Author: Steven Sahiounie

Today, Saturday, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Muhammad Shia Al-Sudani, inaugurated the strategic Karbala refinery, with a production capacity of 140,000 barrels per day. The Prime Minister affirmed that the government has placed at the top of its priorities work to raise the production capacity of refineries. Al-Sudani said in a press statement: “We have placed at the top of the government’s priorities work to raise the production capacity of existing refineries by supporting and completing complementary production units under construction and encouraging investment in the refining sector to establish modern refineries with advanced technical specifications, leading to dispensing with imports…

The World Bank said in a report issued today, Friday, that developing economies in Asia have regained most of the gains they lost during the pandemic, but their recovery is faltering with the decline in productivity. The report expected growth in the region, including China, to pick up this year after Beijing eased restrictions on travel and other activities, but recovery elsewhere in the region, with the exception of China, will ease as inflation pressures slow and household debt increases in consumer spending. The report said economies across the Asia-Pacific region are expected to grow at an annual pace of…

The UAE Central Bank stated, in a statement today, Friday, that it had decided to revoke the license of the Russian MTS Bank branch in Abu Dhabi, UAE. “The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates has announced that it has decided to revoke the license of MTS Bank in Abu Dhabi,” the statement said. Regarding the reasons for withdrawing the license, the Central Bank of the Emirates indicated that “this decision was taken after considering the available options regarding the new status of MTS Bank, as well as taking into account the risks of penalties associated with the bank.”…

China reiterated its strong opposition to any kind of official contact between the United States and Taiwan. Beijing has reaffirmed its sovereignty over Taiwan and said that no person or entity has the power to prevent China from attaining its objective of complete national reunification. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning declared at a press conference in Beijing on Friday that China vehemently rejects any kind of official contact between the United States and Taiwan. It is worth noting that Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen is stopping over in the United States en route to Central America. “We have time and…

Data from the German Federal Employment Agency showed that the unemployment rate in Germany, the largest European economy, rose unexpectedly in March 2023 to the level of 5.6%. The agency said that the unemployment rate in Germany rose this month (March 2023) to 5.6%, from 5.5% recorded in February. The result of March 2023 contradicted analysts’ expectations, and analysts, in a survey conducted by the DailyFX portal, expected the index to remain at the level of February 2023. This article was originally published by RT.

Vladimir Rogov emphasized that the remarks of Mikhail Podolyak, advisor to the head of the office of the Ukrainian president, about “physical purges” of the clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church falls even under the articles of Ukraine’s Criminal Code Ukrainian law enforcement units can attempt to storm the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra in the early hours of Saturday or at the weekend, Vladimir Rogov, chairman of the ‘We are Together With Russia’ movement, told TASS. “No doubt there will be attempts to storm the Lavra either at night or at the weekend. They formally declared that they would come to evict…

Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation called “direct enemies” of Moscow the so-called peacekeepers under the auspices of NATO, the dispatch of which is being discussed in Europe So-called peacekeepers, whose deployment to Ukraine under NATO auspices is currently being mooted in Europe, will be eliminated should any appear at the frontlines without Russia’s consent, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dimity Medvedev said on Friday. “It is obvious that such ‘peacekeepers’ are our unvarnished enemies, wolves in sheep’s clothing. They would be a legitimate target for our armed forces should they be deployed at the frontlines,…

One of Zambia’s leaders spoke fiercely against the US and its colonial attitude towards Africa. While many Zambians are uninterested in US Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to Africa, one of the country’s leaders delivered a stinging rebuke of American lawmakers’ enduring colonial attitudes toward the continent. One politician’s vehement condemnation of the US government “killers” who overthrew many of the continent’s governments and killed their leaders has gone viral, as the US Vice President visits the region in an attempt to rein in African nations that have charted an independent foreign policy path and refused to join Western economic sanctions against…

Oil prices fell today, Friday, as energy market participants continue to assess possible measures by central banks in the world to fight inflation in light of the recent crisis in the banking sector. By 09:06 Moscow time, US crude contracts fell by 0.09% to $74.3 a barrel, while Brent crude futures fell by 0.22% to $78.43 a barrel. “If data from the US does not start to point to recession and the (energy) market shows risk appetite, the oil recovery could continue thanks to a less aggressive Federal Reserve policy, a slightly cheaper dollar and hopes for a recovery,” said…

Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed the importance of increasing the share of medical supplies production in Russia in order to achieve the dispensation of foreign companies. “It is important for us to increase the production of Russian (raw) materials to increase the share of domestically produced medicines in the Russian market, with the aim of strengthening our independence from foreign suppliers,” Putin said, during his participation via video technology in the opening of drug production facilities in the Russian provinces of Kaliningrad, St. Petersburg and Saransk. Especially about suppliers who create so many difficulties for us. He also referred to…