Author: Steven Sahiounie

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim Khan on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany, according to diplomatic sources. Khan briefed Fidan on the ongoing actions of Israel in Gaza. He told Fidan that authorities have investigated the alleged crimes committed by Israel and held interviews with victims. Highlighting the significance of the year 2024 for the course of the case, Khan emphasized that despite calls from the international community, Israel had not changed its methods in Gaza. Khan underlined that the ICC is obligated to hold those…

Hamas has welcomed the statement issued by the 37th African Union (AU) Summit held in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa. The Palestinian group said the statement called “for an end to the aggression against our people, the policy of collective punishment, the crime of genocide, the lifting of the siege, and compliance with the decisions of the International Court of Justice regarding the Gaza Strip”. “We hope it will translate into practical steps from all friendly African countries, in a way that contributes to stopping the aggression and war of extermination against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip,” Hamas said…

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Sunday accused Israel of committing “genocide” against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and compared its actions to Adolf Hitler’s regime during World War II. “What’s happening in the Gaza Strip isn’t a war, it’s a genocide,” Lula told reporters in Addis Ababa where he was attending an African Union summit. “It’s not a war of soldiers against soldiers. It’s a war between a highly prepared army and women and children,” added the Brazilian President. “What’s happening in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian people hasn’t happened at any other moment in history.…

Algeria requested the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to vote on a draft resolution that demands an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, a move the United States – a council veto power – has pledged to veto. According to diplomatic sources quoted by media, the 15-member body is likely to vote on Tuesday on the resolution sought by Algeria demanding an “immediate” truce in Gaza. Algeria put forward an initial draft resolution more than two weeks ago. The draft resolution rejects “the forced displacement of the Palestinian civilian population” and demands “all parties to comply with international law” and calls for full,…

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index rose on Sunday, gaining 17.41 points, or 0.14 percent, to close at 12,502.00. 

RIYADH: The average speed for internet connectivity at the Red Sea destination is 86 percent faster than the top-ranked city globally for December 2023, a recent report has confirmed. 

RIYADH: Public schools in Turkiye are set to benefit from a $55 million development loan agreement secured by the Saudi Fund for Development.  

RIYADH: UAE’s non-oil foreign trade reached a record-breaking 3.5 trillion dirhams ($953 billion) in 2023, significantly increasing from the 2.2 trillion dirhams recorded the year before. 

RIYADH: Qatar experienced a 1.3 percent decline in inflation in January compared to December 2023, driven by decreased prices for communication and recreation, official data showed. 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s holdings in US treasuries increased for the fifth consecutive month, rising by 2.96 percent to $131.9 billion in December from November.