Author: Steven Sahiounie

“A criminal’s speech filled with lies and a mockery of the [people’s] intelligence,” was how Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to US Congress was described by a member of Hamas’ political bureau. The Israeli Prime Minister’s speech was rife with false claims regarding the Israeli war on Gaza, and also featured several jabs at the International Criminal Court (ICC), which had requested the issuance of arrest warrants against him and his Security Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes in the Strip. Among Netanyahu’s claims concerned food aid deliveries to Gaza, the protection of Palestinian civilians, and the mediated negotiations with the Palestinian Resistance, all…

Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the US Congress on Wednesday, calling it a “disgrace to humanity.” “I strongly condemn this stance, which blatantly undermines efforts for peace and stability,” Tunc wrote on X. “Despite the International Court of Justice’s measures to prevent genocide and being sought for arrest by the International Criminal Court on genocide charges, allowing Netanyahu, who has killed over 40,000 innocent civilians since Oct. 7, to speak before the US Congress is a disgrace to humanity,” he said. Tunc stressed that supporting Israeli leaders “who stand condemned in the…

Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad in the Kremlin. “Dear mister president, I am very happy to see you,” Putin said. “We have the opportunity to talk about the entire set of our relations. We have not seen each other for a while,” the Russian leader added. Previously, the two leaders met in the Kremlin on March 15, 2023, with their talks lasting three hours. Putin and Assad had a phone conversation on March 23, 2024, when Assad resolutely condemned the terror attack on Crocus City Hall, stressing that Syria was mourning together with…

The speech delivered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Congress sparked anger among Democrats representatives in the United States, nearly half of whom boycotted the speech. The number of Democrats who boycotted Netanyahu’s speech on Wednesday was much higher than it was in his previous speech to Congress back in 2015, which then reached 58 Democrats, Axios reported. Among the Democrats who expressed their dissatisfaction with the speech was Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, who confirmed in a post on X that “Israelis want him out of office. So he came to Congress to campaign.” Sanders wrote that Netanyahu was not only…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended Israel’s war in Gaza and condemned American protesters in a scathing speech to Congress Wednesday that triggered boycotts by many top Democratic lawmakers and drew thousands to the Capitol to condemn the war and the humanitarian crisis it has created.Netanyahu vowed to press on with the war until “total victory,” disappointing hopes by some that the Israeli leader’s visit to the United States could bring some breakthrough in negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage-release.Speaking to applause from US lawmakers, and stony silence from others, Netanyahu sought to bolster US support for his country’s fight…

The presidential spokesperson, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, said that it is high time for the US administration and Congress to tell Netanyahu that he must immediately stop the war, if there is a genuine American will to achieve peace and stability in the region, instead of allowing him to deceive the war-opposing world. Abu Rudeineh added that the massacres committed in Gaza, which have so far resulted in 140,000 casualties, in addition to the daily killings in the West Bank including Jerusalem, which have resulted in 589 killings and the detention of more than 9,700 citizens since October 7, 2023, along with…

Moscow welcomes the signing of the Beijing Declaration by Palestinian factions and expects them to respect the agreements, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing. “I would like to say a few words about the signing of the Beijing Declaration on restoring intra-Palestinian unity. We welcome the accords, aimed at overcoming intra-Palestinian divisions. These agreements were reached at a meeting between members of 14 Palestinian factions that our Chinese allies hosted in Beijing on July 23,” she noted. “We expect that these agreements will be implemented as we strongly believe that ensuring unity among Palestinians, as well…

King Abdullah II of Jordan and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stressed today the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and increasing the flow of humanitarian aid to civilians. During a meeting in London, the two leaders discussed bilateral relations, the dangerous regional developments, and the deteriorating situation in Gaza, according to Jordan News Agency Petra. King Abdullah reiterated the importance of the UK’s role in mobilising the efforts of all stakeholders towards reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, and stepping up the humanitarian response toward the catastrophe in the Strip, stressing that Jordan will maintain coordination with the…

By: Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in Washington, but he was not met at the airport by the US President, Vice President, or even the US Secretary of State in an official snub. Netanyahu will address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday while speaking from a position of power in the political sphere of America because of the incredible influence of AIPAC. Netanyahu has successfully postponed the Gaza ceasefire deal he previously agreed to, kept himself in power and out of jail, and contributed to the decision of US President Joe…

SINGAPORE: Oil prices steadied on Tuesday after falling for the past two sessions, as investors remained cautious amidst expectations of plentiful supplies and weak demand, while brushing off the US presidential campaign upheaval, according to Reuters.