Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence group G42 on Tuesday launched what it calls a Digital Embassies framework and an operating model named Greenshield, aimed at allowing governments to deploy artificial intelligence while retaining legal authority and control over data and systems, even when infrastructure is located outside national borders. The initiative...
Covid vaccines saved 20m lives in first year: Study
Covid vaccines prevented nearly 20 million deaths in the first year after they were introduced, according to the first large modeling study on the topic released Friday. The study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, is based on data from 185 countries and territories collected from December 8, 2020, to...
UN to hold Libya talks over parliamentary elections
The world body said it will broker new talks between rival institutions from war-torn Libya next week to try to break a deadlock on the rules for long-awaited elections.
Tunisia ex-PM Hamadi Jebali arrested: lawyer
Tunisian police on Thursday arrested former prime minister Hamadi Jebali, an ex-senior figure in the Ennahdha party which is the nemesis of current President Kais Saied, Jebali's lawyer said. He could not say why Jebali was detained. For more than a month, Jebali has been under investigation over activities at...UN warns Internet shutdowns can have deadly consequences
Many governments refuse to acknowledge that they ordered any interference in communications, and sometimes put pressure on telecommunications companies to prevent them from revealing why communications are blocked.
Najib Mikati picked to form new Lebanon government
The 66-year-old billionaire, who had been widely expected to keep his job, secured 54 votes during parliamentary consultations, giving him a clear edge over other potential nominees.
G7 summit to inflict more pain on Russia over Ukraine invasion
Leaders at the upcoming G7 summit in Germany will announce new measures aimed at pressuring Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, a senior US official said Wednesday.
US president faces historic leadership task in Europe
Leader of the free world sounds like a superhero character, but the Joe Biden heading this week to twin European summits is in reality a politically fragile president tasked, somehow, with resolving an unenviable string of diplomatic problems. Biden arrives Saturday in Germany for the G7 summit of major Western...
Israel to reinstate increase in entry permits for Gaza workers
Israel on Wednesday said it was reinstating an increase in entry permits for Palestinian workers from the blockaded Gaza Strip, cancelling a suspension announced days earlier.Biden trip: ‘More Arab nations to improve ties with Israel’
Barbara Leaf, the top US diplomat for the Middle East, said that the Biden administration was encouraging greater cooperation between Israel and the Arab nations.
Russia FM in Iran for talks on boosting cooperation
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Iran on Wednesday for talks on boosting trade and energy cooperation as the two countries grapple with Western economic sanctions. Tehran and Moscow both have huge oil and gas reserves but are constrained by sanctions that limit their ability to export their output....International coalition of journalists demands Assange release from UK jail
An international coalition of journalists, editors and publishers demanded Wednesday that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange be immediately released from a UK jail and that all charges against him be dropped. Fifteen representatives of international journalist and publishers' unions and organisations gathered in Geneva for the "call to free Julian Assange...US pledges support as Israel heads to elect new PM
Blinken, in a telephone call to Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, who will become caretaker prime minister confirmed that President Joe Biden still plans to visit Israel next month
Tunisia appeals to IMF to be aware of social impact of reforms
Tunisian President Kais Saied on Tuesday urged the International Monetary Fund to take into account the social impact of any economic reforms it may demand as part of a bailout package.Israel’s ‘change’ govt brought down by Palestinian conflict
It was the flashpoint issue of Israel's occupation of West Bank that eventually ended the unlikely coalition which, already weakened by defections.
Saudi crown prince, Jordan king meet amid thaw in ties
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with Jordan's King Abdullah in Amman on Tuesday to discuss regional and international issues. The meeting came amid a thaw in relations that in recent years had suffered from divergent views on regional conflicts and unfulfilled pledges of aid. Prince Mohammed’s visit to...
Lebanon inks gas deal with Egypt to enhance power supply
Lebanon's crumbling electricity sector has cost the country more than $40 billion since the end of its 1975-1990 civil war.Jordan ranks 57, improves position in Global Peace Index
Jordan strengthened its position on several security indicators, especially on the crime rates in society and the indicator of security and policemen, in which it received a very high score.
Israeli interior minister visits Morocco as cooperation grows
Israeli Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked arrived Monday in Morocco for a string of meetings with officials, a diplomatic source said, as cooperation grows between the two countries after they mended ties. Shaked is the fourth Israeli minister to visit the North African kingdom since the two countries re-established ties in...
Turkey holds to its stance, objects Finland, Sweden joining NATO
Turkey on Monday said it did not view next week's NATO summit as a final deadline for resolving its objections to Finland and Sweden joining the Western defense alliance.
Tunisia president receives draft constitution, month before referendum
A legal expert charged with writing a new constitution presented a draft to Tunisian President Kais Saied Monday, less than a month before a referendum on the document. The planned referendum is set for July 25, the one year anniversary of a power grab by Saied that saw him sack...UN chief calls on Security Council to extend Syria cross-border aid
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for the Security Council to extend its authorization of cross-border aid into northwest Syria by a year a policy that veto-holding Russia has criticized.Iraqi migrant in Britain fears Rwanda deportation
Nearly a week ago, Iraqi Kurd Barham Hama Ali found himself in the unimaginable position of being aboard a deportation flight set to take off for Kigali, thousands of miles from home.Israeli coalition to dissolve parliament, force new elections
Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Monday his governing coalition will dissolve parliament next week, a shock announcement that will give power to Foreign Minister Yair Lapid in days and force new elections. Bennett and Lapid forged an ideologically disparate alliance one year ago, counting eight-parties broadly united on the...
