Author: Steven Sahiounie

The collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which has cut off ocean routes to the city’s major port, is expected to cause severe disruptions to local transport and logistics, producing ripple effects on global supply chains.

Larry Fink, the head of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management firm, has warned that demographics will inevitably strain pension systems and that longer lives are projected to force workers to retire later.

A group of leading German economic institutes have slashed growth forecasts for the EU’s top economy in 2024 to 0.1% from an earlier projection of 1.3%.

The Palestinian presidency welcomed the successive US statements calling for an end to the Israeli aggression and cautioning Israel against attacking the city of Rafah given the possibility of unprecedented civilian casualties. The presidency emphasized the importance of these US statements, especially what was said by the US Vice President that all options are on the table, as well as what the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said today that protecting Palestinian civilians from harm is a moral and strategic necessity, describing the situation in Gaza as a humanitarian catastrophe. The presidency also stressed the importance of what the…

Two Palestinians were Wednesday dawn killed, and seven others were injured, following an Israeli drone bombing of group of youths in the Jenin camp, sources said. The Ministry of Health said that Hamza Arrawi, 27, from Al-Ain camp in Nablus, and Mohammad Nasser Al-Sabti, 19, from Jenin camp, were killed after an Israeli drone bombed a group of young men in front of a house in Al-Damj neighborhood. With the killing of Ararawi and Al-Sabti, the death toll in Jenin rises to three, after the killing of the 19-year-old Ayman Youssef Hassan Azouqa by occupation forces’ bullets in Jenin. Source: WAFA

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Tuesday received a phone call from his French counterpart, Stephane Sejourne, the Kingdom’s ministry announced.During the call, they discussed regional and international development, most notably developments in the Gaza Strip and the efforts made in this regard. Source: Arab News

Ambassador Dr. Saud Al-Sati, the Saudi deputy minister for political affairs, received the Iranian Ambassador to the Kingdom Alireza Enayati in Riyadh on Tuesday. The parties reviewed Saudi-Iranian relations and prominent topics of common interest, the ministry reported on X. Meanwhile, Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Al-Budaiwi met the Chinese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Chen Weiqing at the end of the latter’s term of office. Their meeting focused on ways of enhancing cooperation and relations between the GCC and China in various fields, the council reported. Source: Arab News

Former US President Donald Trump has warned that Israel is “losing a lot of support” and must “finish up” its war in Gaza before its reputation declines any further. The comments represented a rare moment of criticism of the Jewish state by Trump. In an interview with Israel Hayom partially published on Monday, Trump said that he would have acted “very much the same way as you did” if the US was attacked like Israel was by Hamas in October. “Only a fool would not do that,” Trump added. However, Trump called Israel’s wholesale destruction of civilian homes in Gaza “a very big mistake.” “It’s a very bad picture…

Turkey refuted charges of any military activities with “Israel” on Tuesday, claiming that such cooperation would be detrimental to Palestinians. The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced earlier today that “Israel” committed eight massacres in 24 hours only, killing 81 and injuring 93. This brought the total number of Palestinians killed in the Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 7 to 32,414, in addition to 74,787 injured. Turkey’s National Defense Ministry stated that Turkey has “always supported Palestine,” making it impossible to “carry out or engage in any activity” that would harm them. “The National Defense Ministry does not have any activities…

Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet on Tuesday reiterated the Kingdom’s backing of the UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. On Monday, and for the first time in 170 days of the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, the UN Security Council demanded an immediate ceasefire, lasting for the duration of Ramadan. The US, which had vetoed previous similar resolutions, abstained. By doing this instead of using its power of veto, it allowed the resolution to pass. With all other members of the council voting in favor, the 14-0 result…