions, but rather to do everything possible so that one day, they will be answered in a way that saves both Palestinians and Jews from a disastrous fate - and stops Israel from leading all towards a precipice whose edge is now more visible than ever. 

 

 

Pakistan's worsening current account deficit

Pakistan’s current account deficit (CAD) increased to US$567 million in October 2022, up 56%MoM primarily due to decline in remittances and imports.

CAD has reduced significantly on YoY basis from US$1.78 billion in October 2021. This is due to administrative measures to curb non-essential imports and reduced energy imports, lowering the trade deficit to US$2.3 billion (down 35%YoY and down 3%MoM).

Remittances witnessed a downward trend during the month to US$2.2 billion (down 9%MoM). The Balance of Payment position turned positive (US$1.2 billion) as Pakistan received US$1.5 billion loan from Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the last week of October.

Going forward, possible loans and international aid for floods rehabilitation, coupled with manageable CAD will likely provide external support to BoP position apart from US$1.0 billion international Sukuk payment which is scheduled in the first week of December 2022.

During October 2022, the trade deficit declined a mere 3%MoM to US$2.3 billion, largely owing to administrative measures taken to restrict import of non-essential items alongside 24%MoM decline in petroleum imports to US$1.2 billion. However, exports have also reduced by 7%MoM to US$2.3 billion. This is due to lower textile exports and PKR volatility, which likely refrain exporters from remitting proceeds to Pakistan.

Remittances declined in October 2022 to US$2.2 billion (down 9%MoM). Lower inflows from KSA, UAE and UK have reduced the overall base. The spread between actual and offered exchange rate coupled with active participation from informal channels dented remittance flows during the month. Looking ahead, less PKR volatility and increase in Pakistani worker registration in GCC countries may increase remittance flows in the remainder of FY23.

As per Board of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE), around 693,000 Pakistanis have expatriated during 10MCY22TD compared to 288,000 and 225,000 during CY21 and CY20, respectively.

Most of these expatriations have occurred from Middle East countries which continue to enjoy better macros in high oil price environment.

The overall Balance of Payment (BoP) turned positive in October 2022 and recorded at US$1.2 billion against negative US$662 million last month. During October 2022, Pakistan received US$1.5 billion loan from ADB. Post these inflows Pakistan paid US$1.0 billion external debt repayment in the start of November 2022 while another international Sukuk payment of PKR1.0 billion is due in December 2022. Therefore, to support overall BoP and Foreign exchange reserves, Pakistan is in dire need of support from international organizations and friendly countries.

Apart from this, recent floods damaged extensive parts of Sindh and Baluchistan and displaced 15% of Pakistan population and 2.3 million homes have been affected. As per initial estimates of several agencies, total damages have so far reached US$40 billion and this will likely slowdown GDP growth to 2% as per recent estimates provided by World Bank. Pakistan is expected to receive additional assistance from international organizations and countries. We expect the pre-flood estimate of SBPs foreign exchange reserves of US$15 billion by end FY23 to remain broadly intact.

Facilitating Iranian Investment in Pakistan

Kamran Tesori, Governor of Pakistan’s Sindh province has expressed readiness for facilitating investment by Iranian companies. He made these remarks in a meeting with Iranian Consul General in Karachi, Hassan Nourian.

Karachi, the hub of industrial and commercial activities, will benefit significantly from Iran’s partnership, Tesori said, expressing readiness to cooperate with Iranian companies in this regard, IRNA reported.

Nourian said that opening two new border crossings between the two countries over the past two years indicates the firm determination of the Iranian and Pakistani officials to increase the volume of bilateral trade and facilitate business.

He added that Iran-Pakistan special trade exhibition will be held in Karachi soon, which will be a new opportunity for businessmen and the private sectors of the two countries for using each other's capacities.

The two sides reviewed the latest developments related to bilateral relations, including provincial interactions and the achievements made during the recent visit of the high-level Iranian economic delegation to Karachi, as well as holding the first meeting of the joint commercial council of the two countries.

They also discussed developing border markets of Iran and Pakistan on a large scale aiming to meet the mutual needs of the two countries.

The spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) has said Iran exported commodities worth US$704 million to Pakistan during the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-October 22).

Morteza Emadi put the weight of exported goods at 1.6 million tons, and named petroleum gases, oil bitumen, industrial dry milk, liquefied natural gas, and liquefied butane as the major exported products.

He also announced that Iran has imported 512,000 tons of commodities valued at US$563 million from Pakistan in the first seven months of the present year.

The official named rice, mango, sesame seeds, and banana as the main imported items.

In late October, the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) and the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FPCCI) signed three memorandums of understanding (MoU) with the aim of expanding economic cooperation between the private sectors of the two countries.

The MoUs were signed during a visit of an Iranian private sector delegation headed by Gholam-Hossein Shafeie to the Pakistani cities of Karachi and Lahore.

Based on the signed memorandums, the two sides agreed to strengthen comprehensive cooperation between the private sectors of the two countries, to establish a joint trade council of Iran and Pakistan, and to determine a mechanism to resolve trade disputes.

Accordingly, the Iran-Pakistan Joint Trade Council will work together with the Iran-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce to strengthen economic relations between the two neighbors.

