Today, Thursday, the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States condemned the barbaric attack by the Israeli occupation authorities on the Martyr Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium in the town of Al-Ram, north of occupied Jerusalem, on March 30, during the Martyr Abu Ammar Cup final match.

The Assistant Secretary-General for Palestine and the Occupied Arab Territories at the Arab League, Saeed Abu Ali, said in a statement, "This targeting of Palestinian sports and sports facilities and infrastructure coincides with the systematic escalation of the serious Israeli violations, aggression and crimes of Netanyahu's far-right government against the Palestinian people throughout the occupied Palestinian territories." Especially in Jerusalem and the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, to football, sports and Palestinian stadiums that were not spared from these vicious attacks, which represents a flagrant violation of the rights of the Palestinian people, the system of international law and legitimacy, and human values, especially during a sporting event.

He affirmed the Arab League's full support for the struggle and steadfastness of the Palestinian people, and for the Palestinian sports movement, which confirms its competence and eligibility to represent the State of Palestine in the international sports arena, within the framework of absolute and complete support for the Palestinian people in their just struggle, calling on the international community in its various bodies to intervene immediately by providing international protection for the sports movement. The Palestinian people as well as the Palestinian people, and forcing the occupation authorities to stop all their unilateral measures, guaranteeing the right of the Palestinian people to independence and freedom, and exercising their most basic rights guaranteed to them by all international laws.

Abu Ali called on the International Football Association (FIFA) to actively intervene to guarantee the right of the Palestinian people to practice sports of all kinds freely and safely, allowing Palestine, which is a member of FIFA and its Football Association, and other Palestinian sports federations, to fulfill their obligations to compete in various national and international competitions.

Today, Thursday, the Israeli occupation forces arrested a student from Birzeit University at a checkpoint they set up near the village of Nabi Saleh, northwest of Ramallah .

According to local sources, these forces arrested the student Anas Ihsan Al-Rimawi (21 years old) from the town of Beit Rima, after stopping the vehicle he was traveling in.

Khartoum looked like a ghost town on Thursday, ahead of demonstrations marking the anniversary of two uprisings that toppled two coup presidents, after differences between the military and paramilitary forces led to a new postponement of an agreement that opens the door to the country's exit from the crisis.

The Alliance of Freedom and Change Forces, which represents civil forces, called for demonstrations after this new postponement of signing the agreement that would revive the democratic transition process after the 2021 coup.

Since Wednesday, dozens of armored vehicles have been deployed in the Sudanese capital, closing bridges linking its neighborhoods on the banks of the Nile, and surrounding the presidential palace, towards which all anti-military demonstrations have been heading for nearly a year and a half.

And the authorities declared Thursday an official holiday, as the date of the sixth of April has indications in the history of Sudan, which has been ruled by the military on a semi-permanent basis since independence in 1956. On this date in the years 1985 and 2019, the Sudanese overthrew two presidents who came to power with two coups.

In 2019, when the army, under pressure from the street, announced the dismissal of the emerging President Omar al-Bashir from its ranks, the demonstrators were chanting, calling for "freedom, peace and justice."

On Thursday, the Sudanese demonstrators will repeat the same slogan, according to what was said by the Alliance for Freedom and Change, which emerged from the uprising against Al-Bashir.

In the year 2019, while Sudan, one of the poorest countries in the world, was beginning its democratic transition process and was enjoying the support of the international community after a 30-year dictatorial rule, the forces of freedom and change formed a civilian government that shared the rule of the country with the military and was supposed to lead the country to free elections to hand over full power to civilians. .

However, on October 25, 2021, as the elections were approaching, the army commander, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan , suddenly closed the door to this democratic transition.

Al-Burhan led a coup and arrested most of the ministers and civil officials at dawn. Since then, the country has plunged into a political and economic crisis as the international community suspended all aid after the coup.

A year later, the military and civilians began new negotiations and pledged to sign an agreement on a return to power-sharing on the first of April, which was postponed to the sixth of the same month.

However, the Forces for Freedom and Change announced in a statement on Wednesday night a new postponement of signing "the final political agreement." She attributed the reason to "the resumption of joint talks between the military parties that signed the political framework agreement regarding the technical aspects of the security and military reform procedures."

The political forces confirmed, according to the statement, that "once an agreement is reached, the road will be clear before the signing of the final political agreement (..) and the military institution's exit from political life and the formation of full civil governance institutions."

In a speech to the nation on the occasion of the anniversary of the overthrow of Jaafar al-Numeiri in 1985, al-Burhan affirmed that "the parties are now working hard to complete the discussion on the remaining issues," stressing that the postponement was decided in order to "lay down solid frameworks that maintain the momentum of the revolution."
And to confirm its insistence on its goals, the Alliance of Forces for Freedom and Change called on civil and political forces to "actively participate in the April 6 processions in the capital and the states, and to adhere to peace."

