Author: Steven Sahiounie

The ECB kept borrowing costs at record highs at the meeting but started to cautiously lay the groundwork to lower them in June

Egypt’s trade balance deficit dropped by 37.2% year on year (YoY) to $2.08 billion in January, Asharq Business reported, citing the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).

Recent retail results show that consumers are under financial pressure as high interest rates increase the cost of debt

Oman’s debt capital market (DCM) shrank by 7% year-on-year (YoY) to $44 billion in 2023 as the government pre-paid more of its debt using the budget surplus from high oil prices, Fitch Ratings said in a new report.

HCOB’s composite Purchasing Managers’ Index for the currency union, compiled by S&P Global and seen as a good gauge of overall economic health, climbed to 50.3 in March from February’s 49.2, improving on a preliminary 49.9 estimate

The non-oil sector, which expanded by 9.1% yet marginally down from 9.2% in 2022, was the main factor behind the 3.1% growth and was offset by a weaker performance from the oil sector

US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak on Thursday, a US official said, in their first call since an Israeli strike killed seven aid workers in Gaza.The call comes after Biden expressed outrage over the deaths of the employees of the US-based World Central Kitchen group and said Israel must do more to protect aid workers and civilians.“I can confirm President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu will speak tomorrow,” a US official with knowledge of the matter told AFP on Wednesday.Netanyahu has said the Israeli military “unintentionally” killed the aid workers in the attack in…

Russia will draw appropriate political conclusions on the basis of the established facts following the results of the investigation into the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS. “It is necessary to clearly and verifiably establish the truth. And on the basis of the facts to draw appropriate already political conclusions. In addition, of course, to the conclusions that need to be made in the sphere of law enforcement agencies, the judiciary and so on. And political conclusions should also be drawn,” she pointed out. On the evening of March 22, a terrorist attack…

Iraqi resistance forces launched targeted drone attacks on a key Israeli airbase and the city of Ashdod in solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of anti-terror fighters, claimed responsibility for the attacks on Wednesday, stating their actions were in support of Palestinians enduring a “genocidal Israeli war.” Utilizing drones, the first strike hit the Ramat David Airbase, which is known as the northernmost outpost for Israeli warplanes and gunships, the resistance group announced. In a statement, the resistance emphasized that the attack aimed to support the people of…

Iraq renewed its condemnation of Israeli aggression on the Iranian consulate building in Damascus, describing it as an offence. During a phone call on Wednesday with Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi, al-Sudani expressed his sincere condolences from the government and people of Iraq to the victims of the Zionist aggression on the consulate building and his strong condemnation of this sinful aggression, the office of Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani said in a statement. Al-Sudani noted to the depth of the bilateral relations between Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Iran and the importance of working to strengthen them in…