(AFP) - The defense team of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announced to the authorities that his client will hand over to the Court of Auditors jewelry provided to him by Saudi Arabia and illegally brought into Brazil, according to local media.

The former far-right president (2019-2022) is under criticism after the newspaper “O Estado de São Paulo” revealed on March 3 that customs officials seized in October 2021 at São Paulo International Airport jewelry worth $ 3.2 million destined for Mrs. The first was previously Michelle Bolsonaro inside the portfolio of the then Assistant Minister of Mines and Energy, while returning from an official trip to the Middle East.
The tax authorities and the federal police have opened investigations into this case.

The official tried to bring the jewelry into the country without declaring it to customs, but this attempt failed. The newspaper stated that the jewelry (a necklace, ring, watch and earrings) from the Swiss luxury brand "Chopard" was a gift from the Saudi government to Michelle Bolsonaro.

The relevant minister, Bento Albuquerque, told the same newspaper that another group of men's jewelry (watch, cufflinks and a fountain pen of the same brand) was brought into Brazil without being seized, and part of it became in Bolsonaro's possession.

According to the local press, Bolsonaro is keeping these jewels as personal gifts, stressing that he acts in compliance with applicable law.

The lawyers for the former chief of police said, as reported by the “G1” news website, “On this date (the defense) asked the Brazilian Court of Accounts that the assets being investigated be deposited in this unit of the Federal Police, in this case until a subsequent decision is issued in this regard.” ".

The Brazilian Court of Auditors announced in a statement on Friday that it had asked Jair Bolsonaro and his former minister to provide explanations about the jewelry.

The Court of Accounts also ordered Bolsonaro to keep the jewelry "intact", without "putting it on or giving it" to another party through donation or sale.

Bolsonaro, who has been living in the United States since the end of December, denied on Saturday that he had done anything "violating the law."

Brazilian law stipulates that if any traveler enters the country with goods worth more than a thousand dollars, he must declare these goods and pay the tax due on them.

On the other hand, any commodity, regardless of its value, can be entered without paying any duty on it, provided that it is declared as an official gift to the state. But in this case, the jewelry becomes owned by the state and Bolsonaro and his wife cannot have it after the term ends.

(AFP) - China on Tuesday condemned the "wrong and dangerous path" taken by the partnership concluded between the United States , Britain and Australia as part of the submarine program aimed at confronting Beijing's influence in the Pacific.

The partnership concluded Monday, known as the AUKUS alliance, will see Australia replace its fleet of diesel-powered submarines with a new generation of nuclear-propelled submarines.

This replacement will be achieved first through the purchase of American submarines, and then the manufacture of a new type of submarine on Australian soil with a joint design between the United States, Britain and Australia.

This attack submarine program aims to maintain the decades-old balance of power in the Pacific region.

Beijing condemned the initiative of the United States, Britain and Australia.

"The recent joint statement issued by the United States, Britain and Australia shows that these three countries are increasingly taking a wrong and dangerous path to serve their geopolitical interests, in complete disregard for the concerns of the international community," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters.

China looks with displeasure, especially at the rapprochement that began in the past years in the region between the authorities of Taiwan and the United States, which has been providing the island for decades with military support in the face of Beijing.

The communist authority considers the island a province of China that it has not been able to annex to the rest of the lands since the end of the Chinese civil war (1949).

Last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping accused the United States of leading Western efforts towards "total containment, encirclement and suppression of China."

But Washington notes that Beijing raises the concerns of countries in the Asia-Pacific region through its threats to invade Taiwan, which enjoys democratic rule, in addition to stressing the threat posed by nuclear-armed North Korea.

Two Pakistani policemen were killed while guarding teams collecting statistical data in two separate attacks claimed by the local branch of the Taliban, the police said Tuesday.

Pakistan began a month-long digital census in early March, in which elements of the security forces were deployed, along with more than 120,000 employees assigned to the census.

And the police are increasingly at the forefront of the battle between the Pakistani authorities and the local Taliban, as security personnel are frequently targeted by insurgents who accuse them of carrying out extrajudicial killings.

On Monday, two teams were attacked in Khobar Khtunkhwa province, in two districts near the border with Afghanistan.

"Gunmen attacked the police team responsible for supervising the security of the census team from two sides," said Farooq Khan, a police official in Tank district, adding that one officer was killed and four wounded.

Later in the evening, the Pakistani military stated that a militant was killed in a "heavy exchange of fire".

In another attack, gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire at the police, killing one person and wounding three.

"Security measures have been intensified further, and the census process has resumed," Tariq Abdullah, an official in the Laki Marut district administration, told AFP.

The attacks followed another attack last week that took place in the same area and resulted in the death of an officer.

The Pakistani Taliban, which is separate from the Afghan Taliban, despite their ideological similarity, claimed responsibility for the three attacks.

"Our first target is the police, regardless of whether they are accompanying politicians, polio vaccination teams or enumeration teams," a leader of the Pakistani Taliban told AFP.

In January, more than 80 policemen were killed when a suicide bomber detonated his explosive vest in a mosque inside a police compound in the northwestern city of Peshawar.

In the framework of the census, demographic data is collected before the legislative elections expected by October.

Political parties and ethnic groups frequently criticize the census, pointing out that it is based on undercounting, data manipulation and other irregularities.

More than 130 European MPs have signed a petition calling for a global tax on the wealth of the "richest" with the aim of reducing inequality while participating in the "environmental and social transition".

And MP Aurore Laloc (Socialists and Democrats bloc, left) and economist Gabriel Zucman, who launched this initiative, wrote in an article published in the French newspaper Le Monde, "What we have been able to achieve for multinational companies, we must now do for great fortunes."

The European MP and economist specializing in tax evasion and taxing high incomes explained, "Our position is simple: to impose a progressive tax on the wealth of the world's richest with the aim of reducing inequality while co-financing the investments necessary for the environmental and social transition."

They referred to the idea of imposing a 1.5% tax on wealth worth 50 million euros or more, stressing that the specific rate of tax should be decided "collectively and democratically."

Laloc and Zucman are calling on the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and the United Nations to launch negotiations on the tax and are pressing the European Union to act.

And they confirmed that in 2018, Elon Musk, who was then the second richest man in the world, did not pay “one cent of federal taxes” and in France, “the 370 richest families pay only between 2 and 3% of taxes.”

