France announced Monday the closure of its embassy in Sudan, as the ongoing battles between the army and the Rapid Support Forces prompted many countries to intensify their efforts to evacuate their nationals.
And a spokeswoman for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement that "the French embassy in Sudan is closed until further notice. It no longer constitutes a gathering point for people wishing to leave Khartoum ," explaining that the embassy continues "its activities from Paris under the responsibility of the ambassador."

With the continued whistling of bullets and the sound of explosions in Khartoum and other cities, Western and regional capitals were able to open safe paths for the expulsion of foreign nationals with the guarantee of the two conflicting parties, that is, the army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the commander of the Rapid Support Forces Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo.

France, like other countries, has carried out the evacuation of hundreds of French nationals and other nationalities since Sunday, and has organized several air bridges between Khartoum and Djibouti.

The French Foreign Ministry said that Paris is "mobilizing its energies to facilitate the ceasefire and the resumption of the political transition process in Sudan," noting that it "fully supports the coordination mechanism under the supervision of the African Union , the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the Arab League , the European Union and the United Nations ."

The statement called on "all parties to stop the fighting, allow humanitarian aid to arrive, spare the civilian population, and return to the path of political dialogue."

The continuous battles between the army and the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan prompted many countries to intensify their efforts to evacuate their nationals or members of diplomatic missions by land, sea and air.

While the main airport in Khartoum is the scene of fierce fighting, with the Rapid Support Forces controlling it, several evacuations are taking place through Port Sudan on the Red Sea , 850 km from the capital.

What follows is a summary of the most prominent efforts led by several countries to transfer their citizens and employees to safety.

On Sunday, the United States evacuated about a hundred people, among its embassy staff and "some foreign diplomats from Khartoum, in three "Sh-47 Chinook" helicopters that it sent from Djibouti to Ethiopia and then to Sudan, where it remained on the ground for less than an hour. He participated in the operation. More than 100 US Special Operations personnel.

There are still thousands of American citizens in Sudan, some of whom hold another nationality.

Canada has evacuated, according to its Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, its embassy staff from Khartoum.

The European Union's foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, announced on Monday that more than a thousand EU nationals left Sudan in evacuations that took place over the weekend. "It was a complex and successful operation," he told reporters.

The European Union has a diplomatic mission in Khartoum, similar to France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Greece and the Czech Republic.

On Monday, the French Foreign Ministry announced the evacuation of "388 people, including French citizens who expressed their desire to do so, as well as a large number of nationals of other countries, Europeans in particular, as well as Africans and from the American continent and Asia" from Sudan, after several flights operated since Sunday between Khartoum and Djibouti.

On Sunday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reported the evacuation of all her citizens who asked to leave Sudan, hours after Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced that the Italian army had evacuated "about 200 people, including Swiss citizens and members of the Apostolic Nunciature" via Djibouti.

Dutch Foreign Minister Wupke Hoekstra said that a "handful" of Dutch nationals had been evacuated on a French plane, hoping to evacuate another group on a Dutch plane at a later time, speaking of a "very complex operation".

Germany announced the evacuation of 300 people, including citizens and individuals of other nationalities, in three planes, after a failed attempt last Wednesday.

A Spanish plane evacuated 100 people, thirty Spaniards and seventy from Europe and Latin America, from Sudan to Djibouti on Sunday, according to what Madrid announced.

And Greece announced that it had evacuated on Sunday the first group of its citizens, including two wounded, to Djibouti, "with the help of France," and that 10 citizens and their families left in the Italian evacuation process.

Ireland, for its part, said it had begun an "evacuation process" of its 150 nationals from Sudan.

Sweden sent 150 soldiers to evacuate its diplomats and nationals from Sudan, according to the Ministry of Defense.

On Sunday evening, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported the evacuation of 436 citizens from Sudan by land, "in coordination with the Sudanese authorities," after evacuating 177 military personnel last week.

Saudi Arabia, which led the first successful evacuations on Saturday, reported evacuating 91 of its citizens, as well as about 66 nationals from 12 other countries, by sea.

On Saturday, Jordan announced that it had begun evacuating about 300 Jordanians.

And Baghdad announced on Sunday, "the evacuation of 14 Iraqis from Khartoum to a safe location in the Port Sudan region," stressing that efforts are continuing to evacuate others, after it indicated on Saturday that the Iraqi embassy employees had left Khartoum.

And the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the evacuation of 52 people at dawn on Monday from Port Sudan on board a Saudi navy ship to the city of Jeddah.

The Libyan embassy in Khartoum said on Friday that it had evacuated 83 Libyans from Khartoum and transferred them to Port Sudan.

++ Tunisia sent a plane on Monday morning, while a number of its citizens have already left on Saudi ships.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees announced that a number of 800,000 refugees from South Sudan, who fled to Sudan to escape the war in their country, are about to return on their own.

Chad is sending planes to return 438 of its nationals leaving Khartoum on buses to Port Sudan, according to the government.

