Chen Jiazhang , an official with the Ministry of Science and Technology , said on Monday that China is actively promoting computing network construction.

The ministry has always attached great importance to the development of digital technology and has made systematic arrangements in core technology, new technology application and digital security, among others, Chen said at a press conference in Beijing.

Chen noted that the ministry hopes to provide strong support for digitization across the country.

In the development of intelligent technology, the ministry has established a special office for planning and promoting artificial intelligence and launched the new generation of major artificial intelligence projects.

In order to deal with potential risks and problems in the development of artificial intelligence, Chen said, the ministry has formulated and promulgated principles and ethics for managing the new generation of artificial intelligence so as to promote the progress of science and technology for the benefit of mankind.

Chen also mentioned improvements in ensuring network security.

On Monday, the US President played down the step taken by major oil countries on Sunday, according to which they decided to sharply reduce their production, after the White House had criticized the move, stressing at the same time its limited impact on the US economy.

"It won't be as bad as you might think," US President Joe Biden told reporters when he went to Minnesota to defend his economic policy.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters, "We do not believe that cutting production is an appropriate step at this time, given the uncertainty in the market."

He added that the United States "made this clear," stressing at the same time that Washington "focuses on moving forward."

And Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman and Algeria decided on Sunday, in a coordinated manner, to reduce their daily production by more than one million barrels per day in total, starting from next May until the end of this year, in the largest production cut since the decision of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its partners in the “OPEC Plus” alliance in October 2022 Cut production by two million barrels per day.

In turn, Russia, a member of the OPEC Plus alliance, announced that it would extend its crude oil production cut by 500,000 barrels per day until the end of 2023, referring to a "responsible and preventive measure."

Kirby said that the situation has improved since production was cut a year ago, in a move that angered US President Joe Biden and his administration, which was then facing difficulties in curbing the rise in fuel prices in the United States.

Kirby added, "We are in a different position now in terms of the market compared to last year," noting that crude oil prices are around $80 per barrel, after they were around $120 a year ago.

"Our focus is on pricing," he said.

In response to a question about troubled relations with Saudi Arabia, Kirby said that the kingdom "is still a strategic partner," but "views are not always identical."

Kirby stressed that the recent decision to cut production did not completely surprise the United States, noting that Washington "received warnings."

The German company " Rheinmetall " for defense industries announced, on Monday, that it intends to open a center in Romania for the maintenance of military equipment used in the battles against the Russian forces in Ukraine .

The company said that the center, which will be located near the city of Satu Mare in northern Romania, near the borders with Ukraine and Hungary, is scheduled to start operating before the end of April.

Rheinmetall said in a statement that the maintenance center "will play a pivotal role in maintaining the operational readiness of Western combat systems used in Ukraine and ensuring their logistical support."

She confirmed that the new center will be able to secure maintenance for the "Leopard 2" tanks that Germany recently shipped to Ukraine, in addition to the "Howitzers" and the "Mardier" and "Fox" armored vehicles.

The German company indicated that the center will also provide a maintenance service for NATO combat vehicles, saying this gives NATO's eastern wing the advantage of "shortening the reaction time".

"Giving NATO forces as well as Ukraine the best possible support in this delicate situation is a major concern for us," said Armin Papberger, CEO of "Rheinmetall".

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, during a short visit to Bucharest, welcomed the Rheinmetall announcement, describing Romania and Germany's cooperation in support of Ukraine as "very intense".

"We are always looking forward to how we can further our common interests as Europeans and NATO allies," he told reporters, adding that it was "necessary" to repair equipment near the Ukrainian border.

Rheinmetall, in partnership with German arms maker Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, opened a similar center in Lithuania last June to provide logistical support to Lithuanian and other NATO forces stationed in the Baltic states.

The art market grew slightly last year compared to 2021, in a foggy economic context with the return of war in Europe , and amounted to $ 67.8 billion, according to the annual report issued by "Art Basel / UBS " on Tuesday.

Global artwork sales increased by 3% in 2022 compared to 2021, and exceeded the pre-pandemic level in 2019, causing market turbulence as severe as the rest of the global economy.

The report notes that "2022 can be described as a year of difference."

Market growth was driven mainly by sales of luxury products, while sales declined in mainland China and Hong Kong due to strict policies to combat the spread of the Covid epidemic.

On the other hand, the report confirms that "the American market has recovered strongly, to rank first again" in the global art market.

Despite the prevailing ambiguity, "collectors remained attached to the market," according to the study, which notes that "this cautious growth in the face of deep ambiguity attests to the strength of the post-pandemic arts market and gives justifications to be convinced of its resilience."

Noah Horovitz, managing director of the Art Basel Foundation, which organizes one of the world's largest contemporary art fairs and also established its headquarters in Paris last year, notes that the numbers are improving in terms of digital art, despite the sharp decline in cryptocurrencies that were boosting the results of this segment.

He notes that "the popularity of digital art, film and video has increased exponentially, from 1% of sales in 2021 to 5% last year."

Horowitz says that digital art powered by sales of NFT technology (digital certificates of authenticity online that saw a boom about two years ago) "is largely responsible for this change and shows how the market continues to evolve and adapt".