Their petition was signed by European parliamentarians in favor of environmental issues and leftists, in addition to about a dozen economists and international non-governmental organizations, including Oxfam.

To support their arguments, Laloc and Zucman point to the model of a minimum tax of 15% on the profits of multinational corporations imposed by nearly 140 countries "when the whole world was saying it was impossible".

The increasing cost of childcare services in the UK is forcing women to rethink their career aspirations, with many having to change jobs to suit their circumstances.

Natalie Ford, 39, and her husband, who live in Brentwood in northwest London, pay more than 900 pounds (about $1,100) a month to put their 19-month-old son in foster care a few days a week. This amount exceeds the monthly payments they make for the housing loan.

After her employer refused to grant her flexible shifts or remote working hours, Natalie was forced to resign. She is now working for a number of companies from her home, while her husband, who works in the insurance field, performs some of his tasks remotely.
"When I had my son, I had no idea how much nurseries cost," she says. "I was shocked at their prices."

Child care services have become very expensive in light of a system that has declined in recent years to provide adequate assistance in this field, in addition to an inflation crisis afflicting the country.

In nurseries, the average weekly cost for a child under two years is 285 pounds ($ 348), while these prices are higher in London nurseries, according to the “Family and Childcare Trust” association.

The authorities do not provide significant assistance to children under the age of three. But after this age, the state finances 15 hours of weekly care, while paying the cost of 30 hours for poor families.

The United Kingdom is one of the OECD countries with the highest costs in the field of childcare , as the amounts allocated to this aspect represent 29% of family income, compared to 9% in France.

Consequently, many fathers have no choice but to work fewer hours, and mothers are often the ones to make sacrifices in this regard.
"My husband is a great father (...) but I feel like I'm the one who has to make extra sacrifices for our family," says Natalie.
As for Lucy Milnes, she has been virtually without a job since the birth of her second son two years ago.

"We can't take it anymore," says the 40-year-old actress. So she and her husband decided to place their child in the nursery three times a week, which she says is "the cheapest option".

Lucy is looking forward "to have more time to find extra work" and to get her family out of "the vicious cycle".

"For the first time in decades, women are being pushed out of the labor market because they have to take care of their families (...) The problem is that they don't have any options," says Julie Brierley, founder of Pregnant with Scrub.

Last year, for the first time in 30 years, the rates of women not working to provide for their families increased by 5%, official statistics show. This percentage was 13% for women between the ages of 25 and 34.

Among the non-working women, 28.5% confirmed that they do not work until they provide care for their families, while this percentage reached 6.9% among men.

In a recent report, BWC points out that the impact of childcare costs on women's employment was one of the main reasons for the wide gender pay gap.

"This will have a big impact" in the long run, Jolie Brierly asserts, because many women will find themselves "in poverty (...) because their pensions are lower than those of men."

British employers are calling for system reform to help curb the labor shortage.

Several media outlets indicate that the Conservative government may increase the funds allocated for this issue in its expected budget to be announced this week.

Rachel Herr, a 39-year-old stylist, had to stop working on Mondays when she gave birth to her daughter last year to save on childcare costs, but these days she makes up for the lack of work by working after Saturdays.

Finally, with her husband, she made a decisive decision to move the family to Ireland, from which she hails.

"We realized that starting next October we will have to go into debt," she says, adding, "I feel like I'm taking a step back... Moving to Ireland will limit my progress in my career because the opportunities there are fewer than those available in Britain ."

Cyclone Freddy has battered southern Africa for the second time, killing at least 190 people in Malawi as heavy rains triggered floods and landslides, according to an updated toll provided by the government on Tuesday.

"The death toll has increased from 99 ... to 190, with 584 injured and 37 missing," the National Disaster Management Office said in a statement.

Kalimba said more than 10,000 people were affected by the storm.

Malawi is witnessing the worst cholera outbreak in its history, and last year it recorded more than 1,600 deaths from this epidemic.

"Extreme weather conditions like this are likely to exacerbate outbreaks of water-borne diseases such as cholera," the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned in a statement.

Damage is being assessed, while Mozambique's National Institute for Disaster Management indicated that the repercussions of the storm's return to land in the country were worse than expected.

"The number of people affected exceeds expectations," said center director Louisa Meek, adding that the storm hit areas that were supposed to be "safe".
Hurricane Freddie, which is on course to become the longest-lasting hurricane in history, hit southern Africa this weekend for the second time in a matter of weeks, after hitting the region for the first time in late February.

The Swedish Prime Minister admitted on Tuesday that the possibility of Finland joining NATO before Sweden had risen, especially due to Turkey's objection to Stockholm's membership.

"It's more likely that this will happen at different rates," Conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told a news conference.

"It is clear that over the past few weeks the Turkish side has expressed its willingness (to agree to accession) for Finland, but not for Sweden," he added.

Sweden and Finland, candidates for membership in the alliance a year ago, against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, are still hoping to join its ranks before the next NATO summit in Vilnius in July.

But the way is largely open to Helsinki, while Turkey still opposes Stockholm joining, despite the resumption of talks last week in Brussels.

"Turkey still believes that we did not take the necessary steps, and it expressed that clearly at the meeting, while it did not express its dissatisfaction with Finland," said Swedish negotiator Oskar Stenstrom.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke for the first time in mid-February about the possibility of the two countries not joining together.

The leaders of the thirty member states of the alliance decided to invite Sweden and Finland to join its ranks during a summit held in Madrid in July 2022.

Thirty countries signed accession protocols and only 28 ratified them. Only Turkey and Hungary have not ratified yet.
And Ankara announced that it might ratify Finland's accession without Sweden.

Turkey blames Sweden in particular for harboring Kurdish activists, which it considers "terrorists", especially supporters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

And submitted a list of demands including the expulsion of dozens of residents of Sweden, most of them Kurds, suspected of being linked to separatist groups.

Negotiations were suspended for several weeks after the Swedish authorities allowed in January a demonstration in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, during which a Quran was burned.

The Hungarian parliament began discussing the two countries' accession to NATO at the beginning of March, with the support of the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, after repeated delays, and the alliance hopes that the decision will be taken "immediately."

But from the Turkish side, the scene looks bleaker as outgoing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been in power for 20 years, is running for a new term in the May 14 elections.