The United Kingdom has confirmed that it is doing "everything we can" to evacuate its citizens from Sudan, at a time when a number of them said they felt "left to their fate".

The British Foreign Secretary had defended the decision to prioritize an overnight military operation to evacuate embassy staff and their families, citing a "very specific threat to the diplomatic community".

Norway announced the evacuation of its diplomats from Khartoum.

Switzerland reported the evacuation of seven of its embassy staff and family members, with the help of France.

Ankara began its operations at dawn on Sunday, transporting about 600 of its nationals by land from two neighborhoods of Khartoum and the southern city of Wad Medani.

However, the Turkish embassy in Khartoum announced in a tweet that the date for the evacuation of the Turks in the Kafouri neighborhood, north of Khartoum, had been postponed "until further notice" due to an explosion that occurred on Sunday morning near a mosque designated as a gathering site.

Other foreign countries are preparing evacuations, including South Korea and Japan, after deploying troops to neighboring countries.
India's foreign ministry said it had two military aircraft "on standby" in Saudi Arabia and a navy ship had arrived in Port Sudan, but any evacuation "would depend on the security situation".

Indonesia stated that 43 of its nationals had taken refuge in the embassy compound in Khartoum, stressing that the government "is taking all necessary measures to evacuate Indonesian nationals from Sudan," according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Agence France-Presse.

China announced the evacuation of the first batch of its citizens, who number more than 1,500 in Sudan.

Today, Monday, 8 Israelis were injured in a run-over attack near the Mahane Yehuda market in occupied Jerusalem .

According to the Israeli Red Star of David, among the injuries was a serious condition, and 7 were between medium and minor.

According to the Kan radio reporter, the perpetrator was dressed as a Haredi, and it turned out that he was a Palestinian who disguised himself and was liquidated by a settler who was in the place.

He indicated that the executor is a resident of the town ofBeit Safafa , and he is Hatem Najma (39 years old), married and has 5 children.

Political advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Ahmed Al-Deek , said, "There was a delay in the departure of the bus convoy carrying students and a number of families towards the border crossing between Sudan and Egypt, due to force majeure circumstances and reasons beyond our control."

Al-Deek confirmed in a statement that the crisis cell formed at the Embassy of the State of Palestine in Khartoum is conducting an intensive series of contacts with bus companies, and work is underway to secure the buses required to transport 123 Palestinian students to the border crossing and a number of other Palestinian families.

Al-Deek added, "The embassy has secured the students in a safe place, awaiting the arrival of the buses, which are expected to depart in the next few hours."

Al-Deek called on all parties to exercise accuracy and caution in circulating some rumors and false information that detract from the effort of the embassy and its staff who work around the clock, in very dangerous conditions and with limited capabilities, to secure the evacuation of our people and students from Khartoum.

He said, "Despite these difficult circumstances, the Embassy of the State of Palestine in Khartoum is still open around the clock, working and receiving communications, and providing assistance to all those who request it from among the members of our community and other communities as well, including communication with everyone who expresses his desire to leave Khartoum."

Al-Deek confirmed that the ministry will publish all the details related to the evacuation and the problems it encountered and was able to overcome after the evacuation process is completed successfully, God willing.

Today, Monday, the Israeli occupation forces arrested a young man from the town of Tammun, south of Tubas .

According to local sources, these forces arrested the young man, Amin Yassin Abdel Fattah Bisharat (22 years old), while he was passing through the iron gate of Al-Baqi’a.

Tens of billions of dollars were withdrawn from Credit Suisse in the first three months of 2023, according to the latest quarterly results announced by the bank on Monday, likely before its rival UBS acquired it.

The second largest bank in Switzerland recorded withdrawals of 61.2 billion Swiss francs ($68.6 billion) in the first quarter alone.

At the same time, the bank's net profit rose to 12.4 billion francs, after a significant loss last year, thanks to the takeover of high-risk Credit Suisse debt, as part of the deal with UBS.

Investors were awaiting the results to see indications of the scale of the challenges that UBS faces.

Credit Suisse said the "significant drawdowns of net assets" were particularly large in the second half of March, when panic set in ahead of the hastily made takeover.

"Withdrawals have calmed down, but the movement until April 24, 2023 had not returned to what it was," he added in his return report.
At the same time, the bank said its net profit rose to 12.4 billion francs.

As part of the massive merger between the two Swiss banks last month, the Swiss authorities demanded that 16 billion Swiss francs ($17.9 billion) of "Additional Tier 1 Capital" (AT1) be deemed worthless.

The decision by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) angered bondholders, who launched legal action against the regulator.
Credit Suisse said that its quarterly results were also strengthened by selling part of its securitized financial assets (the securitization is based on converting debts into sukuk and bonds and putting them on the market to obtain liquidity), to Apollo Global Management.

However, the bank said it incurred pre-tax losses of a quarter of the CHF1.3 billion.

The bank, which last October launched a broad restructuring plan including the creation of its investment arm, said the branch suffered an adjusted pre-tax loss of 337 million in the first quarter.