ICCIMA pays special attention to barter trade and transit as the basis for the expansion of economic relations between Iran and Pakistan.

On November 19, 2022 ICCIMA head Shafeie made the remarks in a meeting with Muhammad Sheryar Khan, the Pakistani consul-general in Mashhad.

He also underlined the significant cultural and historical commonalities between Iran and Pakistan, as well as the opportunity for transit cooperation between the two countries with Russia.

Emphasizing the need to develop Iran-Pakistan trade relations and especially the implementation of agreements related to barter trade, the ICCIMA head said: “The economies of Iran and Pakistan complement each other due to the proximity of the two countries, and they have significant capacities for cooperation in this field, the use of which will lead to a jump in bilateral trade.”

“During the past two years, the government has taken new measures to develop economic relations with Pakistan, and efforts in the field of preferential trade and moving towards free trade have been put on the agenda. However, there are still problems in the implementation of these programs and economic interactions have not been realized as they should have been”, Shafeie further noted.

British PM Rishi Sunak visits Ukraine

British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak travelled to Ukraine to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky and confirmed a major new package of air defence for the war-torn country.

This is Sunak’s first visit to the region since he became prime minister and follows the footsteps of his predecessor Boris Johnson, who developed a personal friendship with its leader.

The £50 million package includes 125 anti-aircraft guns and technology to counter deadly Iranian-supplied drones, including dozens of radars and anti-drone electronic warfare capability. It follows more than 1,000 new anti-air missiles announced by the Defence Secretary earlier in November.

Earlier, Sunak used the G20 Summit in Bali to urge other world leaders to take a harder line against Russian aggression.

Sunak said, "Britain knows what it means to fight for freedom."We are with you all the way", he told President Zelensky in a tweet.

His pledge of continued support follows in the footsteps of both Johnson and Truss, when she was in Downing Street.

A Number-10 spokesperson said, "The Prime Minister is in Ukraine today for his first visit to Kyiv to meet President Zelensky and confirm continued UK support."

By the end of his time in office Johnson was much mocked amid claims he would use official phonecalls with the Ukranian leader to attempt to shore up his own popularity at home.

Sunak had condemned Russia for the invasion of Ukraine. He said the UK would continue to support Ukrainians in defending themselves against Russian action, and to help ensure Kyiv is in a position of strength when they decide the time is right for peace talks.

He told reporters travelling with him to Bali that the Russin leader Vladimir Putin had skipped the summit of world leaders.

"Russia is becoming a pariah state and he’s not there to take responsibility for what he’s doing," he said. "But I’m going to use the opportunity to put on the record my condemnation of what they’re doing.”

 

Iran denies smuggling missile fuel to Yemen

Iran has unequivocally denied the US Navy's allegations that it attempted to sneak 70 tons of a missile fuel component onto a ship headed for Yemen and concealed it amid bags of fertilizer.

Iran's Permanent Mission to the UN in New York denied the accusations as unfounded in a statement, saying Tehran is firmly committed to UN Security Council Resolution 2216, which places an arms embargo on Yemen.

The statement said, “None of the allegations made against Iran over the smuggling of guns to Yemen had been proven. Iran has not taken any action against the resolution and is actively complying with the sanctions committee constituted to supervise the arms embargo."

Iran is "doing its utmost to restore the truce agreement and enable talks between Yemeni factions as soon as feasible in order to achieve peace and stability in Yemen," the diplomatic mission added.

The US Navy purportedly said that on November 08, 2022 the Coast Guard ship USCGC John Scheuerman and the guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans intercepted a traditional wooden sailing vessel known as a dhow in the Sea of Oman.

It claimed sailors allegedly found sachets of ammonium perchlorate concealed within what at first glance looked to be a consignment of 100 tons of urea.

In addition, the forces claimed that the quantity of ammonium perchlorate found could power more than a dozen medium-range ballistic missiles that members of the Ansarullah movement have used to launch retaliatory attacks against targets inside Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The president of Yemen's Supreme Political Council criticized US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking earlier this month for thwarting efforts to prolong the UN-brokered ceasefire and compared the situation in his nation to a ticking time bomb.

"We are in a position of no peace and no war. Although we had made significant progress in earlier rounds of negotiations, the American envoy's visit to the region derailed those efforts," Mahdi al-Mashat was reported as saying in Sanaa on November 07 by Yemen's official Saba news agency.

Al-Mashat referred to Lenderking's trip to the region beginning on October 11 to ostensibly assist the UN-led efforts to extend the cease-fire in Yemen as "while the US ambassador pretends to be a peace dove, he is more an ill-omened owl."

Together with its Arab allies, the US and other Western powers provided Saudi Arabia with munitions and logistical support when it began its destructive war against Yemen in March 2015.

The goal was to overthrow the Ansarullah resistance movement, which had been in charge of the government in Yemen in the absence of a functioning one, and reinstate Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi's pro-Riyadh regime.

Despite the fact that the Saudi-led coalition has not succeeded in achieving any of its goals, the war has killed hundreds of thousands of Yemenis and caused the greatest humanitarian disaster in history.