Responsible sources reported that the Council of Ministers adopted, at the conclusion of its session held in the city of Ramallah today, Tuesday, a recommendation submitted by the Ministry of Education, which calls for taking a series of punitive measures against teachers who refuse to enroll in their schools to save the academic year.

The official news agency Wafa quoted those sources as saying that the prospective measures, which will come into effect immediately after the end of the Eid holiday, range from a complete suspension of salary, transfer, referral to retirement, and dismissal from service, including ten managers who are still reluctant to work. .

The sources confirmed that the council approved the appointment of substitute teachers for the objecting teachers in all disciplines who had passed the recruitment test held last week.

The council's statement confirmed that the Ministry of Education had taken all measures to hold the general secondary exam on time.

On Tuesday evening, settlers closed the northern entrance to the city of Al-Bireh , preventing citizens from entering or leaving the cities of Ramallah and Al-Bireh.

Local sources reported that settlers , under the protection of the occupation army, closed the northern entrance to the city and the Beitin roundabout, and threw stones at passing citizens' vehicles, which damaged a citizen's vehicle.

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A few days ago, settlers seized a house in the western town of Al-Mazra'a, northwest of Ramallah .

The Director General of Documentation and Publication of the Wall and Settlement Authority , Amir Daoud , stated that a group of settlers took control a few days ago of a 100-square-meter house in the town, belonging to Ghazi Asaad Shreiteh.

Daoud added that settlers have set up tents over the house and are constantly attacking nearby houses by throwing stones at them and at the citizens.

He continued: The house is located on the southern side of the Western Mazraa, near the "Talmon" settlement, which is established on the lands of citizens in the villages of Al-Mazraa Al-Gharbiya and Al-Janiya, north and west of Ramallah.

The World Health Organization warned Tuesday that the COVID-19 pandemic remains a threat and may cause more problems before the virus settles into a predictable pattern.

In the past 28 days, the organization has recorded more than 23,000 deaths and three million infections, in the context of the greatly reduced number of virus detection tests.

While the numbers are declining, "the number of those who die is still high, as well as the number of people who fall ill," according to the organization's director of emergencies, Michael Ryan , at a press conference.
He said that respiratory viruses do not move from the pandemic stage to the endemic disease stage, but rather move to lower levels of activity with the possibility of reaching seasonal epidemic levels.

“A pandemic is not a button that will be turned off,” Ryan said, adding, “We will likely see ... a bumpy road toward a more predictable pattern.”

The WHO COVID-19 Emergency Committee meets once every three months. It is expected to hold its next meeting in early May.

As it has done in its previous meetings, it will decide whether the virus still constitutes a health emergency of global proportions, the highest emergency that the organization can declare.

On January 30, 2020, the organization declared COVID-19 a health emergency of global proportions, and on that day, the number of infections recorded outside China was less than 100 and zero deaths.

But only when WHO Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the situation as a pandemic in March 2020, did the world spring to action.

The virus cannot be eradicated and, like influenza, will continue to cause respiratory illness in vulnerable people, Ryan said.

In some countries there are large numbers of vulnerable unvaccinated people, he said, while in others Covid is no longer an emergency.

The COVID-19 committee makes its recommendation to Tedros, who has the final say on whether the virus remains a health emergency of global proportions.

"I hope, by the time the Emergency Committee meets in May, that she will have more positive advice for Dr. Tedros on her assessment of the trajectory of the epidemic and whether or not there is a health emergency of global proportions," Ryan said.

A 70-year-old resident of the town of Arabeh was killed this evening, after an agricultural tractor overturned in a mountainous area between the towns of Arabeh and Fahmah, south of Jenin .

Colonel Louay Arziqat , the media spokesman for the police, stated that the governorate police received a report about a self-driving accident involving an agricultural tractor that resulted in the serious injury of a seventy-year-old citizen who was transferred to a health center in the town of Arraba, where doctors announced his death.

Colonel Arziqat confirmed that the Public Prosecution Office was informed and an investigation into the accident was initiated by the traffic police to find out its causes.

Colonel Arziqat appealed to the owners of agricultural tractors to carry out periodic maintenance and to drive these tractors with caution to avoid accidents with serious consequences.

The United Nations Mission (MINUSMA) in Mali said on social media that two peacekeepers were injured on Tuesday in a mine explosion in the center of the country.

"Our office in Mopti confirms that an explosion occurred near the village of Amba, 75 km west of Douentza, injuring two peacekeepers who were part of a logistical convoy on its way to this area," MINUSMA wrote in a tweet.

The mission did not specify the nationalities of the two soldiers.
On Friday, another peacekeeper was seriously injured when a mine exploded near the town of Duentza. The mechanism was part of a logistical convoy coming from Timbuktu.
Mines and improvised explosive devices are among the weapons used by the jihadists, who have spread across the country since 2012.

