Author: Steven Sahiounie

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has told his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu that there must be a ceasefire in Gaza, while warning him to act with “caution” over escalating tensions with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Starmer “said the situation on (the) northern border of Israel (with Lebanon) was very concerning, and it was crucial all parties acted with caution,” a spokesman for 10 Downing Street said. The Times reported that Starmer reiterated his commitment to “continuing the UK and Israel’s vital co-operation to deter malign threats,” but there is a “clear and urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza, the return…

French President Emmanuel Macron will not address the nation on Sunday following the early parliamentary elections in the country, the Le Figaro newspaper said, citing the Elysee Palace. According the newspaper, the president “would like to wait for more exact data on the distribution of mandates in the new parliament to make necessary decisions.” The BFMTV television channel reported earlier that Macron was expected to address the nation after the elections to comment on their results. Meanwhile, Le Monde noted that despite the election results, Macron plans to visit Washington next week to attend a NATO summit. According to the…

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday criticized Israel’s actions in the region, urging it to halt “inhumane” attacks on Gaza, where more than 38,000 Palestinians have been killed since last October. “Israel should stop insisting on continuing these massacres and end these inhumane attacks,” President Erdogan told journalists on his return flight from Germany, where he attended Türkiye vs. Netherlands EURO 2024 quarterfinal. “To date, it is Israel that has insisted on attacks and continued massacres. It is Israel that tramples on human rights, and international law,” he said. On the escalation between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, Erdogan…

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Sunday called his new Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty to wish him success on assuming the role, diplomatic sources said. The ministers also discussed bilateral relations during the conversation, the sources added. Abdelatty, 58, was sworn in as Egypt’s new foreign minister after a cabinet reshuffle earlier this month. He succeeded Sameh Shoukry. Source: Anadolu Agency

The program of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Moscow will be extensive and the two leaders will be able to have informal talks, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Modi will travel to Russia on an official visit on July 8-9. “Obviously, the agenda will be extensive, if not to say overbusy. It will be an official visit, and we hope that the heads will be able to talk in an informal way as well,” he said in an interview with Russia’s VGTRK host Pavel Zarubin. Peskov said that Russian-Indian relations are at the level of strategic partnership. The…

President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic Thongloun Sisoulith accepted on Sunday the credentials of Mohamed Hassanein Khaddam as non-resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. President Sisoulith conveyed his greetings to President Bashar al-Assad, stressing his aspiration to strengthen relations between the two countries at all levels, confirming his country’s desire to develop relations with Syria in various fields. For his part, Ambassador Khaddam conveyed the greetings of President Bashar al-Assad to President Sisoulith and his wishes for progress and prosperity to the friendly people of Laos, stressing Syria’s keenness to develop the bilateral relations…

Former lead nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, who had contested Iran’s run-off presidential election alongside ex-health minister Masoud Pezeshkian, has met with the latter following his victory in the race. The meeting took place at Pezeshkian’s office in Tehran on Saturday. The “cordial” occasion saw Jalili felicitating Pezehkian again, and presenting him with his views concerning the country’s most important issues and the potential means of their resolution. For his part, Pezeshkian noted that “mere [devising of] plans do not guarantee [one’s] success in [various] issues,” considering such success to rather depend on enlisting the services of the people who are…

US President Joe Biden said he does not accept polling data showing a slump in support, speaking in a televised interview on Friday. During the sit-down, ABC host George Stephanopoulos said: Mr. President, I’ve never seen a president with 36% approval get reelected.” Biden replied: “Well, I don’t believe that’s my approval rating. That’s not what our polls show,” without specifying which polling data he was relying on. A New York Times/Siena College poll released on Monday found that 36% of likely voters approve of the way Biden is handling his job as president. On voter intentions, the same survey showed Trump leading Biden with…

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is expected to arrive on a visit to Beijing on Monday, the Hungary 444.hu news portal reported. Earlier this week, Orban visited Ukraine, Russia, and Azerbaijan, which hosted an informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) on Saturday. According to the news portal, now the Hungarian prime minister is heading to Beijing, where he is expected to arrive “at dawn on Monday.” The Hungarian government has not yet confirmed this information. However, it said that the prime ministers Dassault Falcon 7X plane has already taken off from Budapest. On Saturday, Orban announced a…

During the call, Abdelatty and Borrell emphasized their mutual commitment to elevating the relationship between Egypt and the European Union to a strategic partnership level. They welcomed the momentum and success of the Egyptian-European Investment Conference held on June 29-30, considering it one of the initial major events of the new strategic partnership that sent a clear message to the European private sector about the significance of Egypt as a key destination for European investments. Abdelatty underscored the importance that Egypt places on implementing the comprehensive partnership agreement with the European Union, with its six pillars, and accelerating the disbursement…