Category: General

Israeli enemy warplanes launched an air raid on Hounin between Markba and Hula, NNA correspondent reported on Tuesday.

Additionally, the outskirts of the southern Lebanese town of Alma al-Shaab were subjected to enemy artillery shelling.

Enemy aircraft also launched a new air raid targeting the town of Hula, Bir al-Musalbiyyat.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

Hilla, A quarrel among relatives in the village of Anana in the city of Hilla resulted in the injury of three people after light weapons were used in the quarrel.

Babylon Police Information Director, Brigadier General Adel Al-Husseini, said, “A dispute for unknown reasons broke out among relatives in the village of Anana, in the city of Hilla, and developed into the use of light weapons, which led to the injury of three people.”

He added that the wounded were transferred to Al-Hilla Surgical Hospital for treatment, and that the police opened an investigation into the incident.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

Riyadh: According to a press release from Istituto Marangoni, a strategic partnership has been unveiled between the institute and the Saudi Fashion Commission. The announcement took place at a press conference in Riyadh organized by Istituto Marangoni. Global Managing Director of Istituto Marangoni Stefania Valenti and Chief Executive Officer of the Fashion Commission of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture Burak Cakmak announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding in the presence of Vice Minister of Culture Hamed bin Mohammed Fayez.

In line with its global vision to be present in the most relevant countries for enhancing the development of local fashion and luxury marketplaces, Istituto Marangoni will be the first international Higher Education Group in the creative fields, focusing on fashion and luxury, to open in Riyadh. Its mission in Saudi Arabia is to catalyze fresh avenues for local talent development, women’s empowerment, and employment in a country undergoing rapid transformation into one of
the world’s most dynamic markets for young, digitalized consumers and creatives.

Aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 and with active collaboration with the Saudi Fashion Commission, Istituto Marangoni aims to provide high-level educational support, enabling both international and local brands to develop new creative and managerial skills in fashion, luxury, fragrances, cosmetics, and visual merchandising, thereby supporting the further development of the fashion and luxury industry in Saudi Arabia.

The new institute in Riyadh, accredited by the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC), is set to open its doors in 2025, offering an innovative and dynamic academic program designed to propel careers in fashion, business, and luxury management.

The main academic program will be a three-year Advanced Diploma available in specific core areas, such as Fashion Design, Fashion Management, Fashion Products, Fashion Styling and Creative Direction, and the management of Fragrances and Cosmetics and Interior Des
ign. Students will have the option to complete the Advanced Diploma in Riyadh and step into the fashion industry through a six-month internship during the last year of study or pursue studies for a Bachelor’s Degree at any international Istituto Marangoni campus.

Additionally, the academic offer will include courses catering to aspiring and established professionals seeking to enhance their skills in the fashion business, digital marketing, product management, and emerging technologies. The success of the distance-learning course on Digital Fashion and CLO3D, offered to Saudi designers in partnership with the Fashion Commission over the past two years, serves as evidence of the market’s readiness for such educational opportunities.

Managing Director of Istituto Marangoni Stefania Valenti expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity to collaborate with the Fashion Commission and emphasized the institute’s commitment to nurturing talented creatives and managerial professionals who will elevate the local indus
try and leave a lasting impact on international companies operating in Riyadh. She highlighted the institute’s pioneering innovation in implementing AI and the Metaverse in its academic offerings, underscoring its forward-thinking vision towards the future.

Valenti stated that Istituto Marangoni will work with the Fashion Commission to harness advanced technologies to revolutionize education and prepare students to face the challenges and opportunities of the fashion and luxury industries in the future, expressing thanks to the Ministry of Culture and the Fashion Commission for the opportunity to collaborate.

Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Fashion Commission of the Saudi Ministry of Culture Burak Cakmak highlighted the transformative impact of inaugurating Istituto Marangoni in Riyadh on local talent within the burgeoning creative landscape of the region. He emphasized the Fashion Commission’s commitment to nurturing and empowering creativity amid rising demand for quality fashion education.

Source:
Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh: Minister of Commerce and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Competitiveness Center (NCC) Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi has underscored the robust trade relations between Saudi Arabia and the US at a meeting he had in Washington with leaders from the US Chamber of Commerce and prominent US companies.

Al-Qasabi highlighted the progress achieved so far in implementing Saudi Vision 2030, and the changes in the Kingdom’s economy, which have led to the emergence of various new sectors and favorable business prospects.

Also discussed was cooperation between the chambers of commerce of the two countries, with particular emphasis on the exchange of best practices to further improve the business climate in Saudi Arabia and attract American companies.

