Author: Steven Sahiounie

At least one Palestinian was shot and injured, and several others suffocated today as Israeli forces attacked Palestinian protesters who marched along the eastern borders of Gaza City to mark the 54th anniversary of the arson attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, said sources. Sources said that Israeli soldiers stationed along the Gaza borderlines attacked protesters with live ammunition and tear gas canisters, shooting and injuring one person, which necessitated his transfer to hospital for medical treatment. Palestinians marched in response to calls made by Gaza’s national and Islamic factions in support of the al-Aqsa mosque and in light of the…

“Since the relevant bill was put forward by Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas’ party, it is likely to be pushed through parliament,” Maria Zakharova noted Moscow intends to make sure that international institutions condemn Estonia’s plans to restrict Russian and Belarusian citizens’ right to vote in local elections, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement. “We will keep an eye on the situation, making sure that the relevant international institutions condemn the openly racist plans of the Estonian authorities and prevent them from being implemented,” the diplomat pointed out, commenting on Tallinn’s initiative. “Since the relevant bill…

Eight Palestinians were Monday injured by Israeli gunfire during an Israeli army raid in the village of Beita, south of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus. Ahmad Jibril, the head of the Palestinian Red Crescent Emergency and Ambulance Department in Nablus, told WAFA that eight Palestinians were shot by Israeli forces with live bullets, while one was shot with a rubber-coated steel bullet during the raid. He noted that one of the casualties suffered an injury in the head. Local sources said that the Israeli army raided the village amidst shooting, sparking confrontations with Palestinians, during which the soldiers…

Today marks the 54th anniversary of the attempt to burn Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem at the hands of a Jewish fanatic, and on this occasion, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) reaffirmed the eternal bond of Muslims with Al-Aqsa Mosque. It stressed in a statement the need to preserve the legal and historical status of the Islamic and Christian holy places in the occupied city of Jerusalem (Al-Quds), especially Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Ash-Sharif, with its entire area of 144 dunums, as a place of worship purely for Muslims only. The OIC also affirmed that the city of Jerusalem, the capital of…

“Whatever happens, Russia will remain our largest neighbor geographically, will remain the leader in the number of nuclear warheads,” Alexander Schallenberg said The countries of Europe cannot “cancel Russia” and cut off dialogue with Moscow in regard to creating a European security architecture after the Ukrainian conflict ends, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said at a Menendez Pelayo International University event broadcast online. “We cannot cancel Russia; we cannot stop dialogue with Russia,” the diplomat said. “If we do, we will probably exclude (from the system) Central Asia and the South Caucasus as well,” Schallenberg added. He also pointed out…

The bloc will discuss expansion at its summit in Johannesburg, with 23 countries eager to join, the British paper reports China plans to push for the BRICS bloc to become a full-fledged rival of the G7 during its upcoming summit in South Africa, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. According to unnamed sources, Beijing has allegedly “clashed” with India over the prospect of expanding the group’s membership in the run-up to the event, which is scheduled to take place in Johannesburg between August 22 and 24. The newspaper noted that there’s no agreement between Beijing and New Delhi on whether BRICS — which currently…

The 45th US president needs to pay $200,000 to avoid jail in Georgia on election “conspiracy” charges Former US president Donald Trump will need to post a bond in the amount of $200,000 by noon Friday if he wishes to stay out of jail, according to court documents made public on Monday by Fani Willis, the district attorney in Fulton County, Georgia. The court document lists an $80,000 bond for the alleged violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act, and $10,000 each for 12 other counts. The remaining 28 charges against the former president do not appear…

The Gulf state is cashing in on wealthy clients from the sanctions-hit country, the news outlet claims Emirati banking majors are trying to capitalize on economic opportunities arising from Western sanctions imposed on Russia, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. According to the sources, Emirates NBD, Dubai’s key government-controlled financial institution, “poached” bankers from Russian lenders to launch a local subsidiary for dealing with money from wealthy clients. Meanwhile, First Abu Dhabi Bank, the country’s largest lender, is launching a department focused on “wealthy” Russians, sources told the media outlet. Local banks have…

The spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of Iran ruled out the possibility of any meeting between the Iranian and US presidents on the sidelines of the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York. Asked by reporters about the likelihood of a meeting between the presidents of Iran and the US in New York, Nasser Kanaani said at a press conference on Monday, “Such a plan is not on the agenda.” He underlined that Iran and the US are involved in “indirect negotiations” which relate to a series of definite issues, such as the exchange of prisoners and the release of…

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Council of Economic and Development Affairs on Sunday reviewed the Kingdom’s quarterly economic performance and discussed the global economy. The meeting, held virtually, praised the strong growth rate of the Kingdom and the decline in the rate of inflation to 2.7 percent. In addition to a review of key national reports during the meeting, a presentation was also given on global economic developments. The council also discussed the quarterly report submitted by the Finance Ministry reviewing the state general budget performance of 2023. The meeting also reviewed the progress made toward achieving Vision 2030 objectives. The council…