Author: Steven Sahiounie

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said Sunday that Israeli authorities had barred him from entering Gaza for a second time since the Israel-Hamas war started on October 7.“Just this week, they have denied — for the second time — my entry to Gaza where I planned to be with our UNRWA colleagues including those on the front lines,” Philippe Lazzarini wrote on X, formerly Twitter.Lazzarini has been to Gaza four times since the war broke out including on March 17.“The Israeli authorities continue to deny humanitarian access to the United Nations,” he said on Sunday.“Only…

President of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas Sunday evening received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia Tanja Fajon at the presidential headquarters in the city of Ramallah. President Abbas briefed Fajon on the latest developments on the Palestinian scene in light of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, and the efforts made to stop it immediately and bring in humanitarian and medical aid. The President touched on the dangerous Israeli escalation in the West Bank, the continued crimes of terrorist colonists, and the violation of Islamic and Christian sanctities, especially in the city of Jerusalem. President Abbas appreciated Slovenia’s…

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said last month’s retaliatory operation against the Israeli regime uplifted Iran’s position among regional and world powers. In comments at a meeting with provincial governors on Sunday, Raisi hailed the ‘True Promise Operation’ that the Iranian armed forces carried out against Israeli military targets last month as a milestone in the history of Iran. He said the retaliatory operation has boosted Iran’s might, power, dignity and hope and proved that the Iranian nation seeks a free and independent life. The military operation, which was carried out with reliance on God, placed Iran in a higher position among regional…

Numerous cities and capitals worldwide witnessed massive protests today in solidarity with the Palestinians people amid the ongoing Israeli genocidal aggression on the Gaza Strip, now in its seventh month. Thousands participated in demonstrations organized in the German capital, Berlin, the British capital, London, the Irish capital, Dublin, the French capital, Paris, and the Canadian capital, Ottawa, in support of the Palestinian people and to demand a ceasefire and the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Protesters waved Palestinian flags and banners condemning the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people. They called for an…

Putin has congratulated Orthodox Christians on Easter Sunday

France on Friday condemned “in the strongest terms” an attack on an International Committee of the Red Cross convoy in war-torn Sudan that killed two staff and injured three others.“France calls on all parties to the conflict to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, which obliges them to protect humanitarian and health staff and guarantee complete, safe and unhindered humanitarian access,” said French foreign ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine.The ICRC said gunmen killed two drivers and injured three staff in South Darfur on Thursday as they returned from a humanitarian mission.A brutal conflict between the Sudanese army led by General…

The UAE, in partnership with American Near East Refugee Aid, announced on Sunday that it had delivered 400 tonnes of food aid to Gaza. The delivery, specifically for the northern areas of the enclave, is enough to feed about 120,000 people, Emirates News Agency reported. Reem Al-Hashimy, Emirati minister of state for international cooperation, said: “The UAE’s safe and successful delivery and distribution of food relief to the Gaza Strip, especially the northern Gaza Strip, marks a significant scaling up in action.” She continued: “We remain firmly committed to our position of solidarity with the brotherly Palestinian people and alleviating…

RIYADH: Brazil’s biofuel market is set for substantial growth as UAE’s Mubadala Capital has committed to invest $13.5 billion over the next decade.

military action in Rafah in southern Gaza could happen very soon

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s non-oil revenues rose by 9 percent to reach SR111.51 billion ($29.73 billion) in the first quarter of 2024 as compared to the same period in 2023, the Ministry of Finance said. In its quarterly budget performance report, the ministry said the Kingdom posted total revenues of SR293.43 billion in the same quarter, while its public spending amounted to SR305.82 billion. According to official data, total revenues increased 4 percent as compared to Q1 of 2023. In the first quarter of the current year, the Kingdom posted a budget deficit of SR12.39 billion with oil revenues reaching SR181.92…