And he warned that "in light of the merger announcement and the negative impact on revenues (...) and restructuring fees and financing costs," it is expected to record "tangible" losses in the second quarter and in general at the level of all of 2023.

Monday's quarterly report could be Credit Suisse's last, depending on how long it takes to finalize the merger with UBS.

Credit Suisse has been exposed to a number of scandals in the past years, and after the collapse of three local US banks sparked panic in the financial markets, the bank seemed the weakest link in the chain.

During a frantic weekend, Swiss authorities orchestrated an emergency bailout and pressured UPS to agree to a major merger worth $3.25 billion on the night of March 19.

In justifying the decision to Parliament earlier this month, Swiss President Alain Berset said, "Without the intervention, Credit Suisse would probably have found itself in default on the 20th or 21st of March."

In 2022, Credit Suisse suffered a loss of CHF7.3 billion, with CHF110.5 billion in withdrawals recorded in the last quarter alone.

This is in stark contrast to the $7.6 billion in profits reported by UPS last year.

UBS is expected to publish its first-quarter results on Tuesday.

Analysts at Zurich Cantonal Bank acknowledge that UBS' results will be a "sideshow", as attention is drawn to "doubts surrounding the planned merger with Credit Suisse".

Vontobel analyst Andreas Vendetti agrees, warning in a research note that the Credit Suisse report "reveals the poor state of the institution".

"UPS undoubtedly faces the big (and urgent) task of carrying out a deep restructuring of its former rival," he said.

On Monday , the British government announced the imposition of additional sanctions against the Iranian Revolutionary Guards , as part of new restrictions on Tehran linked to human rights violations.

"The Iranian regime is responsible for the brutal suppression of the Iranian people and for exporting bloodshed around the world. That is why we have over 300 sanctions imposed on Iran, including the entire Revolutionary Guard," Secretary of State James Cleverly said in a statement.

He pointed out that the procedure comes in coordination with the United States and the European Union, without providing additional details.

During the past months, several Western parties, led by Washington, London and Brussels, imposed a series of sanctions on Tehran in response to the Iranian authorities' "suppression" of protest movements that followed the death of Mahsa Amini in September after she was arrested by the morality police in Tehran on the grounds of not adhering to the strict rules of dress. in the Islamic Republic.

The British Foreign Office statement, on Monday, indicated that more than 70 Iranian officials and entities are subject to an asset freeze and travel ban by the United Kingdom, as of October.

He pointed out that the latest batch of sanctions includes four military commanders in the Revolutionary Guards responsible for the "violent suppression" of protest movements in four provinces: the central province, Kermanshah, West Azerbaijan and Khuzestan.

The statement indicated that the IRGC, at the direction of these commanders, "fired at unarmed demonstrators," which led to deaths, "including children."

Iran has previously responded to such measures by including persons and entities on its sanctions list, including preventing them from visiting the Islamic Republic and freezing any assets they may have on its soil.

Several Western parties, led by Washington, London and the European Union, expressed their support for these moves, which Iran considered "interference" in its internal affairs.

Today, Monday, the Israeli occupation forces arrested two young men from the town of Sur Baher in occupied Jerusalem .

According to local sources, those forces arrested Suhaib Al-Ramouni and Imad Al-Ramouni from the town.

In the context, the occupation authorities sentenced the Jerusalemite young man, Ahmed Zahra, to 5 years in prison, and released the Jerusalemites, Ahmed Rukn, Hussam al-Din al-Abbasi, and the young man, Obeida Qadan, from within the territories of the year 48, on conditions.

A young man (30 years old) was killed, on Monday afternoon, as a result of being shot by unknown assailants in Tel al-Saba in the Negev , in the occupied interior .

According to the Hebrew website, Ynet, ambulance crews arrived at the scene and announced his death.

The Israeli police opened an investigation into the circumstances of the incident.

On Monday, the Israeli Public Prosecution filed an indictment against the young man, Muhammad Awawdeh (22 years), from Hebron , claiming that he carried out a stabbing attack in Jacob’s Well near Tel Aviv more than two weeks ago, which resulted in the injury of two Israeli soldiers with varying degrees of injury.

According to the Hebrew website, Ynet, Awadeh entered Israel through a security gap in the separation wall, reached the area and attacked two soldiers with several stab wounds until the knife in his possession broke, before he was arrested.

He was charged with "attempted murder" and attempted serious injury in aggravated circumstances.

The Israeli prosecution requested an extension of his detention until the completion of the procedures against him.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, the UN Security Council will hold a special session to discuss the situation in Palestine .

The session is chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov , who heads the Council for the current month.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates , Riyad Al-Maliki, will participate in the session and deliver a speech on the State of Palestine. He will also meet on the sidelines with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Kasaba Korosi, and the Russian Foreign Minister.

Military spending in Europe in 2022 recorded an unprecedented rapid increase, as it reached, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, levels not seen on the continent since the Cold War, according to researchers in the field of global security.