Sweden hopes to open the way for it to NATO after the elections in Turkey, where the opposition announced one candidate in the face of Erdogan.

Aircraft manufacturer Boeing announced that Riyadh Airlines and Saudi Arabian Airlines have each placed an order for 39 long-haul 787 Dreamliners and have raised the possibility of purchasing an additional 43 aircraft, or 121 in total.

With the additional 43 potential aircraft included, it would be the fifth-largest order by value received by Boeing, which did not want to specify the value of the deal nor how the planes would be split between the 787-9 and 787-10.

According to the White House, the total value of the order amounts to $37 billion.

"This agreement is part of the broader Saudi strategic plan aimed at turning the country into a global aviation hub," Boeing said in a statement.

The company indicated that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is looking forward to transporting, through its two airlines, 330 million passengers annually and receiving 100 million tourists by 2030.

Saudi Arabia is pursuing ambitious aviation goals as part of the broad "Vision 2030" reform of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia announced the launch of a new air carrier under the name "Riyadh Airlines", owned by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund.

Last November, Saudi officials announced plans to build a new 57-kilometer airport in the capital, which is supposed to handle 120 million passengers by 2030 and 185 million by 2050.

The manufacturer confirmed that, at least initially, the new Saudi airline would fly only Boeing aircraft.

As for Saudi Airlines, which is based in the coastal city of Jeddah overlooking the Red Sea, it already operates more than 50 Boeing aircraft on its long-haul network and hopes, by increasing its fleet, to expand this network.

"We are especially pleased that Boeing has finally been able to reach agreements with Saudi Arabia after years of talks and intense negotiations over the past months," the White House said in a statement.

For its part, the Saudi Embassy to the United States confirmed that the order "reaffirms the strong commercial ties between the Kingdom and the United States."

The League for Human Rights in France criticized a private visit expected by the far-right Israeli minister , Bezalel Smotrich , to Paris on March 19, and confirmed on Tuesday that he was "not welcome," denouncing his "colonial, anti-Arab, and homophobic" personality.

The controversial Minister of Finance in Benjamin Netanyahu's government has been invited to Paris to participate in an evening in honor of Jacques Kupfer, the radical Zionist activist and former head of the Likud Party (Netanyahu's party) in France. The event is held by small extremist groups such as the League for the Defense of the Jews.

The League for Human Rights indicated in a statement that Bezalel Smotrich, who is also responsible for civil affairs in the occupied West Bank, is a fierce defender of "Greater Israel" and is himself a settler, and drew attention to the minister's "racist and anti-gay" stances.

At the end of February, Smotrich called for the "erasing" of the Palestinian village of Hawara in the occupied West Bank, after the killing of two young settlers there. Their killing led settlers to carry out violent reprisals, as they attacked the village and burned a large number of its buildings.

Smotrich's remarks sparked angry reactions in Washington, Paris and at the United Nations, prompting the minister to admit that "it is possible that the word was chosen poorly."

The League of Human Rights statement confirmed that "Smotrich fundamentally opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state and wants to subjugate the Israeli legal system to the Torah. In the face of this wave of fanatical racism and denial of basic rights, the League of Human Rights expresses its displeasure and condemnation of everything that this character represents."

Smotrich's private visit comes amidst a very tense atmosphere in the occupied West Bank as well as in Israel, where parliament is debating a controversial judicial reform that has led to widespread demonstrations denouncing an undemocratic aberration.

On Monday, the head of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France, CRIF, Jonathan Arvi, denounced "hateful and populist speeches in the Israeli public debate, even by some current ministers."

When asked about this private visit, the French Foreign Ministry said that it would not communicate with the minister.

The Swedish Prime Minister admitted on Tuesday that the possibility of Finland joining NATO before Sweden had risen, especially due to Turkey's objection to Stockholm's membership.

"It's more likely that this will happen at different rates," Conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told a news conference.

"It is clear that over the past few weeks the Turkish side has expressed its willingness (to agree to accession) for Finland, but not for Sweden," he added.

Sweden and Finland, candidates for membership in the alliance a year ago, against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, are still hoping to join its ranks before the next NATO summit in Vilnius in July.

But the way is largely open to Helsinki, while Turkey still opposes Stockholm joining, despite the resumption of talks last week in Brussels.

"Turkey still believes that we did not take the necessary steps, and it expressed that clearly at the meeting, while it did not express its dissatisfaction with Finland," said Swedish negotiator Oskar Stenstrom.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke for the first time in mid-February about the possibility of the two countries not joining together.

The leaders of the thirty member states of the alliance decided to invite Sweden and Finland to join its ranks during a summit held in Madrid in July 2022.

Thirty countries signed accession protocols and only 28 ratified them. Only Turkey and Hungary have not ratified yet.
And Ankara announced that it might ratify Finland's accession without Sweden.

Turkey blames Sweden in particular for harboring Kurdish activists, which it considers "terrorists", especially supporters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

And submitted a list of demands including the expulsion of dozens of residents of Sweden, most of them Kurds, suspected of being linked to separatist groups.

Negotiations were suspended for several weeks after the Swedish authorities allowed in January a demonstration in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, during which a Quran was burned.

The Hungarian parliament began discussing the two countries' accession to NATO at the beginning of March, after repeated delays.

The ruling Fidesz party bloc told AFP on Tuesday that the vote, which was scheduled to take place no later than March 20, will not take place next week.

It cited the "delay in negotiations with Brussels" to release billions of euros of frozen funds pending anti-corruption reforms.

The Swedish side fears that Hungary will use its request to join NATO as a bargaining chip in its battle with the European Union.

Hungarian nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, for his part, seeks rapprochement with Russia and Turkey.

On the Turkish side, Sweden hopes to open the way to NATO after the May 14 elections in Turkey.

The opposition presents one candidate in the face of the outgoing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been in power for 20 years.

The European Command of the US Army reported that a Russian Su-27 fighter jet collided with an American MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday.

"Our MQ-9 was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and rammed by a Russian aircraft, causing it to crash... In fact, this unsafe and unprofessional action by the Russians was caused," said Gen. James Hecker, US Air Force Europe and Africa commander. in the two plane crashes.

"Prior to the collision, on several occasions, the two Sukhoi-27s dumped fuel on the MQ-9 and flew in front of it in a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner," the US command said in a statement.