Since the beginning of 2023, the mission has been the target of nine attacks that have killed three Senegalese peacekeepers and injured five others.

Today, Tuesday, the Israeli occupation forces arrested a young man from the town of Betunia , at a military checkpoint near Nablus.

According to security sources, the occupation forces arrested Fouad Muhammad Abu Freih Al-Badawi (27 years old) at a military checkpoint near Nablus, while he was returning to Ramallah .

The Polish Minister of Agriculture announced on Tuesday that Poland and Ukraine had reached an agreement to resume the transfer of Ukrainian grain through this country after it was suspended on Saturday.

"We have been able to put in place mechanisms to ensure that not a single ton of wheat remains in Poland and that goods pass through Poland," starting next Saturday , Robert Tellos said, at the conclusion of a meeting with Ukrainian officials.

Ukrainian grain transportation through Poland is supposed to resume in the coming days, according to both sides.

"We treat the problems of our Polish colleagues with the same concern that Poland treats our own. That is why we must act quickly and constructively with this difficult situation," Ukrainian Economic Development Minister Yulia Sviridenko told reporters.

The Polish minister noted that the transportation of Ukrainian grain through Poland will be monitored through the Global Positioning System (GPS).

In an effort to protect its farmers, Poland decided on Saturday to ban the import of grain and other agricultural products without consulting Kiev or the European Commission, which exposed it to criticism from both sides.

Ukrainian grain exported to third countries passes through the European Union since the traditional export route through the Black Sea was closed due to the Russian invasion.

However, contrary to the initial plans, which stipulated only the transit of these grains, stocks of these grains accumulated in Poland, which led to a decline in domestic prices, and sparked protests by farmers and the resignation of the former Polish Minister of Agriculture.

Hungary and Slovakia recently took similar steps by banning the introduction of Ukrainian grain.

The European Union unveiled on Tuesday a long-awaited new plan of measures that would protect taxpayers from bailouts for troubled banks, after the recent turmoil in the banking sector in both the United States and Europe.

The proposed text, which will be negotiated by the member states of the European Union and members of the European Parliament, aims to encourage troubled medium and small banks to use the banking sector’s funds instead of public funds, according to what the European Commission announced, the executive arm of the bloc.

The European Union faced pressure to move quickly in the wake of the bankruptcy of three US banks last month and the merger of the giant Swiss bank Credit Suisse with its regional competitor , UBS .

"The recent failures of some US and Swiss banks, and the resulting crisis in the international banking sector, are just a reminder that we need a strong effective system to deal with all banks of any size when they face problems," Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis said during a press conference in Strasbourg.

The European Union seeks to prevent its members from pumping taxpayers' money into medium-sized banks, and to force banks to build up their own reserves.

In the past, medium-sized banks had difficulty accessing solutions programs financed by the banking sector, which represented a blow to owners of deposits whose value exceeded those secured by deposit insurance programs. Necessary to launch solutions programs, which contributes to reducing the risks of spreading panic and rushing to banks.

"Let me stress that the first and main line of defense in such a crisis should be the banks' internal capacity to absorb losses," Dombrovskis said.

And the European Parliament and the 27 member states of the Union must approve these proposals, which are likely to meet strong opposition from countries in the north, including Germany.
Berlin is concerned about the implications of the European Union's plans for its programs to protect lenders such as banking cooperatives.

However, the measures announced on Tuesday are not a direct response to the recent banking turmoil, but rather come within the framework of the European Union's attempt to complete a banking union that has stalled for years since its inception in 2014.

Brussels launched a radical reform of banking supervision after the 2008 financial crisis and the successive debt crisis in the eurozone.

During both crises, billions of euros of depositors' money were spent bailing out banks.
The dispute has emerged over the last pillar of the banking union, an EU-wide deposit insurance scheme that Germany, Europe's largest economy, vehemently opposes.

The plan did not address reforms and the commission said they were still pending.
Germany and other EU countries fear they will have to pay for the failures of member states' banks under such a plan.

The reforms will only be a new source of tension between Berlin and Brussels.
Germany, a leader in the auto industry, last month blocked a landmark agreement to ban sales of new fossil-fuel cars from 2035, but gave the go-ahead after further talks.

The Hebrew channel Reshet Kan claimed, on Tuesday evening, that the Israeli Shin Bet has complete information about the identity of the Palestinian youth who injured settlers in a shooting attack that took place this morning in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in occupied Jerusalem .

According to the Hebrew channel, secret and public Israeli security forces are participating in the search for the outlet.

Hadassah Hospital stated that the condition of the patient, whose condition was described as moderate, has improved.

A group of settlers demonstrated this evening at the site of the operation, protesting their loss of security.

The number of poor people in Afghanistan has doubled in three years, to reach 34 million at the end of last year (85% of the total population), according to what the United Nations announced on Tuesday, warning of the deterioration of the economic situation with the measures taken by the Taliban against women.

Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, Afghanistan's economic output has declined by 20.7 percent, according to the latest report of the United Nations Development Program issued on Tuesday.

"This unprecedented shock has made Afghanistan among the poorest countries in the world," the report noted.

The number of Afghans living below the poverty line reached 34 million at the end of 2022, compared to 19 million in 2020, according to the report.

Afghanistan lacks recent statistical data, but the United Nations estimates the population of this country to be 40 million, which means that 85 percent of them live in poverty.
In 2022, Afghanistan's gross domestic product will decline by 3.6 percent, the study estimated.

The representative of the United Nations Development Program in Afghanistan, Abdullah Al-Dardari, said in a statement, “The regular flow of foreign aid, which amounted to $ 3.7 billion in 2022, helped to avoid the complete collapse of Afghanistan,” warning of a decrease in this aid for this year.
In 2023, Afghanistan's GDP is expected to increase by 1.3 percent if foreign aid keeps up.

However, the report warned that "the prospects for economic recovery remain weak and insufficient in the long term, especially in the event of suspension of foreign aid due to the restrictive policies of the Taliban."
The UN's 2023 appeal for Afghanistan has so far raised only 5 percent of its $4.6 billion target.

Al-Dardari warned that "if foreign aid is reduced this year, Afghanistan may fall into the abyss."

Since returning to power, the Taliban have doubled down on cracking down on women, banning them from education beyond the primary level. In December, the government also banned Afghan women from working for non-governmental organizations before the United Nations was included in the measure in April.

Many organizations have suspended their operations in the country in protest at preventing women from working for them.
The report warned that "decisions that restrict the rights of women and girls, including preventing Afghan women from working in the United Nations, directly affect economic productivity and may also affect the level of assistance."

"There will be no lasting recovery without the active participation of Afghan women in the economy and public life," said Kani Winaraja, UNDP Regional Office Director for Asia and the Pacific.

Qatar, one of the largest donors that pressured the Taliban authorities to put an end to preventing women from working, announced that it had sent the first batch of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in 10 months, including food, medicine and books, on Tuesday.

This evening, Tuesday, the Israeli occupation forces set up a military checkpoint at the entrance to the village of Zabuba, west of Jenin , ahead of the iftar time.

The secretary of the "Fatah" movement in the village, Hussein Jaradat, stated that the occupation soldiers set up a military checkpoint at the entrance to the village, stopped the vehicles, searched them and checked the cards of their passengers, which impeded the citizens' movements during the time of breaking the fast during the month of Ramadan.

The Polish Minister of the Interior announced on Tuesday the creation of an electronic protection system along the border with the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad to prevent the illegal crossing of migrants in operations that Warsaw accuses the Russian authorities of organizing.

The new system will be added to the barbed wire barrier that is currently being built along the border, which extends over a distance of about 200 kilometers.

"We will have complete monitoring of what is happening at the border," Mariusz Kaminsky said in a statement.
The project, which has an estimated cost of 80 million euros, will include 3,000 surveillance cameras and motion detectors.
In September 2021, Warsaw built a 400-kilometer fence on its border with Belarus, about three kilometers wide, in order to avoid a migration crisis that Poland considers a "war" that Russia and Belarus are running against it.

In Poland, it is forbidden to approach a distance of 200 meters from these borders, which are protected by a five-meter-high iron barrier that is equipped with cameras and motion detectors.

Despite Poland's pushback against migrants, border guards and non-governmental organizations report every day about 100 attempts to illegally cross the Belarusian-Polish border by migrants, mostly from countries in the Middle East.

The Prague National Museum displays 20 artifacts that were restored by Czech specialists after they were damaged by the Islamic State , before returning them to Syria next month.

The pieces include three funerary slabs of limestone that were in the ancient site of Palmyra, which is on the UNESCO list, and were damaged during the control of the jihadists of the Islamic State over the city in 2015.

"Objects were damaged as a result of the battles, intentionally for ideological reasons, or by people looking for something to sell," National Museum director Michal Lukich told AFP.
He added, on the sidelines of the exhibition, titled "A Restored Face," that "these paintings were destroyed with iron hammers."

Syrian government forces regained control of Palmyra in 2017, after the ancient city witnessed public executions. The Islamic State has destroyed many of the city's famous landmarks.

Similar to previous cooperation agreements with Sudan and Afghanistan, the National Museum brought the twenty artifacts from Syria in 2022, and their restoration work took a year by a team of six technicians.

"There are pieces of metal, bronze, iron and funerary stelae from Palmyra," Lokesh said.
The exhibits include a gold-plated pin from 1600-1200 BC, bronze blades and a knife, and small bronze and copper statues of ancient deities.

