Author: Saqr el-Attar

Saudi Arabia and Iran are making progress on mending ties, Iran’s foreign minister has said after meeting with his counterpart in Riyadh, as the two regional heavyweights seek to overcome past hostility and boost cooperation. “Relations between Tehran and Saudi are on the right track and we are witnessing progress,” Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in a joint news conference with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on Thursday, adding that “the talks were successful”. His visit to the kingdom comes months after Prince Faisal met with officials from Iran in Tehran in June on his first trip to…

DUBAI, July 31 (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 1.1% in the second quarter, according to government estimates released on Monday, supported by an increase in non-oil activities, although overall growth decelerated sharply from the prior-year period. The Saudi economy grew 8.7% last year, among the fastest in the G-20, as high oil prices boosted revenue and led to the kingdom’s first budget surplus in almost 10 years. But most growth forecasts for this year have been revised downwards on lower oil prices and the probability of prolonged oil production cuts. Oil activities declined by 4.2% in…

SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said on Monday that the United States should avoid any “foolish act” that could put its security at risk and rejected offers of talks as a ploy, state news agency KCNA reported. Kim made her comments after White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the United States remained concerned that North Korea would carry out another intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test, after it last week fired an ICBM off its east coast. “The U.S. should stop its foolish act of provoking the DPRK even by imperilling…

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia achieved strong growth across all sectors despite global economic headwinds, with non-oil and oil business activities contributing significantly to the Kingdom’s real gross domestic product in the first quarter of 2023, according to a government report. In its quarterly economic report, the Ministry of Economy and Planning noted that the real GDP of the Kingdom witnessed an annual growth of 3.4 percent in the first quarter ended in March. This growth was driven by a substantial increase in non-oil activities, which grew 5.4 percent during the same period. Strengthening the non-oil sector is crucial to Saudi Arabia’s…

ASTANA. KAZINFORM – Kazakh Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev received honored artist of Kazakhstan, director of the Opera and Ballet Theater of Shymkent Maira Mukhamedkyzy , Kazinform cites Akorda. The meeting discussed the issues of development of opera art and culture in the country. Tokayev was briefed about the plans to construct a new building of the city’s Opera and Ballet Theatre. Maira Mukhamedkyzy told the President about the work underway to promote opera and theatre art in the region, as well as training of young singers, artists of theatre and ballet. The Head of State stressed the importance of…

(June 29, 2023 / JNS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that his governments’ actions have made Israel a rising global force, and that it could become one of the world’s 10 leading economies Speaking at a Finance Ministry event to mark 20 years since the implementation of Israel’s 2003 economic plan, which he led as finance minister, Netanyahu said, “There was no credit market here. It was crazy, and we still have problems with this. The Finance Minister and I are discussing these questions, how to create additional sources of credit.” Israel, he continued, now has a…

United States had offered $10m reward for information leading to the location or identification of Ghafari. Ghaffari alias ‘Shahab al-Muhajir’, who was one of the biggest enemies of Pakistan, was killed in Kunar province. He was highly wanted not only in Pakistan but internationally. He belonged to Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan. Ghaffari and his family migrated from India to Afghanistan. The terrorist received religious education from the Ghaffari Seminary Kabul and participated in several attacks in Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, and even Afghanistan. He was not just a leader of the banned terror outfit the Islamic State in…

You are not Forgotten. Berlin, Brussels (11/5 – 40) In the vast and remote mountain lands of Central Asia, the Ismaili Pamiris have long faced systemic discrimination and persecution at the hands of the Tajik government. Despite their proud history, rich cultural traditions, and highly educated populace, they have been targeted for cultural extermination in a chilling campaign of ethnic cleansing. Tajikistan President Imomali Rahmon has demonized them as “inbred” and “criminals” and launched a brutal program to replace their community with ethnic Tajiks. In May and June 2022, the government launched a final assault on the Pamiris to end…

Children’s involvement in violence-prone terrorist and extremist groups has become a widely-discussed global issue. Sopar Peranto, a Senior Researcher at The Habibie Center, revealed that many children are known to have committed terrorist acts, intentionally or unintentionally. The Habibie Center, supported by the USAID-Harmoni Program, has conducted research on “The Repatriation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Children Affiliated with Violence-Based Terrorist and Extremist Groups”. Data collected from 2010 to 2022 reported that 22 children were detained for involvement in violence-based terrorist and extremist groups, in conflict with the law. Meanwhile, from 2017-2022, 132 children were enrolled in “social rehabilitation” services upon…

Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu paid a working visit to Brussels and held talks with high-ranking representatives of the European Union to discuss the current agenda of bilateral and multilateral cooperation and promising areas for its further development, Tengrinews.kz reports citing the ministry . As noted, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy – Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell warmly welcomed the first visit of Murat Nurtleu as head of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry to the EU capital. During the meeting, the diplomats reviewed…