Maysa Sabreen made first woman chief of Syrian central bank
Damascus, Syria -- Syrian authorities have appointed Maysa Sabreen as interim central bank governor, a bank official told AFP on Tuesday,...
Economy
Former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100
Carter had been in hospice care since mid-February 2023 at his home in Plains, Georgia -- the same small town...
Nations step up outreach to Syria’s post-Assad rulers
Governments worldwide are stepping up efforts to engage with Syria's new interim rulers, just over a week after Islamist-led rebels...
- Diplomats have urged an inclusive new administration focused on nation-building and justice
- The interim government insists they will protect the rights of all Syrians, and the rule of law
Geostrategy
Israel approves plan aiming to double annexed Golan population, Saudi calls it ‘sabotage’ of Syria
The occupied Golan is home to about 23,000 Druze Arabs, whose presence predates the occupation and most of whom retain...
- The government had "unanimously approved" the 40 million shekel ($11 million) "plan for the demographic development of the Golan., Netanyahu office said
- Israel has occupied most of the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau, since 1967 and annexed that area in 1981 in a move recognised only by the United States
Geostrategy
Key Libya oil refinery halts operations after clashes: state firm
Tripoli, Libya -- A key oil refinery in western Libya suspended operations after armed clashes erupted early on Sunday, causing fires...
- The Zawiya refinery, built in 1974, is Libya's second largest with a refining capacity of more than 120,000 barrels per day (bpd).
- It is the only refinery supplying the local market with fuel products. Zawiya city is the third largest in Libya's Tripolitania region, after the capital and Misrata.
Business
US Federal Reserve expected to cut rates in last meeting of Biden era
Washington, United States -- The US Federal Reserve is widely expected to announce a quarter point cut to its key lending...
- The Fed is also tipped to signal a slower path of cuts going forward amid uncertainty over the impact of President-elect Donald Trump's economic proposals.
- Trump has vowed to tackle the high cost of living, a top concern of voters who sent him back to the White House in November's election.
Geostrategy
US contacts Syria’s HTS, Turkey reopens embassy, as Assad allies Iran and Russia face setbacks
The United States said Saturday it had made contact with Syria's victorious Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebels, despite previously designating the...
- US Secretary of State Blinken's comment on "direct contact" with the HTS rebels came despite the US having designated the group as terrorists
- While Blinken and other diplomats held talks on Syria in Aqaba, Jordan, Turkey reopened its embassy in Damascus
Business
Family-friendly ‘Astro Bot’ wins highest award at Oscars of video games
Los Angeles, United States -- Video game "Astro Bot" -- a family-friendly sci-fi adventure -- was named 2024's Game of the...
- It has sold more than 1.5 million copies according to Sony, which owns the 65-person Japanese studio Team Asobi responsible for the mega-hit.
- Onstage at the Peacock Theater, Team Asobi's French chief Nicolas Doucet praised the studio for designing a game that "put the user first".
Business
Boeing to boost 787 production
The firm will invest$1bn to ramp up production in South Carolina.
- The aim is to increase production of the 787 Dreamliner to 10 every month by 2026, Boeing said.
- In October, Boeing unveiled plans to reduce its global workforce by 10 percent over the coming months, without giving further details.
Asian markets retreat as China pledges fail to spark excitement
Asian markets fell Friday as China's latest vows to boost the beleaguered economy failed to stir much excitement, while traders...
- Beijing began unveiling in September a raft of policies to reverse a growth slump
- All three main indexes in New York closed in the red
G7 meeting to address Syria’s challenges following Assad’s ouster
Damascus, Syria - G7 leaders will meet virtually Friday to discuss the momentous changes underway in Syria, where the interim government...
- Assad fled Syria after a lightning offensive spearheaded by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and its allies
- The UN humanitarian agency OCHA said Thursday that 1.1 million people, mostly women and children, had been displaced since the rebels took over
UNRWA warns of ‘apocalyptic’ conditions as Israeli airstrikes target aid, refugee camps, kill 58
The latest bloodshed came despite growing optimism that negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal might finally succeed, with...
- The UN and aid agencies have repeatedly warned about the acute humanitarian crisis in the besieged Gaza Strip, exacerbated by the war that has persisted for over 14 months
- Families of the 96 hostages still in Gaza since the Hamas attack that triggered the war, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead, are pressing for their release
Maysa Sabreen made first woman chief of Syrian central bank
Damascus, Syria -- Syrian authorities have appointed Maysa Sabreen as interim central bank governor, a bank official told AFP on Tuesday,...
Economy
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Tunisia’s president announces constitutional referendum
Kais Saied presented a roadmap for restoring democratic institutions, and announced a nationwide public consultation from January 1 until March...
IMF says Omicron could slow global growth
According to the economists, Omicron's threat to economy will likely be less severe than the previous waves.
Ceasefire talks falter as Hamas, Israel clash over conditions, Gaza sees more destruction and deaths
Hamas accuses Israel of stalling the truce with new demands on troop withdrawal and prisoner release, while Netanyahu’s office counters,...
Geostrategy
Pope calls for ‘arms to be silenced’ in Christmas appeal
Rome, Italy -- Pope Francis called Wednesday for "arms to be silenced" around the world in his Christmas address, appealing for...
Geostrategy
Egypt to access $1.2 billion in funding after deal with IMF
Washington, United States -- The International Monetary Fund said Tuesday that it has reached a deal with Egyptian authorities allowing the...
Economy
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Geostrategy
Israeli army says intercepted missile from Yemen before it entered Israeli territory
Jerusalem, Undefined - The Israeli army said Wednesday it intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards the country from Yemen.Air raid sirens...
- Air raid sirens sounded over a wide swathe of central Israel as a precaution against falling debris, but the army said it shot down the projectile before it entered Israeli territo
- Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels have repeatedly launched missiles against Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians since the war in Gaza began more than a year ago
Syria authorities say armed groups have agreed to disband
Syria's new leaders announced Tuesday that they had reached an agreement with the country's rebel groups on their dissolution and...
- Absent from the meeting were representatives of the US-backed, Kurdish-led forces
- Turkey has "real economic leverage" thanks to a 900-kilometer border with Syria
Business
Honda shares soar 16%
The surge came after the auto giant announced a $7bn buyback.
- The buyback announcement came as Honda and its struggling rival Nissan agreed on Monday to launch talks on a merger.
- Honda will buy back its own shares worth up to 1.1 trillion yen, or 23.7 percent of the total issued shares, to improve "efficiency of its capital structure".