Category: Middle East

Melania Trump begins to embrace new role as first lady

‘For the woman who could stop all of this but won’t’: Scarlett Johansson puts the knife into Ivanka Trump with wicked SNL ‘perfume commercial’ for ‘Complicit’ Never-before-seen Michael Brown footage sheds new light on case and suggests he did NOT rob the store before being shot dead by Ferguson police but was involved in a drug deal with the clerks Inventor of the World Wide Web Tim Berners-Lee issues dire warning on its 28th anniversary and says fake news and government surveillance threatens to destroy it ‘You know he has killed people in Ukraine?’ Ukrainian lawyer calls for probe after ‘hacked texts from Paul Manafort’s DAUGHTERS claim Trump’s former advisor played a role in country’s mass killings Feel ten years younger with no gyms, no diets and no fuss: The any time anywhere age-busting exercise plan EXCLUSIVE: Heartwarming moment Good Samaritan steps in and buys $749 plane ticket … (more)

Erdogan’s Nazi Comparison Draws Fire From Merkel Chief of Staff

A senior aide to Chancellor Angela Merkel hit back at Turkey’s government, saying Germany doesn’t need lessons in democracy after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan likened the cancellation of rallies by two of his cabinet ministers to Nazi practices. Peter Altmaier, Merkel’s chief of staff, called the comment “absolutely unacceptable” as tension escalates in a relationship already strained over Turkey’s human rights record after a failed coup to topple Erdogan in July.

Life-saving cooperation

The bottom line is that when someone calls an emergency service number for an ambulance, he may not reach the emergency personnel who are closest to the victim. Israel is a world leader in emergency medical aid.

Israel developing terminator bots, minister claims

Likud MK Ayoub Kara attends a meeting at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office in Jerusalem on December 30, 2015. Israel is developing terminator robots that will be capable of assassinating terrorist leaders in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, a Likud party minister claimed Saturday.

Saudi Arabia $2 Trillion Aramco Vision Runs Into Market Reality

Saudi Arabia has said oil giant Saudi Aramco is worth more than $2 trillion, enough to consume Apple Inc. twice, and still have room for Google parent Alphabet Inc. Industry executives, analysts and investors told Bloomberg their analysis — based on oil reserves and cash flow projections under different tax scenarios — suggests Aramco is worth no more than half, and maybe as little as a fifth, of that amount. This means Saudi Arabia would earn a fraction of the $100 billion implied by its valuation if it sells 5 percent to the public in 2018, as planned.

Doha gears up for CHI Al Shaqab

Omar Al Mannai, Event Director of CHI Al Shaqab, Saleh Al Mana, Vice President, Government and Public Affairs, ExxonMobil Qatar and Qatar’s top rider Sheikh Ali bin Khalid Al Thani pose for a photograph following a press conference held at Al Shaqab yesterday. Top international riders and members of the public will come together to celebrate Qatar’s rich equine heritage when Al Shaqab hosts the fifth edition of CHI Al Shaqab, its top international competition, from March 2 to 4 in Doha.

UAE to build first city on Mars by 2117

The UAE has unveiled plans to build the first city on Mars by 2117 as the energy-rich country looks to transport people to the Red Planet over the next few decades. Do you think the UAE’s Mars 2117 mission will succeed and in the next hundred years they will have a city on Mars? “Mars 2117 Project” is a new space construction project which the UAE is planning by building a mini-city with an average population of 600,000 on Mars.

Call to adopt free and open source software in Oman

Dr. Salim bin Sultan Al Ruzaiqi, CEO of ITA signed on the sidelines of the conference an agreement with IMTAC company to establish a vertical centre to support the free and open source software. Photo-ONA Dr. Salim bin Sultan Al Ruzaiqi, CEO of ITA signed on the sidelines of the conference an agreement with IMTAC company to establish a vertical centre to support the free and open source software.

OPEC’s Top Producer Is Turning to Wind and Solar Power

The nation most identified with its massive oil reserves is turning to wind and solar to generate power at home and help extend the life of its crucial crude franchise. Saudi Arabia plans to develop almost 10 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2023, starting with wind and solar plants in its vast northwestern desert.

Singapore Said to Plan Slew of Incentives to Lure Aramco Listing

Singapore is considering a range of measures to lure a listing from energy giant Saudi Arabian Oil Co., according to people familiar with the matter, as global exchanges compete for a slice of what could be the world’s largest-ever initial public offering. The island nation is studying proposals including inviting one of its state investment companies to become a cornerstone investor in Aramco’s IPO, as well as potential Singapore cooperation with the Saudi government on future investments, the people said.

Starting up is hard to do

One thing London-based Cypriot tech entrepreneur and experienced startups builder Demetrios Zoppos is certain about is that progress, innovation and change is not inevitable – people make it. “And people who make it know about startups,” the 46-year-old English School graduate who went on to study economics at Cambridge, and public policy at Harvard, told the Cyprus Weekly.

Military: First-known combat death since Trump in office

In this Jan. 27, 2017 file photo, President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks during a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Friday, Jan. 27, 2017, in Washington. FILE – In this Jan. 27, 2017 file photo, President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks during a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Friday, Jan. 27, 2017, in Washington.

