Author: Steven Sahiounie

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded Thursday that Israel retain control of key Gaza territory along the border with Egypt as part of any accord to suspend the war with Hamas.The condition conflicts with Hamas’s position that Israel must withdraw from all Gaza territory after a ceasefire.Speaking after the return of Israeli negotiators from talks with mediators in Qatar, Netanyahu said Israel needed control to stop weapons reaching Hamas from Egypt — one of four conditions for a deal with the Palestinian militants.He did not say if the measure would be permanent. But it is the first time Israel has insisted…

China’s top leadership is set to meet on Monday to thrash out plans to boost growth, but the country’s economy remains weakened by sluggish consumption, a property sector in crisis and deflation fears.

Iran’s president-elect Masoud Pezeshkian assures Hamas’ Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh of Palestinians’ eventual victory in the face of the Israeli regime’s genocidal war against the Gaza Strip. Pezeshkian made the remarks in a message that he addressed to Haniyeh on Wednesday as means of responding to the Palestinian resistance movement leader’s earlier congratulation of his victory in the Islamic Republic’s run-off presidential vote. “I am certain that, under the aegis of the resisting people of Palestine and the oppressed and strong Gaza’s historic steadfastness, and the heroic diligence of the fighters of the Palestinian resistance in the ongoing war,…

Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and the Arab League’s Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit held talks late Wednesday on boosting economic ties, and the security and stability of Middle East nations. At a working dinner on the sidelines of the 5th Japan-Arab Economic Forum in Tokyo, Kamikawa urged all parties involved in the war on Gaza to abide by international human rights laws. Tokyo wants the release of all hostages and a ceasefire as soon as possible, she said. Kamikawa added that Japan was encouraging Southeast Asian nations to support the work of the UN’s Conference on Cooperation among East Asian…

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron discussed on Thursday Israeli attacks on Palestine, Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said. On the sidelines of a NATO summit in Washington, Erdogan and Macron also addressed bilateral relations and regional issues, including the Ukraine war. Erdogan said encouragement of Israel by Western countries on cease-fire in Gaza, where it has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians since last October, will contribute to regional and global peace. He urged Macron that it would be beneficial for France to take “concrete steps” in this regard. Expressing the importance of enhancing relations between Türkiye…

Elon Musk on Wednesday said his Neuralink startup is “moving on” to a second test patient as its tech for linking brains and computers improves.

Fire broke out on the front landing gear of a Saudia plane in Pakistan, prompting passengers to evacuate using slides.

Mutual trade between Russia and the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) surged by 25% in 2023, amounting to $333 billion

The Group of Seven “likely” abandoned the US plan to expropriate Russia’s frozen central bank assets due to a “veiled threat” from Saudi Arabia, Bloomberg has reported.

Meanwhile, falling freight rates show that penalties have failed to affect Russia’s oil shipment costs, the outlet has noted