Saudi Ambassador to the US Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz attended the meeting. Senior Vice President for Middle East and Turkiye Affairs at the US Chamber of Commerce Khush Choksy, and Vice President of Middle East Affair
s at the US Chamber of Commerce Steve Lutes were also present.

Earlier, Al-Qasabi and his delegation visited Georgetown University where they were briefed on the university’s cooperation programs and the latest research in areas such as entrepreneurship, corporate governance and compliance, trade policy analysis, international trade law, economic development, and applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning. The visit also provided insight into how to address challenges and leverage emerging opportunities in these fields.

Al-Qasabi also held separate meetings with Stefan Umiastowski, senior vice president of Ecolab, a global leader in water, hygiene, and energy solutions, and Stuart Jones, president for Regions and Corporate Relations at Bechtel, one of the world’s largest engineering, procurement, construction, and project management companies.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Manama, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs, received Faisal bin Hareb Al Busaidi, Ambassador of Oman to Bahrain.

The two sides reviewed the deep-rooted Bahraini-Omani relations and their progress in various domains, in addition to ways to enhance joint cooperation.

They also discussed topics of common interest.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

Manama, Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa, President of the Civil Service Bureau (CSB), received Oscar Shaw, the Honorary Consul of Bahrain in Hong Kong.

CSB President praised the strong relations of friendship and cooperation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and Hong Kong in various fields, emphasising the significance of enhancing the two countries’ ties, especially in the human resources and institutional performance development fields.

Shaw thanked CSB President for the warm welcome, emphasising his commitment to enhancing cooperation between both countries and keenness to ensure that they benefit from each other’s successful experiences in developing government cadres and upgrading government work.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

Nablus – Together – In an unprecedented national achievement, An-Najah National University announced that it has obtained international accreditation for its human medicine program. This international accreditation comes as a result of continuous efforts to raise the standards of medical education at the university.

On this occasion, His Excellency Dr. Rami Al-Hamdallah, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees, expressed his pride in this achievement, which reflects the university’s commitment to providing high-quality education that keeps pace with international standards in all fields and to be a leader in the field of medical education in Palestine. It considers this international accreditation an important step towards achieving its vision of building a generation of Qualified and distinguished medical personnel at the international level.

For his part, Prof. Dr. confirmed Abdel Nasser Zaid, President of the University, said that the Human Medicine Program’s obtaining international accreditation reflects
the University’s commitment to providing distinguished educational programs, and that the University is committed to providing a stimulating and conducive educational environment for developing the medical and scientific skills of its students.

On the other hand, Dr. Nidal Dweikat, Vice President of the University for Planning, Development and Quality and responsible for the international accreditation file for the Human Medicine Program, expressed his pride in the achievement, which reflects the continuous efforts made by the University in developing and improving the quality of education and academic programs in conformity with the highest international standards, stressing the continuity of efforts to provide innovative educational programs in accordance with the highest international standards. In the field of medicine and health sciences.

While Dr. pointed out Khalil Issa, Dean of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, stressed the importance of this achievement in strengthening the college’s pos
ition as a leading educational center.

An-Najah National University’s obtaining international accreditation for its human medicine program from the World Federation of Medical Education and through the TEPDAD Foundation reflects its commitment to quality and educational excellence, and confirms its position as a leading educational institution in the region.

Source: Maan News Agency

Ramallah – Ma’an – Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr. Amjad Barham, in his office, today, with the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the State of Palestine, A. Ihab Suleiman discussed ways to enhance joint cooperation between the two brotherly countries in the field of education, both general and higher.

The meeting discussed preparing a memorandum of understanding between the two sides to regulate areas of cooperation. Especially in the field of scholarships, and strengthening partnerships between researchers, students and academic staff in Palestinian universities and their Egyptian counterparts, which contributes to improving the quality of higher education outcomes in the two countries.

In this context, Barham stressed the strength of the ties and relationships that bring together the Palestinian and Egyptian peoples, appreciating the role of Egypt’s leadership, government and people in supporting the Palestinian cause, referring to the difficult reality that the Gaza Strip is expe
riencing as a result of the occupation’s continued aggression. Which led to the destruction of educational institutions and the killing of a large number of students and academics as part of a convoy of martyrs whose number exceeded 34 thousand martyrs.

For his part, Ambassador Suleiman stressed the keenness to expand areas of cooperation between the two brotherly countries in all fields related to the education sector, stressing the importance of signing the memorandum of understanding in a way that contributes to consolidating and expanding the base of cooperation.

