Turkey braces for fourth night of protest as mayor arrives in court
Turkey was headed for a fourth straight night of protests late Saturday, as the biggest street unrest the country has...Geostrategy
Istanbul Bar Association board dismissed over ‘terror propaganda’
The Istanbul Bar Association's executive board was dismissed Friday on grounds of "terrorist propaganda" and "publicly spreading false information", according...Geostrategy
Curbing oil dependency Saudi priority, says Economy Minister
Despite its goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2060, the country remains hugely dependent on crude oil exports...Soaring crude prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine allowed Saudi to post in 2022 its first budget surplus in nine years, giving it firepower for economic development.
And at Davos, Saudi officials announced a joint initiative with the Davos forum organizers to accelerate high-tech innovation in the country via the metaverse.
Morocco says to boost military ties with Israel
It followed the United States' recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara region, in a quid pro quo...The two countries agreed to further strengthen cooperation and expand it to other areas, including in intelligence, air defence and electronic warfare
The announcement on Tuesday follows the first meeting of the monitoring committee for Moroccan-Israeli defence cooperation in the Moroccan capital
Tunisia president’s former top aide jailed in absentia, say media reports
TUNIS, TUNISIA - Tunisian President Kais Saied's former chief of staff was sentenced in absentia on Tuesday to prison over audio...Nadia Akacha had been a key aide to Saied until she quit in January last year, citing "fundamental differences of opinion" over the national interest.
A constitutional lawyer like the president, she was appointed as Saied's legal adviser in late 2019 before becoming his chief of staff in January 2020.
European Union takes on US, China over clean tech in Davos
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen slammed what she described as "aggressive attempts" to convince Europe's clean technology operations..."China subsidies its industry and restricts access to its market for EU companies," she said, warning the EU would "not hesitate" to probe such aid that distorts the market.
Speaking after von der Leyen, Chinese Vice Premier Liu He called for an end to "Cold War mentality" and repeated Beijing's opposition to "unilateralism and protectionism".
Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, Statistics Center sign data collaboration pact
ABU DHABI, UAE - Statistics Center – Abu Dhabi (SCAD) and the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE) have signed...The pact was inked on the sidelines of the 15th edition of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2023.
This is a part of a strategy to develop an advanced statistical ecosystem which provides high-quality statistics through a decentralized model.
UAE Ministry of Finance, Dubai Free Zones Council sign MoU on sharing of information
DUBAI, UAE - UAE Ministry of Finance (MoF) Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Dubai Free Zones...The Ministry of Finance makes efforts to ensure that government entities in the UAE are committed to international tax pacts the country has signed.
Dubai Free Zones Council will provide the necessary tax information to the ministry of finance.
Financial innovation vital but checks needed for stability: Saudi minister
Mohammed Al-Jadaan also warned of risks if the central bank digital currency was introduced as it will require citizens to...Saudi Arabia is likely to be among the world's fastest-growing economies in 2023, he said, citing the IMF global economic growth expectations for 2023.
He also emphasized the importance of financial institutions, such as banks, for countries in combating global shocks, while continuing to develop technology in this sector.
Iran releases celebrity chef held in crackdown, say activists
PARIS, FRANCE - Iran has released a prominent chef and Instagram influencer who was detained earlier this month in its crackdown...Navab Ebrahimi, known for his videos promoting Persian cooking, was arrested in Tehran on January 4 and taken to the city's Evin prison.
Iran has arrested at least 14,000 people in protests sparked by the September 16 death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman.
Egypt’s economic turmoil squeezes struggling middle class
Steve Hanke, an economist at Johns Hopkins University who measures inflation based on purchasing power parity and factoring in black...Egypt's official annual headline inflation hit 21.9 percent in December, and food prices surged 37.9 percent
According to the World Bank, nearly one-third of Egypt's 104 million people already live below the poverty line
FNC looks to deepen parliamentary cooperation with Morocco
Abu Dhabi, UAE-- The UAE and Morocco have agreed to deepen parliamentary cooperation between the two countries in order to...The two sides reviewed aspects of enhancing parliamentary cooperation for the benefit of their peoples, highlighting the depth of the UAE-Morocco fraternal ties
The UAE's support for sustainability efforts, enhancing energy security and climate action was emphasized in the meeting