The Prague National Museum has been cooperating with the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums in Syria since 2007.
"We started helping them by providing them with indispensable materials for the maintenance, preservation, transportation and processing of artifacts mainly from war zones," Lokesh said.

The cooperation led to the formation of a joint antiquities team working near the city of Latakia in western Syria.
After the month-long exhibition, the artifacts will be returned to Syria at the end of May, according to Lokesh.

"I hope that the situation in Syria has calmed down in a way that allows it not to be damaged again," he told AFP.
"The exhibition does not only represent Syria, but all countries in the world that are witnessing wars and damage to their monuments," he added.

On Tuesday evening, an Israeli settler's vehicle was shot by resistance fighters near Salfit .

According to the Hebrew Walla website, the shooting did not cause any injuries.

He pointed out that large forces of the Israeli army are carrying out combing operations in the firing area.

Israeli security guards arrested, on Tuesday evening, a citizen for allegedly trying to control one of them's weapon at Qalandia checkpoint near occupied Jerusalem .

According to the Hebrew website, Ynet, the 40-year-old detainee was handed over to the Israeli police for interrogation.

The site indicated that the detainee suffers from a disability and walks using crutches.

The Cabinet decided to allocate 7.5 dunums of Independence Park to establish a memorial to the Nakba and a Museum of Memory.

The Council also decided, in its weekly session held today, Tuesday, in the city of Ramallah, headed by Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh , to activate a committee to study regular court fees, and to form a special bidding committee to bid for training in the field of programming and coding.

The Council of Ministers approved the recommendations of the Tobacco Committee, and referred a number of employees of the security services to early retirement at their request, and approved a number of funding requests for non-profit companies.

The Council of Ministers announced the start of the blessed Eid Al-Fitr holiday from Thursday morning, corresponding to 4/20 until the evening of Monday, corresponding to 4/24, provided that working hours return after the holiday as usual, from eight in the morning until three in the afternoon.

He also announced the start of daylight savings time, starting from two o’clock in the morning on Saturday, corresponding to 4/29, by advancing the clock hands by 60 minutes, and considering Monday, corresponding to 1/5/2023 an official holiday on the occasion of International Labor Day.

On Tuesday, the leader of the Hamas movement in Nablus , Sheikh Fayyad Al-Aghbar (63 years old), died as a result of a health problem he had a few days ago.

Sources from the Al-Aghbar family reported that Al-Aghbar suffered a severe cerebral hemorrhage last Sunday, after which he was transferred to the Arab Specialist Hospital.

Al-Aghbar is considered one of the symbols of the Islamic Movement and the men of reform, and one of the prominent preaching, national and community figures in Nablus Governorate.

He is a member of the former Nablus Municipal Council, and previously held the position of Director General of the Nablus Endowment, and was subjected to arrest and torture in the Israeli occupation prisons.

Today, Tuesday, the Ministry of Health inaugurated the peripheral catheterization department at the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah, with the support and funding of the “Sons of Ramallah Federation in America” and the implementation of the “Physicians for Palestine” group.

The opening ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh , Minister of Health Mai Al-Kailah , Governor of Ramallah and Al-Bireh Laila Ghannam, Director of the Palestine Medical Complex Ahmed Al-Bitawi, President of the Sons of Ramallah Federation in America Issam Daghman, and Cardiovascular Surgeon Ragai Khoury, representing the Shaheen family, who donated With the costs of equipping the department, along with the Mayor of Ramallah, Issa Qassis, the Secretary of the National Council, Fahmy Al-Zaarir, the General Supervisor of Official Media, Minister Ahmed Assaf, and a number of members of the Ramallah Sons Union in the United States of America.

During the inauguration, the director of the Palestine Medical Complex explained that the new section, which contains a device, is the first of its kind in Palestine, and will be dedicated to serving all the people. type in the region.

He stated that the occupation authorities prevented, for six months, the entry of the new device.

Al-Betawi announced that the complex will witness, in the coming months, the opening of a nuclear radiology department, and four new departments in order to serve patients, relieve them and help them in treatment, praising in this context the support provided by the people of Ramallah residing in the United States, and the important role played by the Palestinian doctors working there. , in the development and support of medical personnel and facilities in the city.

For her part, Ghannam said that the Palestine Medical Complex is built on land donated by the people of Ramallah to establish a medical edifice in the city.

She stressed that the new department that opened in the complex will not be exclusive to Ramallah, pointing to the qualitative development achieved by the Palestine Medical Complex in terms of doctors, cadres, unique specialties and staff working around the clock, which makes it a destination for all health service seekers in Palestine.

Ghannam stressed that the Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate is looking forward to providing more quality services in the Palestine Medical Complex, and reminded of the need to establish another government hospital in the governorate due to the recent "saturation" of the complex.

