Syria attracted $28 bn in investment since Assad’s fall: president
Syria has begun the mammoth task of trying to rebuild its shattered economy, after over a decade of war saw...
Geostrategy
Iran proposes regional currency to boost trade
Tehran, Iran -- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday proposed that Iran and its regional trading partners establish a shared...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
UN official urges $4bn humanitarian aid for cash-strapped Syria
Beirut, Lebanon - A UN official on Friday appealed for about $4 billion in humanitarian assistance for Syria, warning funding was...
- "In 2024, we are appealing for $4.07 billion to provide lifesaving aid to 10.8 million Syrians, out of 16.7 million people assessed to be in need of assistance," he said
- Abdelmoula also noted "Syria's vulnerability to climate shocks", exacerbated by conflict, warning of water scarcity and "heatwaves impacting agriculture and livestock"
Geostrategy
Iraqi PM to visit Washington for troop talks
Washington, US – President Joe Biden will welcome Iraq's prime minister on April 15 for talks on the US troop presence,...
- The visit will mark the first trip to Washington by Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani, who took office in October 2022.
- Sudani in the past has called for an exit of US forces, redeployed nearly 10 years ago as part of a campaign to defeat the Islamic State
Geostrategy
EU to tell big tech firms to curb election risks or face fines
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – The EU will put more pressure on the most popular online platforms, like X and TikTok, to tackle...
- The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, is expected to adopt new guidelines.
- They will come under the EU's mammoth content moderation law, the Digital Services Act.
Economy
Russia’s central bank holds rates amid high inflation
MOSCOW, RUSSIA – Russia's central bank held interest rates unchanged on Friday as Moscow's military offensive on Ukraine has led to...
- Russia’s central bank raised rates to 16 percent in a series of hikes last year to cool the pace of price rises.
- "Current inflationary pressures are gradually easing but remain high," the bank said in a statement.
Arts & Culture
The unexplained: Giant Swedish archive logs paranormal phenomena
The Archives for the Unexplained (AFU) claims to be the world's biggest library of paranormal phenomena, with 4.2 kilometers of...
- The archives are in the process of being digitalized and many of the documents can already by consulted on a server.
- The study of UFOs has long been stigmatized, but is becoming a more accepted field of scientific research.
Geostrategy
US, Israel hold talks as Gaza truce plan fails at UN
Israel plans to send troops into Gaza's Rafah even without US support, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Antony Blinken, as...
- US has repeatedly blocked ceasefire resolutions at the UN Security Council but tried to pass a text mentioning an "immediate ceasefire as part of a hostage deal".
- World leaders including staunch allies of Israel backed the renewed diplomatic push.
Geostrategy
UNSC to vote on new Gaza truce resolution after Russia, China veto US bid
The draft resolution, seen by AFP, "demands an immediate ceasefire" for the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramadan that leads...
- Three European nations -- Malta, Slovenia and Switzerland -- are co-sponsoring the resolution, along with Mozambique, Guyana and Sierra Leone.
- Russia and China had vetoed a US-led draft resolution saying it did not pressure Israel, as Moscow accused Washington of a "hypocritical spectacle."
Geostrategy
Libya to continue Tunisia border closure till end of smuggling
Tripoli, Libya - Libya's shutdown of its main border crossing with Tunisia this week will remain in force until authorities put...
- Authorities aim to "ensure the security of the borders and combat crime and smuggling," Interior Minister Imad Trabelsi said.
- The crossing was shut down on Tuesday after clashes between armed groups and security forces on the Libyan side the night before.
Geostrategy
Israel seizes 800 hectares of land in West Bank on Blinken’s arrival
Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared as "state lands" the area in the northern Jordan Valley. Israeli settlement watchdog Peace...
- Settlements in the Palestinian territories are illegal under international law. Smotrich, who heads the extreme-right Religious Zionism party, lives in a settlement.
- They are now home to more than 490,000 Israelis, who live alongside around three million Palestinians in the territory.
Geostrategy
Finland to resume funding to UN agency for Palestinian refugees
Australia, Canada and Sweden, which were among those states, announced earlier this month they were resuming aid. Ten percent of...
- Finland suspended its yearly funding of five million euros in January, following Israel's allegations that 12 of the UN agency's 30,000 employees were involved in the Hamas attack
- Finland's minister Tavio said in a statement that preventing misconduct and initiating close monitoring give sufficient guarantees at this point for resuming the support
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Revenue from Saudi cinema may exceed $1bn by 2030KSA, UAE play well as e-gaming trends across GCCExclusive: Middle East’s retail sector rides on AR and hybrid shopping to become $600bn digital economyTECOM Group profit soars 13%UAE startups eye Saudi Arabia for growth, expansionSaudi Arabia leads GCC AI healthcare raceDisparity remains as Saudis, Emiratis see wealth gains
Syria attracted $28 bn in investment since Assad’s fall: president
Syria has begun the mammoth task of trying to rebuild its shattered economy, after over a decade of war saw...
Geostrategy
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The UN, the Palestinians, Israel and a stalled two-state solution
Ever since the partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states in 1947, the United Nations has been inextricably linked...
Geostrategy
Godzilla fans fete the monster as it turns 70
San Diego, United States - Godzilla has morphed over the years, but one constant is the devotion of its fans,...
Arts & Culture
Food airdropped into Gaza as Israel says opening aid routes
UN's World Food Programme said a third of the population of Gaza had not eaten for days, and 470,000 people...
Geostrategy
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Economy
US says tariff deadline of Aug 1 is firm, no extensions
Washington, United States -- The US deadline of August 1 for imposing tariffs on its trading partners is firm and...
- After the levies kick in, President Donald Trump -- who was negotiating with European Union officials -- is still willing to keep talking, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said
- Britain, Vietnam, Indonesia the Philippines, and Japan have struck deals with the Trump administration ahead of the Friday deadline.
Geostrategy
Israel declares Gaza fighting pause amid deepening hunger crisis
Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza on March 2 after ceasefire talks broke down. In late May, it began...
- There was no immediate official response from the UN or non-governmental aid agencies operating in Gaza.
- And privately skeptical humanitarian sources said they were waiting to see the results on the ground of the Israeli announcement.
Arts & Culture
Iraqi women table tennis players chase Paralympic dreams
Diwaniyah, Iraq -- Iraqi table tennis player Nur al-Huda Sarmad adjusts her wheelchair before striking the ball into play, braving...
- With no dedicated training facility, the team often has to share the three second-hand tables at the public community center with visitors.
- In the scorching Iraqi summer they cannot turn on the fans, which would disrupt the movement of the balls.