NATO diplomats in Brussels confirmed the incident, but said they did not expect it to lead to an escalation and another confrontation immediately.

A Western military source told AFP, on condition of anonymity, that diplomatic channels between Russia and the United States will be activated. "In my opinion, diplomatic channels will mitigate the impact of this," he added.

The United States uses Reapers for surveillance and strikes, and has long operated over the Black Sea to monitor Russian naval forces as tensions have increased in the region since the outbreak of war in Ukraine a year ago.

General James Hecker said, "US and allied aircraft will continue to operate in international airspace, and we call on the Russians to act professionally and safely."

In Washington, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that Russian interceptions in the area were common, but that this was "notable because it was unsafe, unprofessional, and really reckless."

Kirby said President Joe Biden has been briefed on the incident and that the State Department will inform Moscow of Washington's concerns.

"We don't need to inform the Russians before we fly into international airspace. It's not required and we don't," he added.

American forces have lost a number of marching Reapers in recent years, including to hostile fire. The US Central Command said that one of them was shot down in 2019 over Yemen by a surface-to-air missile launched by the Houthis.

According to media reports, an MQ-9 crashed in Libya in 2022, while another fell during training in Romania earlier the same year.

These drones can be armed with Hellfire missiles as well as laser-guided bombs and can fly more than 1,100 miles at altitudes of up to 15,000 meters (50,000 feet), according to the US Air Force.

The United Nations announced, on Tuesday, that “consultations” are continuing after Russia proposed extending the Ukrainian grain export agreement for a period of only 60 days instead of 120 days, as has been the case since the signing of the agreement.

"The United Nations will do everything in its power to preserve the agreement as it is and ensure its continuity," said Jens Larke, spokesman for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

He indicated that "consultations are continuing with all parties and at all levels," without specifying what will happen when the agreement expires on March 18, after it was extended for 120 days in the fall.

In response to a torrent of questions from journalists in Geneva, he said, "We'll see on Saturday what happens."

On Monday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin announced, after talks with United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths and Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Rebecca Grynspan in Geneva, that Moscow "does not oppose a new extension of the Black Sea Initiative after its second extension expired on 18 March, but only for 60 days.

However, Kiev considered that extending the agreement by 60 days "contradicts" what was agreed upon.

"The agreement on the Black Sea grain initiative provides for an extension of at least 120 days, and Russia's position to extend it for only 60 days contradicts the document signed by Turkey and the United Nations," Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov wrote in a tweet on Monday.

He explained that Ukraine is waiting for the "official position" of the United Nations and Turkey as "guarantors" of the agreement.

In a statement issued Monday evening, the United Nations confirmed that it had "taken note" of the Russian position.

This is the third time in less than 24 hours that the organization promises to do its best to provide a mechanism that allows the export of tens of millions of tons of grain to global markets and calm prices, which have risen sharply since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"The grain agreement provides for a renewal of 120 days, but in the current circumstances, the (UN) Secretary-General and his team, who are in contact with all parties, are committed to doing everything in their power to ensure continuity of the initiative.

Dujarric acknowledged that despite the "significant progress" there were still some obstacles, "especially with regard to payment systems".

"Our efforts to overcome these obstacles will continue as a whole," he said.

He explained that "the director of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Rebecca Greenspan and her team, as well as the Secretary-General, have spared no effort to facilitate" this matter.

Moscow is not satisfied with the results of the second agreement, which was concluded in parallel last summer with the United Nations, and aimed at removing obstacles to its grain exports, especially fertilizers.

Although these products are not affected by the sanctions imposed by Kiev's allies to force Moscow to stop invading Ukraine, these financial measures have had the indirect effect of deterring middlemen who fear retaliation in the United States and Europe.

On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov clarified Moscow's position.

"It is clear that in general... the second part of the agreement that concerns us has not yet been implemented... We appreciate the efforts of the United Nations and the Secretary-General personally. But Mr. (Antonio) Guterres has not succeeded in breaching the wall that the West has erected as a group," he said.

The main sticking points for Moscow, according to Vershinin, include "bank payments, transport logistics, guarantees, ending the freeze on financial activities, and the supply of ammonia through the Togliatti-Odessa pipeline."

The Ukrainian grain export agreement contributed to alleviating the global food crisis, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 halted Ukrainian grain shipments across the Black Sea due to the blockade of warships until an agreement was concluded on July 22 to find a safe passage for their export.

In mid-November, the agreement was extended for four months, until March 18, and enabled the export of about 24.3 million tons of grain from Ukrainian ports.

In contrast, with regard to the fertilizer part, only a small amount of the total 260,000 tons of Russian fertilizer stored in European ports since the beginning of the war has been exported.

Dujarric stressed that "the grain agreement and the memorandum of understanding on the export of Russian food and fertilizers, both are necessary for global food security, especially in developing countries," not to lose sight of those who will be the main victims if the agreement expires.

A spokeswoman for the World Food Program told AFP that the program "is about to charter a ship to transport more than 34,000 tons of chemicals used in the production of fertilizers from Latvia to Kenya" at the latter's request.

"A contract has been concluded between Uralchem-Uralkali (a Russian group and one of the world's leading fertilizer producers), Kenya National Trading Company (a public entity) and the World Food Programme," she added.

The World Food Program had transported 20,000 tons of products donated by Uralchem-Uralkali to the Government of Malawi.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries ( OPEC ) said in its monthly report on Tuesday that global oil demand will increase by 2.3 million barrels per day in 2023, confirming its forecast last month.

The group of oil exporting countries expected that the bulk of the growth in oil demand would come from non-member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, especially from the Asia-Pacific region, where it is supposed to increase by 2.1 million barrels per day this year, compared to 0. 2 million in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Total oil demand is expected to average 101.9 million barrels per day in 2023, a record level.

However, the statement expected a decline in demand???? In the Americas and Europe fell slightly in the first and second quarters, due to uncertain economic outlook.

OPEC said, "Although the growth momentum is expected to continue in 2023, the economy will continue to face challenges," including high inflation, the possibility of "a further interest rate hike," high debt, and "geopolitical uncertainty."

And OPEC expected that "demand in non-members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development will increase due to the improvement in economic activity in China."