The World Health Organization on Tuesday expressed concern about court decisions restricting women's right to a safe abortion , in a warning that comes amid controversy in the United States over abortion pills and termination of pregnancy.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that restricting women's right to access safe abortion methods will push them to resort to unsafe methods.
And on Friday, the US Supreme Court temporarily maintained the possibility of obtaining abortion pills, which are a very popular method in the United States, by suspending a decision issued by a lower court, in order to allow room for the study of the file.

"The WHO is concerned that women's right to access safe abortion services, including through the use of abortion pills, is being restricted by legislators and/or courts," the director-general added at a press conference.

He continued, "Women have a permanent right to choose when it comes to their bodies and their health. Restricting access to abortion does not reduce the number of abortions, but rather pushes women and girls to resort to unsafe procedures that may lead to their death."
"Access to safe abortion is health care that saves lives," he said.

In the United States, the judicial series began last week when a federal judge in Texas decided, based on a complaint filed by anti-abortion activists, to withdraw the marketing authorization of the drug "Mifepristone" issued by the Food and Drug Administration. Contrary to the consensus of scholars, the judge considered that this drug poses a threat to women's health.

Based on a complaint by the US government, the appeals court allowed the abortion pill to remain licensed but revoked access facilities that the FDA had established over the years.

However, the Biden administration asked the Supreme Court to "maintain the status quo," pending an in-depth examination of the content of the file.

On Thursday, the Florida Parliament also passed a law banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, before most women know they are pregnant.

And states have become free to legislate on this issue since the Supreme Court returned in June 2022 from a historic decision providing federal protection for abortion, by overturning a ruling issued in 1973 in a case called "Roe v. Wade".

Al-Monitor published a report titled "While Riyadh is Dialogue with Tehran , Saudi-Israeli Normalization is Deviating Away," at the beginning of which it mentioned what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said - during his meeting in Israel with US Senator Lindsey Graham last Monday - that Israel wants Normalization and peace with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia . Reiterating his campaign slogan, Netanyahu said that he is working to expand the circle of peace and add more countries to the 2020 Abraham Accords: “We view (normalization) as perhaps a giant leap towards ending the Arab-Israeli conflict. This agreement could have huge implications and historic results.” To Israel, to Saudi Arabia, the region and the world.

The report notes that Netanyahu's optimism about Saudi Arabia was met with skepticism by Israeli security officials. “The strangest thing is that despite all the writing on the wall and flashing warning lights, Netanyahu continues to talk about ‘expanding the circle of peace’ and the option that Israel will soon add Saudi Arabia to the agreements,” a former Israeli security source told Al-Monitor, speaking on condition of anonymity. Abraham in whole or in part.

The report notes that the Israeli official's statements are prompted by reports that a delegation of senior Hamas members will head to Saudi Arabia this week, in another dramatic sign of the recent rapprochement between Tehran and Riyadh. As news reports emerged, the Saudis were outraged that this rare visit was leaked, and either postponed or canceled. Nevertheless, it is clear - one way or another - that Saudi Arabia is changing its position from a firm position in the American-Israeli camp towards the Iranian-led "axis of resistance", of which the Gaza-based Islamist Hamas is a respected member. It is noteworthy that Saudi Arabia and Iran renewed diplomatic relations between them during the past month, and the visit of the Hamas delegation would be the first to the Kingdom in nearly a decade.

In parallel, Riyadh was also preoccupied with rehabilitating its relations with Damascus. On Tuesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan visited Syria, in the first official visit since the beginning of the war in Syria. "The Saudis are spitting on him (Netanyahu), and he convinces himself and the public that it is rain," a former Israeli political source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity.

European deputies agreed on Tuesday to exempt Kosovo citizens from entry visas to European Union countries for a short period.

Kosovo nationals will be allowed to travel within the EU - and EU nationals to travel to Kosovo - without a visa for stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti welcomed the "excellent news" which "brings us a little closer to the European Union".

Kosovo is the only country among the Western Balkan countries that has not yet benefited from the "Schengen" visa exemption.

This exemption, supported by the European Parliament since 2016, will enter into force no later than 2024.

In December 2022, Kosovo's leaders signed an official application for membership in the European Union, a long path full of obstacles exacerbated by the tense relations between Pristina and Belgrade.

And Kosovo is the last in the Balkans to apply for membership in the European Union after Brussels granted Bosnia and Herzegovina the status of a candidate country to join the bloc.
However, five member states of the European Union are Greece, Spain, Romania, Slovakia and Cyprus do not recognize the independence of Kosovo.

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, but Belgrade, along with Russia and China, did not recognize this step.

Serbia still considers Kosovo part of its territory.
Kosovo cannot gain membership in the European Union without normalizing relations with Belgrade.

Qatar announced on Tuesday that it is working with the UAE to reopen each country's embassy to the other "in the coming weeks", after years of tension in their relations, and in a move that comes in the context of a series of diplomatic breakthroughs in the Middle East .