In 2022, wealthy collectors are spending more than they did before the pandemic, and are looking positively at 2023, "with aggressive spending plans".

According to this survey, 77% of these wealthy people expected the market to grow. Most of them expressed the intention to purchase the artworks in 2023.

Luxembourg announced Monday that it will again authorize the marketing of products that include glyphosate in its composition, after the local judiciary canceled a decision to ban the herbicide that was issued in 2020 and made Luxembourg the first country in the European Union to ban this controversial substance.

In early February 2020, the authorities withdrew permits to market plant protection products that contain glyphosate, while allowing the sale of stock that was on the market, before completely banning their use on Luxembourg territory as of January 1, 2021.

However, this ban was invalidated on Friday by a decision of the Administrative Court in Luxembourg. The judges noted that there was "no indication of any legal argument" for banning the eight products in question, in contravention of the EU legal system that allows for their distribution.

The Luxembourg Ministry of Agriculture commented on Monday that "the abolition of the ban makes it possible to issue marketing authorizations for the relevant plant protection products, from the date of the court's decision."

The German company "Bayer", which appealed to the administrative courts against the ban imposed on its products, stated that "the court confirmed that the withdrawal of marketing licenses violates European law."

"The withdrawal of licenses was not based on any scientific or regulatory element criminalizing the use of glyphosate or products consisting of this substance," a spokesman for the group, which specializes in manufacturing chemical products, told AFP.

In early December, the European Commission decided to extend for one year, that is, until December 15, 2023, the decision to authorize glyphosate marketing in European Union countries, which had previously been renewed for five years in 2017, pending any scientific evaluation issued by the regulatory bodies. European .

The European Food Safety Authority intends to present a study in July 2023 that addresses “the risks arising from exposure of animals, humans and the environment to glyphosate, and is considered necessary to take a decision regarding the extension of the marketing authorization of the herbicide for an additional five years.

The government of Luxembourg, a small country of 645,000 people located between Germany, Belgium and France, banned the marketing of glyphosate as a result of a political agreement reached by the ruling coalition in 2018, the first of its kind in an EU member state.

And at the beginning of 2020, the Luxembourg government confirmed that about 60% of agricultural projects in the country refrained from using glyphosate, before the ban was imposed.

On Tuesday , the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination issued a warning to the Tunisian authorities, calling on them to put an end to “racist hate speech,” especially against people of sub-Saharan African descent.

The committee expressed its "disturbation at the statements made by the Tunisian President (Kais Said) in late February" that the influx of irregular migrants from sub-Saharan Africa represents "a source of violence and crimes" and that it is part of a "criminal arrangement" aimed at "changing the composition demographics of Tunisia.

The committee, which monitors the compliance of the parties to the International Agreement on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, considered that the Tunisian president's statements contradict the agreement.

She said she was "deeply concerned about the escalation of racist or xenophobic hate speech in Tunisia against migrants from sub-Saharan African countries on social networks and some other media, including racist hate speech by individuals and political parties."

It noted that the wave of hate speech led to acts of violence against these immigrants, including physical assaults and expulsions from their homes and jobs.

She also drew attention to reports of numerous arbitrary arrests against these immigrants, including women, children and students, "carried out by security forces within the framework of the campaign called Strengthening Security Measures and Reducing the Phenomenon of Illegal Residence in Tunisia + without any procedural guarantees."

The committee called on Saeed to immediately stop the mass arrests and detentions of migrants, release those arbitrarily detained, and allow those who choose to seek asylum to do so.

In a February 21 speech, the Tunisian president stressed that "urgent measures" must be taken to stem the flow of irregular migrants from sub-Saharan Africa to his country.

On the eighth of March, he denied any racism in his stance towards immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa, stressing that the statements "cannot be explained by interpretations repeated by some malicious tongues" that described his statements as racist.

In light of this, the World Bank decided to suspend the Partnership Framework with Tunisia "until further notice."

On Tuesday, Palestinian factions blessed the stabbing attack that took place south of Tel Aviv this morning, wounding two soldiers and arresting the perpetrator.

The "Hamas" movement said that the operation comes within the framework of the continuous response to the crimes of the occupation and the attack on the seclusion in Al-Aqsa and the expected storming tomorrow and the attempt to slaughter sacrifices there.

"The stabbing attack near Tel Aviv, preceded by the run-over attack in Beit Ummar in the Hebron district two days ago, proves the failure of the occupation's security system," Abdel Latif al-Qanou', a spokesman for Hamas, said.

He added, "The resistance is capable of striking the occupation everywhere to defend our people and our sanctities, and the strikes of our revolutionary youth will continue and escalate to defend Al-Aqsa Mosque and protect it from the expected storming tomorrow and the danger of Judaization and division."

The Islamic Jihad Movement also blessed the operation, and also confirmed that it comes in response to the ongoing occupation crimes against the Palestinian people, and the continued storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

For its part, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine described the operation as a "qualitative strike," stressing that it comes in response to the escalating crimes of the occupation and settlers.

Today, Tuesday, a delegation from the " Hamas " movement participated in a meeting of a group of scholars in the Qatari capital, Doha , to explain the developments of the Palestinian cause .

