Author: Steven Sahiounie

The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the US’ move to veto the UN Security Council’s demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza as proof of Washington’s leading role in the slaughter of Palestinian civilians. In a statement on Saturday, Nasser Kanaani condemned Washington’s veto of a UN resolution on ensuring an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. He said the veto revealed once again that the US government is the main actor and factor behind the massacre of Palestinian civilians, particularly women and children, and the destruction of the enclave’s infrastructures amid the Israeli regime’s onslaught. The US on…

More than a dozen members of the World Health Organization have called on Israel to uphold its obligations under international law to protect humanitarian workers in Gaza. The draft resolution submitted on Friday expresses “grave concern about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem, especially the military operations in the Gaza Strip”. The resolution, which will be considered on Sunday during a special session of the WHO’s Executive Board, was proposed by China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Tunisia, Turkey, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates. Source:…

The Syrian Foreign Ministry says this veto, along with Western support for “Israel”, can only be interpreted as permission for the Israeli occupation to continue its genocidal campaign. Syria condemned the United States veto of a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, “diplomatically” shielding its ally. Thirteen Security Council members voted in favor of a brief draft resolution, presented through the UAE, and Britain abstained. The vote came after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres invoked the UN charter’s Article 99 for it on Wednesday. The US Deputy Representative at the UN, Robert Wood, said the…

Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf has called UK’s abstention from the crucial UNSC vote on Friday “incomprehensible”. Apart from UK abstaining and the US vetoing the UNSC demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, 13 Security Council members voted in favour of the brief draft resolution that was put forward by the UAE. “I find it incomprehensible that the UK did not vote for a ceasefire. How can you choose to be complicit in the killing of thousands of children? Shame on the UK Government & Keir Starmer’s Labour Party who refuse to back a ceasefire…

In a statement, the Yemen-based armed group says it will expand its current targeting of any Israeli ships operating in the waters off Yemen if aid is not increased in Gaza. The group said any ships heading towards Israel would be considered “legitimate targets”. It added it would respect international trade for any ships not linked to or traveling to Israel. The Houthis in November hijacked a tanker that business records show is partially owned by an Israeli-businessman. Israel has said no Israelis were operating the vessel or were on board at the time. Yemen sits along an arterial global…

Turkey’s President Erdogan has called for the UN Security Council to be reformed, decrying the fact that the US could veto a ceasefire proposal for Gaza despite huge support from other countries. “The United Nations Security Council demand for ceasefire is rejected only by US veto. Is this justice?” Erdogan said in a human rights conference in Istanbul. “The UN Security Council needs to be reformed.” He added that “we have lost our hope and expectation from UN Security Council”. source: ALjazeera

In a post on X in Arabic, the military called on civilians to flee Al-Katiba and Al-Mahatta neighbourhoods, as well as the city centre of Khan Younis. It told residents to move west to “known shelters”. The post included a map of areas in Khan Younis with the designated areas highlighted. Israeli operations have displaced hundreds of thousands of residents of the enclave that have over-burdened shelters. The United Nations has said no area is safe in Gaza. Source: AlJazeera

The drop in the jobless rate from a nearly two-year high of 3.9% in October alleviated fears that the economy was close to tipping into recession WASHINGTON – U.S. job growth accelerated in November while the unemployment rate fell to 3.7%, signs of underlying labor market strength that suggested financial market expectations of an interest rate cut early next year were probably premature. The Labor Department’s closely watched employment report on Friday, however, did not change views that the Federal Reserve’s rate-hiking cycle was complete as annual wages rose moderately last month. Inflation has been cooling in recent months. The…

Recent surprising US growth resilience reflects renewed fiscal easing, consumers’ willingness to continue drawing on excess savings and robust private-sector finances World growth has held up well in 2023 driven by a normalisation of consumption in China and a pick-up in US growth, which have outweighed a sharp slowdown in Europe in the wake of last year’s regional energy shock. But with the full impact of recent monetary tightening still to be felt, China’s ongoing property slump and the eurozone economy stagnating, world growth is expected to fall sharply to 2.1% in 2024, said Fitch Ratings in its latest Global…

Moody’s expect a surplus of around 3.5% of GDP in 2023 Muscat: Moody’s has upgraded the credit rating of Oman to Ba1 for the second consecutive time this year, with a stable outlook. Moody’s expects a continued decline in public debt, and improved indicators of the government’s ability to bear the burden of the state’s public debt, due to government efforts in channeling additional revenues to pay off public debt, controlling spending, and improving financial revenue. Moody’s expectations are as follows: A reduction in public debt to below 38 percent of GDP by the end of 2023. A surplus of…