Russia becomes first country to recognise Taliban
Afghanistan's government said on Thursday that Russia had become the first country to officially recognise its rule, calling it a "brave decision".
Saudi Arabia to import 625,000 tons of wheat later this year
The wheat is being procured from Europe, North and South America, and Australia, and will arrive in Saudi Arabia from September to November this year.US, Iran spar over stalled nuclear talks and demands
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said that the country's negotiators would not return to Vienna, the site of the year-long talks to restore the nuclear deal — formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — until Washington settles outstanding issues.Russia invasion of Ukraine pushes Turkey inflation to record 61.1%
Inflation was up from 54.4% in February to 61.14% in March.Suez Canal posts 20% jump in revenue in Q1 of 2022
Suez Canal posted twenty percent increase in revenue in the first quarter of 2022 despite the Russian-Ukraine war disturbing the global supply chain.Iran says agreement in paused Vienna nuclear negotiations ‘close’
Iran has been engaged in negotiations to revive the deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China directly, and the United States indirectly.War casts its gloom on Swiss watch industry
Diamonds shine brightly at this year's Geneva watch fair but the sanctions slapped on Russia could soon force the Swiss watch industry to produce more subdued designs.Ukraine claims Kyiv region as Russia pullback reveals aftermath
Ukrainian authorities said Saturday the body of a well-known photographer, Maks Levin, had been found near a village in the region around Kyiv that had been caught up in the fighting. Levin became the sixth journalist killed in the war, according to Reporters Without Borders.Russia continues to batter Ukraine amid rescue efforts
Peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow resumed via video amid evacuations from Ukraine, but the Kremlin warned that what it described as a helicopter attack on a fuel depot would hamper the negotiations. The airstrike hit energy giant Rosneft's fuel storage facility in Belgorod, around 40 kilometers from the border...Ortega heiress heads Zara parent
Marta Ortega on Friday took the reins of Zara-owner Inditex.Pentagon commits extra $300m in security aid to Ukraine
The package includes laser-guided rocket systems, drones, ammunition, night-vision devices, tactical secure communications systems, medical supplies and spare partsWorld Bank urges support for poor as food prices soar
Developing and import-dependent countries have been heavily impacted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine -- the two countries that account for more than a quarter of the world's annual wheat sales.Moscow gas threat as NATO warns Russians ‘regrouping’ in Ukraine
Russia threatened Thursday to turn off its gas taps to Europe if the continent fails to pay in rubles, opening up a new front amid its war in Ukraine, where NATO and Kyiv warned that Russian troops were regrouping for new attacks. Over a month into Russia's invasion of its...OPEC+ sticks to modest oil output increase despite Western pressure
The 13 members of the Saudi-led OPEC and 10 countries spearheaded by Russia backed an increase of 432,000 barrels per day in May, marginally higher than in previous months.Saudi deposits $5bn in Egypt, plans to invest double: State media
The Egyptian and Saudi governments have signed a draft agreement for Saudi investments in the country totaling a projected $10 billion, according to a statement by the Egyptian cabinet.Russia says will scale down Kyiv offensive; Ukraine, West sckeptical
Vladimir Putin’s pledge to scale down military activity was met with skepticism in Ukraine and Western capitals, with the Pentagon saying Moscow had merely repositioned a ‘small number’ of forces near Kyiv, but could be preparing a ‘major offensive’ elsewhere.Muslims face frugal Ramadan as Ukraine war drives up food prices
Russia's Ukraine invasion, which has already exacerbated food woes in parts of Africa and the Middle East, is marring preparations for the holy month of Ramadan and forcing a turn to frugal iftar sunset meals. From Lebanon to Tunisia and Somalia, Muslims who traditionally break a dawn-to-dusk fast with lavish...Palestine wants Russia-Ukraine war to stop: Minister
Hard-pressed to prop up the economy and stem steep price hikes if the Ukraine war continues, Khaled Osaily, Economy Minister of the Palestinian Authority, is praying for peace.Saudi minister says oil volatility would be worse without OPEC+
Volatility on oil markets sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine would be worse without OPEC+, the Saudi energy minister said on Tuesday, insisting the alliance that includes Russia deserves credit.Social media’s rocky ride through conflict zones
Activists in Arab Spring countries now lament how the platforms they once lauded have been retooled to serve the powerful. In Burma, people recount how Facebook was used to incite violence against minorities.KSA launches global campaign for its bid to host Expo 2030 Riyadh
Five countries, including Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Italy, Ukraine and Russia are in the reckoning for the 2030 World Expo.Ukraine retakes Kyiv suburb, as negotiations for peace resume
Ukrainian troops "liberated" the suburban town of Irpin, Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky said, wresting a key gateway to the capital's northwest from Russian control, even as its negotiators prepared to meet Russian counterparts for face-to-face talks in Istanbul on Tuesday.Abbas slams West’s ‘double standards’ on Ukraine, Palestinians
Blinken held talks with Abbas on the first full day of a trip that includes a meeting with the foreign ministers of Israel and four Arab countries.French FM says world powers must ‘keep talking’ with Putin
International powers must keep talking with Russia's President Vladimir Putin until he is ready to end his invasion of Ukraine, France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Sunday.How Ukraine war left China’s ‘Nickel King’ on hook for billions
The nickel market is dominated by a handful of players, including Tsingshan, founded by Xiang Guangda.Russians can do business in Turkey, says minister
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said Russia's oligarchs can continue to do business in his country so long as they respect national and international law.US steps up pressure as Russia continues Ukraine attack