The coalition called on the security services to "protect the popular processions scheduled for its launch," warning at the same time "against any violent interaction of any degree." After the security forces' suppression of anti-coup demonstrations led to the death of 125 Sudanese, according to the pro-democracy Doctors Syndicate.

On Thursday , China sent warships to the waters surrounding Taiwan, shortly after its deployment of an aircraft carrier, promising a "firm" response after the meeting between the President of the island and the Speaker of the US House of Representatives in California, according to what the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense announced.

"China will take resolute and strong measures to resolutely defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning Thursday.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who belongs to a party fighting for the island's independence, welcomed Washington's "steadfast support" on Taiwan during Wednesday's meeting with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Beijing, which has always threatened a response in the event of this meeting, deployed an aircraft carrier near Taiwan, hours after it took place.

On Thursday, three other ships were spotted at around six o'clock (22:00 GMT) in the strait separating China from the island, which enjoys a democratic regime, according to what the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense announced.

An anti-submarine helicopter also crossed Taiwan's air defense zone, the same source added.

China also deployed coast guard vessels to conduct extraordinary patrols, which Taipei protested.

China considers the island of Taiwan, with a population of 23 million, an integral part of its territory and does not rule out its restoration by force if necessary.

Beijing opposes any official contact between Taipei and other countries, insisting on the "one China" principle only.

Last August, Beijing conducted unprecedented military maneuvers around Taiwan during a visit to the island by former US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which angered China.

The Chinese response to the meeting between McCarthy and Tsai has not yet lived up to what happened last year, but it is putting Taipei on alert.
Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-hsing said the timing of the deployment of the Chinese aircraft carrier, "Shandong", was "sensitive", but did not indicate that any maneuvers had been detected in the vicinity of the warship. He added, "When an aircraft carrier comes out, there are usually take-offs and landings. But we have not detected any landings or take-offs" so far.

"We are continuing the surveillance and monitoring operations," he told reporters.

In response to the possibility that this deployment is a prelude to Chinese military maneuvers, Xu said, "We do not rule out any possibility."
In the United States, Tsai, who came from a tour of Central America, welcomed the "steadfast support" of the United States on Taiwan and stressed that the Taiwanese are "not isolated."

Only 13 countries still recognize Taiwan, including Belize and Guatemala, which Tsai visited during her tour after a first stop in New York.
Hours later, China vowed "firm and effective measures to safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity."

The Chinese Foreign Ministry compared the meeting between Tsai and McCarthy on American soil to "very wrong acts of collusion" between the United States and Taiwan, according to a statement published Thursday morning.

Beijing urged Washington to "stop engaging in a wrong and dangerous path".

This statement came at a time when the French President is on a state visit to China, where he will meet Thursday with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In this tense atmosphere, McCarthy chose to receive Tsai in California after he first thought of going personally to Taiwan.
The Republican official stressed that the relationship between Taipei and Washington is "stronger" than ever.

Under Tsai, Taiwan strengthened its rapprochement with the United States.

McCarthy called for "continuing arms sales to Taiwan," saying it was "the best way" to prevent a Chinese invasion of the island.

"This is a basic lesson that we learned from Ukraine, which is that the idea of imposing sanctions only in the future will not deter anyone," he told reporters.

On Pingtan Island in southeast China, the point closest to Taiwan, no exceptional military activity was detected Thursday morning.

However, the Council of Continental Affairs in Taipei, the top body in charge of setting policy towards China, accused Beijing of "obstructing trade in the Taiwan Strait through inspections of cargo ships and passenger ships."

On Wednesday, Chinese maritime authorities announced Chinese coast guard patrols in the strait.

The Taiwanese authority said on Wednesday evening that "the move of the Chinese party deliberately exacerbates tensions between the two sides of the strait," speaking of a "flagrant violation" of maritime practices.

Assistant director of Taiwan's National Security Bureau Ku Shing-heng confirmed Thursday that Taiwanese ships had been ordered to refuse any Chinese inspection.

Today, Thursday, the Syrian Arab Republic condemned the Israeli aggression against the worshipers in Al-Aqsa Mosque .

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued by it: "The crimes of the Israeli occupation in Al-Aqsa and Palestine are inseparable from the practices of this entity through its continued occupation of the Syrian Arab Golan and the rest of the occupied Arab lands, its repeated attacks on Syrian lands, and its bombing of civilians and infrastructure."

And it denounced the continued international silence and protection for these crimes, which aim to ignite the region and export the internal crises of the occupation officials.

It called for the condemnation of these heinous practices, for the lifting of the cover for the crimes of the occupation, and for taking the necessary measures to stop and deter them, and to hold those responsible accountable.

In a modern video game hall near Tripoli , players' comments mix with the sounds of controllers and screens... Fans of this entertainment activity in Libya have begun to organize their ranks, after a long isolation during the era of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi that followed a decade of chaos.

