At the top of the invitation list to China's Belt and Road Initiative forum is Russia's President Vladimir Putin, on his first trip to a major global power since the Ukraine invasion threw his regime into international isolation.

The bank’s revenues rose 22 percent to US$39.9 billion.

Dubai, UAE--The UAE will sign six new comprehensive economic partnership agreements (CEPA) with South Korea, Thailand, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Ukraine over the next few months.This was revealed by Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, during a press conference to announce the UAE-Georgia...

The IMF kept its 2023 global growth forecast unchanged but warned that the economy is "limping along" as inflation remains high and the outlooks for China and Germany were downgraded. The IMF's updated World Economic Outlook still sees growth of 3.0 percent for this year but it cut its forecast...

Moscow, Russia - Russian Vladimir Putin on Saturday announced the start of gas supplies to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan, a boost for Russia's industry hit by a flurry of Western sanctions over the offensive in Ukraine.Despite being home to a wealth of natural  resources including gas, the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan has faced energy shortages.Moscow meanwhile relies heavily...

Moscow, Russia - Russia will soon discuss revoking the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the speaker of the lower house of parliament said Friday.Vyacheslav Volodin made the announcement a day after President Vladimir Putin evoked the possibility of such a move, which could further escalate tensions between Russia...

Geneva, Switzerland - Global trade growth will be sharply lower than forecast this year as stubborn inflation, high interest rates and the war in Ukraine pressure economies around the globe, the World Trade Organization said on Thursday.Strains in China's vast property market also prompted the WTO to cut its trade growth...

Moscow, Russia - President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia's mission was to create a "new world" and blamed Western hegemony for Moscow's grinding offensive in Ukraine.Putin has portrayed Russia's full-scale military intervention in Ukraine -- launched in February 2022 -- as part of a long-standing confrontation with the West."We are...

The focus has been on US Treasury bond yields that have surged to levels not seen in over a decade, suggesting doubts about prospects for growth and corporate earnings. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury bond has reached the highest level since 2007 -- the beginning of two years...

RAS LAFFAN, QATAR - Qatar's state-owned energy giant began construction on Tuesday on a project to expand production from the world's biggest natural gas field through an export terminal on the Gulf emirate's northeast coast.There has been mounting demand for Qatari gas as European consumer nations have scrambled to replace lost...

The Gulf kingdom, the world's biggest crude exporter, had planned for a surplus of 16 billion Saudi riyals ($4.27 billion) in 2023 but now predicts a deficit of 82 billion Saudi riyals ($21.86 billion), or two percent of GDP, according to the ministry's pre-budget statement. A deficit of 79 billion...

Three hours before the deadline, the Senate voted to keep the lights on through mid-November with a resolution that had advanced earlier from the House of Representatives. The last-ditch "continuing resolution" was pitched by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as millions of public workers looked set to be sent home unpaid.

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - Israel's US$3.5-billion sale of its Arrow 3 missile defense system to Germany, sparked by security fears after Russia's Ukraine invasion, is the biggest yet for the small country's outsized arms sector.With its armed forces steeled by a tragic history of war, Israel is now the ninth largest...

Binance is likely to sell its Russian assets to CommEX.

After having forecast a contraction earlier this year in Russia's economy, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is now expecting the country's economy to grow in 2023 thanks to rising oil prices. The bank said in May it expected Western sanctions against Russia"to be more effective in constraining the...

US President Joe Biden has repeatedly said he is seeking to avoid a direct confrontation with Russia, a fellow nuclear power, and will not send American troops. His administration has also distanced itself from Ukrainian attacks into Russia itself. But Lavrov pointed to the billions of dollars in Western military...

Ukrainian officials said the Palau-flagged Resilient Africa vessel was carrying 3,000 tons of wheat when it left Ukraine's Chornomorsk port on Tuesday. It was destined for Israel, according to marine traffic websites, representing the first successful Black Sea voyage since Russia pulled out of a UN-backed deal to export Ukrainian...

Beijing, China - China's top diplomat Wang Yi will begin a four-day visit to Russia for security talks on Monday, his foreign ministry said, the latest in a series of high-level visits and phone calls between the two sides.China and Russia are strategic allies, with both countries frequently touting their...

Istanbul, Turkey - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday accused the European Union of pulling away from Turkey, whose efforts to join the bloc have stalled amid criticism of Ankara's efforts to address democracy and rule of law concerns.Erdogan secured a pledge from Brussels to resurrect the membership talks first started...

Putin first raised the idea of creating "a gas hub in Turkey for supplies to other countries" during talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Kazakh capital Astana last October. Erdogan then instructed his government to start immediate preparations for "an international distribution center" in Turkey.

New York, UN - The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres will discuss the revival of the grain deal with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, as well as with presidents of Turkey and Ukraine Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Zelensky next week. The discussions will be held during personal meetings...

Geneva, Switzerland - The de-globalization of international trade is far from being a reality, but "the first signs of fragmentation" are appearing, the WTO warned on Tuesday, concerned of the effects of the phenomenon on growth and development.The idea of "de-globalization" has gained traction since the war in Ukraine and pandemic-related...

Annual inflation in Egypt hit 39.7 percent in August, official figures showed, an all-time high for the country as it grapples with a punishing economic crisis. It comes after an unrelenting economic crisis that has seen the currency shed half its value against the US dollar since early last year.

The African Union joined the G20, boosting Africa's voice, while a new initiative aims to connect Europe, the Middle East, and India through infrastructure.

NEW DELHI, INDIA- Indian prime minister and G20 host Narendra Modi said on Saturday the body had reached consensus on its leaders' declaration and announced its adoption."Because of our team's hard work, and with your support, there is a consensus on the New Delhi G20 Leaders' Summit declaration," he said."I...