The delegation included the head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, Khaled Meshaal, Musa Abu Marzouq and Khalil Al-Hayya, at the invitation of the Secretary-General of the International Union of Muslim Scholars Ali Al-Qara Daghi.

During his speech, the head of the "Hamas" movement reviewed the important transformations taking place in the Palestinian cause and the region, focusing on the dangers that Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque are exposed to under the current Israeli government, which is the most racist, extremist and dangerous, and aims to liquidate the Palestinian cause and implement plans to control the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque to control and divide it into time and space.

Haniyeh praised the historical and pivotal role of the nation's scholars throughout history, especially in supporting the Palestinian cause as it is the central cause of Muslims. A group of the nation's senior scholars from multiple countries participated in the meeting.

The head of the "Hamas" movement reviewed the total political and field changes and the escalation of the resistance project in Palestine, praising the heroic steadfastness enjoyed by the people in the West Bank and the psychological readiness, courage and daring shown by the resistance fighters in all confrontations, expressing his satisfaction with the field unity in which all Palestinian forces and factions contribute to the struggle. Confronting the Israeli occupation .

Haniyeh gave a full explanation of the reality of the occupied West Bank and its valiant resistance, and the transformations and positive indicators it bears in this conflict and its future, as well as what the besieged Gaza represents as a solid base for the resistance and its embrace, and the role of our people in all its places of presence, referring at the same time to the state of rift within the occupation and considered it An introduction to its collapse, and the beginning of disintegration on the way to disappearance, God willing.

In turn, the scholars focused on their firm position in supporting the Palestinian cause, not abandoning it and supporting the resistance project against the occupiers, praising the role of the "Hamas" movement and the Palestinian resistance factions, and evoking the ideological dimensions of the Palestinian cause and the inevitability of victory.

On Tuesday, Hamas described the continued Israeli bombing of Syria as a "war crime, systematic terrorism and bullying."

Hamas spokesman, Hazem Qassem , said that the recurrence of the aggression against Syria reflects the escalating aggression practiced by the occupation against all the nation and its sanctities, which must be confronted by all the living forces in the nation. like he said.

Today, Tuesday, the Israeli occupation forces arrested 4 young men in occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank.

In Jerusalem, the occupation forces arrested the two young men, Rami Al-Fakhouri and Ziyad Abu Hadwan, after they raided and searched the homes of their families.

While the occupation authorities released the Jerusalemite activist Alaa Al-Sous, after her arrest yesterday, on the condition of house arrest, and banning the use of social media.

In Jenin, the released prisoner, Youssef Shaban Yassin, was arrested after his house was raided and its contents were tampered with in the village of Anin.

In Ramallah, Israeli forces arrested the university student, Ahmed Abdel Nasser Al-Nubani (20 years old), while he was passing through the Atara military checkpoint, located on the lands of the citizens, north of the city.

For the second year in a row, the atmosphere of preparation, preparations and joy in the blessed month of Ramadan was absent from the house of the Sobh family in general and the mother, Rajaa Arafat Sobh in particular, in the absence of her martyr son Youssef Sobh (17 years old), and the occupation’s detention of his body, and she says: “The month of Ramadan is a religious occasion and imposed on us And we perform its religious rituals, but today it is different in our lives, so there is no joy and spirit at all, as the current Ramadan is more difficult, and there was no Ramadan atmosphere of joy or adornment in light of the martyrdom of Yusuf and the detention of his body, as he is a martyr and a prisoner at the same time.

And she added, "Before his execution, we used to celebrate and prepare, and he helped us prepare decorations and lightings, and he rejoiced and rejoiced like us, and he shared with us the reunions at the suhoor and iftar tables, and he was always keen to sit next to me, then he joined friends and chatted with them."

And she continues: "I still remember his eagerness to fulfill my requests, and his constant question about my needs to attend to them, as he is distinguished by love, loyalty, righteousness and obedience to parents, and with his presence there was a sound, joy and life in our house, and everyone's love for him. ".

Since the first day of the month of Ramadan, the patient mother hastened to prepare a large picture of Youssef, and erected it on the wall in the middle of her house, directly in front of the Iftar book, so that he would be, as she says: “always present with us and in front of us, to support us and ease our pain, with the refusal of the occupation to hand over his body to us, and to spend The nights of the holy month, in prayer and supplication to the Lord of the Worlds, to return his body and his freedom to us from the tombs of numbers.

She added, "My sadness increases whenever my youngest daughter Yaqoot's questions are repeated about her brother, and why is he detained in the refrigerators of the occupation and does not have a grave like the rest of the martyrs? My tongue is unable to answer her questions because her answer is more difficult."

The memory of the mother, Rajaa, recalled the details of the last hours before Youssef’s elevation on the morning of 9-26-2021, and she said: “He came home and ate dinner, entered his room, and sat as if I were guarding him, cheering and swimming until he heard the sound of explosions and gunfire after the occupation forces stormed Burqin , so I went to him and was reassured He didn't leave."

She adds, "I sat with his father following him so that he would not leave, but suddenly he disappeared. I do not know how he left the house in a jiffy. His father tried to bring him back, but he went to the confrontations that were fierce and different from the previous days. I remained waiting for the news, and I pray to the Lord of the Worlds to protect him and all heroes like him."