The high demand supports the thirst for kerosene and gasoline in this country, which is resuming its economic activity "after abandoning the zero Covid policy."

The forecast for non-OPEC production remains the same as last month and is expected to grow by 1.4 mb/d, driven by the US, Brazil, Norway, Canada, Kazakhstan and Guyan.

The demand for US oil increased due to the sanctions targeting Russian oil. According to preliminary data cited by OPEC, US crude oil exports reached a record 4.3 million barrels per day in February.

"However, significant uncertainties remain about the impact of current geopolitical developments, as well as the potential for US shale oil production in 2023," OPEC said.

Crude production in the 13 OPEC countries increased by 117 thousand barrels per day in February compared to the previous month, reaching 28.92 million barrels per day.

Frenchman Benjamin Briard, who has been detained in Iran since the end of May 2020 in Mashhad prison in northeastern Iran, wrote to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi asking for his release, according to his sister.

The handwritten letter, in Farsi, was handed over to prison guards on Monday morning, his sister Blandine Briar told AFP, who also published a copy of the letter in French.

"I appeal to your dignity to obtain my freedom which I should have regained a month ago after my acquittal, the same freedom which should never have been taken from me," the letter read.

He called on the president to "demonstrate the independence of the Iranian judicial system with deeds rather than words."

And Briar, who confirms that he was in Iran for the purpose of tourism, was arrested in May 2020 for taking pictures of "prohibited areas" in a park by means of a recreational drone.

In his letter, Briar explained that he was imprisoned "unjustly" and acquitted of all charges against him, and that the order for his release was signed by the Revolutionary Court of Appeal in Mashhad on February 15.

Briar believes that the Iranian president is aware of his innocence, as well as his acquittal and his hunger strike, which he began on January 28, and which he will not stop "until" he regains his freedom and all his personal belongings.

"On several occasions, I have been able to read and hear that representatives of the Iranian government say that the judicial system in Iran is completely independent. There are no arbitrary arrests or trials," he continued.

He noted that his case was "evidence to the contrary." He denounces not only his suffering from a "baseless" prison process, but also his harsh conditions of detention accompanied by "psychological violence" and "psychological torture".
After his acquittal, according to Blandin, Benjamin was told to pack his bag but was taken back to a cell about one meter from the exit.

Al-Quds University celebrated the Palestinian Culture Day in cooperation with the Palestinian Ministry of Culture , under the auspices of the University President, Prof. Emad Abu Kishk and Minister of Culture d. Atef Abu Seif, with cultural events entitled "The Palestinian Oral Novel and the Role of Women in It" in its main campus - Abu Dis.

Prof. Dr. indicated Abu Kishk for the importance of the theme of the cultural day, because women are the originators of generations that cultivate different cultural behaviors to refute the narrative of the occupied other, which requires redoubled efforts from students and researchers to consolidate the foundations of culture for future generations and preserve the Palestinian narrative in the face of forgery, and transmit it to the whole world as it expresses identity Palestinian and the remaining legacy.

For his part, the Assistant Undersecretary for Cultural Affairs at the Ministry of Culture, A. Muhammad Ayad pointed out that the National Culture Day comes in light of the Palestinian people’s continuous confrontation with the occupation and its falsifications, and its defense of its rights against aggression, terrorism, displacement and cutting off the means of daily life through its cultural achievements and its origins striking deep in history, stressing, “The banner of our people will remain high, and we will continue to strive until the realization of our dreams with freedom..".

The coordinator of the literary salon at the university, A. Nevlin Nasser, on the activities of the Culture Day aimed at showing and highlighting the Palestinian identity, by shedding light on Palestinian women and their presence in the oral narration in paragraphs dealing with Jerusalemite architecture, Palestinian film, musical performance and choir, and they represent part of the Palestinian identity, reality and authentic culture.

The Palestinian writer, Jamil Al-Salhout, gave an overview of the Palestinian oral narration - Amira’s narration as a model, and the historical stories from which he was inspired by his novels and works, many of which spoke about the suffering of Palestinian women in the Nakba and beyond, which represents a large part of the hidden Palestinian history.

For her part, the architect and visual artist Nadine Touqan displayed two plastic artworks from her work on Jerusalem architecture, which provides a reading of art, architectural development, history, civilization, social style, and the topography of the region in Jerusalem. The two works included a model of the painting of the Dome of the Rock from its southern facade, and a painting of the church complex.

Subsequently, he presented the screening of the film "Varicose Paper" by the Palestinian director Dina Amin, a poetic and musical performance by the student Muhammad Riri and the artist Ahmed Erekat, and the poem "Your Eyes are a Thorn in the Heart" by the late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, and a musical choir performance by the "Zahrat al-Madaen" band and its coach Erekat.

It is noteworthy that the thirteenth of March is the Palestinian Culture Day, which coincides with the birth of the late poet Mahmoud Darwish, and is celebrated by Al-Quds University and Palestinian institutions to consolidate the national heritage and support the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and transfer their history and culture to the world.

The media spokesman for the police, Colonel Louay Arziqat, announced, on Tuesday evening, that the third person who escaped from the glasses of the Hebron Governorate Police Directorate turned himself in to the police.

Irzeigat added, in a press statement, that this came as a result of the tireless efforts made by the police command with the families of those who fled, stressing that work is still going on to bring others.

It is noteworthy that 6 detainees were able to escape from the "Al-Qala'a" detention center in Hebron, yesterday, Monday.

The Minister of Interior, Major General Ziyad Hab Al-Rih, ordered the formation of a committee to investigate the reasons behind the escape of the detainees.

Amjad Ghanem, Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers and Chairman of the Technical Committee for the e-Government Services System "My Government", announced today, Tuesday, that the "My Government" system won the silver award in the Stevie Awards competition for the Middle East and North Africa, in the category of "Innovative Use of Technology in the Service of Citizens - Sector". government.”

Ghanem explained, in a press statement, that the victory of the "My Government" system came as part of a competitive process that included more than 800 institutions from government departments, the private sector and municipalities in the Middle East and North Africa region, which included 20 countries, where the award is expected to be received within the next few days. .

Ghanem confirmed that this system is now available to citizens for use on mobile phones through the Android play store and Apple store devices, after passing all the required checks.

The Secretary-General called on citizens who did not register and verify on the system, to expedite registration to benefit from the services available on it, with the possibility of inquiring, or requesting assistance by calling the number 135 - the call center of the system.

