Author: Steven Sahiounie

Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, has affirmed that the 32nd Arab Summit of Jeddah discussed the most prominent Arab, regional and international issues affecting member states and their common interests, expressing his country’s hope that Syria’s return to the League of Arab States would contribute to supporting its stability and resuming its normal role in the Arab world. “The member states welcomed the Ministerial Arab decision to resume Syria’s participation in the meetings of the Arab Council,” Prince bin Farhan said at a joint press conference with Secretary-General of League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit following…

SWIFT cross-border transactions in the single currency have nosedived to three-year lows The use of the euro for international settlements declined to its lowest level in three years last month, Bloomberg reported this week, citing data from SWIFT. Statistics from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications reportedly showed that the proportion of cross-border transactions involving the single currency fell to 31.74% in April from 32.64% during the previous month. Meanwhile, payments using the US dollar climbed to 42.71% from 41.74% in March, while cross-border transactions with the Chinese yuan soared to the highest level in five months. The proportion…

Earlier, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin announced that the Chinese special envoy would visit Russia, Germany, Poland, Ukraine and France to take part in the talks seeking to resolve the Ukraine crisis Li Hui, China’s special envoy for Eurasian affairs, may visit Moscow next week, a source with knowledge of the matter told TASS on Saturday. “Li Hui’s visit to Moscow is expected next week,” he said. Earlier, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin announced that the Chinese special envoy would visit Russia, Germany, Poland, Ukraine and France to take part in the talks seeking to resolve the Ukraine…

A heat wave in the region is straining power grids and spurring demand for thermal coal and fuel oil, Bloomberg reports Asian imports of Russian energy used for electricity generation have surged in recent weeks due to high demand amid unseasonably warm weather, Bloomberg reported on Sunday, citing ship-tracking data from Kpler. According to the report, coal imports surged to 7.46 million tons in April, nearly a third higher than at the same time in 2022. Deliveries of fuel oil, meanwhile, were the highest on record in both April and March, the data showed. Both fuels are most often used…

The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs has condemned hard-right Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir’s incursion into Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem this morning. Ambassador Sinan Al-Majali, spokesman for the Jordanian Foreign Ministry, described Ben-Gvir’s incursion into Al-Aqsa Mosque as “a provocative, condemned, dangerous and unacceptable escalation, and represents a flagrant violation of international law, and of the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its holy sites.” He warned that Israel’s continuous attacks on the Islamic and Christian sanctities in Jerusalem, in addition to the unilateral measures of settlement expansion and daily incursions…

Gold ingots of up to 20 grams may now be purchased on the Moscow Mint website, the Goznak Joint Stock Company, which operates the mint, announced on Wednesday. The move is part of a broader agenda to encourage Russians to shift away from US dollar savings. According to the company’s statement, Russians are now able to buy, sell or store their purchased gold bars and coins. Goznak is planning to make gold ingots weighing 50 grams available for purchase on its website, the company said, adding that the services will be accessible both in the trading salon of the Moscow…

The pilot managed to bail out before his jet exploded in a giant fireball A US-made F-18 fighter jet crashed to earth and violently exploded during a military exhibition at an air base in Spain on Saturday. The pilot escaped before the crash and was rushed to a nearby hospital. The incident took place during a practice flight ahead of a demonstration for military families at the Zaragoza Air Base, a Spanish Air Force facility formerly used by the US Air Force. Video footage shows the jet climbing steeply, before leveling out and nosediving back to the ground. A massive…

Beijing has accused the US-led bloc of trying to impose its will on others The international community will not allow the US-led G7 dominate world affairs, nor will it fall in line with the pro-Western rules pushed by the group, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday. “China will never accept the so-called rules imposed by the few. The international community does not and will not accept the G7-dominated Western rules that seek to divide the world based on ideologies and values,” the statement read. The Foreign Ministry went on to accuse the group of acting on behalf of “America-first” policies…

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas, described today hard-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s incursion this morning into the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem as a blatant attack on the holy site that will have serious consequences. “Attempts by Itamar Ben Gvir and his likes of extremists to change the status quo in Al-Aqsa Mosque are condemned and rejected and will fail. Our Palestinian people will be on the lookout for them,” said Abu Rudeineh in a press statement. The presidential spokesman said “extremist Ben-Gvir’s incursion at an early hour, like thieves, into…

Dozens of hardcore Israeli settlers led by hard-right Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir broke this morning into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem under heavy police protection. This is the second time the hawkish Israeli minister enters the Islamic holy site since he became a cabinet minister. Following Ben-Gvir’s incursion into the holy site, more groups of Israeli Jewish settlers were allowed into the compound and stayed there for some time, where they performed rituals under police protection. Located in occupied Jerusalem, the Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site for Muslims. It was also Islam’s first…