Author: Steven Sahiounie

RIYADH: China’s newly appointed ambassador to the Kingdom met with Saudi Arabia’s finance vice minister in Riyadh, signaling that relations between the two countries are set to flourish.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s annual inflation rate reached 1.5 percent in June compared to the same month last year, driven primarily by rising housing costs, according to the latest data. 

The Saudi Council of Ministers today strongly condemned the continuation of genocidal massacres against the Palestinian people. During its session held in Jeddah, headed by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, the Council renewed its demand for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and the provision of protection for defenseless civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories. The Council also stressed the necessity of activating international accountability mechanisms regarding the ongoing Israeli violations of international humanitarian law and international legitimacy resolutions. source: WAFA

Türkiye is “deeply saddened” over mosque attack in Muscat, the capital of Oman, which resulted in death of at least six people. “We are deeply saddened by the death of six people and the injury of many others in an armed attack on a mosque in Muscat, the capital of Oman,” said the country’s Foreign Ministry in a statement. The ministry conveyed its condolences to the families of the people who lost their lives in the attack and also to the “brotherly people of Oman.” It also wished a speedy recovery for those injured. At least six people were killed…

The UN said that the Israeli occupation authorities are still preventing the provision of necessary fuel to humanitarian aid workers, which is hampering the distribution of food supplies in the Gaza Strip. “The Israeli authorities still do not allow the provision of necessary fuel to humanitarian relief workers, and therefore food distribution is hampered.” UN spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric said that dozens of civilians were killed and others wounded in the recent Israeli attacks on Gaza. Dujarric pointed out that “one of the attacks occurred 100 meters from the center where humanitarian aid operations are conducted in Deir al-Balah.…

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday informed two senior Israeli officials about the “unacceptably high” number of civilian casualties caused by “Israel’s” attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip, his spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters. The Israeli occupation forces have carried out a number of attacks in the past few days, targeting UN-run schools and refugee camps where displaced people were seeking shelter. Blinken met with Ron Dermer, the Israeli minister of strategic affairs, and Tzachi Hanegbi, the Israeli “national security” advisor, “to express our serious concern about the recent civilian casualties in Gaza.” Miller stressed that casualties “still remain unacceptably…

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in New York. As the chairman of the UN Security Council, he will hold ministerial-level debates on the topic of “multilateral cooperation in the interest of establishment of a more fair, democratic and sustainable world order.” On July, he will hold a ministerial meeting on the situation in the Middle East, which includes the Palestinian issue. The foreign minister’s plane traveled from Moscow to New York via the northern route in circumvention of unfriendly countries in over 12 hours. No unforeseen events occurred during the flight. A number of bilateral meetings have also been…

Maltese politician Roberta Metsola has been re-elected for the second term as president of the European Parliament. In a vote held on Tuesday morning, the 45-year-old Christian Democrat from Malta secured 562 votes in favor out of the 623 ballots. Irene Montero from Spain, the symbolic challenger presented by the Left, obtained only 61 votes. In her speech following the vote, Metsola urged lawmakers to unite and work on creating “a Europe for everyone.” Source: TASS

China is ready to assist rival Palestinian factions in their reconciliation efforts by providing a platform for dialogue, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman stated on Tuesday. “China always supports Palestinian factions in achieving reconciliation and solidarity through dialogue and consultation and stands ready to provide platforms and opportunities for all Palestinian factions to carry out dialogue for reconciliation,” Lin Jian told a news briefing. He was responding to a question about China’s reported plans to host talks between Gaza-based Hamas and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party from July 20-21. According to The New York Times, Palestinian officials said Beijing…

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and French President Emmanuel Macron have called for intensified joint international actions to prevent the Gaza war expansion and to prevent the region from descending into a new cycle of unaccounted conflict. In a phone call on Tuesday, both leaders discussed several regional and international issues of mutual concern, notably the situation in the Gaza Strip. “The two presidents agreed on the importance of intensifying joint international action, to prevent the conflict from expanding and preventing the region from slipping into a new cycle of unaccounted conflict,” read a statement by the Egyptian presidency. President El-Sisi outlined…