Aramco CEO highlights collaboration with Beijing at forum in China
AL-DHAHRAN, SAUDI ARABIA – Aramco President and CEO Amin Nasser outlined the potential for stronger collaboration with Chinese partners in...Business Economy Energy Geostrategy
Christians of Gaza pray for peace in times of war and destruction
Christian families from Gaza have found refuge inside the church with the memory of two women killed in December by...Geostrategy
Lebanon central bank says freezes accounts of US-sanctioned individuals
The central bank "took a decision to freeze all the accounts" of Hassan Moukalled as well as those of his...Moukalled has previously acknowledged having acted as an intermediary in indirect negotiations between the central bank and Hezbollah.
The United States has also slapped sanctions on two of his business interests: the Lebanese Company for Information and Studies (LCIS), and CTEX, a money exchange company.
Beirut blast victims’ relatives rally for probe judge
Families of victims killed in the 2020 Beirut blast rallied to support the judge probing the disaster, after he was...The August 4, 2020 blast destroyed much of the Lebanese capital's port and surrounding areas, killing more than 215 people and injuring over 6,500.
Relatives of the victims and rights groups have blamed the disaster on an entrenched political class.
Israeli forces kill nine Palestinians in West Bank raid: Ministry
The bloodiest violence in months in the Palestinian territories erupted during a raid on the crowded refugee camp in the...Palestinian health ministry said the death toll from the clashes rose to "nine martyrs, including an elderly woman" and that 20 people were wounded before Israeli forces withdrew.
Palestinian health minister Mai al-Kaila charged that "occupation forces stormed Jenin Government Hospital and intentionally fired tear gas canisters at the pediatric department".
UAE astronaut says not required to fast during Ramadan on ISS
Asked at a press conference Wednesday how he will observe the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims typically fast from...Sultan al-Neyadi will become the first Arab astronaut to spend six months in space when he blasts off for the International Space Station next month aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9
Neyadi, NASA's Stephen Bowen and Warren Hoburg and Russia's Andrey Fedyaev are scheduled to fly to the ISS on February 26 as members of SpaceX Dragon Crew-6
Sheikh Mohamed, Pakistan PM call for boosting bilateral ties
Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan---UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reviewed the ties...Mohamed bin Zayed arrived in the Pakistani city of Rahim Yar Khan during his visit to country that is battling major foreign exchange crisis.
The UAE on Jan 12 agreed to roll over $2 billion owed by Pakistan and provide the country with an extra loan of $1 billion.
Lebanon top prosecutor charges Beirut blast judge
Investigative judge Tarek Bitar crossed all red lines earlier this week by daring to charge several powerful figures over the...The judicial arm-wrestling is the latest of crisis-torn Lebanon's mounting woes, as the value of the national currency hit a new record low against the US dollar on Wednesday.
Bitar resumed work on the investigation this week after a 13-month hiatus, charging eight high-level officials over the blast, including Prosecutor General Ghassan Oueidat.
Iraqi PM to visit France for energy and security talks
BAGHDAD, IRAQ - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani will travel to France on Thursday for energy and security talks with...Sudani said he wants to "activate the agreements" between oil-rich Iraq and France "particularly in the transport, energy and investment sectors".
French giant TotalEnergies in 2021 signed a $10 billion contract with Baghdad, but work on the multiple projects is yet to begin.
Israel forces kill Palestinian in alleged knife attack
Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian in the West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said, in what the army described...The Israeli army said that the Palestinian "attempted to carry out a stabbing attack" near the Jewish settlement of Kdumim.
Last year, 150 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank, the highest annual toll since United Nations records began in 2005.
Chris Hipkins replaces Jacinda Ardern as New Zealand PM
Ardern said last week she no longer had "enough in the tank" after steering the country through natural disasters, its...The 44-year-old is now tasked with reversing the government's sagging popularity, which has been hampered by a deteriorating economy and a resurgent conservative opposition.
Ardern, a global figurehead of progressive politics, has been credited with raising New Zealand's profile on the world stage.
Lebanese protest as local currency hits new low
Lebanese protesters blocked roads and burnt tires near the central bank in Beirut as the local currency plummeted to a...Lebanese banks have imposed draconian restrictions on withdrawals since the country's economy collapsed three years ago.
Dozens of protesters gathered Wednesday near the central bank headquarters amid heavy deployment of security forces.