Author: Steven Sahiounie

The meeting is part of von der Leyen’s visit to the UAE UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. During the meeting, the two discussed various aspects of cooperation between the UAE and the European Union and explored opportunities for further collaboration. Al Nahyan and von der Leyen exchanged views on a number of regional and international developments. The two sides discussed the upcoming COP28 climate conference, to be hosted by the UAE later this year. The importance of strengthening international collaboration to…

Kiev won’t accept the violation of promises given to it by Brussels, the Ukrainian leader says Kiev will go to an international arbitration court if the EU decides to prolong its ban on Ukrainian grain beyond September 15, Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky has warned. The curbs on deliveries of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed, and sunflower seeds to Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovakia, which had been introduced in May, are set to expire next week. But the five EU members are now pushing for the ban to be extended at least until the end of the year, citing the need…

UN experts today urged Israeli authorities to reverse the conviction of an imprisoned Palestinian aid worker Mohammed El-Halabi for alleged terrorism-related charges and ensure his immediate release. “Mr. El-Halabi’s conviction and 12-year prison sentence are based on deeply flawed proceedings and egregious violations of the right to a fair trial, including the lack of evidence against him presented in open court, the extensive use of secret evidence, closed-door hearings, restricted communication with his lawyer, severe restrictions on the lawyer for the preparation of his defense, and the failure to try him without undue delay,” the experts said. “By convicting and…

Dmitry Peskov declined to say whether DPRK leader Kim Jong Un is expected to visit Russia Russia plans to develop its relations with North Korea regardless of what other countries might think, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “We have our own relations with Pyongyang. We value these relations as North Korea is our neighbor, and we will of course continue to develop relations with them regardless of the opinion of other countries,” he said. Peskov was commenting on a recent allegation by US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan about the DPRK’s plans to supply arms to Russia. Peskov again…

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the attention was also brought to the ASEAN system of coordination in the spirit of constructive, non-politicized dialogue and creative cooperation Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, speaking at the East Asia Summit, highlighted the risks of militarization of the Asia-Pacific region driven by NATO’s efforts to penetrate the region, according to a statement published on the Russian Foreign Ministry website. “Special attention was paid to the risks of militarization of East Asia against the background of penetration of NATO forces and infrastructure in this region with reliance on the blocking mechanisms of network deterrence…

The NATO Secretary-General claims that the military alliance does not regard China as an adversary. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has declared that the decisions made during the NATO Summit in Vilnius have brought Ukraine closer to NATO membership and affirmed Ukraine’s right to determine its own course. At a meeting of the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee and security and defense subcommittee, Stoltenberg outlined three developments from the summit: commitment to substantial funding to ensure full interoperability between Ukraine’s Armed Forces and NATO, the establishment of the NATO-Ukraine Council and provision of a platform for equal meetings between NATO Allies and Ukraine,…

The top Chinese official will be accompanied by a delegation to take part in celebratory parades in Pyongyang held on Sunday. China’s Vice Premier and member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party CCP Liu Guozhong will head to the DPRK this weekend to take part in the country’s 75th founding anniversary, state-owned news agency KCNA reported Thursday. Liu will be accompanied by a Chinese delegation at the invitation of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party and Pyongyang, where they will attend celebratory parades held on Sunday. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning confirmed the visit later on Thursday without…

The Israeli occupation forces today detained at least 18 Palestinians in raids across the occupied territories, including former prisoners and siblings, according to various sources. In the Bethlehem district, the occupation forces detained three people from Deheisheh refugee camp, including 43-year-old Fatah secretary, and another 47-year-old man. During the raid, confrontations broke out and one youth was shot in the leg by a live bullet fired by soldiers, while dozens of others suffered from tear gas inhalation. The forces also detained two people from the town of Doha, west of Bethlehem, and one person, 18 years of age, from al-Asakreh…

“Electoral technologies are developing, elections are becoming more convenient, better organized as systemic work is being done year after year,” Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin will vote online in Moscow’s mayoral election, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “Of course, the head of state will also vote in these elections,” Peskov said. “His schedule is quite busy. As far as I know, he means to vote online in the Moscow mayoral election.” Asked whether the government is concerned that regional voter activity could be low in the upcoming elections, Peskov said that “turnout has been fairly high in…

According to Dmitry Peskov, the Russian foreign minister will carry out the entire work at the summit Russian President Vladimir Putin is not planning a video address to participants in the G20 summit, where work will be shouldered exclusively by Russia’s top diplomat Sergey Lavrov, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “There are no such plans,” Peskov said, when asked if Putin would address the event via video link. “The foreign minister will carry out the entire work” at the summit, he added, saying that Russia’s Sherpa and Russian experts were also making what he said were very intense efforts…