Author: Steven Sahiounie

SAO PAULO: During his official visit to Cairo on Thursday, Brazilian President Lula da Silva witnessed the signing of two key agreements with the Egyptian government. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi also attended the signing ceremony.

NEW DELHI: Oil prices stalled on Friday over a forecast of slowing demand by the International Energy Agency after gaining in the previous session on weak US retail sales data that sparked optimism that the Fed might cut interest rates sooner than expected.

RIYADH: The Arab world’s tourism industry is set to prosper thanks to a new agreement involving US-based advisory and consulting services provider International Strategic Management. 

LONDON: The fund arm of JPMorgan, the biggest US lender, said on Thursday it had decided to leave an investor coalition focused on pushing companies over their climate plans.

At least 11 Palestinians were reported killed last night as a result of the continuing Israeli airstrikes on various areas of the Gaza Strip, according to local and medical sources. In Rafah, south of the Strip, at least 11 civilians were killed and several others injured in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Nassr neighborhood east of the city. Local sources confirmed that the Israeli occupation forces targeted two homes belonging to the Zaarab and Joudeh famililies, resulting in the killing of 11 Palestinians and multiple injuries. Earlier in the night, at least two people were killed and…

The West is seeking to create instability in the South Caucasus region and obstruct the Armenia-Azerbaijan settlement process, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev said, addressing a security council secretaries’ meeting on Afghanistan in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan. “We can also see the Westerners’ desire to create instability in the South Caucasus and obstruct the Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement process, which has led to a rise in tensions in the related regions,” he pointed out. On February 12, Azerbaijan’s State Border Service said that an Azerbaijani border guard had suffered wounds in a shelling attack launched from Armenia. On the morning of…

United States President Joe Biden has reiterated his warning to Israel not to go ahead with its planned assault on Rafah without a credible plan to ensure the safety of more than a million Palestinians sheltering in the city, according to the White House. In a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, Biden “reiterated his view that a military operation should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the civilians in Rafah,” the White House said. Biden’s call was the second time in less than a week that…

The Israeli army’s “systematic and widespread” targeting of universities is eliminating the “last manifestations of life in the Gaza Strip”. The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Observatory added such attacks “perpetuate the crime of genocide”. The continuing Israeli assault on the besieged Strip has led to a “complete disruption” of the educational system, the rights organisation said in a statement. Since Israel’s bombing began, three university presidents and more than 95 university deans and professors have been killed, according to Euro-Med. Some 88,000 students have been deprived of completing their university education At least five universities are partially or completely destroyed. “The Euro-Mediterranean…

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in Germany on Thursday to head the Kingdom’s delegation at the Munich Security Conference. Prince Faisal is expected to discuss the most prominent international issues and ways of enhancing multilateral action to strengthen international peace and security, the Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry said. The Saudi delegation will also hold bilateral meetings with heads of delegations from several countries, and the most prominent figures attending the conference. Source: Arab News

Hakan Fidan to attend Munich Security Conference which will address international conflicts, geopolitical challenges, transatlantic relations Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan arrived in Munich late Thursday to attend an annual security conference. Fidan will attend the 60th Munich Security Conference on Friday in Germany, where political leaders from 50 nations will discuss international conflicts, geopolitical challenges and transatlantic relations. On the sidelines of the conference, Fidan is expected to hold bilateral talks, according to Turkish diplomatic sources. The conference will begin with the opening speech of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, where he is expected to renew demand for an immediate…