Moscow, Russia - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin has confirmed the commencement of the implementation of the Russian grain supply initiative, which aims to deliver one million metric tons of grain to countries in need, Russian news agency TASS reported on Friday.Vershinin stated that practical steps are now being...

Rice is a major world food staple and prices on international markets have soared in the wake of the Covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the impact of the El Nino weather phenomenon on production levels. India announced in July a ban on exports of non-basmati white rice, which account for...

Stressing that “we are in a race against time” on issues from climate change and biodiversity loss to education and gender equality, he calls on Member States to “put money where our promises are” — supporting sustainable development with appropriate regulations, financing, capacity-building and verification.

Since pulling out of the deal, which aimed to ensure safe grain exports via the Black Sea, Russia has been keen to ally African concerns about the impact of the deal's collapse on food security. Putin said Russia was ready to return to the deal "as soon" as restrictions on...

Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko wrote on Facebook that the foundation should support efforts to isolate Russia and Belarus as "millions of Ukrainians suffer from an unprovoked war and the Russian regime is not punished for its crimes". Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also said he disagreed with the...

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - Russian President Vladimir Putin will host his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday, the Kremlin said, amid hopes the two can restore a deal ensuring safe passage for grain shipments.Russia pulled out from the UN-backed grain agreement that Turkey helped broker in July, effectively revoking safe navigation...

Moscow, Russia - Turkey's foreign minister said on a visit to Moscow on Thursday that reviving a deal to ship Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea was "critical" for food security."We underlined its critical role for global food security and stability in the Black Sea," Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said...

Tehran, Iran -- Iran became the eighth largest steel supplier in the world in the first half of 2023 as the country kept increasing its output despite supply and price hike in international markets caused by the Ukraine War.Figures from the World Steel Association (WSA) showed that Iran’s steel output...

Johannesburg, South Africa -- Russia's special military operation pursues the goal of ending the war in Ukraine unleashed by a number of Western countries and their satellites, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting of BRICS leaders."Russia has decided to support the people who are fighting for their culture,...

RAMALLAH, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES - Two Israeli civilians were killed in a suspected shooting attack in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, the army said."A suspected shooting attack was carried out at a number of Israeli civilians in the area of the town of Huwara," an army statement said, adding that two civilians...

The speedy filling of storage facilities means the bloc is "in a much more stable position than it was this time last year," when Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent energy prices soaring, EU Energy commissioner, Kadri Simson, said.

Turkey’s top diplomat Hakan Fidan is planning to discuss the results of these discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmitry Kuleba, Turkish media reported. Officials say a stalemate could lead to an escalation of food crisis and possible military tensions.

The value of the acquisition was reported to be $5.55bn.

Ankara, Turkey -- Turkey intensified talks with Ukraine, the United States, and the European Union on the grain deal in preparation for a possible meeting between Turkish and Russian Presidents Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin, TASS reported."The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of Trade...

Representatives from around 40 countries including China, Germany, India and the United States took part in last weekend's gathering in Jeddah, though Russia was not invited. "It makes sense for us to continue these talks, because they increase the pressure on Russia to realize that it has taken the wrong...

Moscow, Russia - Moscow accused Poland and Finland of threatening its security on Wednesday and vowed a response to multiplying "threats" on Russia's western frontier from NATO members.Poland, Ukraine's staunch ally and neighbor, has strengthened security on its border with Belarus after Minsk became a new base for Russian Wagner fighters.Finland,...

Ankara, Turkey--Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that the revival of a deal with Russia to allow Ukrainian grain exports, brokered by Ankara and the UN, "depends on Western countries which must keep their promises"."I think a solution can be found," Erdogan added, referring to a recent telephone call...

Tehran, Iran-- In a defiant posture toward the West, Russia has declared that it will continue to enhance military cooperation with Iran, despite what it termed as enemies' opposition to the ties between the two countries.Deputy Foreign Minister of Russian Federation Sergei Alexeyevich Ryabkov said that the military cooperation between...

Moscow, Russia - Russia said Monday a peace settlement with Ukraine was only possible if Kyiv put down its arms, after talks were held in Saudi Arabia over the weekend without Moscow's participation.Representatives from around 40 countries including China, India, the United States and Ukraine took part in the peace summit,...

Tokyo, Japan - Iran's foreign minister visited Japan on Monday for the first time since 2019, in a rare trip to a G7 member country by the Islamic republic's top diplomat.The purpose of the visit by Hossein Amir-Abdollahian to the current chair of the G7 was not announced, but reports said...

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia-- More than 40 representatives of countries from around the world gathered in Jeddah, pledging to continue holding consultations that could pave the way for peace in Ukraine and end the deadly war.A meeting was held in Jeddah for national security advisors and representatives from over 40 countries...

TRENDS Infographics explores prominent Arab nations in the latest Global Soft Power Index, with the UAE leading the way by entering the top 10, a first for the Middle East.

Ankara, Turkiye - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday announced that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin would visit Ankara during August, adding that the date has not yet been set."The date is not clear, but the foreign minister, head of the intelligence organization, they are all holding talks," Erdogan...

Dubai, UAE--Oil prices soared more than a dollar a barrel on Friday to record a sixth consecutive week of gains, after top producers Saudi Arabia and Russia extended supply cuts through September, adding to undersupply concerns.Brent crude futures rose $1.10, or 1.3%, to settle at $86.24 a barrel, while the...

Brussels, Belgium - Europe's liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports fell to the lowest level since the start of the Russian military operations in Ukraine after a drop in prices reduced the regions appeal.LNG deliveries fell 7% in July from a year earlier to 8.6 million tons, the least since November...