A study by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute stated that the increase in European spending on armies contributed to global military spending setting a record for the eighth time in a row, reaching $2.24 trillion, or 2.2 percent of global GDP.

Europe boosted its spending on its armies in 2022 by 13 percent more compared to the previous 12 months, in a year overshadowed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

This increase is the largest in more than 30 years, and at constant dollar prices it represents a return to the level of spending in 1989 with the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The study indicated that Ukraine alone has doubled its spending seven times to reach $44 billion, or a third of its gross domestic product, benefiting from billions of dollars in arms donations.

At the same time, estimates showed that Russian spending on arms increased by 9.2 percent last year.

Military spending in Europe, which totaled $480 billion in 2022, had actually increased by about a third over the past decade, and is expected to accelerate further during the next decade.

Global military spending has also been on the rise since the first decade of the twenty-first century, after a sharp decline in the 1990s.

This upward trend came initially as a result of the huge Chinese investments in its military forces, and the subsequent developments following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.

The spending of the United States on its military force reached 39 percent of global spending, and China ranked second with 13 percent, and together they constitute more than half of global military spending.

As for the countries that follow them and lag far behind them in this field, they are Russia with 3.9 percent, India with 3.6 percent and Saudi Arabia with 3.3 percent.

Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Australia follow the same trend.

Britain is the largest spender on arms in Europe, as it ranks sixth with 3.1 percent of global military spending, ahead of Germany, which recorded 2.5 percent, and France, which recorded 2.4 percent. These figures include donations to Ukraine.
European countries such as Poland, the Netherlands and Sweden have boosted their military investments over the past decade.

What also explains the high military spending is the high cost of technologically advanced weapons, as in the case of Finland, which last year bought 64 American F-35 fighter jets.

Today, Monday, the Ministry of Education confirmed the resumption of the school year in all governorates, tomorrow, Tuesday.

In a brief statement, the ministry called on everyone to adhere to full-time work.

And government agencies had confirmed that the ministry would take punitive measures against those who objected to working hours, which would enter into force immediately after the Eid holiday.

For his part, the teachers' movement affirmed its continuation of the strike as it was previously, without changing all stages, especially the Tawjihi.

In a statement today, Monday, the movement reaffirmed the boycott of the Tawjihi exams and all their procedures of monitoring and correction.

He said: "The percentage of the polls on the strike was as follows: 70% in favor of the total strike - 18% in favor of the partial strike - 12% in favor of full time, including those who have never struck."

The movement also stressed the boycott of all training courses and office and administrative work issued by the Ministry of Education, including penalties and signing books issued by the directorates and the ministry.

He called for the strike from the morning assembly with proof of presence (fingerprint/signature) and leaving at any time the teacher wants.

The movement also called for documenting a stand in front of schools entitled (We will continue and we will not be underestimated) in support of the steadfastness of the movement and the teachers, and filming and broadcasting it, tomorrow, Tuesday, at 9 am.

Today, Monday, the police managed to seize weapons, ammunition and drugs that were in the possession of a drug dealer in the outskirts of occupied Jerusalem .

The Public Relations and Information Department of the Police stated that, after a follow-up that lasted for more than two weeks to a person known to the Drug Enforcement Department for trading and possessing narcotic substances and firearms, and the arrival of confirmed information that he possesses weapons and narcotic substances, a search warrant was immediately issued for his house and he was arrested.

She added that, by duly searching the house, narcotic hashish, an M16 weapon and its ammunition, two M16 handles, a laser scope, two magazines, a Brita pistol and two magazines were seized.

The police confirmed that the person is wanted by the judiciary, and has been seized to refer him to the competent authorities to take legal measures against him.

The Israeli occupation forces continue to close all main and secondary entrances to the city of Jericho , for the third day in a row.

According to local sources, these forces are chasing citizens' vehicles on secondary roads near the "Jericho Gate", on the southern side of the city, and preventing them from leaving the city.

The forces also seized a Palestinian vehicle, detained its driver and subjected him to field investigation.

She pointed out that Israeli military vehicles were present in the agricultural lands of the citizens, north of Jericho, to chase vehicles that had to take alternative roads.

Kimisha Williams, sister of American basketball star Kawhi Leonard , has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of an elderly woman in 2019 after robbing her.

This is a new drama in the family of the Los Angeles Clippers star, who won the NBA title twice in 2014 with the San Antonio Spurs and 2019 with the Toronto Raptors, after his father was killed in 2008 at his workplace. The 31-year-old has now signed a $176 million contract with the Clippers in 2022.

US local newspapers reported that Kimisha was convicted of killing an 84-year-old woman in 2019.

The crime took place in a casino in Southern California, where the victim and her 92-year-old husband were present. As she was on her way to the toilet, Williams, 39, and her partner, Candice Tanosil, 42, followed her to steal her bag, which contained about $1,000.

The victim was found lying on the ground with her skull fractured, before being taken to hospital, where she died four days later of her injuries.

Leonard's sister, who was banned in 2015 from entering a casino for allegedly stealing a wallet, denied the facts.

