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
UN agencies warn Gaza slipping into famine as Israel resists ceasefire calls
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative, a coalition of monitors tasked by the UN to warn of impending crises,...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Blinken and Lavrov hold ‘frank’ first talks since start of war
The top diplomats of the United States and Russia spoke Friday for the first time since the Ukraine war, with...
- President Joe Biden has faced growing public pressure to find a way home for Griner, a basketball star jailed for transport of cannabis oil, and Whelan, a former Marine
- Russia's foreign ministry, in a statement on the call, said that relations between the two nations "are in strong need of normalization"
Geostrategy
Tunis summons US envoy over criticism of constitutional vote
Tunisia's foreign ministry summoned the US charge d'affaires on Friday to denounce "unacceptable" statements by American officials criticising this week's...
- The new constitution grants almost unlimited power to the president, and Saied's rivals had called for a boycott of the vote
- Blinken on Thursday voiced concerns that the "new constitution could weaken Tunisia's democracy and erode respect for human rights
Geostrategy
Egypt protests Ethiopia plans to fill reservoir for third year
Egypt said it had protested to the UN Security Council Friday against Ethiopian plans to fill the reservoir of a...
- The process of filling the GERD's vast reservoir began in 2020, with Ethiopia announcing in July that year it had hit its target of 4.9 billion cubic metres
- Addis Ababa deems the GERD essential for the electrification and development of Africa's second most populous country
Geostrategy
Islamic Development Bank approves $10.54bn food security package
The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group has agreed on a $10.54 billion package for the Comprehensive Food Security Response Program...
- The package will support member countries in addressing the ongoing food crisis and strengthening its members' resilience to future food security issues.
- The package was announced after at an extraordinary joint meeting, chaired by IsDB President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the IsDB Group Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser.
Economy
Germany’s economic model wobbles amid energy crisis
Germany's second-quarter growth figures to be published on Friday are expected to be meek as the outlook for Europe's largest...
- Less expensive to produce and transport, with prices pinned down in long-term contracts, Russian gas has for decades contributed to Germany's economic prosperity
- To wean itself completely off Russian gas, Germany is looking further afield for new supplies including shipments of liquefied natural gas from the United States and Qatar
Geostrategy
Macron welcomes Saudi Crown Prince, two discuss energy supply
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday warmly welcomed Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for talks in Paris, with...
- Crown Prince and the French President held an expanded meeting in the presence of the delegations of the two countries, according to Saudi Press Agency
- For western countries desperate to find new sources of energy, the 36-year-old de-facto leader of the world's biggest oil producer has become an essential figure.
Geostrategy
Biden, Xi stay split on Taiwan but agree for face-to-face summit
While this was Biden's fifth talk with Xi since becoming president a year and a half ago, it's getting hard...
- The virtual summit lasting over two hours took place as Beijing and Washington increasingly risk open conflict over the self-ruling island
- Once considered unlikely, an invasion, or lesser form of military action against Taiwan, is increasingly seen by China watchers as possible
Geostrategy
Saudi Crown Prince ends Europe trip with deals, MoUs
Strategic partnership remains in focus as Mohammed bin Salman leaves France after heading a wide-ranging talks along with French President...
- Strategic partnership remains in focus as Mohammed bin Salman left France today after heading a wide-ranging talks along with French President Emmanuel Macron
- Earlier, a delegation of senior Saudi ministers held separate talks with their French counterparts at at the Elysée Palace
Geostrategy
UAE, Kenya to begin negotiations on free trade agreement
UAE and Kenya announced their intention to begin talks for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries...
- UAE and Kenya announce their intention to begin talks for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
- If inked, the CEPA pact will be the first free trade deal between UAE and an African nation
Geostrategy
More protests or fresh polls? Iraq mulls political paralysis
The storming of Iraq's parliament by hundreds of supporters of populist Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr has piled pressure on his...
- Sadr's bloc won 73 seats in October last year, making it the largest faction in the 329-seat parliament, but still short of a majority.
- But last month Sadr's 73 lawmakers quit in a move seen as seeking to pressure his rivals to fast-track the establishment of a government.
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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
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AU head seeks probe into massacre of Gazans waiting for aid
Nairobi, Kenya - African Union chief Moussa Faki Mahamat on Saturday accused Israel of "the mass killing of Palestinians" and urged...
Geostrategy
Gaza officials report 4 more child malnutrition deaths
Global attention turned to the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza on Thursday, when the health ministry said more than 100...
US forces destroy Houthi surface-to-air missile: CENTCOM
The Iran-backed Houthis, who control much of war-torn Yemen, have been attacking shipping in the Red Sea since November in...
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Geostrategy
OIC to hold extraordinary meeting on Israeli aggression on March 5
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will hold an extraordinary meeting of its Council of Foreign...
- OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha is expected to address the opening session, which will be preceded by a preparatory senior officials' meeting
- On October 11, 2023, Saudi Arabia hosted the extraordinary Joint Arab and Islamic Summit in Riyadh, organized by the OIC and the Arab League
Business
EU queries Meta about ad-free subscriptions, shadow banning
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - The EU on Friday used new regulatory powers to query Meta about ad-free subscriptions to Facebook and Instagram as...
- The European Commission made a request for information under the mammoth content moderation law known as the Digital Services Act (DSA).
- The EU has launched probes under the DSA to quiz platforms on how they are addressing concerns from consumer protection to children's activity online.
Geostrategy
Hamas says Israeli military action kills 7 hostages in Gaza
Hamas said that seven more hostages seized during its unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7 had died because...
- Hamas seized around 250 Israelis and foreigners during the October 7 attack on southern Israel.
- A spokesman for the UN agency OCHA told reporters that "if something doesn't change, a famine is almost inevitable" in Gaza.