In the dead of night during one of the days of Ramadan, inside a building in Tajoura, on the outskirts of the Libyan capital, teenagers stare at the latest curved screens, headphones in the ears.

A young man drives a virtual racing car sitting behind the wheel, while some immerse themselves in virtual reality games, wearing large 3D glasses.

This kind of space is not common in Libya.

Unlike other Arab countries, the world of video games was completely absent in Libya until recently, as Sofiane Matos, who oversees the private game room that opened in 2022, explains.

Experts classify the Middle East and North Africa as one of the regions that are achieving strong growth in the video game sector, and Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt are the most important markets in this field.

However, investment in technology and entertainment slowed down sharply in Libya during the dictatorial rule of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi for more than four decades, and even after the fall of his regime in 2011, in light of the years of chaos and security chaos in the country.
Sufyan Matos believes that the players' long isolation, in a country rich in oil, explains the "strong demand" currently registered for places that allow them to "play together and participate in tournaments."

Tired of playing on rudimentary computers at his university, the 18-year-old computer science student has just joined the team at this center, which was set up by another gamer.

The appetite for technology, the practice of various sports, and private sector investments began to expand finally in Libya, after it was in a low position on the scale of priorities during the Gaddafi era. The country's esports federation was established in 2018.

In Tajoura, players sit comfortably on chairs or high stools, competing in soccer matches or pitched battles via video games.

In skinny jeans and a white jacket, Youssef Al-Yansi is distinguished by his banter while shooting passes during a football match on a giant screen.

The 20-year-old is used to the "small rooms" of Tripoli, but has "never seen such modern spaces" in Libya.

After settling to complete his studies in Turkey, where he regularly visits video game halls in Istanbul, Youssef says, "I hoped to find something like that one day in Libya."

He added, "I used to go to halls in other countries, and I wished when I returned to Libya to visit my family that I would find such places here (...), even when I traveled, (video game halls) were present in every region, as they receive attention for the sake of Keeping people out of trouble and filling up their time."

These halls and the tournaments that are organized in them have contributed very quickly to building a new world for video game lovers in Libya, as Sofiane Matos confirms, who says with satisfaction, "We have developed in two years."

Sofiane added enthusiastically, "Currently, we are still in a stage that does not reach the level of other countries, but we will develop in the field of games, especially in this period in which we are witnessing great development (...) Five years ago, there was no hall in Libya, no tournament, or anything".

He concluded, "We have developed within two years (...) This motivates the players and pushes other young people who lack experience to train and take this path," expecting that "everything will develop in the near future."

So this dynamism around youth and modern industries is good for “the development of the country,” notes Karim Ziani, one of the avid gamers.

Zayani, 20, sees the importance of the gaming community. "We hope that the idea will continue in Libya" for the "interest of youth and society," he said as he took off his headset and left the keyboard.

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoing during his police interrogation over accusations that he tried to illegally bring precious jewelry into the country, a source told AFP.

The case relates to accusations of illegally bringing gifts worth millions of dollars that Bolsonaro and his wife received from Saudi Arabia in March, which led to the opening of investigations and caused legal and political problems for the former president.

Federal police questioned the 68-year-old man in Brasilia a week after he returned to Brazil after spending three months in the United States following his loss in the October presidential election.

The Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper had revealed that customs officers seized valuable diamond jewelry in a backpack of one of Bolsonaro's aides after he returned from an official trip to Saudi Arabia in October 2021.

It later emerged that Bolsonaro had kept a second set of jewelry that had been brought to Brazil undetected on the same flight.

A source close to the former president, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Bolsonaro denied to the police any wrongdoing, and confirmed that he did not know about the jewelry case that was seized until December of last year.

The source said Bolsonaro outlined subsequent efforts to release the seized jewels in an effort to avoid a diplomatic incident, in light of their eventual possibility of being sold at auction.

Under Brazilian law, government officials can only keep gifts that are personal and of low monetary value.
Bolsonaro spent about three hours at the police headquarters and left without making any statement to the press. The police also did not make any comment.

"The testimony went very smoothly," Bolsonaro adviser Fabio Weingarten, former chief of communications at the presidential palace, said in a tweet on Twitter, stressing that it "was an excellent opportunity to clarify the facts."

Travelers entering Brazil with goods worth more than $1,000 are required to declare them and pay heavy import taxes.
The jewelry could be declared and brought into Brazil duty-free as gifts, but would be added to the collection of the presidential palace.

Twitter angered the prestigious American broadcaster "NPR" after the social networking platform owned by billionaire Elon Musk put a "state media" tag on its account.

The rating puts NPR (National Public Radio), which has more than eight million followers in Washington, on par with Chinese and Russian state media.

The move comes after Twitter stripped the New York Times account of the verification mark, in Musk's first update on media-related policies.