The American company " Bed Bath and Beyond " for retailing household goods declared bankruptcy after years of losses exceeding one billion dollars annually, while the group had difficulty adapting to unstable economic conditions and the dominance of the online shopping sector.

The company has filed for Chapter 11 protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey, in which it has headquarters, court documents show.

This group, which sells all household items, from shower curtains, soaps, vacuum cleaners and bed sheets, has for years been one of the most important American companies.

Bed Bath & Beyond said in a statement that it filed its application "to carry out the process of winding up its business in an orderly manner while conducting a limited marketing exercise to generate interest in one or more sales of some or all of its assets."

The US group's share price fell in January when it said there was "significant doubt about the company's ability to continue," a statement widely interpreted as meaning it might file for bankruptcy.

The company said at the time that it expected a loss of $386 million in the fourth quarter.

Despite the many efforts to restructure, including closing 150 stores in 2022, the company was unable to improve its financial position.

It noted that it had obtained a commitment of $240 million from a lender to support its operations during the bankruptcy period.

"Thank you to all of our loyal customers. We have made the difficult decision to begin winding down our operations," the company wrote on its website Sunday.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday praised Japan's work to bolster its military defenses, at the start of an international visit from Tokyo, ahead of announcing his potential candidacy for the US presidential elections.

It is widely believed that the Republican governor will present his candidacy for the presidential elections in 2024. His tour, which includes Japan, South Korea, Israel and Britain, is seen as an attempt to strengthen his diplomatic and security cards before such a step.
"We very much welcome your efforts to strengthen your defences," de Santis told Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, referring to broad changes that Tokyo intends to introduce in its defense strategy and boost its military spending.

"We realize that you (are) in a difficult environment, with North Korea and the rise of the Chinese Communist Party," he added, expressing his belief that "a strong Japan is in the interest of the United States, and a strong United States is in the interest of Japan. We hope that our country will be with you in every step."

De Santis and his wife, Casey, are making this tour under the official title of promoting Florida's commercial opportunities, which the governor tried to build on by talking about the attractiveness of his state in the economic aspect.

The state governor told the prime minister that Florida is "the largest market in the United States that does not have direct flights to Japan," expressing his hope to meet airline officials to "try to do something about it."

It is expected that the US presidential elections will receive interest in Japan, which relies heavily on Washington on defense issues, and hopes to maintain these ties, regardless of who assumes power in the White House after the end of the term of the current Democratic President, Joe Biden, next year.

During his meeting with De Santis, Kishida said he hoped his visit would enhance "understanding of politics, economics and culture" in Japan.
Florida's governor is scheduled to meet Japan's Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Monday evening, before moving to Seoul, which is also an ally of Washington.

On Monday, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen called for the Jordanian MP , Imad Al-Adwan , to be brought to justice and pay the price for the grave act he committed by smuggling weapons across the Allenby/Karama Bridge.

In an interview with the Hebrew website Ynet, Cohen described the incident as "serious," indicating that his government does not want to hold the Jordanian government responsible for what happened.

He claimed that there was intelligence information about the smuggling operations that were taking place, and that he believed that they were related to commercial and economic activities, but the surprise was the smuggling of weapons.

In the context, Jordanian sources said that the Jordanian ambassador, Ghassan Al-Majali, will meet at noon with Al-Adoul, who has been detained since yesterday by the occupation.

A 3-year-old girl was killed yesterday evening, Sunday, as a result of a fall from the vehicle she was traveling in in Biddu, northwest of occupied Jerusalem .

The media spokesman for the police, Colonel Louay Arziqat , stated that a signal reached the police operations room stating that a child had fallen from a vehicle, which belonged to one of her relatives, on the road to the tunnel leading to the town of Biddu, and it was transferred to the Palestine Medical Complex, where doctors announced her death.

Irzeigat added that accident experts in the traffic police moved to the place to find out the circumstances of the accident, and the prosecution was informed and the driver of the vehicle was detained.

Environmental activists in Portugal collected about 650,000 cigarette butts and stacked them Sunday in a square in central Lisbon, during a movement to raise awareness of this type of pollutant.

"We asked everyone in Portugal to take part in this community project with the aim of drawing attention to plastic pollution, because plastic is hidden in cigarette butts and many don't know it," said Andreas Noe, the 34-year-old German behind the initiative.

"One butt is a good example of how everyone can start taking action, not just on cigarette butts and waste, but also on ocean issues and ultimately the climate crisis," he added.

The NGOs and individuals who accepted Noe's challenge collected enough cigarette butts in one week to fill around 40 plastic beer barrels that were recycled for new use.

Then they dumped its contents on a tarpaulin to create a mound, on which Noe climbed, wearing a respirator mask to protect himself from the toxic elements of the non-biodegradable cigarette butts.

The activist and amateur surfer settled in Portugal six years ago, then gave up his career as a molecular biologist to devote himself to the environmental cause.

Two years ago, he collected about a million cigarette butts in two months.