At around four o’clock in the morning, the last call took place between Youssef and his father, who asked him to return and protect himself, in light of the widespread occupation in the town, while his mother was communicating with his comrades, urging them to take care of him, in light of her tension whenever she heard the sound of bullets and news of injuries. But she only knew that the sun had risen with his martyrdom.

Witnesses narrate that Youssef advanced the ranks in the confrontations with the occupation, with courage and courage. When one of his comrades, the resistance fighters, was wounded by the occupation’s bullets in his foot, and fell to the ground covered in blood, Youssef drew his gun, continued the journey, and attacked the soldiers from zero point, so they shot him, and despite the injury to his feet, he defied The soldiers continued shooting until they hit him with several bullets all over his body, so he fell as a martyr, then they detained his body and took it with them.

After targeting Youssef, there were conflicting reports about his fate, because the occupation took him with him during his withdrawal, and his mother says: "We lived through nightmares of horror because the occupation concealed his fate, and after afternoon he admitted that he had been liquidated and executed. What they asked for, they got, and after that I did not know what happened to me because of the horror of the shock.

And she adds: "His body is held in great pain. We have the right to receive him and bury him. Detaining him is a crime. Our heroes are not frozen to put them in their refrigerators. This is part of the punishment and revenge. We want his body to rest in his grave, and our aching hearts to rest, and we will remain waiting and resisting until his wedding in a patriotic wedding and embrace him." and bid him farewell.”

L'Oréal announced on Tuesday that it had signed an agreement with Natura & Co. to acquire the Australian luxury cosmetics brand, Aesop , valued at $2.525 billion.

And “Aesop” achieved sales of $ 537 million in the year 2022, according to a statement, while the brand is still owned to this day by the Brazilian “Natura & Co” group (“The Body Shop”, “Evan”).

"+L'Oréal+ will contribute to accelerating the growth of +Aesop+", particularly in China.

"The addition of Aesop to the luxury brands in the beauty division will contribute significantly to the growth of L'Oréal Luxe in the coming years," said Cyril Chapuy, President of L'Oreal Lux.

In 2022, L'Oreal Luxe (Lancome, Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani...) occupied the first place for the second year in a row among the various divisions of the group, with sales of 14.6 billion euros (+18,000,000 euros). 6%.

"The abandonment of Aesop marks the start of a new development cycle for Natura & Co," said Fabio Barbosa, managing director of Naturi & Co. "A company with a strong financial structure, healthy balance sheet and strict financial discipline will be able to focus more on its strategic priorities, specifically on its investment plan in Latin America," he said.

Founded in 1987, Aesop is famous for its skin, hair and body care products, and has become a global brand available in high-end stores, beauty centers and luxury hotels around the world.

As for “L’Oreal”, which is at the forefront of the global companies in cosmetics, it achieved 5.7 billion euros in net profits in the year 2022, achieving an increase of 24.1%, while its sales reached 38.3 billion euros, with an increase of 18.5%. %.

Iran and Saudi Arabia intend to open a joint chamber of commerce soon, an Iranian businessman revealed on Monday.

Keyvan Kashfi, a board member of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, said during a meeting that the chamber is proceeding with the procedures for launching the joint chamber of commerce.

He added that Iran intends to start exchanging business delegations with Saudi Arabia as soon as the embassies in the two countries are reopened and their ambassadors are returned to work.

Kashfi said that the normalization of relations between Tehran and Riyadh has been the main political and economic issue for Iran over the past 30 days, and added that the Iranian private sector welcomed the "constructive and positive" interaction with Saudi Arabia and began planning for more economic cooperation.

He explained that the two countries' decision to normalize relations had a very positive impact on the Iranian economy and was a very useful mechanism, expressing his hope that Iran's positive interactions with other countries would continue.

Kashfi noted that Iran and Saudi Arabia have great potential for cooperation in the oil, gas, petrochemical and technology sectors.

China, Saudi Arabia and Iran announced on March 10 that the latter two had reached a consensus that includes an agreement to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies and missions within two months.

The Dubai Court of Cassation upheld the ruling to extradite a Briton accused of tax fraud worth 1.7 billion euros to Denmark, according to the media office of the Gulf emirate's government.

Thus, the highest judicial authority in the Gulf emirate rejects the latest appeal by Sanjay Shah, the investor through a hedge fund whose extradition Denmark requested in June.

Sanjay Shah, 51, is accused of carrying out a fraudulent scheme that began in 2012 and lasted for three years. It was based on foreign companies claiming to own shares in Danish companies to demand tax refunds.

"The Dubai Court of Cassation rejected Sanjay Shah's appeal (...) and upheld the Court of Appeal's decision approving Denmark's request for his extradition on charges of fraud and money laundering," the Attorney General of the Emirate of Dubai, Issam Al-Humaidan, announced in a statement published by the Government of Dubai Media Office on Monday evening.

The Dubai Court of First Instance rejected his extradition request for the first time on September 12, but the Court of Appeal overturned this decision after the Attorney General of the Emirate of Dubai appealed this ruling, and Shah filed a final appeal before the Court of Cassation, which issues final decisions.

