Author: Steven Sahiounie

The Central Bank noted that the UAE’s consolidated fiscal balance for the first nine months of 2023 posted a surplus of AED61 billion, equivalent to 4.4 percent of GDP

Ivanna Vladkova Hollar, the IMF Egypt mission chief said that going forward the price pressures may not be as strong

Israeli forces have reportedly kidnapped the sister of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas. The regime’s police told AFP on Monday that Sabah Abdel Salam Haniyeh was taken into custody in the town of Tel el-Sabe (Tel Sheva) in the southern part of the occupied territories as part of an investigation also involving Israel’s internal spy agency, known as Shin Bet. A police spokesman confirmed that the 57-year-old woman was Haniyeh’s sister, saying she is “suspected of having contact with Hamas operatives and identifying with the organization, while inciting and supporting acts of terrorism” in the…

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday discussed the Gaza situation and regional developments with his Qatari and Russian counterparts. According to Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry, Fidan and Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani addressed the latest situation in the besieged Palestinian enclave and regional developments over the phone. In a separate phone call, Fidan and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov discussed regional issues and navigation security in the Black Sea, diplomatic sources said. Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by…

Prime Minister-designate Mohammad Mustafa officially assumed his duties during the a ceremony from Muhammad Shtayyeh today in the Prime Minister’s Office in Ramallah. Shtayyeh handed Mustafa a number of files to follow up and accumulate, ivolving the Gaza reconstruction and recovery plan, the reform plan, and the emergency plan. Shtayyeh said, “Today we deliver to you three documents prepared by the government. The first document is the reform plan that was presented to the world, and it is an integrated plan that was approved by donors and was developed. The second document is the government’s emergency plan for the year 2024,…

Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji on Monday met the Iranian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Alireza Enayati, in Riyadh. During talks, they discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern along with ways to further strengthen relations between their two countries. Meanwhile, Saudi Deputy Minister for Consular Affairs Ambassador Ali Al-Yousef received Turkiye’s newly appointed envoy to the Kingdom, Emrullah Isler, and wished him success in his new role. Source: Arab News

The set of demands formally conveyed by Russia to Ukraine on the need to take counter-terrorism measures also contain specific pre-litigation claims sent through official channels, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. “We are talking – and this is the most important thing – about pre-litigation claims that were sent through official channels. This is the necessary procedure,” the diplomat said on Channel One television. Zakharova explained that the relevant documents were sent to the Ukrainian government through diplomatic channels. “We are talking about the requirements of the 1997 International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings and the…

Armenia is not planning to join NATO, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said. “We are already cooperating with NATO, we are taking part in peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan, increasing our presence in Kosovo. This is a format of cooperation. As for plans to join NATO, then no. Today, this matter is not on Armenia’s agenda,” he said in an interview with the Todos Noticias news portal. “As for the European Union, Armenia is Europe-oriented and I would like to cite the prime minster’s [Nikol Pashinyan] recent speech at the European Parliament. He said that Armenia is ready to be closer…

Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Muhammad Mustafa today received the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates from former Minister Riyad al-Maliki, in the presence of Minister of State for Foreign and Expatriates Ministry Affairs Farsin Aghabakian. Al-Maliki provided an explanation about the nature of the ministry’s work and structure, and about its work during the previous period. In turn, Mustafa touched on the nature of the new government’s work, its tasks, the challenges it faces, and the necessity of working to achieve the goals of the Palestinian people. The following are the names and respective positions…

Maghrib Azan (call to prayer) has sounded again in the Grand Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo City, announcing the return of life to this religious and historical hub after 12-year hiatus, and that came follwoing its cleansing of terrorism and its rehabilitation. That came during a Ramadan Iftar banquet Sunday that brought together 1,400 residents of the neighborhoods of Aleppo City and the workers and craftsmen who have contributed to the rehabilitation and construction of this archaeological landmark. The banquet came as part of the “Share in Goodness” campaign launched by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor in cooperation with…