Conservatives view the two media organizations as bastions of the left, a position Musk has often expressed in his tweets.
According to the policy of Twitter, which is a major communication tool for officials, celebrities and the media, this decision will limit the access of radio and newspaper tweets to users.

NPR CEO John Lansing said, "It was disturbing to see last night that Twitter designated us as a state media, a designation under Twitter's own guidelines that does not apply to NPR."

The broadcaster told AFP that less than 1 percent of its funding comes from federal sources.

Lansing confirmed, "+NPR+ supports freedom of expression and accountability for the powerful. It is not acceptable for Twitter to tag us in this way."

Ben America, which defends freedom of expression, described the move as dangerous.

"Twitter's unilateral labeling of +NBR+ as a state media, on a par with Russian RT, is a dangerous step that could undermine public confidence in reliable news sources," said Liz Woolery, director of digital policy at the organisation.

A famous Greek seismologist has come under investigation after spreading on April 1st a lie that a huge funnel could open under the volcanic island of Santorini, one of Greece's most popular tourist destinations.

And the director of the Hellenic Institute of Geodynamics and the Tsunami Center , Akis Tsilentis , posted a photo on Facebook on Wednesday, similar to police photos of the detainees, in which he appears to be holding a paper that reads, "Guilty of April Fool's prank."

"We live in a country where humor is persecuted, unlike pedophiles, rapists and scammers," he added.
On Tuesday, a public prosecutor ordered a preliminary investigation to determine whether Tslintis' post on April 1 qualifies as promoting fake news.

Celentis wrote on Facebook that "the situation is not good in Santorini." "Since January, a gradual decrease in magma has been recorded under the volcano," he added.

Celentis joked that there was a "high probability" that the magma was moving towards an imaginary volcano, creating a funnel-shaped void that could "swallow the waters of the Aegean Sea".

A volcanic eruption at the end of the seventeenth century BC that wiped out the Minoan civilization completely reshaped the topography of Santorini, and the island is still witnessing high geothermal activity accompanied by seismic tremors.

In 1950, the last major eruption of the most active part of the volcano, located under the uninhabited lava island of Kameni, was recorded.

The French authorities announced the rescue of about forty immigrants in the English Channel while they were trying to reach England with two small boats, including three children who were pulled out in a state of severe hypothermia.

The French Channel and North Maritime Administration said in a statement that the French authorities rescued, in two successive operations on Wednesday, 28 people and 13 people, respectively, and brought them to the beach.

She explained that a patrol boat of the French Navy detected, on Wednesday morning, the presence of drowned people in the waters off Boulogne-sur-Mer (the north), and sent a speedboat, which recovered 28 people who were all in the water.

She added that among these were three children and an adult who were suffering from hypothermia and were treated by the emergency department.
Shortly thereafter, a navy ship rescued another boat that was in difficulty and picked up 13 people.

About 46,000 people crossed the English Channel in 2022 in small boats.

Five people have died and four others are missing on these dangerous crossings, according to the administration's own figures.

The Cannes Film Festival will open next May 16 with the movie "Jeanne du Barry" by French director Maywen, as the organizers announced Wednesday, and this film is strongly dedicated to the return of American star Johnny Depp to the big screen.

And the festival stated in a statement that “Jeanne du Barry”, which is the sixth feature film by the 46-year-old French actress and director (after “Police”, which won the Jury Prize in 2011, “Mon Roi”, “ADN” and others), will be shown on the screen. Grand Theater Lumiere after the opening ceremony, which is broadcast live by France TV on the small screen and on the Internet channel Brut.

The film deals with "the life of Jeanne de Barry, concubine of King Louis XV, and the story of her rise and fall," and is played by director Maywen herself. As for Depp, he embodies the character of the French king, while French actors Pierre Richard, Benjamin Laverne and India Hair also participate in the work.

Johnny Depp returns strongly to the cinematic arena through this film after the judicial confrontation that received wide media attention between him and his ex-wife Amber Hurd regarding accusations of marital violence, and mutual accusations of defamation between them.

The Cannes Festival has previously shown a group of films starring Johnny Depp (59 years old), including “Fair and Loathing in Las Vegas” and “Pirates of the Caribbean”, as well as the movie “The Brave”, which he directed in the 1997 session.

Saudi Arabia and Iran confirmed in a joint statement Thursday, after a rare meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries in Beijing, that the agreement to resume diplomatic relations between the two regional powers will contribute to achieving security and stability in the Middle East.

"During the talks, the two sides stressed the importance of following up on the implementation of the Benn agreement and its implementation, which strengthened mutual trust and expanded the scope of cooperation, and contributed to the achievement of security, stability and prosperity in the region," said the statement, which was published by Iranian and Saudi official media.

Today, Thursday, the UN Security Council will hold an emergency session to discuss the Israeli violations of Al-Aqsa Mosque , at the joint request of Palestine and Jordan, and with the support of the UAE and China.