Shah maintains his innocence and says he did not violate Danish law, according to Emirati media.

The police said that his arrest took place through close cooperation with the UAE authorities and under a bilateral extradition agreement signed in March 2022.

Shah's lawyer did not want to comment on the Court of Cassation's decision when AFP contacted him.

Despite being banned more than 35 years ago, record levels of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), known to have harmful effects on the ozone layer , were recorded in 2020, according to a study published Monday.

CFCs are a powerful greenhouse gas that traps 10,000 times more heat than carbon dioxide, the major global warming gas, according to data from the Global Carbon Project.

After the widespread use of CFCs as a refrigerant in the seventies and eighties of the twentieth century, they were banned in 1987 under the Montreal Protocol, following the discovery of a hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica resulting from the use of this substance.

While this hole is slowly shrinking, the United Nations Environment Program expects it to disappear within four decades.

The study, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, which analyzed five CFCs between 2010 and 2020, indicated that the recent increase in CFC levels is likely to result from leaks during the production of chemicals that are alternatives to these compounds, including HFCs. (HFCs).

The Montreal Convention states that the release of ozone-depleting and dispersible substances must be reduced, but it does not prohibit their use as raw materials or by-products in the production of other chemical compounds. It is assumed that CFCs will cease to be used within the next three decades under a recent amendment to the 1987 treaty.

The increase in CFC levels may be due to unauthorized uses.
Luke Western of the University of Bristol and the Global Monitoring Laboratory, one of the study's authors, pointed out that these emissions have had a minimal impact to date on the ozone layer, and are equivalent to carbon dioxide emissions in Switzerland for the year 2020, or about 1% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the world. United State.

But if the rapid upward trend of CFCs continues, their impact on the ozone layer and global warming will increase.

The researchers called their findings an "early warning."

And in 2018, a group of scientists determined that the rate at which CFCs slowed down had halved compared to the previous five years.

At the time, the researchers said, the causative agents were factories in eastern China. Once CFC production stopped in this area, CFC levels fell again.

The study, published on Monday, confirmed the need for further research to find out the source of the recent increase in CFC emissions.

"Putting out CFCs would be an easy win in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions," Western noted.

Ukraine has received the first tranche of the new aid program of the International Monetary Fund , amounting to 2.7 billion US dollars, Andrei Peshny , head of the National Bank of Ukraine, announced on Monday.

"We thank our partners for their prompt assistance," Bishni wrote on Facebook.

He added that Ukraine is now actively working to successfully pass the first review of the program and receive the next tranche of aid.

Last week, the International Monetary Fund approved a $15.6 billion, 48-month arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility.

It is worth noting that the program aims to consolidate policies that maintain financial, external, tax and price stability, as well as those that support economic recovery in Ukraine.

One person was killed and at least thirty others were injured, 19 of them seriously, on Tuesday in Voorschoten, between The Hague and Amsterdam in the south of the Netherlands , due to a high-speed passenger train derailing, according to emergency services.

"One person was killed and at least 30 were injured, and the seriously injured were taken to hospital, while 11 were taken to nearby homes," the same source said.

The train derailed at around 03:30 (01:30 GMT) after it collided with building equipment on the tracks in this town located in the northeastern suburb of The Hague, according to the same source.

The two-decker train was making a trip between Amsterdam and The Hague with 60 passengers.

The emergency services indicated that "experts are working to secure the perimeter of the train," explaining that the cause of the accident is "under investigation."

Scenes from the scene and reports showed the front trailer ending up in a field, while a second trailer overturned.

A third trailer caught fire, according to Dutch news agency ANP.

"We heard a bang first, then a much stronger bang," Chris Van Engelenburg, 36, a local resident, told AFP. "After that, we heard people screaming."

Train traffic on this high-traffic line, which is used by trains from Amsterdam to Brussels and Paris, has been halted and will only resume in the afternoon, according to railway company officials.

DB Cargo, which operates the train, said the electric locomotive was badly damaged, but the driver underwent a medical examination and was in "good" condition.

"The train accident was horrific," said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, stressing, "Unfortunately, one person died and many were injured."

"My thoughts are with all the victims and their relatives," he wrote on Twitter.

"It's a dark day for the Dutch railways," said John Voppen, general manager of Dutch rail company ProRail.

Ambulances and a helicopter rushed to the scene to evacuate the seriously wounded. The severity of their injuries was not immediately known.

"The damage is massive, I've never seen anything like this before. But fortunately it doesn't happen very often in the Netherlands," ProRail spokesman Jeroen Wienen told AFP at the scene.

"Several different investigations have started now, and we want to know exactly what happened," he added.

He pointed out that the railway at the site and the electric lines were damaged.

An eyewitness, who did not reveal his identity, told the local TV station, "Europe Fest", "We heard a bang and the electricity suddenly went out."

The man, who showed signs of shock, added, "We were not able to get out immediately from the train because there was no electricity anymore (...) We were finally able to get out after it felt like hours had passed."

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Queen Maxime said they "deeply sympathize" with the victims, stressing that "many people are now living in a state of fear and uncertainty".

