Author: Steven Sahiounie

On Friday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that his country was committed to taking forward its genocide case against Israel before the International Court of Justice. He said that further evidence would be presented next month. South Africa, in December, filed the case charging that Israel’s military response to the deadly attack by Hamas on October 7 violated the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Israel has denied this completely. Ramaphosa told reporters, “We are resolute, and firm in our commitment to being prepared to proceed with our case.” Next month, South…

This ranking puts the United Arab Emirates into the highest category in the world, “Leading Model,” according to the Global Cybersecurity Index of 2024 presented by the International Telecommunication Union. Such a high position in this prestigious ranking is a reflection of the current efforts of the country in building a developed and secure basis of digital infrastructure in harmony with its future ambitions. Dr. Mohamed Hamad Al Kuwaiti, Head of the Cybersecurity Council, stated, “The UAE status recognized globally enhances its position as a regional and global hub for innovation and technology in light of its progress towards digital…

The Maldives, known for high-end tourism, has denied reports that its financial troubles exceed “temporary” and it is not considering seeking assistance from the International Monetary Fund, despite warnings of possible debt defaults. Foreign Minister Mohamed Naseem insisted that the archipelago-which boasts high-end resorts favored by celebrities-is pushing forward with tax increases as it pursues paying off its debt. Naseem told reporters in Colombo: “We have very sensitive bilateral partners who are conscious of our needs and of our situation.” He said, “I don’t think this is the right time to go to the IMF. The situation we’re in is…

The world-famous bodybuilder, ILLIA GOLEM , described as ‘The Beast’ and considered the largest on Earth, has died. The standing height was 6 feet 1 inch or around 186 cm with a chest and biceps standing at 25 inches or approximately 63 cm. His death, surely, is one giant loss to the world of fitness. According to reports, the bodybuilder suffered a heart attack in his apartment on September 6. His wife, Anna, kept doing compressions to his chest and awaited an ambulance. Anna thus described to Belarusian media: “I prayed throughout, hoping that Ilya would recover”. She continued: “His…

An explosion in a car in the central Israeli city of Ramla Thursday has killed four people and injured six others. It seems the blast was criminally linked. According to the hospital and police accounts. Asaf Harofeh Medical Center reported the death toll and said six were still hospitalized, one in critical condition. Israeli police treat the incident as a criminal case, given that “there is no indication of a terrorist motive.” They also ruled out the possibility of the bomb being the cause of the explosion which spread to two stores nearby. The Israeli media reported that bomb disposal…

Tehran announced Saturday that it launched its second satellite this year, called “Jomaran 1, successfully into orbit-a new step forward for a space program now causing increasing alarm among Western governments. The “Jomaran 1” weighs about 60 kilograms and has the main aim of testing the systems and software destined for orbital maneuvering. The Space Electronics Industries Group, Sairan, developed and manufactured the satellite with the help of the Aerospace Research Institute. The launch vehicle, “Qaem 100,” was manufactured by the aerospace division of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Iran insists that its space activities are for civilian and military purposes…

The levies on some products will go up to 100% by month’s end, according to the trade representative’s officeThe United States has made it official that there has been an increase in tariffs for a number of Chinese imports, said US Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Friday. Such products as electric vehicles and semiconductors are some of the products that will be affected by this new tariff rate. The White House had first proposed the tariff increases in May, and the final rule was issued after taking public comments. As detailed in the final rocument last dated September 12, measures…

By mid-2024, the enclave’s GDP had dropped to one-sixth of its pre-war level, according to a report As per a report published on Thursday by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the conflict between Israel and Gaza has resulted in the deepest recession in the economic activities in the Palestinian enclave. Highly informative details included in the report shows that the gross domestic product of Gaza fell by 81 % in the last quarter of the year 2023 making the yearly contraction go to 22 %. By more than mid-2024, the economy of Gaza had reduced to…

The European single currency could drop by 7% versus the US dollar due to a risk of major rate cuts, the US banking giant saysMorgan Stanley came across strong in making advances on the fact that the euro will depreciate claiming that the euro will get to the level of the dollar more in the next few months. Still, the investment bank explains this anticipated downfall by growing political risk and economic turmoil in the region. David Adams, Morgan Stanley’s foreign-exchange strategist, who is responsible for Group-of-Ten strategies, says that the euro will be worth 1.02 against the dollar at…

Benchmark Brent has been trading below $70 as OPEC cuts its demand growth forecastOn Tuesday, oil prices dropped sharply after OPEC lowered its forecast for demand growth for both this year and 2024, marking the second consecutive downward revision by the organization. As of 18:30 GMT, global benchmark Brent crude had fallen by 3.7%, reaching $69.08 per barrel. This was the first time Brent traded below $70 since December 2021. The US crude benchmark, West Texas Intermediate (WTI), saw an even steeper decline, dropping over 4% to $65.72 per barrel, its lowest level since May 2023. OPEC’s monthly report predicted…