This request comes after the brutal attack by the occupation forces on the worshipers and seclusion in Al-Qibli Mosque, forcing them to leave it by force, as a prelude to storming settlers in large numbers to perform Talmudic rituals and slaughter offerings inside Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Since the beginning of this year, the Council held its monthly sessions on time, but it held emergency sessions and closed consultations, due to the continuous violations by the occupation forces of Jerusalem and the sanctity of worshipers, in addition to the increase in settlement activity.

It is noteworthy that the occupation forces stormed, on Tuesday night, Wednesday, and last night, Al-Aqsa Mosque after the Tarawih and Fajr prayers, and brutally assaulted the worshipers and seclusion in the Al-Qibli prayer hall and forcibly removed them from it, injuring and arresting hundreds of them, in preparation for the settler groups’ incursions, which sparked local, Arab and international reactions. Rejecting and condemning these incursions.

On Thursday morning, large groups of settlers stormed the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque , in the form of successive groups, on the first day of the so-called Jewish "Passover".

Prior to the start of the incursions, the Israeli occupation police removed the pilgrims inside Al-Aqsa Mosque from the Al-Qibli prayer hall, who were women and the elderly, especially after they emptied it of young men last night.

The occupation police were deployed throughout the mosque, after a tense night, which witnessed a crackdown on those in i'tikaaf and the injury of a number of them.

Official Palestinian and factional bodies, as well as Arab countries, condemned the Israeli repression of the seclusion, which continued for the second day inside Al-Aqsa.

On Thursday morning, the Israeli police announced that it had arrested 5 boys from Umm al-Fahm, in the occupied interior .

The Israeli police claimed, according to a statement, that the detainees threw stones at its members, burned tires, and threw fireworks, last night.

Those forces suppressed marches that took place in the occupied cities of the interior to denounce the aggression against Al-Aqsa Mosque .

Unidentified persons opened fire, at dawn on Thursday, at the vehicle of editor Maher Burqan, in the city of Hebron .

According to local sources, Burqan was leaving the Fajr prayer when his vehicle was targeted, without being injured.

At dawn on Thursday, resistance fighters fired several missiles towards the settlements surrounding the Gaza Strip.

According to an Israeli military spokesman, 7 rockets were fired from the Strip, 5 of which exploded in the air, and 2 fell into the sea.

He pointed out that Iron Dome was not activated in accordance with the established objection policy.

The missiles were fired hours after the renewed Israeli aggression against worshipers in Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Real Madrid swept its rival and host Barcelona 4-0, including a "hat-trick" for French star Karim Benzema on Wednesday, to qualify the royal team to the final of the Spanish Cup in football, after losing 1-0 in the semi-final first leg.
Brazilian Vinicius Junior opened the scoring in the 45 + 1 minute with an assist from Benzema, before the latter scored a hat-trick in the 50th and 58th minutes from a penalty kick and 80.
It is the second hat-trick in a row for the French striker after the first in the hexagonal victory over Valladolid 6-0 on Sunday in the league competitions, and the sixteenth goal of Benzema in the “El Clasico”.
"It was important to win, then the big margin satisfies us, but the important thing is to win," said Uruguayan Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde after the end of the match.
He praised his colleague Benzema's hat-trick, "We know what Karim offers us. The goals he scored are a reference point for all of us, and he always wants more."
For his part, Barcelona player Sergi Roberto said that Vinicius Junior's goal in the first half was a powerful blow.
And he added, “Their goal at the end of the first half killed us. We did not deserve to concede this goal. I think we were better in the first half.” ".
Barcelona entered the “El Clasico” with an additional dose of confidence about the royal club, as it defeated its rivals in five of its last six matches in various competitions, against one defeat, before falling by four.
Real succeeded in turning the tables on its opponent in its second confrontation in Catalonia in 18 days (losing in the league 1-2) and joining Osasuna, the winner of Athletic Bilbao, to the final.
Real, 19-time winner of the title, is also looking for its first coronation in the competition since the 2014 edition.
Barcelona had to deal with the many absences in its ranks due to injury, such as the Danish Andreas Christensen, the Frenchman Osman Dembele, Pedri and the Dutchman Frankie de Jong.
And Xavi Hernandez, coach of the Catalan club, decided to rely on the same starting line-up that played the first leg, with the exception of the three-player Sergi Roberto, the Brazilian Rafinha and the Polish Robert Lewandowski.
In turn, Real missed Frenchman Ferland Mendy with injury as well, while his Italian coach, Uruguayan Carlo Ancelotti, pushed Valverde alongside veterans Croatian Luka Modric and German Toni Kroos in the middle. While the Brazilians Rodrigo and Vinicius Junior play alongside the French Karim Benzema in the attack.
Barcelona started the match with a header from Rafinha in the hands of Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (14), and he had the most possession of the ball after the first half hour, by 58 percent, compared to 42 for his rivals.
Real broke up with the owner of the land before the whistle at the end of the first half, with the goal of a counterattack that Vinicius Junior started with a ball that he passed to Benzema on the right side of the area, before the latter returned it to the Brazilian, who shot directly into the net of German goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen (45 + 1).
Vinicius Junior raised his tally to 3 goals in 4 matches in the local cup with Real Madrid.
Real started the second half as he finished the first, doubling the score after a pass from Modric to Benzema in the last twenty meters, who benefited from the sliding of French defender Jules Conde to fire a through ball that hit the net (51).
Real raised his lead to 3 goals after Benzema scored his second personal goal from a penalty kick that Vinicius Jr. got after manipulating Uruguayan defenders Ronald Araujo and Ivorian Frank Kessier, so the latter made the mistake (58).
And Xavi paid his offensive cards as he no longer had anything to lose, so Kessier took out and replaced him with Ansu Fati (59), then he switched to the same position with Eric Garcia entering the place of Marco Alonso and striker Ferran Torres instead of Rafinha (66).
Benzema dealt the fatal blow to Barcelona's hopes by scoring his third personal goal for him and the fourth for his team, with a second assist from Vinicius Junior (81).
The "Camp Nou" fans chanted the name of the Argentine club legend, Lionel Messi, who left to join Paris Saint-Germain two years ago, during the tenth minute of the "El Clasico" life, to commemorate the number he wore in Catalonia during the golden era.
At the initiative of the North Stand, the fans chanted "Messi...Messi!" As it always did when the Argentine was writing in gold letters the club's history, until August 2021 when he had to leave.
Even before kick-off, in front of the "Camp Nou" stadium, several groups of fans sang songs glorifying the Argentine world champion, according to an AFP journalist.
Real did not lose only two of the last eight matches in the local cup (6 victories), as the last defeat dates back to March 2 at home against Barcelona (0-1).
For its part, Barcelona achieved a series of 5 successive victories in various competitions, after losing 2-1 to Manchester United in the European League competition “Europa League” and Almeria 0-1 in the league, before falling again this evening.

