Author: Steven Sahiounie

Imports grew by 19 percent during the past year, reaching a value of AED136.45 billion, compared to AED114.355 billion in 2022

The House has voted to provide Israel with $26 billion in emergency assistance, including almost $14 billion in unconditional military aid. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the approval of billions of dollars in new military aid showed strong support for Israel and “defends Western civilization”. In a post on X, he said: “The US Congress just overwhelmingly passed a much appreciated aid bill that demonstrates strong bipartisan support for Israel and defends Western civilization. Thank you friends, thank you America!” Source: AlJazeera

The IMF lowered its 2024 growth forecast for low-income countries as a group to 4.7% from an estimate of 4.9% in January

TEHRAN: Iran has dismissed as akin to child’s play Israel’s reported retaliation for an unprecedented Iranian strike, as both sides on Saturday appeared to step back from wider conflict stemming from the war in Gaza.

The UN on Friday underscored the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan, urging immediate international intervention to address the dire situation. Emphasizing that the Sudanese people have “endured unbearable suffering” since start of the fighting in Sudan, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo told a UN Security Council session that “Both parties have failed to protect civilians. Over 14,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands wounded.” Highlighting the staggering scale of the crisis, DiCarlo said, “Fully half the country’s population – 25 million people – need lifesaving assistance,” while also noting that more than 8.6 million individuals…

BEIRUT: Three Hezbollah fighters were killed Saturday in an Israeli strike on a house in southern Lebanon, a source close to the Iran-backed group told AFP.

BEIRUT: Hezbollah on Saturday launched a series of strikes against the Israeli army, targeting military sites near Lebanon’s southern border from Hermon to the coastal city of Naqoura.

Speaking to journalists in Geneva via video link from Jerusalem, he described seeing “medical equipment purposefully broken, ultrasounds — which you will know, is a very important tool for helping ensure safe births — with cables that have been cut”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to China this coming week as Washington and Beijing try to keep ties on an even keel despite major differences on issues from the path to peace in the Middle East to the supply of synthetic opioids that have heightened fears over global stability.The rivals are at odds on numerous fronts, including Russia’s war in Ukraine, Taiwan and the South China Sea, North Korea, Hong Kong, human rights and the detention of American citizens. The United States and China also are battling over trade and commerce issues, with President Joe Biden announcing new…

President Mahmoud Abbas emphasized this evening that combating terrorist crimes perpetrated by Israeli colonist militias against our people, land, and holy sites remains a top priority for the Palestinian leadership. The President made these remarks as he received representatives from several villages and towns in the Ramallah and Nablus governorates this evening, which have been affected by terror attacks carried out by both Israeli colonist militias and occupation forces. He stated that the leadership has been reaching out to all regional and international stakeholders to confront colonist terrorism, combat their crimes, and hold them accountable. The President added that instructions…