Yemen drone attack wounds 22 in Israeli resort town: army, rescuers
Israel's military said a drone launched from Yemen struck the southern resort town of Eilat on Wednesday, with rescuers reporting...
Geostrategy
Nvidia to invest up to $100 bn in OpenAI data centers
San Francisco, United States - Nvidia said Monday it will invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI, building infrastructure for...
Geostrategy
Pause, hike, cut: Central banks diverge over regional challenges
The Bank of Japan (BoJ) has gone against the grain set by the Fed and ECB, announcing on Friday that...
- On Wednesday, the Fed paused interest rate hikes after 10 straight increases, bringing its benchmark lending rate from close to zero to a range between 5.0 and 5.25 percent
- On Thursday, the People's Bank of China cut a key lending facility by 10 basis points to 2.65 percent, and extended 237 billion yuan ($33 billion) of fresh funding to lender
UN to adopt high seas treaty Monday
The treaty, officially known as the treaty on "Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction" or BBNJ, also introduces requirements to carry out...
- The landmark high seas treaty would establish a legal framework to extend swathes of environmental protections to international waters
- Following four years of official negotiations, UN member states finally agreed on the text for the treaty in March after a flurry of final, marathon talks
Economy
Sri Lankan economy contracts 11.5 percent in Q1 2023
COLOMBO, SRI LANKA - Crisis-hit Sri Lanka's economy shrank by 11.5 percent in the first quarter just before an IMF bailout...
- The contraction in the first three months compared with shrinkage of 0.5 percent in the corresponding period of 2022.
- A currency crisis from late 2021 led to severe shortages of food, fuel and medicines and triggered months of protests.
Geostrategy
European Union pledges $600 million for Syrians fleeing war
Last year's donors' conference in Brussels for displaced Syrians raised pledges of $6.7 billion, and the one before that $6.4...
- Since 2011, more than 500,000 people have been killed in Syria after Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on peaceful protesters pushed country into civil war.
- The UN says more than 12 million Syrians were displaced by the conflict, most of them inside Syria, and with 5.4 million living as refugees in neighboring countries.
Geostrategy
Iranian president boosts Nicaragua ties on tour of US-sanctioned countries
In Venezuela, Raisi and Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro announced that they signed 25 accords, across sectors ranging from education and...
- The Iranian leader, whose country is also sanctioned by the United States, kicked off his trip in Venezuela earlier this week before flying to Nicaragua
- Raisi added that Iran and the Central American country "share a common history of struggle, of resistance, of revolutions, of combat against a common enemy"
‘Voiceless’, destitute: Lebanon’s Syrian refugees lose hope for return
Lebanese authorities say the country hosts around two million Syrians, while more than 800,000 are registered with the UN --...
- Aid groups warned that support for Syrians at home and abroad has dwindled, as the international community meets in Brussels this week for a pledging conference
- Amid a crushing economic crisis that has pushed most of Lebanon into poverty, anti-Syrian sentiment has soared, the government has called for refugees to leave
Saudi foreign minister to visit Iran on Saturday
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, is scheduled to visit Tehran on Saturday,...
- This visit follows the agreement reached in March, facilitated by China, which aimed to end the prolonged hostility between the two countries
- Earlier in June, the foreign ministers of the two countries met in South Africa to discuss plans for the full restoration of relations
Geostrategy
Xi calls for a Palestinian state to become a ‘full member’ of UN in meeting with Abbas
Beijing has sought to boost its ties in the Middle East, challenging US influence -- efforts that have sparked unease...
- Beijing has positioned itself as a mediator in the Middle East, brokering the restoration in March of ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia
- Xi told Abbas at a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People that China was "ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with the Palestinian side."
Opinion
Saudi embrace of China signals shift in Middle East geopolitics
China's approach, characterized by a combination of economic incentives and a focus on development, contrasts with the more assertive and...
- The diminishing US presence in the Middle East has compelled Gulf countries to seek new alliances, and China has positioned itself as a prominent alternative
- China's approach, characterized by a combination of economic incentives and a focus on development, contrasts with the more assertive and unilateral approach of the US
Business
Arab nations account for 25 percent of Israel’s 2022 arms exports
Jerusalem, Undefined - Israeli defense exports hit an all-time high of $12.5 billion last year, with Arab countries that recently established...
- One quarter of deals were for drone systems, with "missiles, rockets and air defense systems" making up another 19 percent.
- The US-brokered Abraham Accords from 2020 saw Israel normalize ties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.
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Yemen drone attack wounds 22 in Israeli resort town: army, rescuers
Israel's military said a drone launched from Yemen struck the southern resort town of Eilat on Wednesday, with rescuers reporting...
Geostrategy
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Pakistan air strikes kill 46 in Afghanistan: Taliban spokesman
Kabul, Afghanistan - Pakistan air strikes in an eastern border province of Afghanistan killed 46 people, the Taliban government spokesman told...
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...
Geostrategy
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...
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Geostrategy
Post-Assad Syria seeks peace; Erdogan pushes anti-terror agenda, US warns on Kurdish conflict
Barbara Leaf, Washington's top diplomat for the Middle East, told Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa of the "critical need to...
- On a recent tour to the region, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had stressed the need to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State group (IS) jihadists
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who backed Assad's opponents, has stressed reconciliation and restoration of Syria's territorial integrity and unity
HRW accuses Israel of ‘acts of genocide’ for restricting Gaza water access
Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Israel of committing "acts of #genocide" in the Gaza Strip by damaging water infrastructure and...
- "Systematic nature" to deprive Gazans of water has "likely caused thousands of deaths"- HRW
- Israel also cut electricity supplies, attacked repair workers and blocked imports of repair materials
Geostrategy
UN urges ‘free and fair’ elections in Syria post-Assad ouster amid ongoing challenges
Turkey's Foreign Minister warned Syria's new government to address Kurdish militancy, signaling potential intervention if unresolved with tensions rising with...
- UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher called for a massive aid boost by donor countries to respond to "this moment of hope" for Syria
- Years of civil war have also left the country heavily dependent on aid, deeply fragmented and desperate for justice and peace