Abu Dhabi- UAE Ambassador to Afghanistan, Juma al-Kaabi, has died of injuries sustained in a terrorist attack in Kandahar in January in which five other Emiratis died while on a humanitarian mission. The UAE delegation was attending the opening of an orphanage when a blast struck the provincial gove
Riyadh – Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior, discussed with Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain fraternal relations between the two countries and ways of enhancing them in all fields. During the official talks held in
Dammam- By the end of February, Saudi Arabia will start operating the longest rail in the country that will link Riyadh with Al-Hudaitha entry point on the Saudi-Jordanian borders. The Saudi Railway Company (SAR), owner and contractor of the project, is set to inaugurate the new train line on 26 Feb
New York- A confidential U.N. report is warning that the war in South Sudan has reached “catastrophic proportions for civilians” and the rise of militias risks spinning out of control, fueling fighting for years to come. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in the report obtained
Ankara- The European Union has expected the Turkish economy to grow by 2.8% in 2017, and 3.2% by 2018. In its “Winter 2017 Economic Forecast”, the European Commission said that the popular referendum on the constitutional amendments in Turkey on April 16 will ease the political confusion dominating
Abu Dhabi- UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan launched the Ministry’s strategy for 2017-2021 at a ceremony held at its headquarters on Wednesday. Sheikh Abdullah said that the five-year strategy aims to energize the UAE diplomacy and con
Azraq camp (Jordan), Cairo- U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on Wednesday for more cooperation among different members of the international community “to match the generosity of the neighboring countries of Syria” despite frustration among Syrian refugees who said they expect nothing o
Abu Dhabi- The UAE’s Federal Appeal Court on Wednesday issued a life sentence for a 29-year-old Emirati, who was found guilty of joining a terrorist organization and travelling abroad with the intention of fighting alongside the group. The court also sentenced an Emirati woman to 10 years in jail an
London- The International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS)’s annual report said that security challenges facing our world have not diminished and still require action from policymakers. The 2017 report that was released in London also said conflicts continued to rage in Africa and the Middle Ea
Doha–Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that talks with his U.S. counterpart Rex Tillerson have focused on the current situation in the Middle East and the means to promote cooperation in fighting terrorism. The Qatari foreign minister met with Tillerson
London- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the short trip that brought him to each of Muscat and Kuwait on Wednesday came in the framework of Tehran’s attempt to resolve “misunderstanding” with Gulf states after tension lately escalated between the two sides regarding regional issues. Rouhani arr
Washington – U.S. President Donald Trump pledged on Wednesday to back Israel in facing its security challenges, during his first official meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since he took office in January. Trump hinted at his readiness to accept any agreement reached by the Israe
Beirut- The Syrian opposition’s High Negotiations Committee linked on Wednesday its participation in the Geneva talks expected on Feb. 23 to the results of Thursday’s “Astana 2” meetings amid its insistence to reject the discussion of any political issue. “In principle, we will participate in the Ge
United States Defense Secretary James Mattis warned NATO allies to meet their spending pledges on Wednesday, if not, the Donald Trump administration would “moderate its commitment” to the transatlantic alliance. “Americans cannot care more for your children’s future security
A three-nation call for the European Union to tighten foreign investment rules is worth considering, the European Commission said on Wednesday, amid worries about European technologies ending up in foreign hands. Germany, France and Italy have sent the Commission a joint letter that urges the EU exe
The Syria crisis talks held at the Kazakh capital Astana and involving Russia, Iran and Turkey have been put off by one day until Thursday, sources said on Wednesday. A spokeswoman for United Nations special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura – who had also been invited and attended the previo
Washington – Steven Mnuchin, whose previous roles have included former CEO of OneWest Bank, Wall Street banker and film financier, was confirmed Monday as Treasury secretary, ensuring his place in President Donald Trump’s economic inner circle. The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Mnuchin 53-47, w
Washington- The Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen on Tuesday left open the possibility of an interest-rate increase in 2017. She affirmed that the Fed is addressing some fiscal policies to tackle the budget deficit in the United States. In her semi-annual testimony to the Senate Banking Commit
Kuwait- There are two factors affecting the oil market nowadays, according to the oil Historian and Analyst Daniel Yergin. Yergin said the first factor is the deal concluded between OPEC members and other independent producers to cut production, and the second is the fast return of the production of
An explosion wounded two civilian passers-by in Bahrain, the interior ministry said early Wednesday. “Terrorist blast in Sitra causes minor injuries to a married couple passing the site. Police at the scene,” the ministry said on its Twitter account without elaborating. It also tweeted a
