Author: Steven Sahiounie

The 45th Saudi relief plane, operated by the aid agency KSrelief in coordination with the Ministry of Defense, arrived on Friday in Egypt carrying food and shelter items to be transported to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.The assistance is part of the Kingdom’s historic role of supporting Palestinian people in times of crisis.Meanwhile, waterborne diseases are spreading in Gaza due to a lack of clean water and rising temperatures, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Gaza said on Friday.Contaminated water and poor sanitation are linked to diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, dysentery and hepatitis A, according to the World Health Organization.Since…

The Russian Foreign Minister holds a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, reiterating Russia’s ‘strong condemnation’ of the Israeli attack on the consulate. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s top diplomat, expressed criticism of the Israeli airstrike that resulted in the martyrdom of several Iranian, Syrian, and other personnel at the Iranian consulate in Syria during a recent phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. “The focus was on the situation in the Middle East. Russia reiterated its strong condemnation of the April 1 Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus. It emphasized that any attempt to…

US President Joe Biden on Friday said he expected Iran to attack Israel “sooner, rather than later,” and warned Tehran not to proceed.Asked by reporters about his message to Iran, Biden said simply, “Don’t,” and he underscored Washington’s commitment to defend Israel. “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said.Biden said he would not divulge secure information, but said his expectation was that an attack could come “sooner, rather than later.”Earlier, White House spokesperson John Kirby said the reportedly imminent attack by Iran on…

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Friday received a phone call from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, and attempts to transport sufficient aid into the area, especially through Jordan. The parties stressed the need to remove all obstacles to ensure the adequate and immediate entry of aid into the besieged Palestinian territory, the Jordan News Agency reported. The Jordanian minister stressed the importance of opening all crossings for the entry of aid, and the need for supplies to address the humanitarian crisis caused by the war. He said that Jordan…

India’s new ambassador to Russia, Vinay Kumar, has arrived in the Russian capital, the Indian embassy in Moscow said. Upon his arrival to Moscow on April 12, the ambassador was met by staffers of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s state protocol department and employees of the Indian embassy in Moscow, led by deputy head of the mission Gina Uika, the Indian embassy said on its Telegram channel. Kumar, 54, previously served as the Ambassador of India to Myanmar. source: TASS

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh insisted that the death of three of his sons in an Israeli air strike would not influence truce talks in Gaza, as bombardments on Thursday rocked the Palestinian territory. Israel confirmed the killings, which came as talks in Cairo for a temporary ceasefire and hostage release deal drag on without signs of a breakthrough. Speaking to Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera, Haniyeh suggested that the strike, which also killed four of his grandchildren, was an attempt to shift Hamas’s negotiating stance. “If they think that this will force Hamas to change its positions, they are delusional,” he…

The EU on Friday said it would provide Egypt with 1 billion euros ($1.07 billion) in short-term financial aid to help stabilise the country’s economy.

Oil cooled some of the previous day’s gains amid a choppy few days of activity as traders continue to watch for a potential attack on Israel by Iran or its proxies.

Oil will need to be closely watched in the coming months to ensure “a sound and sustainable market balance” during an expected surge in demand, OPEC said in its monthly oil market report.

Britain’s economic output grew by 0.1 percent in monthly terms in February and January’s reading was revised higher, pointing to an exit from recession in early 2024, figures from the Office for National Statistics showed on Friday.