Manchester United took revenge on its guest club, Brentford, and beat it 1-0 on Wednesday, in a postponed match between them from the twenty-fifth stage of the English Premier League in football.
The “Red Devils” condemn this victory to a beautiful joint game, after the Brazilian Anthony converted a fallen ball inside the penalty area, and the Austrian Marcel Sabitzer passed it with his head to Rashford in front of the goal, so the latter turned it strong into the roof of the net (28).
This victory is the first for United in the domestic league since mid-February, as it was affected by its participation in several local and continental competitions.
United reached the quarter-finals of the European League (Europa League), the semi-finals of the local cup and lifted the League Cup in February, ending a period of six years in which it was not crowned with any title.
By defeating Brentford, who was humiliated by a 4-0 first-leg humiliation, Manchester United regained fourth place with 53 points, on goal difference from Newcastle III, who beat West Ham simultaneously 5-1.
In a postponed match from the fifth stage, Newcastle United remained in third place by sweeping West Ham 5-1.
The Newcastle quintet scored Callum Wilson (6 and 46), Brazilian Jolinton (13, 90), and Swedish Alexander Isaac (82), raising their team's score to 53 points.
As for West Ham, it remained in fifteenth place, with 27 points.

The draw for the quarter-finals of the African Champions League football competition, Wednesday, put Al-Ahly of Egypt in a strong confrontation with Moroccan Raja Athletic, while Moroccan Wydad, the defending champion, is in a relatively easier confrontation against Simba of Tanzania.
On the other hand, Tunisian Esperance will clash with its neighbor, the Algerian youth club Belouizdad. As for the second representative of Algeria, JS Kabylie, he will face a difficult test against the strong South African Mamelodi Sundowns.
For the second season in a row, Al-Ahly, who holds the record for the number of titles (10 times), must face Al-Raja, and the “Red Devils” team had decided the two confrontations with a total score of 3-2, then went to the final, where it lost with two clean goals against the second pole of the city of Casablanca, Wydad. .
Al-Ahly seeks to consolidate its record numbers and win the eleventh title, especially after its dramatic qualification in the last round at the expense of the Sudanese Al-Hilal, to finish runner-up in the second group, behind Sundowns.
Al-Hilal could have decided qualification in the fifth round when it tied with Mamelodi 1-1, as international Athar Al-Taher missed a penalty kick in stoppage time, which was enough to eliminate the Egyptian giants.
Al-Ahly and Moroccan Raja met in 9 matches, during which Al-Ahly won two matches, while the tie was settled as a result of five confrontations, and Raja achieved victory in two matches. The first leg will be held in Cairo, while the Mohammed V stadium in Casablanca will host the second leg.
Al-Ahly seeks not to return to its fluctuating results that appeared in the group stage, as Swiss coach Marcel Koller realizes that there is no room for compensation this time, especially against a team that is considered the best offensive line (17 goals), and the second best defensive line (3 goals). In addition to scooping 16 points out of 18 possible.
Raja is led by Tunisian coach Munther Al-Kabir, who has great experience in continental forums, in addition to the team's inclusion of a group of distinguished players with great experience, such as goalkeeper Anas Al-Zeniti, Muhammad Zuraida, Abdel-Ilah Al-Hafizi and others aspiring to lead the "Green Eagle" to its fourth title historically and the first since 1999.
The finalist will meet the winner of the Maghreb confrontation between Tunisian Esperance and Algeria's JS Kabylie in the semi-finals.
The "Bab Souika" team, which is seeking its fifth title, reserved its seat in the quarter-finals, after leading its group against the Algerian youth sports club, Belouizdad.
The Canaries are looking forward to their first title since 1990.
It is assumed that Wydad, the defending champion, will not find it difficult to reach the semi-finals when they face Simba of Tanzania.