Yesterday, in its weekly session, the Council of Ministers approved the general framework of the Palestinian employment plan and the related budget, through the support of partners, directed to the Palestinian Employment Fund, to create about 2,500 new sustainable job opportunities, and 3,000 temporary opportunities for the next two years, at a value of $25 million.

The Minister of Labor and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Palestinian Fund for Employment, Nasri Abu Jaish, told the official Wafa News Agency today, Tuesday, that these opportunities will be available to the private sector, in the fields of agriculture, services, construction, industry, and various other sectors.

He added that the new program for the years 2023-2024 will focus on employing women in marginalized areas such as the Jordan Valley, and unemployed graduates, especially graduates of vocational training institutes, as it will provide them with financial support, whether through a grant or a zero-interest loan.

He pointed out that work will be done to support the targeted graduates of vocational institutes, by establishing a small facility in which we will provide them with the necessary equipment and small sums of money, pointing out that these facilities would develop and strengthen the Palestinian economy, and create new job opportunities.

And Abu Jaish added, "The Palestinian Employment Fund presented the government with its achievements during the past four years, as about 21,000 sustainable and non-sustainable job opportunities were created, of which 8,000 are sustainable, in addition to 13,000 indirect job opportunities, which are through the Municipalities Fund and other institutions." Others, including the northern and southern governorates.

He explained that the employment fund is based on three programmes: the first is employment for a period ranging from 6 months in an institution or company, as it will be by signing a contract with the company or institution that employment takes place during this period at the expense of the operating fund, and after its expiration, he signs a contract The second program is through temporary employment for a period of 4-6 months, in one of the institutions or municipalities, while the third program is self-employment by creating self-employment opportunities, such as supporting a facility or establishing Micro and small enterprises.

He pointed out that job opportunities during the last period were 52.5% for the southern governorates, and 47.5% for the northern governorates, of which 10% are for Jerusalem, and 5% for the Jordan Valley, while jobs include 60% for women, and 6% for people with disabilities.

On Tuesday evening, the Fatah youth, the student arm of the "Fatah" movement, achieved a victory described as "important" against the Islamic Bloc, the student arm of the " Hamas " movement, in the elections of the Polytechnic University in Hebron.

The youth achieved 21 seats, compared to 19 for the Islamic Bloc, and one seat for the left-wing "Nabad" bloc.

The voter turnout, as announced by the Special Election Commission, was 63 percent.

احتجزت قوات الاحتلال الإسرائيلي، مساء الثلاثاءـ، محافظ جنين، اللواء أكرم الرجوب،ـ لدى مروره عن حاجز عسكري قرب نابلس.

وقام جنود الاحتلال بإنزال الرجوب من مركبته، وتوقيفه والتدقيق في هويته، قبل أن يسمح لاحقًا بالمرور عبر الحاجز.

Today, Tuesday, civil defense crews, under the auspices of President Mahmoud Abbas, carried out an international exercise in the governorates of Nablus and Jericho , simulating the request for international assistance in the event of an earthquake.

The exercise was preceded by a meeting of the Supreme Council of Civil Defense in the headquarters of the Nablus governorate, in the presence of the Minister of Interior, Major General Ziyad Hab Al-Rih, the Governor, Major General Ibrahim Ramadan, the Minister of Local Government, Eng. The European Union and Jordan, as well as representatives of many of the governorate’s institutions and activities and leaders of the security services.

The Minister of Interior, Major General Hab Al-Rih, thanked the civil defense field soldiers and everyone who contributed to the success of this event, stressing the importance of being prepared to face any emergency.

In turn, Governor Ramadan stressed the importance of this event and the implementation of this scenario, to be ready in the event of any earthquake, and assess the general situation, extending his thanks to all partner institutions from the United Nations, the European Union and brotherly Jordan.

He said that the aim of this exercise is to measure the national effort and present it to international institutions, and to measure the effort of volunteers and others in the event of an earthquake.

For his part, Minister Al-Saleh appreciated this unique experience, which indicates the Palestinian people's readiness to always face crises, recalling the previous cooperation between various parties in managing the Corona crisis, and the need to draw lessons.

Civil Defense spokesman, Abdel-Wadood Al-Najjar, told Al-Quds.com that this exercise is the first of its kind and size at the level of the Civil Defense. It began with a simulation of the exposure of the city of Jericho to an earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale, and then reached the city of Nablus.

Al-Najjar added that the civil defense, the Nablus municipality fire brigade, the Red Crescent, the Ministry of Health, security services, and civil institutions were supposed to intervene, in addition to the arrival of five international rescue teams from Spain, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Jordan to support local relief efforts.

He explained that the simulation was represented by the occurrence of simultaneous events at the same time, to measure the relationship between the partners and the distribution of tasks, as three residential areas were evacuated, which are Khallat al-Amud, and residential buildings near the Rawda College, and the Ministry of Health building. Evacuation of the injured from landing operations via the hydraulic ladder and the normal ladder.

Today, Tuesday, the Israeli occupation authorities decided to hand over the body of the Jerusalemite martyr, Muhammad Osama Abu Jumaa (23 years), from the town of Al-Tur, east of occupied Jerusalem .

The martyr was killed by the occupation bullets in September of last year, in Modi'in settlement, claiming that he tried to carry out a stabbing operation.

Studying science and mathematics curricula has become easier for the student Shahd Jundiyeh (11 years old) from Gaza City, since she started attending lessons in a classroom in her school that follows learning with virtual reality .

"Learning through virtual reality brought me to an advanced level after I used to spend many hours studying the teaching materials," said a female soldier, while wearing a mask on her face and holding two machines in both hands.

Shahd Jundiyeh added that a great progress has been made in her educational status since she enrolled in the lessons via virtual reality, noting that learning through virtual reality allows her to have a better understanding, especially since she can access a world that simulates those lessons as if it were "a real and tangible reality."

Lynn Al-Louh shared a similar point of view with her friend Shahd Jundia, who expressed her happiness at starting teaching with the virtual reality world technology inside her school in a new and unique step.

Lin Al-Louh, who has just left her virtual lesson, told Xinhua that by learning through virtual reality, she is able to touch animal cells to learn more about their chemical compositions and special functions.

