Trump’s ‘displeasure’ at prospect of allies recognizing Palestinian state
President Donald Trump has expressed displeasure with leaders of France, the United Kingdom and Canada for saying they plan to...
Geostrategy
Syrian, Israeli ministers to hold meeting in Baku on Thursday: diplomat
A Syrian-Israeli ministerial meeting is set to take place Thursday in Baku to discuss security matters in southern Syria, a...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
US NSA terms China military drills near Taiwan ‘not responsible’
A top US official on Wednesday called China's military drills in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to...
- US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told NPR that what China is doing here is 'not responsible'
- Pelosi, the second in line to the US presidency, departed Taiwan Wednesday morning, having defied a series of increasingly stark threats from Beijing
Economy
OPEC+ agrees small oil output rise despite Biden plea
The cartel led by Saudi Arabia and Russia decided to raise production by 100,000 barrels per day for September, much...
- Biden made a controversial trip to Saudi Arabia in July in part to convince the kingdom to loosen the production taps to curb rampant inflation
- Saudi Arabia faced a balancing act between its old ally, Washington, and its OPEC+ partner Moscow, which has been hit by Western sanctions over the Ukraine invasion
Geostrategy
Iraq’s Sadr demands new polls as political crisis escalates
Nearly 10 months on from the last elections, the country still has no government, new prime minister or new president,...
- Parliament can only be dissolved by a majority vote, according to the constitution
- In multi-confessional Iraq, government formation has involved complex negotiations
Geostrategy
EU representative to discuss stalled nuclear deal with Iran in Vienna
Negotiations between Iran and world powers, which began in late November 2021 to reintegrate Joe Biden's United States into the...
- In late June, Qatar hosted indirect talks between Tehran and Washington in the hope of getting the process back on track -- but those talks did not lead to a breakthrough.
- In a last-ditch effort, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell submitted a compromise proposal last Tuesday and called on the parties to accept it to avoid a 'dangerous crisis'.
Business
OPEC+ meeting in focus as it decides on oil production strategy
After cutting production in 2020 in response to falling prices during the Covid pandemic, OPEC+ began to modestly raise it...
- The cartel led by Saudi Arabia and Russia has so far resisted US pressure to ramp up production significantly.
- Biden visited Saudi Arabia in July to convince the Kingdom about producing more oil and stabilizing market.
Geostrategy
UN experts disheartened: Beirut blast victims still await justice
The Aug 4, 2020 mega-blast killed more than 200 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the Lebanese capital. The...
- The lead investigator, Tarek Bitar, who was chasing after some of the country's top brass, has been barred from proceeding by a series of lawsuits.
- The victims' families therefore appealed to the international community to set up an independent investigation under the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Geostrategy
Iran lawmakers ratify prisoner swap treaty with Belgium
Iranian lawmakers voted Wednesday to ratify a prisoner exchange treaty with Belgium, where the deal has been criticized for potentially...
- Icana news agency reported that Iran's parliament approved the treaty by 195 votes to two
- The Belgian parliament just two weeks ago passed it by the much narrower margin of 79 votes to 41
Economy
Respite for Erdogan: Turkish inflation stabilizes at under 80 percent
The official annual rate of consumer price increases reached 79.6 percent in July compared to 78.6 percent in June. Turkey...
- Turkey now has a real interest rate of negative 64.4 percent the lowest in the world by a substantial margin.
- This means that Turks have a strong incentive to spend as much as they can before their liras lose even more value.
Geostrategy
Justice eludes Beirut couple two years after blast killed daughter
The demonstrations were drained of momentum by a severe economic crisis and the coronavirus pandemic, before the monster explosion presented...
- International powers have yet to provide Lebanon with satellite images or reports drafted by foreign experts who participated in preliminary investigations
- The August 4 mega-blast, blamed on a fire that ignited tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer at Beirut harbor, was one of the largest non-nuclear detonations ever recorded
Geostrategy
Yemen’s warring parties renew truce for two months: UN
Yemen has been gripped by conflict since the Iran-backed Houthi rebels took control of the capital Sanaa in 2014, triggering...
- Hundreds of thousands have died, directly from fighting as well as indirectly, and millions have been displaced in what the UN has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis
- US President Joe Biden welcomed the extension and the "unprecedented calm" that has prevailed in the war-torn country during recent months
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Trump’s ‘displeasure’ at prospect of allies recognizing Palestinian state
President Donald Trump has expressed displeasure with leaders of France, the United Kingdom and Canada for saying they plan to...
Geostrategy
Company News
Spain will not join US-led Red Sea coalition
Geostrategy
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UN says ‘delusional conspiracy theories’ behind global violence
Geneva, Switzerland - The pernicious "'great replacement' conspiracy theories" spreading in many countries are "delusional" and racist and are directly spurring...
Geostrategy
US Vice President calls for ‘immediate ceasefire’ in Gaza
Taking an unusually sharp tone, Harris demanded Israel "do more to significantly increase the flow of aid" into Gaza, where...
Gaza truce talks in Cairo as heavy fighting rages
An Israeli siege on Gaza has sparked UN warnings of famine, and France's foreign ministry said Israel is "clearly responsible"...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
Polls for Iraq Kurd parliament postponed to June
Iraqi Kurds announced that polls to elect a new parliament in the autonomous region would be held in June, after...
- Regional president Nechirvan Barzani signed the order for the elections to be held on June 10, a presidency statement said.
- In August last year, authorities announced polling would take place on February 25 after consultation with the parties.
Geostrategy
Cargo ship sunk by Houthis poses environmental risk, says US military
Yemen's government also said earlier Saturday that the ship which was departed UAE and was bound for the Bulgarian port...
- Houthis claimed the February 18 attack against the Rubymar, a cargo ship flying a Belizean flag and operated by a Lebanese firm, which transported combustible fertilizers
- US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed late Saturday that the vessel "sank in the Red Sea after being struck" by an anti-ship ballistic missile last month
Geostrategy
Israeli strike near Gaza’s Rafah hospital kills 11
A paramedic was among those killed and children were wounded in the blast close to the Emirati Maternity Hospital, ministry...
- The Israeli army said it had carried out a "precision strike" in the area of the hospital
- WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the strike was "outrageous and unspeakable"