“Wydad El Omma” quickly regained its balance in the group stage, after opening it with a loss against JS Kabylie, as it achieved four victories and a draw to lead the group.
The team had sought the help of its former Spanish coach, Juan Carlos Garrido, instead of the Tunisian Mahdi Al-Nafti, to gradually improve the results, especially with the return of its main players after they were absent for long periods due to injuries, especially his winger Zuhair Al-Metraji, in addition to the brilliance of his Senegalese striker Pauly Sambo, along with the international full-back Yahya. Atiyatallah and midfielder Yahya Gibran, however, he will miss his goalkeeper Ahmed Reda Al-Teknaouti due to injury and undergoing surgery.
In the event that it exceeds this role, Wydad will be in front of a strong clash against the qualifier from the confrontation between South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns and the Athletic Youth Belouizdad.
The red and white team hopes to move forward towards its first title.

The draw for the quarter-finals of the Confederation of African Football Cup competition resulted in a Maghreb clash between the Royal Moroccan Army and the Algerian Union of the Capital, while the Egyptian Pyramids are facing the South African Samarumou Gallants obstacle, and the Tunisian Monastir Federation is facing the Ivorian ASEC Mimosas exam.
The army is looking forward to keeping the championship cup in Morocco for the fourth season in a row, after it was crowned by Nahdet Berkane last season, in addition to winning the title for the second time in its history after 2005, but the draw put it in front of a difficult task against the giants of the Algerian capital.
The first leg will be held at the “5 July” stadium in Algeria, while the two teams will play the second leg at the “Moulay Abdallah” stadium in Rabat.
Al-Zaeem managed to finish the final price round at the top of his difficult group, which included Egyptian Pyramids and Future and Togolese Asco Kara.
The military team performed strongly in its six matches under the supervision of French coach Fernando da Cruz, and its players included goalkeeper Ayoub Lakrd, Ahmed Hammoudan, Muhammad al-Sahd and Hamza Akman.
The "Sostara" team finished second in its group, behind Young Africans of Tanzania, and starred in its ranks Ayman Maheus, Botswana striker Tumisang Oriboni, and goalkeeper Osama Benbot.
Pyramids monitors breaking the Moroccan hegemony in the competition, and winning the first continental title in its history, but it collides with a difficult opponent, Marumo Galants, South Africa.
In the last round, Pyramids defeated compatriot Future 2-0, to secure qualification for the quarter-finals.
Maromo suffers greatly domestically if he struggles to stay in the first division, as he occupies last place in the South African League.
Monastiri's career will not be easy, as he will face a difficult confrontation against the difficult ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast, which includes a strong squad that seeks to achieve the first continental title since 1999.
The confrontation between Nigerian Rivers United and Tanzanian Young Africans will be equal.

Fiorentina club put forward in the final of the Italian Football Cup , by defeating its host Cremonese 2-0, in the first leg of the semi-finals.
Fiorentina's victory came with a header from Brazilian Arthur Cabral (20) and a penalty kick that was successfully executed by Argentine Nicholas Gonzalez (75).
Cremonese was the dark horse of the competition. Although he sits at the bottom of the Italian league standings, he eliminated Napoli and Roma from the cup competitions to reach the semi-finals, but now it seems that his career is nearing its end.
Things got complicated for the hosts in the last ten minutes of the match, which they completed with ten players, after the Austrian Emmanuel Ayew was sent off due to a handball that resulted in the penalty kick, from which Fiorentina scored the second goal.
This victory is the ninth in a row in all competitions for Fiorentina, who, if they qualify for the final, may face Inter or Juventus (1-1 in the first leg), in their quest to achieve their first major title since 2001.