She added, "Mathematics and its engineering derivatives were among the most difficult subjects I studied during the school year, but now they have become interesting to me after learning them in a new way."

Jundia and Lynn Al-Louh were among the 500 students of the "Al Basma Al Haditha Private School" in the coastal sector, which suffers from difficult economic and humanitarian conditions, who studied through the newly introduced virtual reality classroom.

In the classroom, 3D designs are used to depict concepts in a subject, and in Math class, students can touch the circle, square, triangle and any other geometric shape to better understand the differences between them.

Ahmed Al-Natour, director of public relations at the school, told Xinhua that the virtual classrooms are the first of their kind in the Palestinian territories, noting that the main goal is to build a simulation model that enables students to engage in future sciences, and allows them to study and understand the curricula in a more practical way. .

According to Al Natour, compared to regular classrooms, virtual reality classes allow students to learn more effectively.

It allows virtual reality lessons by visualizing abstract concepts in their curriculum, and helps students understand them faster and easier, in addition to enhancing their creative thinking.

"We want the culture of virtual classrooms to expand in Palestinian schools, which contributes greatly to bringing Palestinian students into the world of artificial intelligence and future sciences," Al-Natour added.

The first step of its kind was praised by the parents of the students, stressing that it would benefit their children.

Safa Shrateh, the mother of one of the students at the school, told Xinhua that her son has become more interested in his homework and revises it at home without the help of the family, noting that he has the ability to explain chemical molecules without spending hours to help him.

Safa Shreiteh, 36, a mother of four, hopes that there will be more virtual classes in the sector so that all students can go through such an amazing experience to become future makers one day.

Since 2007, Israel has imposed a tight siege on the coastal strip, which is inhabited by more than two million people, after it was seized by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) by force. Since then, the economic situation in the strip has deteriorated, as its residents live in difficult living conditions.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh said, during his meeting with about 300 students from Harvard University, today, Tuesday, in Ramallah , that "the continuation of the current deteriorating situation will lead to the end of the two-state solution and a slide towards one state with an apartheid system in reality, legislation, and laws."

He added, "Hearing and reading about Palestine does not replace visiting it and seeing the facts and conditions on the ground."

Shtayyeh continued: "From the facts here you will find that the Gaza Strip is besieged, and Israel has built an apartheid wall and isolates Jerusalem, and the expansion of settlement construction, and daily violations and assaults on our people. Israel is working to create facts that are difficult to undo, all in order to destroy the two-state solution and embody establishment of the Palestinian state.

And he added, "International law is indivisible, and double standards must be stopped when it comes to Palestine, and Israel must not remain a state above the law."

Shtayyeh stressed that the occupation government imposes control over all aspects of life in Palestine, "it controls the crossings, borders, water and electricity, and it prevents us from exercising our right to elections, in addition to that the occupation earns more than 50 billion dollars annually from our occupied lands."

اضطر وزير الجيش الإسرائيلي يؤاف غالانت، لعقد جلسة أمنية خاصة لبحث استخدام الفلسطينيين للعبوات الناسفة خلال تنفيذ عمليات مؤخرًا، وهو الأمر الذي طرأ بشكل لافت خلال التفجير الذي حصل بالأمس على مفترق مجدو بالقرب من حيفا ما أدى لإصابة سائق مركبة تبين لاحقًا أنه فلسطيني من الداخل.

ووفقًا لموقع واي نت العبري، فإنه تم تقديم نتائج التحقيق الأولي بالأحداث الأخيرة إلى غالانت، بدون الإشارة بشكل مباشر إلى ما جرى في مجدو.

ووفقًا للموقع، فإنه جرى تقديم التحقيقات في عدة حوادث وقعت مؤخرًا ويحظر نشر تفاصيلها، وفيما يبدو منها مجدو وعملية زرع عبوة ناسفة على متن حافلة بمستوطنة بيتار عيليت غرب بيت لحم.

وأشار إلى أن غالانت أوعز بضرورة العمل من أجل الحفاظ على حياة الإسرائيليين وضمان أمنهم.

وتأتي عملية التفجير في مجدو، ومن قبلها المحاولة في بيتار عيليت، لتنضم لعملية التفجير بالقدس بوضع عبوتين ناسفتين في منطقتين مختلفتين قبل أشهر ما أدى لمقتل مستوطنين وإصابة العشرات، قبل أن يتم اعتقال الشاب الذي قام بصناعتها إسلام فروخ.

The Prisoners Club said that the occupation prisons administration transferred the detainee, the leader Muhammad Nayfa Abu Rabia, from the cells of (Ayalon) prison to (Nafha) prison, four months after he was isolated in solitary confinement in harsh and difficult conditions.

The club added that the prisoner Abu Rabia was transferred to isolation after he was subjected to a repression in (Megiddo) prison on November 17, 2022, and was later transferred to the cells of (Gilboa) prison and then to the isolation cells (Ayalon-Ramle). During his isolation, he took protest steps, including a strike for several days.

It is noteworthy that the prisoner Abu Rabia was subjected to isolation and oppression several times, and his family was also subjected to abuse, through repeated storming of his home, and the repeated arrest of his son as well.

The prisoner Abu Rabia from Tulkarem, has been detained for 20 years, and is serving a life sentence 14 times, and is considered one of the most prominent active prisoners in the occupation prisons.

It is worth mentioning that the Occupation Prisons Administration, since September 2021, has escalated the policy of solitary confinement, and today more than 40 prisoners face isolation at its various levels, and this percentage is the highest in more than ten years.

Despite the circumstances and challenges that the Palestinian people live through, and its inability to participate in person, the Faculty of Law at An-Najah National University managed, with the determination of its students, to snatch the first place for the award for the best written memorandum on behalf of the plaintiff at the level of Arab universities in the ninth Arab Moot Courts Competition that was held in the State of Kuwait.

This competition came with the participation of law faculties for more than 25 universities from the Arab world distributed over (14 Arab countries), (200 male and female students), and An-Najah National University was represented in this competition by students from the Faculty of Law, who are: Roua Jaradat, Marah Hamdallah, Sarah Omar, and Farah Atatari, under the supervision and training of Mr. Jawad Salman, Coordinator of the Moot Courts Unit at the University's College of Law.