He pointed out that the embassy is following up on the conditions of Palestinian students and resolving any problems they face, referring to providing the necessary support and facilities to Palestinian students from the Gaza Strip. In light of the continued Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip.

The meeting was attended by the Undersecretary of Higher Education and Education, Dr. Basri Saleh Dr. Nafee Assaf, and Chairman of the National C
ommission for Accreditation, Quality and Quality of Palestinian Higher Education Institutions, Dr. Muammar Shteiwi, and the Minister’s Advisor, Dr. Ihab Al-Qabaj, and a number of general directors and heads of units in the ministry.

Source: Maan News Agency

Ramallah – Together – Participants in the workshop organized by the Anti-Corruption Commission today, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at its new headquarters in the city of Al-Bireh, recommended the participation of official representatives from the private sector in its various components with the aim of reviewing the themes of a specialized study prepared by the Commission entitled ‘The Reality of Governance in Quotas and Commodity Lists.’ “, stressed the importance of taking into account the outcomes of this important study, which revealed a set of results, the most prominent of which is that imported goods, under the quota and commodity lists, constitute only a small part, not exceeding 4% of the local market’s need, in addition to not following up on the extent of the commitment of merchants and importers to importing the granted quotas and verifying the prices. Selling imported goods exempt from customs. The study also revealed an absence of justice in the distribution of quantities to importers and a weak com
position of the committee, as its role is limited to the process of distributing quotas only. It also indicated a weakness in coordination between the Ministry of National Economy and the Ministry of Finance with regard to quotas and commodity lists.

The head of the Anti-Corruption Commission, His Excellency Dr. Raed Radwan said that the Commission seeks to involve all Palestinian institutions and individuals in efforts to enhance governance, transparency, integrity, and combat corruption in society, explaining that these studies do not mean at all the presence of suspicions of corruption in the institutions included in the study, but rather aim to strengthen the system of integrity and governance, prevent corruption, and prevent it from occurring. Pointing out that these studies are implemented by the Authority in a participatory approach with all institutions or ministries under study.

He added that the Commission continues its assigned work and efforts to strengthen society’s immunity and make it more im
mune to corruption despite all the difficulties it faces, stressing the importance of unifying all national efforts in order to reach a Palestinian society free of corruption and its suspicions, stressing the Commission’s openness to all matters. Observations that enhance and serve the positive trends for which the study was prepared, in order to serve the promotion of integrity values ??and measures to prevent corruption.

For his part, the academic and economic expert, Dr. Nasr Abdel Karim stressed the importance of this study, which opens a window for conducting other studies, such as the feasibility of granting exemptions under the Investment Encouragement Law, and the necessity of linking the cost of the quota with the economic and social dimensions in a way that achieves justice and benefit for poor and marginalized groups. He also stressed the importance of working to approve the value tax law. Additive and Customs Law. He also stressed the importance of maximizing the social benefit of the quota by gr
anting it to charitable institutions and associations through one of the approved companies.

For his part, the researcher at the Palestinian Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS), Masif Masif, stressed that the adoption of a quota works among countries for economic and social purposes, including supporting and protecting the national product and reducing the prices of imported goods, while stressing the necessity of reviewing the Palestinian quota system and developing it in a way that serves considerations. Palestinian.

The Director of the Corruption Risk Studies and Evaluation Department at the Authority and the main researcher in the study, A. Muhammad Khalifa highlighted its results and recommendations, explaining that the study aimed to reveal the challenges and weaknesses that prevent maximizing the benefit from the quota and commodity lists, and to provide recommendations to address them, explaining that the importance of the study stems from it being one of the tools for strengthening the integri
ty and anti-corruption system, indicating that it relied on an approach Descriptive analysis based on data available from the Ministries of National Economy and Finance and the Central Bureau of Statistics.

The study recommended adhering to the principles of transparency in the work of the Quota Committee, developing an annual plan for the quantities of goods and their import dates, obliging merchants to distinguish imported goods and marking the sheep slaughtered in butcher shops to distinguish them from local and imported sheep with customs duties, setting a price ceiling for goods imported under the quota, and preparing a system for the work of the Quota Committee. In addition, the Quota Committee should include a member representing the private sector, and the Ministry of National Economy should cooperate with the Monetary Authority to propose mechanisms for small and medium enterprises to benefit from the quota, and strict measures should be taken by the Ministry of National Economy to oblige merchants
to import the quantities granted to them and reduce the prices of imported goods under the quota and commodity lists. Activating the coordination mechanism between the Ministry of National Economy and the Ministry of Finance, creating a website for the quota and commodity lists, separating the position of Director General of Trade from the rapporteur of the Quota Committee, and linking the Ministry of National Economy with reports and data related to the quota and imported quantities and computerizing them on the Tawasul program.