"We want to end this problem by encouraging people to throw cigarette butts in the trash, in ashtrays, or anywhere but on the ground," said David Figuera, one of the project's participants.

A woman in her forties was killed in the Paris metro after her coat got stuck in a door while she was getting off the train, the Paris independent transport authority and the public prosecutor said Sunday.

"Shortly at 16:00 in the Bel-Air metro station, the coat of a woman born in 1977 got stuck when she got off the train, killing her," the Public Prosecutor's Office said. According to the media, she got out of the carriage quickly and was pulled by the train when it started again.

An investigation was opened into the cause of death.

"The driver was in shock and was taken care of by his management and ambulance personnel," the Paris independent transport authority said, adding that "a victim assistance cell was launched immediately."

Today, Monday, a number of citizens suffocated during clashes with the Israeli occupation forces in the town of Deir Abu Meshaal, northwest of Ramallah .

According to local sources, more than 12 Israeli military vehicles stormed the town and conducted a field investigation with a number of citizens.

These forces fired stun grenades and tear gas at the citizens, causing a number of them to suffocate.

Sunday's "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" maintained its lead at the North American box office , grossing $58.2 million for the weekend.

This work, which was produced by "Universal", "Nintendo" and "Illumination" studios and began showing three weeks ago, is classified as the best film of the year so far, with cumulative revenues of $ 434.3 million domestically and $ 437 million globally.

And occupied second place in the period from Friday to Sunday, the horror movie Evil Dead Rise produced by "Warner Brothers", with 23.5 million dollars.

Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland star in the film as two sisters who battle a group of demonic creatures.

And came third, the war movie Guy Ritchie's The Covenant, in its first week in theaters, collecting about $ 6.3 million.

Jake Gyllenhaal stars in the film about a US Army sergeant who, after returning to the United States, returns to Afghanistan to rescue a friend he once saved from the Taliban.

Fourth place went to "John Wick: Chapter 4", with revenues of $5.8 million. In this work, Keanu Reeves assumes the role of a professional killer who fights against an international criminal group.

And in fifth place came the movie Air, directed by Ben Affleck, which deals with the history of the “Nike” sports brand and the role of the famous American basketball player, Michael Jordan, in launching this brand, with revenues amounting to 5.5 million dollars.

Here are the remaining films in the top ten rankings at the North American box office this week:

6. “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” ($5.4 million).
7- “The Pops Exorcist” ($3.3 million).
8- "Ranfield" ($3.1 million).
9. Bo is Fred ($2.7 million)
10- “Suzume” ($1.6 million).

Air pollution continues to cause at least 1,200 premature deaths annually among children and adolescents in Europe , according to a report by the European Environment Agency published on Monday, with an improvement in this regard nonetheless.

Like adults, this pollution constitutes the main environmental threat to the health of minors and reduces life expectancy, according to this study, which included about 30 countries on the continent, including the twenty-seven European Union countries.

"Air pollution causes more than 1,200 premature deaths annually among people under the age of 18 in Europe and significantly increases their risk of disease later in life," the European Environment Agency of the European Union wrote in its report.

"Despite the progress made in the past years, the level of many major pollutants in the air is still higher than the recommendations of the World Health Organization, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Italy," she added.

The Po plain in Italy and areas near coal-fired power plants, as well as major cities in central and eastern Europe, are regularly criticized for their poor air quality.

The study did not include several European countries, including the United Kingdom and Ukraine, which indicates that the situation may be worse on the European continent.

Another report by the agency, issued in November, stated that at least 238,000 people of all age groups died early in 2020 in Europe due to air pollution in agency member states such as the countries of the European Union, Turkey, Norway and Switzerland, as well as Iceland and Liechtenstein. .

In the study published Monday, the European Environment Agency is focusing for the first time on people under the age of 18.

The agency recommended focusing on air quality near schools and kindergartens, as well as sports facilities and public transportation.

The effects of pollution begin to appear even before childbirth, with pregnant women exposed to air pollution and manifested in "low birth weight and premature births," according to the Environmental Agency.

After birth, pollution increases the risk of health problems, including asthma, which affects 9 percent of children and adolescents in Europe, lung failure and respiratory infections.

These effects are exacerbated by the fact that children are more physically active than adults, while their small stature exposes them more to pollution sources such as car exhaust.

And 97% of urban residents of all age groups were exposed in 2021 to an atmosphere that did not meet the recommendations of the World Health Organization, according to what the data published Monday showed.

In its November report, the European Environment Agency noted that the EU is on track to meet its target of reducing premature deaths by more than 50% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels.

By the early 1990s, microparticles were causing more than a million premature deaths in the 27 countries of the European Union. In 2005, 431,000 people were still dying prematurely, according to agency data.

However, the situation in Europe remains generally better compared to other regions of the world. According to the World Health Organization, pollution is behind seven million premature deaths annually in the world, a toll close to that caused by smoking or an unhealthy diet.
According to the Health Organization, hundreds of thousands of deaths are recorded among people under the age of fifteen.