In an impassioned speech from the Royal Castle in Warsaw, delivered after meeting top Ukrainian ministers in Poland and earlier conferring with NATO and EU allies on the conflict, US President Joe Biden plainly warned Russia: ‘Don't even think about moving on one single inch of NATO territory.’EU foreign policy chief sees Iran nuclear deal in days
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Saturday that a new deal on Iran's nuclear program would be sealed within days.US indicts 4 Russians who targeted energy sector, including Saudi facility
The Russian hackers tried their exploits on thousands of computers at hundreds of companies in 135 countries between 2012 and 2018, which included energy-sector targets such as a US nuclear power operator and a Saudi petrochemical facility, the US Justice Department has said.US announces new sanctions after North Korea ICBM test
The targeted persons and organizations are accused of “transferring sensitive items to North Korea’s missile program,” the State Department said in a statement.UN to again ‘demand’ Russia ‘immediately’ end war in Ukraine
The vote comes after 141 countries approved a previous non-binding resolution on March 2 that similarly demanded that Russia immediately cease the use of force against Ukraine. In that vote, five states, including Russia, voted against and 35 abstained.Biden heads to Europe to bolster West’s unity, toughen Russia sanctions
President Joe Biden leaves Wednesday for Europe on a mission to bolster Western unity, ramp up unprecedented sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and attempt to upset the post-Cold War balance of power. The conflict with Russian President Vladimir Putin is redefining Biden's 14-month old presidency as he...Japan presses UAE to pump more oil as Ukraine war spikes prices
The plea by Japan's Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi came during meetings with Emirati officials which coincided with a visit by Germany's economy minister.Gulf treads humanitarian path on Ukraine crisis
Most Gulf Cooperation Council countries took no maximalist position on the conflict and stressed on a diplomatic approach for its resolution.UAE paves way for the return of Bashar al-Assad to Arab fold
A surprise visit by Syria's Bashar al-Assad to the oil-rich United Arab Emirates opens the door to his isolated regime's return to the embrace of the Arab world, analysts say. The president's trip also showed that a more assertive UAE is willing to upset its ally Washington with a rapprochement...Ukraine urges China to condemn Russia attack
Russia's claim on Saturday to have unleashed its new hypersonic Kinzhal missile would mark a new escalation of its campaign to force Ukraine to abandon hopes of closer ties with the West, even as Volodymyr Zelensky urged Vladimir Putin for presidential-level talks.GCC airfares soar as oil prices rise
The amplifying factors include sanctions against Russia’s aviation sector, which cast a global pall over the aviation industry.Ukraine offers dialog as Russia continues urban attacks
Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky made a fresh appeal for talks with Moscow on Saturday, even as the two sides have been already holding negotiations remotely. But so far, as in previous rounds, the talks have yielded little progress, with both sides blaming the other.Russian wheat flour supply to Palestine to resume
The Palestinian Authority is already engaged in ongoing national efforts to diversify international markets that supply Palestine with basic commodities.India bypasses Western attempt to choke off Russian oil supply
Indian government officials on Friday defended the continued buying of Russian oil, saying European countries were still purchasing hydrocarbons from Moscow and that high crude prices left New Delhi with little choice.Postmen deliver the goods on Ukraine’s home front
The Nova Poshta courier company in Lviv handled millions of parcels before the war. Now, most of the 100,000 daily parcels are food, medicine and clothing.UAE foreign affairs minister stresses peaceful resolution of Ukraine conflict
The ministers of UAE and Russia discussed cooperation between the two countries and ways to enhance the bilateral strategic partnership in various fields. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, met today with Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, in...US Fed raises interest rate in battle against high inflation
Markets are expecting a total of seven rate hikes this year, and while the US Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee typically moves in quarter-point steps, Fed Chair Jerome Powell has said it could be more aggressive if needed.IEA cuts oil demand outlook, fears Russia supply ‘shock’
The International Energy Agency cut its world oil demand forecast for 2022 on Wednesday, warning that sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine could spark a global supply "shock". "Faced with what could turn into the biggest supply crisis in decades, global energy markets are at a crossroads," the...Slovakia approves NATO deployment on Ukraine’s doorstep
Ninety-six out of 134 lawmakers present voted in favour of the move on Tuesday, while 15 voted against. .German WWII ghosts loom large in Ukraine crisis
World War II still looms large in Germans' living memory and public discourse, shaping the perception of the Ukraine invasion.‘The enemy is the same, the goal same’: Syrian protestors at pro-Ukraine rally
Moscow is currently recruiting thousands of fighters in Syria, from the regular army and from militia groups, to be put on standby for possible deployment in Ukraine.Russia drafts thousands in Syria to fight in Ukraine war
Russia has drawn up lists of 40,000 fighters from Syrian army and allied militia ranks to be put on standby for deployment in Ukraine, a war monitor reported Tuesday.Deadly strikes rock Ukraine despite talks with Russia
With Russia threatening to take ‘full control’ of several major cities in Ukraine, the fourth round of talks failed to deliver a breakthrough on the 19th day of the invasion, even as the US tried to talk down China from helping its neighbor.Iran’s FM to hold talks on nuclear deal in Moscow Tuesday: Official
Ten months of talks in Vienna have brought major powers close to renewing a landmark 2015 agreement on regulating Iran's nuclear program. But the negotiations were halted again after Russia demanded guarantees that Western sanctions imposed following its invasion of Ukraine would not damage its trade with Iran.Instagram no longer accessible in Russia
The move comes after Facebook and Twitter were blocked in early March as part of sweeping efforts by Moscow to control information available to Russians.