The worst train accident in the Netherlands dates back to January 8, 1962, when two trains collided in Harmeln, near Utrecht in the center of the country, killing 93 people and injuring 52 others.

The accident occurred while the area was surrounded by thick fog, and the driver of one of the two trains did not notice a warning light, and collided head-on with the second train.

In 2016, one person was killed and six injured when a train collided with a crane in central Holland.

One person was killed and 117 injured in a collision near Amsterdam in April 2012, and later reports indicated that the driver had failed to respect the stop sign.

On Monday, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution urging all states to stop imposing unilateral coercive measures that are inconsistent with international law and principles governing peaceful relations between states.

The resolution was adopted by 33 votes in favour, 13 against, with one abstention.

The resolution requests that the UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights continue her work to propose measures to ensure the abolition of such measures, and requests her to focus on the resources and compensation needed to enhance accountability, as well as redress for victims, in her next report. to the council.

In addition, the resolution requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to organize a panel discussion every two years on the impact of unilateral coercive measures on the right to development and the achievement of sustainable development goals. This discussion will be held at the 54th session of the Council next September.

Kenya announced Monday that it will launch its first operational satellite next week in a historic achievement for the country's space programme.

The Taiva 1 satellite, or "nation" in Swahili, is scheduled to be launched on April 10 by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

The Kenya Space Agency, in a joint statement with the Ministry of Defense, called the mission a "significant achievement", adding that it would contribute significantly to the country's "emerging space economy".

The statement said the observation satellite was "completely designed and developed" by Kenyan engineers and would be used to provide information on agriculture, food security and other areas.

The statement indicated that the components of the satellite were tested and manufactured in cooperation with a Bulgarian aerospace company.

East Africa's leading economic powerhouse, Kenya, is suffering its worst drought in decades after five poor rainy seasons.

The launch of the Kenyan satellite will give impetus to African countries in the field of scientific innovation and the development of space programs. Egypt was the first African country to send a satellite into space in 1998.

In 2018, Kenya launched the first experimental nano satellite from the International Space Station.

As of 2022, at least 13 African countries have manufactured 48 satellites, according to the Nigeria-based Space in Africa agency that tracks African space programmes.

According to the agency, more than 50 African satellites were launched as of November 2022, but none of them were launched from African soil.

The Djibouti government announced a memorandum of understanding with a Hong Kong-based company to build a $1 billion commercial spaceport to launch rockets and vehicles into space, and is expected to take five years to build.

On Monday, the Palestinian government announced that Israel's deductions from tax funds raise the ceiling of the deficit in the general budget for the current year to more than $610 million.

The government said in a statement that its cabinet approved in its weekly session in the city of Ramallah the appendix to the budget for the year 2023, and recommended the nomination of President Mahmoud Abbas to attach it to the budget law, which was approved with the main elements of revenues and expenditures in a previous session.

The statement indicated that this year's budget was approved as a cash emergency budget, from which cash flows are available to the treasury.

The statement stated that the budget suffers from a deficit of no less than 360 million dollars, without the unfair Israeli deductions to which the public treasury is exposed, which raises the ceiling of the deficit to more than 610 million dollars.

The statement praised the effort made to prepare the budget in light of the financial and political challenges that "exacerbate the suffering of the Palestinian people."

In March of last year, the Palestinian government approved the 2022 budget at a value of $4.77 billion, with a deficit of $558 million, a decrease of about 25.4 percent from 2021.

The fiscal year in the Palestinian territories begins at the beginning of January of each year, until the end of December of the same year, according to the Palestinian Budget Law.

And Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh announced earlier today that due to the increase in Israeli deductions, which amounted to about 250 million shekels per month (the US dollar equals 3.6 shekels), and the decline in international aid allocated to the budget, the government was forced to borrow from banks to pay the salary for the month of March within days and pay The salary for the current month of April before the Eid Al-Fitr holiday, so that employees can meet their financial obligations during the Eid holiday.

Shtayyeh did not refer to the value of the amount that was borrowed by banks or the value of salary disbursement, which during the past months was 80 percent.

Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday that the alliance will discuss a multi-year support program for Ukraine , according to the Ukrainian Interfax news agency.

Stoltenberg said that the program will be on the agenda of the NATO foreign ministers' meeting on April 4 and 5.

"I look forward to the ministers agreeing to begin work on developing a multi-year support program for Ukraine," Stoltenberg told a news conference in Brussels, Belgium.

Besides providing support to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, Stoltenberg said, the program is important for the long-term perspective of the development of relations between Ukraine and NATO.

He added that the foreign ministers of NATO countries will also discuss during their meeting ways to enhance support for the Ukrainian Armed Forces and ensure its transition to NATO standards.

On April 4, a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Commission will take place within the framework of the NATO Foreign Ministers Summit.

On Tuesday morning, dozens of settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque , under the strict protection of the occupation police.

The settlers made provocative tours inside the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and performed Talmudic rituals.

Settler groups storm Al-Aqsa on a daily basis, except for Friday and Saturday.

At least 12 people were killed, several wounded, and about 30 kidnapped in attacks by militants in northeastern and central Nigeria , police and officials said Monday.

Insecurity is a major concern in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, where the country's new president is due to be sworn in next month following elections rejected by the opposition.

