Author: Steven Sahiounie

As two independent states with strategic relations, Iran and Cuba are on the same wavelength when it comes to countering the arrogance system and supporting Palestine, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said. A notable quality that independent countries, including Iran and Cuba, have in common is standing against the arrogance system and supporting the legitimate rights of the Palestinian nation, Raisi said in a meeting of the Iran-Cuba high-ranking delegations, held in Tehran on Monday. Hailing the strategic ties between Iran and Cuba, Raisi said there exist ample opportunities for the promotion of relations between the two countries, which would help counter…

Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said today that Israel, driven by the instinct of revenge, has cut off the lifeline to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip in one of the bloodiest military campaigns against the Palestinian people since the 1948 Nakba with more than 15,000 people killed and tens of thousands wounded. Speaking at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting held in Ramallah, the Prime Minister said that the Israeli machine of killing, destruction and genocide has resumed the killing of children, women and the elderly, devoid of reason, conscience and humanity. He said that United Nations data…

DUBAI: Energy company ACWA Power is getting closer to securing its first deal in China, the firm’s CEO Marco Arcelli told Arab News on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference. The Saudi-based firm has seen its ties with the Asian country grow in 2023, including signing seven cooperation agreements with various Chinese firms in October across multiple sectors, including solar energy, green hydrogen, and water desalination. Speaking from the COP28 forum in Dubai, Arcelli set out how the expansion into the Chinese market is part of the company’s plan to increase the value of its asset book to $250 billion, as it is…

DUBAI: The US has pledged $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund, Vice President Kamala Harris said in Dubai at the UN COP28 climate summit. The fund, with more than $20 billion in pledges, is the largest international fund dedicated to supporting climate action in developing countries. The latest pledge, which Reuters was first to report, would be additional to another $2 billion previously delivered by the US. Sources said the pledge was subject to the availability of funds. The politically divided US Congress needs to authorize the funding. Harris announced the pledge in her address to the summit. “Today I am…

GAZA: In southern Gaza’s Nasser Hospital, a young man cradled the lifeless body of his brother and then reached out to try to grab a medic running past him in the corridor. “My brother!” the man yelled out, crying and slapping the floor as others crowded around him, seeking treatment for their wounded and mourning their loved ones on Sunday, the third day of renewed warfare and Israeli bombardment. The hospital is one of only a handful operating in Khan Younis, a southern city that residents say is one of the focuses of the Israeli offensive that resumed on Friday after…

JEDDAH: Pope Francis said Sunday that he was saddened the truce in the Gaza Strip had been broken and urged those involved in the conflict to reach a new ceasefire deal as soon as possible. The pope’s appeal came as international concern deepened over the mounting civilian death toll in Gaza after a truce ended.Israeli forces bombed wide areas of the Gaza Strip on Sunday, killing and wounding dozens of Palestinians, as civilians in the besieged territory sought shelter in an ever-shrinking area of the south.“There is so much suffering in Gaza,” the pontiff said in comments from his private…

JERUSALEM: Israel will hunt down Hamas in Lebanon, Turkiye and Qatar even if it takes years, the head of Israel’s domestic security agency Shin Bet said in a recording aired by Israel’s public broadcaster Kan on Sunday. It was unclear when Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar made the remarks or to whom.The agency itself declined to comment on the report.“The cabinet has set us a goal, in street talk, to eliminate Hamas. This is our Munich. We will do this everywhere, in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Lebanon, in Turkiye, in Qatar. It will take a few years but…

Intense Israeli air strikes hit the south of the Gaza Strip on Monday, killing and wounding dozens of Palestinians, including in areas where Israel had told people to seek shelter, residents and journalists on the ground said. Israeli troops and tanks also pressed the ground campaign against Hamas militants in the south of the enclave after having largely gained control of the now-devastated north. Early on Monday, Israel ordered Palestinians to leave parts of Gaza’s main southern city, Khan Younis. But residents said that areas which they had been told to go to were also coming under fire. Israel’s military…

Record price surge in precious metals and crypto heralds an economic shift as the Fed concedes Russian Market is a project by a financial blogger, Swiss journalist and political commenter based in Zurich. Follow him on X @runews Gold has achieved a remarkable milestone, hitting a new all-time high above $2,100 on Monday, while Bitcoin broke through the psychological level of $40,000, aligning with my year-end target of $50,000. As the Christmas rally gains momentum, investors increasingly favor high-risk assets. This remarkable surge is underpinned by several factors, notably the Federal Reserve’s anticipated dovish pivot and a weakening dollar. Investors responded positively to…

The revenues of the 42 American firms in the top 100 accounted for 51% of total weapons sales Sales of weapons and military services by the world’s top 100 arms makers totaled $597 billion last year, according to a report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on Monday. US firms continued to dominate the market despite seeing their overall revenues fall, according to the watchdog. The combined figure for the top 100 arms companies marked a year-on-year decline of 3.5%, but was still 14% higher than the total recorded in 2015. US firms saw a combined decline…