Nantes successfully continued its campaign to defend its title in the French Football Cup competition, by reaching the final match after defeating Lyon 1-0 on Wednesday in the semi-finals.
Ludovic Blah imposed himself as the star of the match by scoring the qualifying goal in the 57th minute.
The "Canary" team hopes to retain its title for the second year in a row, after previously achieving this achievement in 1999 and 2000 by defeating Sedan and Calais, respectively.
Nantes got a dose of confidence, as it suffers in the league, as it occupies the fourteenth place, only 4 points ahead of the first relegated.
Nantes will face in the final on April 29, the winner of the other semi-final between Annecy of the second division and Toulouse on Thursday.
On the other hand, Lyon suffered great disappointment, as it lost its last hopes for a European seat for the next season, for the second year in a row, as it ranks ninth in the league, 8 points behind the fifth-placed player who qualifies for European competition.

Leipzig continued its campaign to defend its title and qualified for the semi-finals of the German Cup in football, by defeating its guest Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the quarter-finals on Wednesday, which also witnessed a difficult victory for Stuttgart over Nuremberg from the second division 1-0.
Leipzig won the match in his favor with goals from Timo Werner (22) and Hungarian Willy Orban (90 + 8).
This victory is refreshing for Leipzig, as the confrontation with Dortmund was renewed after they met early last month in the league, and Dortmund won 2-1, after which Leipzig regained its balance with three goals against Borussia Mönchengladbach, before suffering three consecutive defeats against Manchester City, England, 0-7, in the second leg of the League final price. Champions Bochum 0-1 and Mainz 0-3.
And with a goal scored by Frenchman Enzo Melo in the 83rd minute, Stuttgart gave new coach Sebastian Hoeness a great morale boost in his early days with the team, just two days after he was appointed to succeed Bruno Labbadia.
The start of the match was delayed for half an hour due to the large crowds flocking to the "Max Morlock" stadium, after the stands were filled to their maximum capacity (50,000 spectators).
Thus, Stuttgart joins Eintracht Frankfurt in the semi-finals, and Freiburg, who ousted Bayern Munich on Tuesday at the “Allianz Arena”, in a heavy-caliber surprise.
The semi-final draw will be held next Sunday, with the two matches to be held on May 2 and 3.

After midnight, a 15-year-old child was wounded by an Israeli settler's bullet in the Old City of occupied Jerusalem.

According to the Red Crescent in Jerusalem, the child was hit with live bullets in the hand, and was taken for treatment.

Areas inside the occupied interior witnessed confrontations between the demonstrators and the occupation forces, in the wake of marches condemning the continued aggression against Al-Aqsa Mosque .

Clashes took place in Umm al-Fahm and the al-Zeina town in the Galilee, while young men set rubber tires on fire in Baqa al-Gharbiya, Kafr Manda, and other areas.

The occupation police were deployed heavily in the areas that witnessed vigils condemning the aggression against Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The occupation police arrested a young woman after suppressing a protest in the city of Haifa.

A security source in the city of Kirkuk, 250 km north of Baghdad, stated that a force from the Popular Mobilization Forces was able to repel an attack by militants of the so-called Islamic State ( ISIS ) targeting their positions in a village southwest of the city, and clashed with them with various weapons, which led to the death of a member of the crowd and the injury of Three others were wounded.

Captain Muhammad al-Bayati of the Kirkuk police told Xinhua today (Wednesday) that the militants of the organization (ISIS) attacked this evening the positions of the Popular Mobilization Forces near the village of al-Multaqa, southwest of Kirkuk, indicating that the crowd responded to the attack and clashed with the attackers with various types of weapons and forced them to flee.

He added that the clashes resulted in the death of a member of the Popular Mobilization Forces and the wounding of three others.

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

The European Union expressed its dissatisfaction with the Israeli occupation forces' storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque, calling for preserving the legal status of the holy places.

"The European Union is closely following the course of events in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories," said Peter Stano, a spokesman for the European Commission.

Today, Wednesday, the official spokesman for the presidency, Nabil Abu Rudeineh , said, " The Israeli occupation insists on continuing the desecration of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and creating an atmosphere of escalation, instability and tension."

He added in a statement: "What Israel is doing in terms of storming the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and attacking worshipers is a blow to the American efforts that have tried during the last period to create a state of calm and stability in the blessed month of Ramadan."

Abu Rudeineh stressed that what happened this evening in Al-Aqsa Mosque in terms of attacking worshipers, which comes as a continuation of the brutal attacks that took place yesterday, confirms beyond any doubt that the extreme right-wing Israeli government wants to drag the region into further deterioration and instability.

On Wednesday evening, the Israeli occupation forces arrested two citizens from Hebron and Jenin .

According to local sources, the occupation forces stormed Al-Aroub camp, north of Hebron, and arrested the child Baybars Nasser Jawabreh (14 years old) in front of his house.

In Jenin, Israeli forces arrested Khaldoun Omar Qassem (32 years old) from the town of Ojja, after summoning him to report to their intelligence services.