This high toll prompted the organization in September 2021 to set more restrictive levels for major air pollutants for the first time since 2005.

The most dangerous air pollution results, especially from fine particles that penetrate deep into the lungs, followed by nitrogen dioxide and ozone, according to health agencies.

Today, Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said, "The convoys carrying the nationals of the State of Palestine moved from Khartoum to Port Sudan, carrying military students, civilian families, and civilian students, numbering approximately 85 citizens."

The ministry added in a statement: "At the same time, other convoys carrying our nationals moved towards the border with Egypt, carrying approximately 209 citizens on board."

The ministry indicated that this was done as a result of extensive efforts made by the ministry and in full partnership with Military Intelligence, the General Intelligence Service, partner ministries and institutions, and as a result of the great efforts made by our embassies in Khartoum, Riyadh, Cairo and Amman.

Today, Monday, Suleiman Ayesh , 20, was killed during the Israeli occupation forces’ raid on Aqbat Jaber camp in Jericho .

According to the governor of Ariha and the Jordan Valley, Jihad Abu Al-Assal , the occupation forces are holding the body of the martyr Ayesh.

The camp witnessed violent confrontations, as a result of which three young men were injured, while the occupation forces stormed a number of houses, which they thoroughly searched, tampering with their contents, and subjecting their residents to a field investigation.

They also arrested Ibrahim Al-Habash and Hossam Faraj from the camp.

On Monday , the Russian authorities announced that they had repelled an "attack" by naval drones targeting the port of Sevastopol in the Crimea , where the Black Sea Fleet is located, without any damage or injuries.

"An attempted attack on Sebastopol was repulsed as of 3:30 in the morning," said Mikhail Razvogayev, the city's local governor appointed by Moscow.

He added, via the Telegram application, that "a (marine) march was destroyed by" the forces responsible for defending the port, while "the second (marching) exploded on its own," indicating that this response took place outside the facility, which did not damage any parts of its "infrastructure." damages as a result.

Marine drones are equipment that operates on the surface of the water and is operated remotely.

Razvojayev stressed that "calm prevails in the city at present. All forces and equipment are in a state of combat readiness" in case of need.

Sevastopol is the seat of the Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet. The port, located in Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Kiev in 2014, has been subjected to a series of attacks since Russia began its attack on Ukraine in February 2022, in which air and sea drones were used.

In mid-April, the Russian authorities announced the cancellation of the celebrations of May 1 and 9 (the date of the end of World War II in Russia) in Crimea for "security" reasons.

More than 20 children are sitting in one of Amman's private schools , listening eagerly while a Jordanian volunteer opens a book, asking, "Who among you is excited to hear a story?", as part of an initiative to instill a love of reading among children .

The "We Love Reading" initiative, which has spread to 65 countries, was founded by Jordanian Rana Dajani, professor of biology and biotechnology at the Hashemite University in Jordan.

Dajani spent five years in the United States, and after returning to Jordan in 2006, she founded the "We Love Reading" initiative after seeing that only a few Jordanian children read for pleasure.

"In the beginning, I noticed that the children only read their lessons, so I conducted research and found that the best way is for an adult to read the stories to them aloud," Dajani told AFP.

Dajani started with one weekly session of reading aloud to neighborhood children in a mosque adjacent to her home in Tabarbour, east of Amman, after obtaining the approval of the mosque’s imam.

Dajani recalls that "only 25 children attended on the first day," but she succeeded little by little in attracting more children.

In order to expand her initiative to reach all regions of the Kingdom, she began training other women until, three years later, she established the "Change" Association as a legal umbrella for "We Love Reading".

Its initiative reached all governorates of Jordan, and more than four thousand volunteers, between the ages of 18 and 100, were trained.

"Our program creates leaders, and it is strong and based on scientific research," says Dajani. "Through reading, thinking patterns change and the child's brain and mental health develop."

She points out that "four months, once a week, is enough to enhance the child's reading habits and behaviors."

According to Dajani, about half a million children have benefited from this program in the Kingdom, including tens of thousands of refugee children.

The volunteer is called an "ambassador" and his task is to read stories to children aloud at any time and place they choose, whether it is in a mosque, church, school or nursery school.

Dajani asserts that the most important thing is not to read stories through electronic devices and tablets, "which we want to keep them away from because it will be a losing battle. We want real paper books."

To date, We Love Reading has created 33 children's comics featuring topics around the environment, climate change, empathy, refugees, bullying, gender, social networking and science.

"We have an official website (for the initiative), and we launched, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, last year a platform so that people can learn where to read to children, and what to read to them," Dajani says.

"We are about to launch an electronic platform in September for our ambassadors from readers around the world to communicate and exchange their experiences," she added, noting that more than eight thousand volunteers have been trained to read around the world.

"I love the idea of the program, as it develops children's language, ideas and concepts," Huda Abu al-Khair, a volunteer in the reading program for four years, told AFP.

And she adds, "That is why I read to children in kindergarten and during school trips, and to the children of our neighborhood and in public parks and family gatherings, and when the opportunity arises."

