Trump pledges historic tax cuts, investment growth, oil price action, and Ukraine peace effort at Davos 2025
The newly inaugurated president remarked that he would “like to meet with President Putin soon” and “get the war ended,”...Geostrategy
Trump’s second term begins: Highlights Middle East hostage return, promises diplomacy over conflict among top priorities
Trump vowed to be a “peacemaker and unifier,” citing the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage release as key steps toward peace,...Geostrategy
Oil demand up as surging gas prices force countries to switch fuels: IEA
Global oil demand will rise more than previously forecast this year as heatwaves and soaring gas prices are prompting countries...Oil prices have dropped by $30 per barrel from a peak in June due to growing supplies and "escalating concerns over the deteriorating economic outlook, IEA said.
Prices of natural gas and electricity have jumped to new records, prompting some countries to switch to oil use.
Global youth unemployment set to slip to 73 million in 2022: UN
The figure is still six million higher than the pre-pandemic level of 2019, with the recovery in youth unemployment lagging...Many dropped out of the labor force, or failed to enter it altogether, due to the difficulty of finding a job during Covid-19 lockdowns.
The Arab states have the highest and fastest-growing unemployment rate of young people worldwide at 24.8 percent, 42.5 percent for young women.
Economists appeal to US to return Afghanistan’s frozen assets
The economists said that the plunge in economic activity and the sharp cuts to foreign aid by previous supporters of...71 economists and development experts including Nobel economics prize winner Joseph Stiglitz and Yanis Varoufakis urged US to release Afghanistan's frozen assets
They said a recent US offer to give the Taliban access to half the money by setting up a trust with international oversight was not enough
Jordan, Canada talk cooperation, regional developments
Safadi lauded Canada's efforts to support the Kingdom's development process and help Jordan face economic challengesSafadi lauded Canada's efforts to support the Kingdom's development process and help Jordan face economic challenges.
The two ministers reviewed a number of regional and international issues of common interest and efforts to resolve the region's crises
Afghan refugee flight arrives in Spain from Pakistan
Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares was at Madrid's Torrejon de Ardoz airbase to meet them when the flight from Islamabad...Like other Western nations, Spain in August 2021 rushed to evacuate Afghans who helped Spanish troops and diplomats, as Taliban took over Kabul
Madrid sent some 27,000 troops to Afghanistan over almost 20 years of involvement in the conflict of which a total of 102 of its soldiers died
Moqtada Sadr calls on judiciary to dissolve parliament
Sadr justified his calls for judicial action by noting that constitutional deadlines for appointing a new president and prime minister...Sadr has invited MPs and his supporters to take legal action to demand that parliament be dissolved
Iraq's former PM earlier had called for parliamentary sessions to resume in order to study a possible dissolution of the body
Iran dismisses claims Russia-launched satellite for ‘spying’
Iran's Space Agency said the Khayyam satellite is entirely designed and built to meet the needs of the country in...Hassan Salarieh, the head of Iran’s Space Agency, told reporters that the spying allegation was 'basically childish'
Iran maintains that he purpose of Khayyam is to monitor the country’s borders, boost agricultural productivity and monitor water resources and natural disasters
Tunisia’s judiciary vetoes sacking of judges by President Saied
A total of 46 judges' sackings have been revoked, administrative court spokesman Imed Ghabri said, adding that the appeals of...A June 1 presidential decree in the North African country saw Saied fire 57 judges, after accusing many of corruption and other crimes.
Fifty-three of those sacked -- including some accused of "adultery" -- had lodged appeals with the administrative court against Saied's move.
Qatar World Cup to start a day early to allow host play opening game
The opening match is scheduled to be held at the 60,000-capacity Al Bayt stadium, one of seven new venues purpose-built...Qatar will now play Ecuador on November 20, 24 hours earlier than planned, in a move that FIFA's ruling council was expected to confirm soon.
Companies with major deals linked to the World Cup expressed confidence that the unusual schedule change could be handled smoothly.
Iraq launches rebuilding of Mosul airport destroyed in ISIS battle
Entire sectors of the northern metropolis have remained in ruins since the July 2017 recapture of Mosul by Iraqi forces...Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi laid the foundation stone for the renovation of the airport in an official ceremony at the airport.
At the end of 2021, the Red Cross estimated that 35 percent of west Mosul residents and less than 15 percent in east Mosul have enough water.