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed their relations with Qatar in 2017, accusing it of supporting extremist organizations in the region, accusing them of drawing them closer to Iran, before signing a reconciliation agreement in Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia, in January 2021.

"I believe that the opening of embassies between the two countries will take place in the coming weeks," said Majid al-Ansari, a spokesman for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a press conference in Doha.

He stressed that "the technical committees are now carrying out their work in this context, and it is expected that there will be reciprocal visits to consider the procedures that we need to reopen the embassies," noting that there is "positive progress in each meeting."

For his part, an Emirati official, who declined to be named, confirmed that "diplomatic relations are currently being activated, which will include the reopening of embassies between the two countries."

In a statement to Agence France-Presse, he said that relations between the two countries have resumed since the signing of the Al-Ula agreement, and "several visits took place between the two countries, which included discussions about continuing to develop relations and jointly achieving more mutual prosperity and progress in the two countries and the region."

Since 2021, relations have largely returned between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, but rapprochement with the UAE and Bahrain took longer. Last week, Qatar and Bahrain resumed their diplomatic relations two years after the Gulf reconciliation with Doha, following meetings between the two parties that discussed the differences between the two countries, including the maritime borders.

This comes in the midst of regional diplomatic efforts to resolve the region's crises, especially after Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed last month to resume the severed relations between them since 2016.

Iran and Saudi Arabia are the two most prominent regional powers in the Gulf, and they are on opposite sides in most regional files, most notably Yemen, Syria and Lebanon.

Observers and analysts hope that the Saudi-Iranian agreement will be reflected in regional files, especially Yemen, where Saudi Arabia leads a military coalition that supports the internationally recognized government, in the face of the Iranian-backed Houthis.

Saudi Arabia and the Houthis held talks in Sana'a this month, seeking to "stabilize the truce" and reach a "comprehensive and sustainable political solution" to the conflict. In recent days, about a thousand prisoners have been exchanged between the two sides.

In light of this atmosphere of calm, Damascus will receive, on Tuesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, in the first official visit by a Saudi official since the estrangement between the two countries with the start of the conflict in Syria 12 years ago. This comes days after the visit of the Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad to Jeddah.

The diplomatic movement comes at a time when Arab countries are discussing the possibility of Damascus returning to the Arab League, and with the approaching date of the Arab summit, which is scheduled to be hosted by Saudi Arabia on May 19.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad received on Tuesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan , who arrived in Damascus on the first official Saudi visit to Syria since the estrangement between the two countries with the start of the conflict in Syria 12 years ago.

This visit culminates in the resumption of Syrian- Saudi relations and comes a few days after the visit of Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal al-Miqdad to Jeddah, and at a time when Arab countries are discussing the possibility of Damascus returning to the Arab League.

The Saudi openness to Syria comes in the midst of regional diplomatic moves that have changed the political landscape in the region since Riyadh and Tehran, an ally of Damascus, agreed to resume their relations last month.

The official Syrian news agency, SANA, reported that Assad had received bin Farhan.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement that the visit comes "within the framework of the Kingdom's keenness and interest in reaching a political solution to the Syrian crisis that ends all its repercussions and preserves Syria's unity, security, stability, and Arab identity, and restores it to its Arab surroundings."

Following the outbreak of protests in Syria, which soon turned into a bloody conflict in 2011, several Arab countries, led by Saudi Arabia, severed diplomatic relations with Damascus.

Saudi Arabia, which closed its embassy in Damascus in March 2012, especially during the first years of the conflict, provided support to the Syrian opposition, and received figures from it on its soil.
However, during the past few years, signs of Arab openness towards Syria have emerged, which began with the UAE reopening its embassy in Damascus in 2018.

It seems that the devastating earthquake in Syria and neighboring Turkey in February accelerated the process of Damascus resuming its relationship with its regional surroundings, as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad received a torrent of contacts and aid from the leaders of Arab countries.

The Saudi openness towards Damascus appeared for the first time after the earthquake, with Saudi aid planes landing in government-controlled areas, the first since Riyadh severed its relations with Damascus.

And it was only a few weeks until Riyadh announced last month that it was in talks with Damascus about resuming consular services.

On April 12, and on his first official visit to Saudi Arabia since the estrangement, Al-Miqdad visited Jeddah, where he discussed with Bin Farhan "the necessary steps to achieve a comprehensive political settlement to the Syrian crisis that ends all its repercussions (...) and contributes to Syria's return to its Arab surroundings."

After Saudi Arabia, Al-Miqdad visited Algeria, one of the few Arab countries that maintained its relations with Damascus, and Tunisia, which announced this month the resumption of its relations with Syria.
And on Friday, Saudi Arabia hosted a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council states, in addition to Egypt, Jordan and Iraq, to discuss the return of Damascus to its Arab surroundings.

