ISLAMABAD, June 12 (Reuters) – Pakistan paid for its first government-to-government import of discounted Russian crude in Chinese currency, the South Asian country’s petroleum minister said on Monday, a significant shift in its U.S. dollar-dominated export payments policy. Discounted crude … Read More
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has spoken of an “historic opportunity” for Arab states to remake their region “with the least amount of foreign interference”, in his first trip to an Arab League summit in over a decade. He said Arab … Read More
Azerbaijani authorities have arrested a number of cells they claim were working with Iranian security services in recent months. At least seven individuals were arrested by Azerbaijani authorities on charges of attempting to carry out a coup to establish a … Read More
Twitter’s decision to block certain content in Turkey the day before its presidential election was wrong, says the founder of Wikipedia. Jimmy Wales told the BBC his organisation had spent two and a half years in court to avoid similar … Read More
Iranian authorities have executed at least 150 people this year alone, according to human rights organizations. Iran on Monday executed two men convicted of blasphemy, the country’s judiciary announced, carrying out a rare death sentence for such a crime. The … Read More
Concerns over the stability of Afghanistan are growing as the country struggles with its economy and humanitarian crises under Taliban rule. Calling for a representative government in Afghanistan, the foreign ministers of India, Russia and Pakistan on Friday urged the … Read More
DUBAI, May 3 (Reuters) – Iran seized a second oil tanker in a week on Wednesday in Gulf waters, and the U.S. State Department called for its release, in the latest escalation in a series of seizures or attacks on … Read More
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s in-the-works Saudi Arabian megadevelopment is being touted as a futuristic paradise — but tech privacy pundits are concerned for the rights of residents. Known as Neom, the $1 trillion city is a pet project of … Read More
The meeting between President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman comes as Egypt faces a deepening economic crisis and the region witnesses major realignments. Saudi Arabia is advancing multiple regional diplomatic tracks in hosting Egypt’s President Abdel … Read More
Decision seen to tighten ties to Beijing and strengthen Riyadh’s pivot east Saudi Arabia has agreed to join the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) as a “dialogue partner,” the kingdom’s state media announced. This decision is seen as strengthening Riyadh’s pivot … Read More