In the state of Adamawa, in the north-east of the country, unidentified gunmen stormed the town of Dabna, located in the Hung district, which "unfortunately led to the death of three (people)," according to local police spokesman Suleiman Nguroji, who also indicated that a number of houses were burned.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack, knowing that Boko Haram had previously launched attacks in the region from its stronghold, Sambisa Forest, in Borno state.

Also Monday, gunmen attacked residents of the Oganinigo district of Dekina district in central Kogi state, local authorities announced.

The governor's spokesman, Mohamed Onogwu, announced the death of a local politician and "others have been affected by this ugly and unfortunate attack."

On Sunday, gunmen stormed a church in the village of Akinawi-Tsoaref in central Benue State, killing one person and kidnapping three others, according to Salome Tor, a political official in Lugo County, in which the village is located.

"The attackers stormed the church during a morning service, killed one person and kidnapped three others, including the priest," Tor said.

Two people were seriously injured and taken to hospital for treatment, according to Tor. Tor did not name the party responsible for the attack, but Benio has been witnessing bloody violence for years between cattle herders and farmers.

In Niger state, located in the center of the country, gunmen suspected of belonging to criminal gangs attacked a number of villages in the provinces of Machigo and Monia, killing at least seven people and kidnapping 26 others, according to a local official.

Omar Jibrin Eguidi, a political official in Machigo County, said that the attacks are part of a series of attacks that have targeted villages in the region in the past two weeks, noting that a large number of residents have fled their homes.

Agence France-Presse was unable to obtain comment from the Niger state police on the attacks and kidnappings.

President Muhammadu Buhari's term ends in May, and Paula Tinubu will succeed him in the presidency of a country facing a jihadist rebellion in its northeast, gang violence in its northwest and center, and separatist movements in its southeast.

Russian drones targeted the strategic port city of Odessa in Ukraine , city authorities said early Tuesday, citing "damage".

"The enemy has just targeted Odessa and its region with attack drones," a statement issued by the city's local authorities posted on Facebook said, adding, "There is damage," without providing further details.

The statement quoted Yuriy Krok, head of the military administration of the Odessa region, as saying that Ukraine's air defense forces were operating, warning of the possibility of a second wave of attacks. No further details were provided immediately.

The Black Sea port of Odessa was a favorite holiday destination for Ukrainians and Russians alike before the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February of last year, and since the invasion Odessa has been bombed several times by Russian forces.

In January, the United Nations' UNESCO warned that the World Heritage-listed city center of Odessa was in danger.

Last Monday, the opening ceremony of a new air freight route linking Shenzhen, southern China , and Sao Paulo, Brazil , was held, which is expected to stimulate e-commerce between the two countries.

The aforementioned route was launched by Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport and Cainiao Network, the logistics arm of the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, with two flights per week operated by a full-fledged Boeing 747 freighter of Atlas Air.

Last Sunday, the first flight carrying 100 tons of e-commerce products took off from Shenzhen, southern China, and specialized e-commerce products in Shenzhen.

According to Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, products sold by companies across borders in Shenzhen and surrounding cities can be delivered to Brazilian consumers in "more than a week."

The airport added that since the beginning of this year, it has cooperated with airlines and logistics operators to open new cross-border routes, while the volume of air transportation of cross-border products increased by 70 percent year on year.

According to official statistics released by the General Administration of Customs of China, the bilateral trade volume between China and Brazil last year reached 171.49 billion US dollars, up 4.9 percent year on year.

Australia announced, on Tuesday, that it will ban the TikTok application on government electronic devices, joining a growing list of Western countries that have preceded it in this action against the application owned by a Chinese company due to national security concerns.

Australian Attorney General Mark Dreyfuss said the decision was made in the light of advice from the country's intelligence agencies, and implementation would begin "as soon as practicable".

Australia is the latest member of the "Five Eyes" intelligence coalition, which includes the United States, Britain, Canada and New Zealand, to impose a government ban on TikTok.

France, the Netherlands and the European Commission have taken similar decisions.

Electronic security experts have warned of the possibility of using the application, which has more than a billion users and has been very popular recently, to collect data and share it with the Chinese government.

TikTok returned the ban to "xenophobia", but in December last year it admitted to collecting data to spy on journalists.

Many government departments were initially keen to use TikTok as a means of communicating with younger demographic segments that are difficult to reach through traditional media.

Earlier this year, the Australian government announced that it would remove Chinese-made security cameras from politicians' offices over security concerns.

The College of Law at Qatar University has obtained accreditation for a period of five years from the French High Council for the Evaluation of Research and Higher Education (HCERES); From March 28, 2023 to March 28, 2028, for the master’s programs in private law and public law (for the first time), and for the bachelor’s program in law (for the second time).

This accreditation comes after an evaluation process for the academic programs offered by the college. Where the accreditation committee decided on March 20, 2023 that the three programs meet the four criteria for accreditation, including the objectives of the study programs, their location among academic institutions, educational structure, and administration. The accreditation report indicated that the College of Law at Qatar University provides an ideal environment for learning, and that it possesses high efficiency in the structure and diversity of its faculty, including cultural richness. The report also revealed that offering specialized courses in the college is considered an application of the principle of progressive specialization, and indicated that offering some courses in English is one of the strengths of our undergraduate program, explaining that the State of Qatar, as an important international financial and commercial center, in which students can work in both languages; Arabic and English, which opens up many opportunities for them.

