Publishers fight back against US book bans
Frankfurt, Germany -- Escalating attempts to remove works featuring themes such as LGBTQ lifestyles and race relations from US bookshelves...
Geostrategy
US envoy Witkoff felt ‘betrayed’ by Israeli attack on Hamas in Qatar
Washington, United States - US envoy Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's chief negotiator on the Middle East, has said that...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Top army officials from 30 nations review threats in Asia-Pacific
New Delhi, India - Army chiefs and senior officers from 30 countries including the United States met in India on Tuesday...
- US Army chief Randy George said the region was "critically important", speaking to reporters alongside his Indian counterpart Manoj Pande.
- Generals from Japan and Australia, which make up the "Quad" defense cooperation forum alongside Washington and New Delhi, also took part.
Economy
Dubai Government reduces public debt by US$7.8bn
DUBAI, UAE - The Public Debt Management Office (PDMO) of the Government of Dubai's Department of Finance (DOF) announced a...
- The achievement has been realized within a year and a half since the establishment of the office in 2022.
- This includes a full redemption of Sukuk certificates worth $898 million, the repayment of bilateral and syndicated facilities totaling $1.4 billion.
Geostrategy
China grants Approved Destination Status to Saudi Arabia
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – China on Tuesday granted Approved Destination Status (ADS) to the Gulf Kingdom. The bilateral agreement, signed...
- The bilateral pact allows Chinese citizens to travel to Saudi Arabia in group tours in addition to facilitating greater ease of access.
- ADS will drive greater connectivity between Saudi Arabia and China and unlock new opportunities across the tourism ecosystem.
Business
QatarEnergy inks pact with Marubeni
QatarEnergy will supply naphtha to Marubeni for 10 years.
- This pact builds on the five-year Naphtha sales agreement signed in 2018 between QatarEnergy and Marubeni Corporation.
- Japan-based Marubeni Corporation is the largest petrochemical feedstock trading entity and aggregator in Asia.
Geostrategy
Israeli minister in first public visit to Saudi Arabia amid bilateral talks
Israel's Tourism Minister Haim Katz is the first Israeli minister to head an official delegation in Saudi Arabia, where he...
- Katz's visit comes after a Saudi envoy on a visit to the occupied West Bank pledged that the Palestinian cause will be "a cornerstone" of any normalization deal with Israel.
- The visit by a delegation headed by Nayef al-Sudairi was Saudi Arabia's first in three decades to the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since the 1967 Arab-Israel war.
Business
Rising demand for critical metals pose dilemmas for investors
PARIS, FRANCE - Soaring demand for the raw materials needed for the transition towards renewable energy is creating dilemmas for investors...
- Demand for lithium, an essential component of car batteries, could increase ninefold between 2022 and 2050, said the International Energy Agency.
- Lithium and other metals that the IEA calls “key to the clean energy transition” will be the topic of a summit hosted by the global energy watchdog in Paris.
Saudi Arabia, amid Israel talks, sends envoy to West Bank
The delegation was led by the Saudi non-resident ambassador to the Palestinian territories, Nayef al-Sudairi, who was to meet Palestinian...
- The delegation from Saudi Arabia, which crossed overland from Jordan, was the first from Saudi Arabia to visit the West Bank since the 1993 Oslo Accords
- The Saudi visit comes as Washington has been leading talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia on a normalization that would mark a game changer for the Middle East
China slams US sanctions over Iran aircraft program
Washington last week slapped sanctions on "seven individuals and four entities" based in Iran, China, Russia and Turkey it said...
- China notes that US has included some Chinese enterprises and individuals in the 'Specially Designated Nationals List', a commerce ministry spokesman said
- "The United States side should immediately stop its unreasonable suppression of Chinese enterprises and individuals," spokesman said
Geostrategy
Saudi Arabia denounces attack that killed two Bahrain soldiers
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia--Saudi Arabia on Tuesday condemned an attack on its territory that killed two Bahraini military personnel near the border...
- According to Bahrain's military, one officer and a soldier were killed in a drone attack carried out by Yemen's Houthi rebels
- A Houthi delegation completed five days of talks in Riyadh last week, the first such public visit since hostillities broke out
Geostrategy
UAE and India look to boost ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’
New York, US-- The UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed has held talks with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister...
- The two ministers reviewed the issue of climate change and bilateral cooperation in this regard, and also discussed the UAE's hosting of COP28 this year
- The UAE's foreign minister emphasized that the two countries are keen to support multilateral international action to find effective solutions to all global challenges
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Publishers fight back against US book bans
Frankfurt, Germany -- Escalating attempts to remove works featuring themes such as LGBTQ lifestyles and race relations from US bookshelves...
Geostrategy
Company News
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Abu Dhabi launches $500mn maternal health fund for Africa
Nairobi, Kenya -- A $500-million fund aimed at improving maternal and neonatal health in sub-Saharan Africa was launched Tuesday in...
Geostrategy
UN rights chief demands world act to stop Israel’s Gaza ‘catastrophe’
"As the complete blockade of assistance essential for survival enters its ninth week, there must be concerted international efforts to...
Geostrategy
UN ‘alarmed’ by US strikes in Yemen that Huthis say killed 68 migrants
The United Nations expressed deep alarm on Monday at reports that US strikes on Yemen killed scores of people at...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
Putin orders three-day ceasefire; Zelensky slams it as manipulative ahead of Victory Day
Before Putin's announcement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held new talks with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, having declared that...
- Before Putin’s announcement, US Secretary of State Rubio told Lavrov this week is critical for peace efforts
- The Kremlin said Putin had ordered a "ceasefire" for the 80th anniversary of Victory Day from May 8 to May 10
Geostrategy
Brazil calls for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza at BRICS ministers’ meet
The meeting comes at a critical moment for the world economy after the International Monetary Fund this week slashed growth...
- "The resumption of Israeli bombardments and the continued obstruction of humanitarian aid are unacceptable," Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said.
- The BRICS grouping has expanded significantly since its 2009 inception, and now includes Iran, Egypt, Indonesia, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates.
Geostrategy
China says on ‘right side of history’ in trade standoff with US
Since returning to the presidency in January, US President Donald Trump has imposed 10 percent tariffs on most US trading...
- The US, China said, "play cards out of thin air, bully and go back on their word", condemning Washington's "unilateralism and bullying."
- Beijing, however, has vowed to fight a trade war "to the end" and denied US claims it is in talks with Washington