China bats for Pakistan’s inclusion in BRICS; Modi says India supports expansion based on consensus

Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza has warned that around 1,500 citizens have lost their eyesight due to the war and another 4,000 are at risk of blindness because of severe shortages of medications and medical equipment.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in a report on Sunday said that the eye care services in Gaza have been facing a catastrophic collapse because of the genocidal war.

“The health sector is witnessing a critical shortage of consumables and medical equipment for eye surgeries, which is leading to an almost total collapse of surgical services, particularly for retinal diseases and diabetic retinopathy with internal bleeding,” said Dr. Abdelsalam Sabah, director of Gaza’s Eye Hospital.

“The Eye Hospital currently has only 3 worn-out surgical scissors in use, which greatly increases risks to patients’ lives and prevents effective treatment,” he added.

The majority of eye injuries are caused by shrapnel from ordnance explosions and need medical materials such as Healon and fine sutures, which are almost impossible to find in the Strip due to the blockade.

Unless immediate and urgent intervention is made by relevant bodies and international organizations, the Eye Hospital will be unable to provide any surgical services in the near future.

The siege has forced hospitals and medical centers in Gaza to ration medications such as painkillers, provide less effective treatment, or turn patients away.

Hospitals and medical centers have run out of surgical supplies such as anesthetics, pediatric antibiotics, and medicines for chronic conditions.

Since March 18, when the Israeli regime broke its ceasefire agreement with Hamas, it has killed around 1,900 Palestinians and wounded several thousand more, most of whom are children and women. 

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia has signed deals with the US worth more than $300 billion, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh on Tuesday. 

During an address at the event, Prince Mohammed said the Kingdom was looking at $600 billion of investment opportunities, adding that he hoped this would raise to $1 trillion.

He noted that the US was among the largest partners of the Saudi Vision 2030 reform agenda, adding that joint investments were one of the most important pillars of the economic relationship between the two countries.

“The US is a major destination for the Public Investment Fund, accounting for approximately 40 percent of the fund's global investments,” he said.

He also said that cooperation with Washington was not limited to economic cooperation, but also extended to “establishing peace in the region and the world.”

Also speaking at the event, US President Donald Trump praised the transformation underway in Saudi Arabia, as he attributed it to the leadership of King Salman and the crown prince.

Trump described the crown prince as a “very great man like no other” and “the greatest representative of his people,” and highlighted the role of Saudis in driving development in their own country and the region as a whole.

Trump pointed to Riyadh’s rise as a global business hub and noted that the Kingdom’s non-oil sector revenues had now surpassed those of the oil sector.

He said Saudi Arabia deserved praise for preserving its culture and tradition while also embracing its forward-looking, modern Vision 2030 reform agenda.

During his speech, Trump criticized the Biden administration for removing the Houthis from the US terrorist list, calling it a serious mistake.

He contrasted regional developments, stating: “Some (in the Gulf) have turned deserts into farms, while Iran has turned its farms into deserts,” and warned that if Iran rejected Washington’s outreach, the US would be forced to impose maximum pressure.

Condemning Hezbollah for “destabilizing the region and looting Lebanon”, Trump said: “The biggest and most destructive of these forces is the regime in Iran, which has caused unthinkable suffering in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Iraq, Yemen and beyond.”

He described Lebanon as a victim of Hezbollah and Iran and expressed a desire to help the country.

Trump also praised Saudi Arabia’s role in Russia-Ukraine peace talks and affirmed US support for the Kingdom, saying it has “a great future.”

Earlier on Tuesday, the two leaders signed a strategic economic partnership agreement in Riyadh, the first leg of Trump’s regional visit.

The partnership included the signing of Memorandums of Understanding in the energy, mining, and defense sectors. 

Defense cooperation between the two countries centered on the modernization of the capabilities of the Saudi armed forces, along with an agreement between the Saudi Space Agency and NASA.

Other agreements included an MoU on mineral resources; an agreement with the Department of Justice; and cooperation on infectious diseases.

Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia Tuesday on what he called a “historic” tour of the Middle East that will mix urgent diplomacy on Gaza with huge business deals.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman warmly greeted Trump as he stepped off Air Force One at King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital and kicked off his Middle East tour.

The two leaders then retreated to a grand hall at the Riyadh airport, where Trump and his aides were served traditional Arabic coffee by waiting attendants wearing ceremonial gun-belts.

Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s provided an honorary escort for Air Force One as it approached the kingdom’s capital. Trump and Prince Mohammed also were taking part in a lunch at the Royal Court, gathering with guests and aides. 

Later, the crown prince will fete Trump with a formal dinner. Trump is also slated to take part Tuesday in a US-Saudi investment conference.

Air Force One took off on a journey that will include visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — and possibly talks in Turkiye on the Ukraine war.

New Delhi: The Indian Premier League (IPL) was on Friday suspended indefinitely due to the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.

A cloud of uncertainty had loomed over the future of the ongoing edition since the cancellation of Thursday's match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala midway following air raid alerts in neighbouring cities of Jammu and Pathankot.

"It does not look nice that cricket goes on while the country is at war," a BCCI official told PTI, confirming the suspension of the league, which was to wind up on May 25 in Kolkata.

India launched missile attacks on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir a fortnight after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed.

On Thursday, a blackout was enforced in several districts including Pathankot, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Mohali in Punjab and Union Territory Chandigarh amid air raid alarms and reports of explosion-like sounds in Jammu.

Earlier in the day, the Pakistan Super League was moved to the UAE.