The report fully sheds light on the major shift in teaching methodologies at the College of Law towards applied education, referring to legal clinics, moot courts, legal laboratories, and the compulsory external training program, which are the four main elements of applied education in the college, which the report described as an original and unique development in Arab universities.

The ultimate goals
Dr. Talal Abdullah Al-Emadi, Dean of the College of Law at Qatar University, expressed his pride in the achievements of the faculty and administrative staff of the college, pointing out that the college seeks to meet international standards of higher education, including legal education; Considering the six core values of Qatar University's strategy; Excellence, integrity, diversity, innovation, academic freedom, and social responsibility.

Dr. Al-Emadi said: Qatar National Vision 2030 has set the ultimate goals for us in education. It stated that the country aims to “build a modern, world-class education system that provides students with a first-class education comparable to anywhere in the world.” The system will provide excellent training and opportunities for citizens to develop to their full potential, preparing them to succeed in a changing world with increasingly complex technical requirements. The system will also encourage analytical and critical thinking, as well as creativity and respect for the values and heritage of Qatari society, and will invite constructive interaction with other countries. He concluded by saying, “We see this international accreditation process as one of the important means that lead to the realization of this vision.”

Research theses
For his part, Dr. Faisal Misfer Al-Hababi, Associate Dean for Scientific Research and Graduate Studies at Qatar University, praised the accreditation report for research theses submitted by college students in postgraduate studies, indicating that they will be used in the doctoral programs launched by the college recently.

Accreditation report
Dr. Muhammad Yahya Matar, Professor of Applied Legal Studies and Head of the Department of Legal Skills at Qatar University, appreciated this new development in the College of Law in the accreditation report, stressing that understanding the law in practice is the best way through which we can create a new generation of lawyers who are able to compete in the field of law. Labor markets and communication with various individuals and institutions at the international level.

Chinese diplomacy said that the meeting scheduled for Wednesday between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy would "cause more damage" to relations between Beijing and Washington .

A spokesman for the Chinese consulate in Los Angeles said the meeting, which will take place in California, "will hurt the feelings of 1.4 billion Chinese people" and "will have repercussions on the political foundations of Sino-US relations."

"Speaker McCarthy ignores the broad support in the international community for the one-China principle and ignores the lessons that should have been learned from past mistakes," the consulate added.

The statement referred to Beijing's policy based on the inability to establish diplomatic relations with China and Taiwan at the same time.

"There is no doubt that (McCarthy) will make the same mistake again, which will cause more damage to Sino-US relations, but it will increase the Chinese people's will and determination" to achieve "reunification" with Taiwan, the statement added.

China considers the island of Taiwan, which adopts a democratic system, to be part of its territory and does not rule out regaining it by force if necessary.

McCarthy confirmed Monday that he would meet Taiwan's president, defying Beijing's warnings that he was "playing with fire".

Tsai plans to stop over in the United States on her way back from Central America, where she visited Guatemala and Belize.

Russia's envoy to the United Nations said on Monday that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is ready to meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken later this month, when he travels to New York , if there is a desire from Washington .

Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzia, indicated in a press conference about his country's assumption of the rotating presidency of the Security Council during the month of April, that Lavrov will be in New York to chair two meetings of the Security Council on April 24 and 25.

When asked if Lavrov will meet Blinken, he said that this meeting depends on Blinkin's time and desire to meet with his Russian counterpart.

"If such a meeting is requested, I think Secretary Lavrov would be willing to meet Secretary Blinken," he added.

But for that, we need at least one condition, which is the desire to meet."

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will meet Lavrov while in New York, Guterres' spokesman said Monday.

In the same context, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, said, "I have no doubt that Lavrov will meet with the Secretary-General, when he is here," adding, "This meeting will review a long list of issues and items on the agenda of the Russian Federation and the United Nations Secretariat."

The Mexican Institute of Financial Directors said Monday that the Mexican economy faces an "increased risk" of a severe economic contraction in the United States by the end of 2023 or early 2024.

Jessica Roldan, vice president of the institute, noted that the Mexican economy continued to show "a certain dynamism" during the first quarter of the year, but with differences between sectors.

It reported that uncertainty about the economic path has increased, as upside and downside risks have become more acute, especially with regard to the United States, which is Mexico's main trading partner.

"We see an increasing risk on the downside, which is a more severe or deeper contraction in the US economy, with its natural consequences for economic activity in Mexico," Roldan told a news conference.

"The probability of seeing a so-called 'hard landing' in the United States may be higher now than it was in the past months," said the expert, who is also chief economist at the brokerage firm "Finamex".

Advanced indicators of economic activity in various developed countries showed slight increases in the manufacturing sector and a general recovery in services, according to the Mexican Institute of Financial Directors.

However, the economic outlook remains subject to a high degree of uncertainty due to a variety of factors that can complicate the reading of the indicators.

The Mexican economy is currently expected to grow by 1.8 percent in 2023, according to the private institute.