Remainder of June salaries by end of Ramadan

Public sector workers union head Bassam Zakarneh announced Tuesday that the Palestinian authority would pay workers the other half of June’s salaries before the end of Ramadan. Zakarneh told Ma'an that he hoped the salaries would be paid before the last Thursday of the holy month, as the school year approaches and employees spend more money on clothes and school supplies. But he thinks the government in Ramallah should make a stronger case for Arab countries to follow through on their pledges. The PA needs to prioritize following through on the Arab world's commitments, he said. The financial crisis is the government's responsibility and it must act, he said. The European Commission, meanwhile, has announced additional financial support to the Palestinians for state-building, water-management and sanitation, state media reported Tuesday. A €115-million package will offer education and health services for refugees and assistance to West Bank businesses, the Palestinian Authority's official news agency WAFA reported. UNRWA is to receive €40 million of the funding, according to the report. "This support shows clearly the EU's standing commitment to the two-state solution by supporting those institutions," European Union official Stefan Füle was quoted as saying.