In skies, as on land, European forces face gaps if US pulls back
Leeuwarden, Netherlands - Fighter jets from the United States, France, Finland and Germany roar into the skies from a Dutch...Geostrategy
US reiterates support for Morocco on Western Sahara
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday renewed US support for Morocco's sovereignty and political plan for Western Sahara, a...Geostrategy
AI meets VR to keep Holocaust memory alive
Through AI, users of a VR headset can have a "conversation" with Holocaust survivor Inge Auerbacher, asking about her encounters...The project is a collaboration between Los Angeles-based company StoryFile, the World Jewish Congress and Facebook-owner Meta,
StoryFile co-founder Stephen Smith, who has worked in Holocaust education, said the technology allows users to "talk to history through the people who went through it".
Iran’s emerging pivot to Russia and China is for strategic leverage: study
Dubai, UAE - Iran’s pivot to Russia and China has been driven by various factors, most notably the United States'...The decision by the Trump administration to abandon the nuclear deal deeply disillusioned the Iranian leadership
Iran's incremental moves toward China and Russia is said to indicate an unwillingness to redefine its national security doctrine
Blinken meets Saudi Crown Prince in fresh bid to mend ties
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah,...The Secretary expressed appreciation for Saudi Arabia in hosting the D-ISIS Ministerial and stressed our joint efforts to fight terrorism, US State Department said
Crown Prince and Blinken reviewed the bilateral relations and aspects of cooperation in various fields and ways to enhance them, Saudi Press Agency said
Kuwait elects new parliament dominated by opposition
Lawmakers from opposition won 29 of the 50 seats up for grabs in the election, according to results announced by...According to the Kuwait Transparency Society, an NGO, turnout touched 50 percent one hour before polls closed, which is lower than last year's voter turnout of 63 percent
Janan Bushehri. the only female member to be elected in the new parliament, said that she expected it to seek stability and make progress on economic or political issues
China firms under sanction by US for assisting Iran missile program
WASHINGTON, US- The United States placed sanctions on Tuesday on several Chinese and Hong Kong firms it said were supplying Iran's...The US Treasury said the Chinese companies shipped centrifuges for producing fuels, non-ferrous metals with potential military use.
Washington is concerned that Iran plans to develop nuclear weapons that could be loaded on ballistic missiles to menace Israel.
Italian PM says making efforts for Tunisia IMF bailout
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Rome backed efforts to secure an IMF bailout for Tunisia and support to tackle...The IMF has called for legislation to restructure over 100 state-owned firms, which hold monopolies over many parts of the economy.
Tunisia is struggling under crippling inflation and debt estimated at around 80 percent of its gross domestic product.
Iran reopens embassy in Saudi Arabia, confirming China-brokered detente
"We consider today an important day in the relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi...The Iranian mission resumes in its former premises in Riyadh's diplomatic quarter -- near Syria's embassy is also expected to reopen soon following Saudi outreach to Damascus.
In March, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restart their respective embassies and work towards resuming ties, after Riyadh in 2016 broke off relations following Iranian protests.
World Bank lowers MENA’s growth forecast to 2.2 percent in 2023
DUBAI, UAE - The World Bank raised its global growth forecast for 2023 to 2.1 percent (in June 2023) from...The World Bank expects global growth to reach 2.4 percent in 2024, compared to 2.7 percent in January 2023.
The possibility of widespread banking disruptions and tighter monetary policy may also lead to weaker global growth.
Egypt, Israel vow cooperation after deadly border skirmish
Speaking at the opening of a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu said his government had sent a "clear message" to...President Sisi i received a telephone call from Netanyahu about Saturday's deadly violence on the normally calm border.
Egypt has said the policeman crossed into Israel while chasing drug smugglers, leading to exchanges of fire with Israeli soldiers.
UAE highlights efforts in space sector at UN committee meet
ABU DHABI, UAE - A high-level UAE delegation at the 66th session of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful...The UAE highlighted the significance of the peaceful use of outer space, acknowledging the right of all member states to develop their capabilities.
The UAE also focused on the importance of international collaboration to ensure space technologies benefit humanity in times of disaster.