The meeting did not issue a decision to return Syria to the Arab League, from which its membership was suspended in 2011, but they stressed “the importance of having an Arab leadership role in efforts to end the crisis” in Syria, and “intensifying consultations between Arab countries to ensure the success of these efforts.” ".

It seems that Qatar still opposes Syria's return to the Arab League, as Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani considered last week that the reasons for suspending Damascus' membership still exist.

However, in an interview with Russia Today channel last month, al-Assad said, "We will not return unless there is consensus," considering that "returning to the Arab League is not a goal in itself, the goal is joint Arab action."

The Arab openness to Damascus coincides with the change of the political map in the region after the Saudi-Iranian agreement, on which hopes are pinned for the return of stability in a region that has long been shaken by proxy conflicts.

In his interview with Russia Today, al-Assad said, "The Syrian arena is no longer a place for an Iranian-Saudi conflict, as it was at some stages," considering that "Saudi policy took a different turn towards Syria years ago, and it was not about interfering in internal affairs or supporting any factions." in Syria".
He pointed out that "talk about a Syrian-Iranian relationship that must be severed has not been raised with Syria for many years."

After 12 years of war, Damascus is now looking forward to reconstruction funds after its forces regained most of the areas it lost at the beginning of the conflict, with the support of its two main allies: Russia and Iran.

The conflict has claimed the lives of more than half a million people and displaced more than half of Syria's population inside and outside the country. It has also turned the country into an arena for settling scores between regional and international powers. All of this left its impact on the exhausted economy due to the massive destruction of infrastructure, factories and production.

The return of Syria to the Arab embrace may not change the political and field map in the short term, as there are other parties that must be taken into account, from Russia and Iran to the United States, which deploys forces in Syria in support of the Kurdish fighters, to Turkey, which controls border areas, which in turn started talks. With Syria about the resumption of relations.

A German artist sparked angry reactions after winning a prestigious award in the field of photography, for an image created by artificial intelligence technology.

Boris Eldgesen indicated that he was clear from the outset about the nature of his work, and that he would not accept the award given to him at the Sony World Photography Awards, because similar competitions are not yet ready to deal with artificial intelligence technology.

The committee responsible for awarding the awards, in turn, stated that it was aware of the nature of the image, but accused the artist of "deliberate misleading", which angered Eldgsson.

A large number of photographers and artists fear that artificial intelligence programs will threaten their livelihood, as it allows anyone to create beautiful images with just a click.

And the rapid popularity of artificial intelligence programs specializing in creating images began to cause lawsuits, after the tools were “trained” using a large amount of images, a large number of which may be protected by copyright.

In March, the organizers of the Sony World Photography Awards announced that Eldgson's picture, which features two women, and titled "Sodomynia: The Ectration", won in the category of creative works.

In interviews after his victory, Eldgsson explained how he accomplished the work, indicating that he wanted through this step to raise a discussion on the issue of artificial intelligence.

He wrote last week that "images created by artificial intelligence programs and those that are photographic should not compete in prizes like this," and he subsequently refused the award awarded to him.

The awardees said they were looking forward to engaging the artist in a discussion about artificial intelligence, but withdrew the image "in line with his wishes".

The head of the Department of National Relations in the "Islamic Jihad" movement, Khaled Al-Batsh , said, " Israel bears full responsibility for the life of the captive Khader Adnan , and it will pay the price for the decision to kill him if he is martyred."

In his statement, Al-Batsh called on all parties to exert their efforts to save the life of the prisoner Adnan, and to continue pressure on the occupation to end his suffering before it is too late.

He added, "The Israeli attempts to circumvent and mislead to present the fake indictments, through which it seeks to issue an unfair Israeli judicial ruling, is an open conspiracy aimed at distancing Adnan from his people, his family, and his relatives, and it will not pass and will fail with his steadfastness and will."

Al-Batsh called on the Palestinian people everywhere to support all the prisoners, especially the prisoner Adnan, whose hunger strike has reached a difficult stage that poses a threat to his life, for the "73rd" day, in rejection of his arbitrary detention.

The Supreme Judicial Council in Iraq announced today (Tuesday) that the Rusafa Criminal Court in Baghdad issued a death sentence for eight members of the Islamic State, or what is known as ( ISIS ), for their attempt to restructure the organization inside prisons, recruit prisoners and plan to escape.

The Council said in a statement, "The Rusafa Criminal Court, in the Presidency of the Baghdad Court of Appeal, Rusafa, issued a death sentence against eight criminals who are placed in the Iraqi Correctional Department (Al-Taji Prison - Al-Kifl Prison - Al-Karkh Prison) for having agreed and participating among themselves in contacting prisoners affiliated with the terrorist organization ISIS to restructure the organization." And planning to escape from prisons in order to implement an organized terrorist project.”