More than 20 children between the ages of 4 and 5 sit around Abu al-Khair in an Amman private school, listening eagerly as she reads a story to them.

Abu al-Khair recounts, "I am Dina, and this is my brother Hani. We are twin children. I came to life minutes before him, but we are similar, and we both love birds, swallows, and little hummingbirds."

The narration of the story is accompanied by the sounds of birds chirping through a tape recorder placed on a table, to the astonishment of the children.

Abu al-Khair smiles and affirms that "education in childhood is like engraving in stone."

The "We Love Reading" program won the UNESCO-King Sejong Prize for Literacy and the Nansen Refugee Prize.

According to official figures, the illiteracy rate decreased dramatically in Jordan from 88 percent in 1952 to 19.5 percent in 1990, and by the end of 2020 it reached 5.1 percent.

Young Ibrahim Mohamed was surprised when he realized that the person who was receiving treatment next to him in a hospital in Khartoum had become a dead body, but the ferocity of the battles in the Sudanese capital prevented his body for days from being transported.

That was on April 15, the day the Sudanese woke up to the sounds of violent clashes between the army led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo , known as "Hemedti".

These battles, with which attempts to calm down did not succeed, turned Khartoum and other cities into open fields of war, impeded the provision of health care and the work of doctors, and put them under additional pressure in a country that suffered from conflicts and sanctions for decades.

In the capital, which is inhabited by nearly five million people, doctors and patients tell horrific stories about the situation in hospitals that have become incapable of achieving one of the most basic humanitarian and religious principles: honoring the dead by burying them.

Muhammad, 25, was receiving treatment for leukemia at Khartoum Teaching Hospital, according to his father, Ibrahim, 62, who used to visit him frequently.

"Because of the heavy fighting, the (deceased) person was not taken for burial," the father told AFP after his death on April 15.

Muhammad stayed in the room where the smell of death gradually emanated, in a city known for its hot climate even at this time of the year... After three days, the father and son left the hospital, and the corpse was in its place.

According to medical sources, this scene has become familiar in Sudan since the start of the fighting.

The Secretary-General of the Sudan Doctors Syndicate, Attia Abdullah, says that in several hospitals, "the decomposed bodies remain in the wards."

He told AFP that the fighting caused "a complete and total collapse of the health care system" in the country, and led to "morgues and streets being filled with corpses."

Before leaving the hospital, Ibrahim and his son faced two choices, the better of which was bitter.

"The stench filled the room," the father explained to AFP. "It was exacerbated by three days of power outages and the hot weather. The choice was either we would stay in a musty-smelling room, or we would go out and face bullets."

Ibrahim Muhammad confirms that "the hospital was being bombed," and the exchange of gunshots was taking place "immediately outside the hospital," noting that some of the patients who left at that time were shot.

On Sunday, the World Health Organization reported that "eight dead and two wounded" were among the medical staff.

According to the Doctors Syndicate, 13 hospitals were bombed and 19 other medical facilities were evacuated during the eight days of fighting.

For the medical staff, allowing hospital inmates to leave rather than stay for treatment was a very difficult option, especially with the continuing clashes.

"We found ourselves forced to allow the patients to leave... If they stayed, they would be killed," Abdullah explains.

In addition to the risk of injury from battles, leaving the hospital exposes patients to other health risks.

Muhammad explains that he and his son had to walk outside the hospital, and it took them about five hours to get home.

He confirms that "my son's health has deteriorated since then," especially since he was unable to transfer him to another medical center to complete treatment.
"I just want all of this to stop so I can treat my son," he says.

Abdullah points out that about three-quarters of hospitals have closed their doors, and medical facilities are now satisfied with providing emergency services and treating the injured as a result of the battles.

The clashes killed more than 420 people and injured 3,700, and prompted tens of thousands to flee from the areas of clashes towards other states, or towards Chad and Egypt.

However, estimates suggest that the actual number of dead is much higher, with doctors and humanitarian workers unable to reach those in need.

Even the facilities that kept their doors open are "at risk of being closed at any moment" due to the situation, according to Abdullah, who confirms that they are also suffering from an acute shortage of medical supplies, especially blood bags and adequate surgical equipment, as well as fuel to operate generators and even ambulances.

As for the staff, they are vulnerable to exhaustion because "the same (medical) team works in some hospitals" for eight consecutive days, according to Abdullah, who notes that "some have only one surgeon...".

"Everyone is so exhausted," he adds ruefully.

Medics made daily calls for a cease-fire to allow humanitarian access, to remove the wounded and to bury the dead, but no real, lasting truce has materialized after nearly 10 days of fighting.

While Sudanese are seeking through social media platforms to provide medicines for those suffering from chronic diseases, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has warned that power outages and fuel shortages are putting a stock of vaccines and insulin doses, worth more than $40 million, at risk of damage.

The current situation prompted the Doctors Syndicate to provide advice to civilians on how to deal with decomposing bodies and methods of shrouding and burying them.