During the workshop, which was moderated by the Director General of the General Administration of Integrity and Prevention of Corruption, Mr. Abdullah Alyan, a set of observations and proposals were discussed regarding dealing with the commodity Kuna and how to link them with maximizing the benefit for citizens and poor groups, enhancing the empowerment of our people and protecting the national product, and the necessity of completing additional specialized studies in Serving this t
rend in a way that enhances greater transparency, integrity, and governance to serve our people, achieve justice, and enhance their steadfastness on their land.

Source: Maan News Agency

The Union of OIC News Agencies (UNA) organized a virtual training course titled “How Artificial Intelligence Changed Video Production”, in collaboration with the Russian news agency “Sputnik”, with the participation of over 200 media professionals.

At the beginning of the course, Mr. Mohammed Abd Rabbo Al-Yami, the Director-General of the Union, explained that the course aims to closely examine the significant developments brought about by artificial intelligence in the field of media production in general, and video production in particular.

He pointed out that the course falls within the Union’s efforts to enhance the capabilities of journalists in member countries, providing them with the necessary skills to keep up with the rapid changes in the international media landscape and enhance their competitiveness in this field.

Al-Yami revealed that the course marks the beginning of a series of courses to be organized in the near future in cooperation between “UNA” and “Sputnik”, within the framework of the
fruitful partnership between the two sides, aiming to achieve their goals and vision regarding training and qualification.

On his part, Vasily Pushkov, the Director of International Cooperation at Sputnik news agency and radio, emphasized that such joint activities demonstrate the potential for collaboration between Russia and the Islamic world in the field of media, enhancing open dialogue between the two sides in this field.

He pointed out that working with the Union of OIC News Agencies has proven beneficial for both sides, highlighting UNA’s role in facilitating the organization of such courses.

Following that, Igor Arkhipov, Head of the Artificial Intelligence Project at Sputnik news agency and radio presenter, discussed the transformative impact of artificial intelligence in the field of media, especially in video production and visual content.

Arkhipov addressed the capabilities offered by artificial intelligence to translate videos almost instantly, and the most important applications used in this
regard.

He also discussed the significant capabilities of some artificial intelligence applications such as ChatGPT in writing and providing descriptions and texts for videos.

Arkhipov also touched upon the risks associated with artificial intelligence, whether in terms of hacking or in terms of forgery and propaganda campaigns, explaining that these risks existed before artificial intelligence, but they have become more efficient with the spread of artificial intelligence technologies.

Participants in the course learned about the ways to use artificial intelligence and its applications to enhance their media performance.

The course also witnessed several interventions on various issues related to artificial intelligence and its uses in the media.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

Baquba, Member of the Parliamentary Security Committee, MP Salah Zaini, revealed that the governor of Diyala state was killed by ISIS in the Hamrin air strike.

Zaini said in a post on ‘Facebook’ that ‘the air strike that targeted an ISIS hideout in the vicinity of the Tin Khawun area near the Nareen Bridge on the outskirts of the Qara Tappah district, northeast of Baqubah, within the Hamrin Basin in Diyala Governorate, overthrew the governor of Diyala, formerly known as Abu Duha and now known as Abu Laila.’ His name is Yassin Balasim Muhammad Ahmad al-Rubaie, a resident of northern Muqdadiya, in addition to the ISIS medical officer in Diyala Province, known as Dr. Hudhayfah.

F-16 aircraft launched strikes on selected targets in the Hamrin Basin this morning, based on accurate intelligence information.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

Cairo: The second meeting of the Arab Media Excellence Award Committee began today at the Arab League headquarters, chaired by Kuwait, with the participation of representatives from several member states of the committee.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was represented at the meeting by Saudi Broadcasting Authority (SBA) Director General of Production Saad Al-Aoun.

The Arab League assistant secretary general and supervisor of the media and communication sector, Ambassador Ahmed Rashid Khattabi, indicated in his opening speech that the meeting aims to study submissions from member states, evaluate their alignment with the award’s criteria and standards, and select the best among them.

He also noted that winners’ names would be announced during the 54th session of the Council of the Arab Information Ministers, scheduled to be held in the Kingdom of Bahrain at the end of May.

Source: Saudi Press Agency