Saudi crown prince kicks off regional tour in Egypt
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman began a two-day visit to Egypt on Monday evening, the presidency in Cairo said, kicking off a regional tour extending to Jordan and Turkey. The crown prince will meet with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a major ally, to discuss regional and wider international...Another UN led deal to resolve Libya’s elections dispute fails
Representatives of the Tripoli-based High Council of State and of the parliament, based in eastern Libya, began meetings in Cairo more than a week ago, but without success.
Saudi Arabia lets citizens visit Turkey as bilateral relations improve
At the beginning of the pandemic, Saudi Arabia imposed a rule against all foreign travel, and as of last month 16 countries including Turkey were still off-limits to Saudi citizens.
‘Autonomous universities offer advantages for Saudi Arabia’
A publication aims to explore trends and critical factors for future success in an autonomous higher education system in Saudi Arabia.
Lebanon to expel Syrian refugees if not repatriated: Mikati
Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Monday said Lebanon was ready to expel Syrian refugees living in the country if the international community does not work to repatriate them. Lebanon, grappling with its worst ever economic crisis, has the world's highest proportion of refugees in its population, with the government estimating...
China’s zero-Covid policy leaves a long trail of medical waste
Hazmat-suited workers poke plastic swabs down millions of throats in China each day, leaving bins bursting with medical waste that has become the environmental and economic levy of a zero-Covid strategy.
Jordan King holds trilateral meeting with Egypt president, Bahrain monarch
The leaders underscored the need to expand trilateral cooperation across all sectors and to enhance regional security and stability.Israel warns citizens to leave Turkey amid threat of Iran attacks
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid will visit Turkey next week, his office said Sunday, days after he urged Israelis to leave that country over threats of attacks by Iranian operatives. On Monday, Lapid urged Israelis in Turkey to leave "as soon as possible", saying they faced "a real and immediate...Russia eyes improved ties with Saudi Arabia, UAE
Putin and Arab leaders focus on boosting relations in various fields -- including technology, food security and energy -- during Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum 2022.US Federal Reserve hints at another interest rate hike
Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller on Saturday threw his support behind another large interest rate increase next month. The Fed on Wednesday announced the biggest hike in nearly 30 years, raising the benchmark borrowing rate by 0.75 percentage points to rein in scorching inflation.
Anti-government rebels in Chad threaten to pull out of Doha talks
Chad rebels due to take part in landmark talks with opposition groups and the military government on Saturday threatened to pull out citing "provocations and attempted aggression" by the government.
Iran fighter jet crashes, injuring two crew members
An F-14 fighter jet crashed on Saturday while on a mission in central Iran, causing injuries to its two crew members, media in the Islamic republic reported. It was the second such incident in Isfahan province in less than a month, after two air force crewmen were killed when their...EU unveils ‘new strategic partnership’ with GCC
European Union has unveiled a new strategic partnership with the GCC, aiming to deepen the ties with the Gulf countries.
UAE president calls for global collaboration at Biden’s climate summit
The UAE president emphasised that the UAE, as an active partner of the global community, is determined to hold a COP28 in 2023.‘Delay in govt formation, budget approval to hit Iraq’s economy’
A report issued by the World Bank warns of the delay in forming a government in Iraq and of not approving the budget on the growth of the country's economy.
UAE seeks Iran assurance on ‘peacefulness’ of nuclear programme
The United Arab Emirates urged Iran on Friday to provide reassurances on the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme after the International Atomic Energy Agency denounced Tehran's lack of cooperation. "There are concerns," said the permanent representative of the UAE to the IAEA, Hamad Al Kaabi. In response to an...No database on number of Iraqi refugees abroad, says govt
Iraq's Ministry of Migration and Displacement said they do not have a database on the numbers of Iraqi refugees abroad saying they are ready for any situation for internally displaced personsSaudi crown prince to visit Turkey on June 22: Turkish official
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will visit Turkey on June 22, a Turkish official said on Friday. The details of the visit will be announced "over the weekend", the official added. The two countries will sign several agreements during the trip, which is expected to be in the capital...Gazprom defends gas cuts as energy prices soar
Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said that Moscow will play by its own rules after cutting daily gas supplies to Germany and Italy.
Israel ‘concerned’ over Iran airlines ‘activities’ in LatAm
The Boeing 747 cargo plane, reportedly carrying car parts, has been held at an Argentine airport since Wednesday last week.Egypt, European Union review cooperation on climate and energy challenges
Egypt and the European Union have reviewed and discussed enhanced cooperation on climate, energy and industrial transformation challenges ahead of COP27 in Egypt later this year. On Wednesday, on the occasion of the visit of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and her meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El...Ministers wrangle through night to salvage WTO deals
Ministers were frantically haggling through the night into Thursday at the World Trade Organization in a bid to salvage deals on food security, fishing, and combating Covid-19.
Venezuela President talks cooperation with Qatar emir
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro met Wednesday with Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in the gas-rich Gulf nation, his fifth stop of a regional tour. The two heads of state discussed "developing relations of friendship and prospects of joint cooperation" between the two countries, the Qatar News Agency said.UN chief says women ‘essential’ to peace talks in global conflicts
In many areas, men in power have actively worked to exclude women, said Guterres, citing Afghanistan, where "nearly 20 million Afghan women and girls are being silenced and erased from sight."
Tunisia union demands salary hike on nationwide strike
Up to three million workers could observe the strike, shuttering 159 state agencies and public companies and bringing public transport, the postal service, and utility firms to a halt.
Jordan king discusses food security with European Commission president
The meeting covered regional and international developments, especially the Palestinian cause.
Qatar Chamber and Jordan to enhance private sector cooperation
Qatar Chamber and the Jordanian Ministry of Labor discussed Tuesday ways to enhance bilateral relations and the private sector's role in enhancing cooperation between the two parties. This came during the meeting of Qatar Chamber First Vice-Chairman Mohamed bin Twar Al Kuwari and Jordanian Minister of Labor Nayef Stetieh. The...