He added, "The criminals admitted that they had received instructions to restore the terrorist organization ISIS inside prisons, to recruit prisoners, to appoint princes and leaders, and to link them to the terrorist organization after their release from prisons."

He explained that "the court issued its decision based on the provisions of Article 4/1 and in the context of Article 2/3 of the Anti-Terrorism Law No. 13 of 2005."

Article 4 of the Anti-Terrorism Law in Iraq for the year 2005 stipulates that “anyone who commits, in his capacity as an original perpetrator or business partner, any of the terrorist acts mentioned in Articles 2 and 3 of this law shall be punished with the death penalty. The instigator, planner, financier, and whoever enables terrorists to carry out the crimes mentioned shall also be punished.” In this law, the penalty for the original perpetrator.

On December 9, 2017, Iraq announced the expulsion of ISIS elements and the imposition of full control over all Iraqi lands, but sleeper cells affiliated with the organization are still active in some regions of the country.

The young man, Ibrahim Abdel Hadi (30 years), was killed today, Tuesday, by unknown gunmen who opened fire at him while he was in Kibbutz Yifat, north of occupied Palestine.

According to the Hebrew website Ynet, the young man, Abd al-Hadi, from the village of Iksal, was parked at a gas station when he was shot and killed.

US investigators examined whether Massachusetts Air National Guard Private Jacques Teixeira, the man accused of leaking a trove of top-secret documents, interacted with anyone from a foreign country or government before they were posted online, Politico reported. Three people familiar with the investigation.

According to the officials, there is no clear public evidence that Teixeira, 21, had such connections or was part of an organized foreign espionage operation, as some US and Ukrainian officials have claimed.

But the people said the Biden administration and law enforcement agencies searched for any contact he had with foreigners as part of a broader investigation into the motives and intent behind his alleged leak of classified information. A fourth person, a former US intelligence official, said: "We still don't know who this guy was talking to outside of the Discord server and whether he had any other intention to leak documents other than wanting to impress and impress friends."

Politico quoted Mick Mulroy, a former senior Pentagon official and retired CIA officer, as saying that it is standard practice for investigators to examine a suspect's potential ties to foreign governments and entities, especially in leak cases. He noted that Department of Defense and CIA personnel must disclose any "close and ongoing" contact with aliens.

If they find any external links, it means that the leak was likely from more harm than thought, in the event the accused coordinated with a foreign government, or that the material was available to foreign officials before it became known to the American public.

To date, Teixeira has been charged with "unauthorized retention of classified documents, transmission of national defense information" and "unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or materials." Each charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.

The US Department of Justice is leading the investigation into Teixeira's case, while the Pentagon and intelligence agencies are looking into her violations of confidentiality and military oath laws.

It is noteworthy that the US Department of Defense closely monitors the activity of any employee on the Joint Global Intelligence Communication System, which is a secure "intranet" network system that includes highly classified and sensitive information, including information that is accessed, downloaded and printed.

The Pentagon is also reviewing Teixeira's records, including his security clearance, as part of the investigation, according to a person familiar with the investigation. The Defense Department hopes the review will help determine whether changes to procedures around access to classified documents need to be made.

The newspaper quoted a Defense Ministry official as saying that Teixeira specializes in information technology and has been assigned to the 102nd Intelligence Wing, which gives him access to the computers of analysts tasked with packing intelligence for senior military leaders. The CIA and Office of the Director of National Intelligence responded to a request for comment.

Understanding Teixeira's motives is also important for the government in determining how to prevent such leaks in the future.

It is noteworthy that the leak allegedly carried out by Teixeira differs from previous intelligence abuses, including those committed by Edward Snowden and WikiLeaks. Teixeira is accused of publishing the documents on social media, instead of encapsulating them and filtering them through the press, and it did not appear that they were disseminating intelligence information as a result of a specific ideology.

The leaked documents include extraordinary details of troop and battlefield movements by Kiev and Moscow in Ukraine, as well as other global issues such as Iran's development of its nuclear program, protests in Israel, and China's relationship with Russia. They also reveal the extent of US spying on its adversaries and allies.

Today, Tuesday, 8 civilians were wounded by live bullets, during the Israeli occupation forces’ raid on Jenin camp .

According to the Ministry of Health, 6 citizens with limb injuries arrived at Jenin Governmental Hospital, and their injuries were described as minor, while Ibn Sina Specialist Hospital received another limb injury.

An ambulance officer was also wounded by shrapnel in the chest.

According to local sources, the occupation forces arrested 3 young men and confiscated a vehicle during its raid into the camp, before withdrawing from it.

According to the Hebrew newspaper Maariv, the detainees planned to carry out a dangerous operation using explosive devices.

Fadi Jarrar, director of the Life Ambulance Center, told Al-Quds.com: "The occupation forces opened fire on an ambulance near the entrance to the camp."