And bless A.D. Abdel Nasser Zaid, President of the University, made this achievement, and confirmed that this victory is a continuation of the successive achievements of the students of An-Najah University at the national and regional levels, and pointed out the keenness of An-Najah University to support its students and develop their capabilities in various fields. His Excellency added, "This victory reflects nothing but the hard work and perseverance of the students of the College of Law and their supervisors, who took it upon themselves to carry the banner of the flag and the homeland in all Arab and international forums."

For his part, Dr. indicated. Naim Salameh, Dean of the Faculty of Law, indicated that this victory was achieved by An-Najah National University despite its inability to participate in the competition, and said: "The circumstances and challenges that the Palestinian people live through will not deter our students from realizing their dream and illuminating the path of knowledge. From the darkness of injustice, light is born." . Dr. pointed out. Salama stressed the importance of students’ participation in various local and international competitions, as it opens horizons for them to develop their abilities and harvest knowledge and various sciences, and achieves the mission of the university and college in enhancing the practical aspects of students and refining their personal and legal skills. Merging theory and practice on the ground.

In turn, A. Salman indicated that the students were trained for this competition for a period of 7 months, where the students were trained in drafting written notes, oral pleadings, and methods of building legal arguments from facts in the mock case. For its continuous support to students by all available means, and urging them to participate in local and international activities and events.

It should be noted that the award-winning student team is part of the moot court team at the College of Law, where the team is renewed annually and trained to participate in any international competition.

In appreciation of the efforts of the winning team, an honoring ceremony will be organized for them at An-Najah National University on 3/16/2023 in the auditorium of the College of Law on the new campus. This success and honor comes in the month of March, which is the month of women who continue to give, advance, excel, and make glory in various fields. .

Today, Tuesday, the Israeli occupation forces arrested a young man from the town of Tammun, south of Tubas , after summoning him to meet his intelligence services.

The director of the Captive Club in Tubas, Kamal Bani Odeh, stated that the occupation forces arrested Qusay Muhammad Mahmoud Bisharat (25 years old).

Citizens in several governorates organized stops to support and support the prisoners with their disobedience steps against the occupation prison administration, and with the approaching battle of their hunger strike , at the beginning of the blessed month of Ramadan , in response to the call of the Supreme National Emergency Committee of the National Captive Movement to organize stops in city centers under the title "Red Tuesday"

For the 29th consecutive day, the prisoners continue the steps of "disobedience" against the measures of the Minister of National Security in the extremist Israeli occupation government, Itamar Ben Gvir.

The Occupation Prisons Administration refuses to respond to the prisoners' demands, represented by stopping all the procedures it announced, which it began to implement a number of, based on the recommendations of Minister Ben Gvir.

The Supreme Emergency Committee of the Captive Movement, in its latest statement, called on our people to make today Tuesday - and every Tuesday - a commemoration of (Red Tuesday), in which our people presented their best sons on the gallows of freedom, during the time of the British Mandate and occupation, so that today is the day. "Freedom Tuesday" is a victory for them, as their battle (the battle of the hunger strike) approaches.

The Prisoners Club had organized events this evening in the city of Hebron and the town of Dura, to support the prisoners in the Israeli occupation prisons.

The media spokesman for the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, Amjad Al-Najjar, said that these activities, which were held in front of the Dura Martyrs Center and the Ibn Rushd Circle in the center of Hebron, in partnership with the Commission and the regions of the "Fatah" movement, come in response to the Supreme Emergency Committee of the Captive Movement, as part of its program to support the prisoners. This was in the presence of the liberated prisoners, the families of the prisoners, and official and civil institutions.

Aircraft manufacturer Boeing announced that Riyadh Airlines and Saudi Arabian Airlines have placed an order for 39 long-haul 787 Dreamliners each, and have raised the possibility of purchasing an additional 43 aircraft for both, or 121 in total.

With the additional 43 potential aircraft included, this would be the fifth largest order by value received by Boeing, which did not want to specify the value of the deal nor how the planes would be divided between the 787-9 and 787-10 models.

According to the White House, the total value of the order amounts to $37 billion.

"This agreement is part of the broader Saudi strategic plan aimed at turning the country into a global aviation hub," Boeing said in a statement.

The company indicated that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is looking forward to transporting, through its two airlines, 330 million passengers annually and receiving 100 million tourists by 2030.

Saudi Arabia is pursuing ambitious aviation goals as part of the broad "Vision 2030" reform of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia announced the launch of a new air carrier under the name "Riyadh Airlines", owned by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund.

Its CEO, Tony Douglas, said in an interview on CNBC that the Kingdom's "ambition is enormous," with the company's intention, in particular, to launch flights to more than 100 destinations around the world by 2030.

"There will be other orders," he added.

Saudi Airlines, which currently operates 93 Airbus and 51 Boeing aircraft, according to its website, hopes to expand its network by increasing the size of its fleet.

Compared to its competitors Emirates, Etihad or Qatar Airways, Saudi airlines have the ability to draw on a domestic market of about 35 million people.

For his part, Boeing President Dave Kallon told CNBC that the company, which is currently struggling to increase production due to suppliers still affected by the repercussions of the pandemic, will be able to meet the order.

"The situation is improving," he said, and "we are convinced (...) that we will be able to reach the production rates" that the group set for itself at the end of 2022, which is to build 10 Boeing 787 aircraft per month by 2025 or 2026. He confirmed that the orders received of Saudi companies incorporated into this goal.

But the manufacturer did not specify when the aircraft would be delivered.

It also did not mention how the orders were divided between "787-9" and "787-10". These two models are sold respectively for $292 million and $338 million each, according to the latest catalog prices sent by Boeing in 2019.

On the other hand, Boeing indicated that all aircraft will be equipped with General Electric engines.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blikin praised the agreement, noting that it followed "discussions that lasted for years, especially with US officials."

The announcement is evidence of the improvement in relations between Washington and Riyadh, after Biden warned last year of "consequences" when expressing his disappointment with Saudi Arabia's decision to cut oil production.

"We have repeatedly said that it is a strategic partnership, which it has been for eight decades, and like any partnership or friendship that undergoes ups and downs," said John Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council.

"We look forward to this strategic partnership truly serving, in every possible way, our national security interests there in the region and around the world," he added.

For its part, the Saudi Embassy to the United States stressed that the order "reaffirms the close commercial relations between the Kingdom and the United States."