Dubai has new rules after high-rise fires, but few details

The Address Downtown, a 63-story building that caught fire on Dec. 31, 2015, is seen as it undergoes repairs in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017. Dubai authorities announced Sunday the city-state had new fire safety regulations, but offered few details on how they would be enforced after a series of skyscraper fires.

Paris Meeting Reaffirms Demand for Israeli-Palestinian Solution

The creation of a Palestinian state remains the only acceptable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to the resolution of an international meeting in Paris convened to signal frustration at the stalemate in peacemaking. The final statement reaffirmed that Israel’s 1967 borders would be the basis for any agreement, offered incentives to both sides and told them to avoid steps that work against that solution. It welcomed the recent United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements, but didn’t call for any follow-up action at the UN.

Oil Posts Biggest Two-Day Gain in 6 Weeks as Saudis Make Cuts

Oil climbed, posting the biggest two-day gain in almost six weeks, after Saudi Arabia said it cut production even more than required by an OPEC deal. Futures increased 1.5 percent in New York as Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said the kingdom reduced output to less than 10 million barrels a day, going beyond its obligations under an accord between OPEC and other producers to curb production.

Kuwait Says OPEC, Russia Will Fulfill Pledged Oil-Output Cuts

OPEC and its partners will fulfill their implementation of a deal to cut output, having already announced 60 to 70 percent of the promised curbs, Kuwait said. Countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Kuwait, Qatar and Iraq have announced cutbacks that account for the bulk of the deal reached last year, Kuwaiti Oil Minister Essam Al-Marzouk said Monday.

Iraq’s Southern Oil Exports Hit Record Before OPEC Cuts

Iraq’s oil exports from its southern ports in the Gulf reached a record high in December, just before the country was due to join other major producers in cutting output to help curb a global oversupply. Shipments from southern ports in Basra Province averaged 3.51 million barrels a day in December, Oil Minister Jabbar Al-Luaibi said in an e-mailed statement, up from 3.407 million in November.

[Agenda] Malta presidency in full swing this Week

While Malta has officially taken over the EU’s rotating presidency on 1 January, the real show will begin when European commissioners pay their traditional visit to the incoming presidency of the EU Council on Wednesday . Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and his 26 colleagues – Bulgaria has still not appointed a successor to Kristalina Georgieva who left for the World Bank at the end of the year – will discuss the presidency’s agenda with the government of Joseph Muscat.

Brent Oil Closes at 18-Month High After Positive U.S. Jobs Data

Brent oil rose to the highest close in almost 18 months after U.S. government data showed strong job and wage gains while Kuwait and Saudi Arabia signaled they are curbing output. Futures climbed a third day after Labor Department data showed that the world’s biggest crude-consuming country added 156,000 jobs in December, while wages rose the most since 2009.

EnWave Receives Purchase Order from Eregli Agrosan for 100kW REV(TM)…

E4U ) today reports that it has received a purchase order from Eregli Agrosan for a 100kW Radiant Energy Vacuum machine to expand their processing capacity of their AgroREV fruit, vegetable and cheese products. EnWave and Eregli have also signed a non-exclusive Marketing Cooperation Agreement to help facilitate sales growth of AgroREV products in North America.

IS claims New Yeara s attack on Istanbul nightclub

The Islamic State group on Monday claimed responsibility for the New Year’s attack at a popular Istanbul nightclub that killed 39 people and wounded scores of others. Turkish police meanwhile detained eight people in connection with the attack but were still hunting for the gunman who disappeared amid the chaos of the attack.

At least 35 killed in New Year’s attack on Istanbul nightclub

An assailant believed to have been dressed in a Santa Claus costume opened fire at a nightclub in Istanbul during New Year’s celebrations, killing at least 35 people and wounding some 40 others, according to the governor of Istanbul and Turkish media reports. Private NTV television said that more than one assailant may have been involved in the attack, which targeted the popular Reina nightclub in Istanbul’s Ortakoy district.

Trump, in day of tweets, suggests major changes on…

President-elect Donald Trump takes a question from a member of the media at Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Fla., on Dec. 21, 2016. Trump on Thursday abruptly called for the United States to “greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability” until the rest of the world “comes to its senses” regarding nuclear weapons.

Tunnels, bunkers and non-conventional threats: Elite IDF unit prepares for battle

The Combat Engineering Corps’ elite unit, Yahalom, held a five-day large-scale drill last week in the Jordan Valley, in which both reserve and enlisted soldiers participated, a senior IDF officer said Wednesday. It was a full-unit drill in which members practiced all of their capabilities, with soldiers simulating raids against fortified bunkers, fighting in urban areas as well as in the field.

Tunnels, bunkers and non-conventional threats: Elite IDF unit prepares for battle

The Combat Engineering Corps’ elite unit, Yahalom, held a five-day large-scale drill last week in the Jordan Valley, in which both reserve and enlisted soldiers participated, a senior IDF officer said Wednesday. It was a full-unit drill in which members practiced all of their capabilities, with soldiers simulating raids against fortified bunkers, fighting in urban areas as well as in the field.

BP Gains Abu Dhabi Oil Field Stake for $2.2 Billion in Stock

BP Plc cemented its 77-year relationship with Abu Dhabi by swapping about $2.2 billion of its own shares for a stake in one of the emirate’s largest onshore oil concessions. The U.K.’s second-biggest oil group will issue new ordinary shares to pay for 10 percent of the Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Petroleum Operations Ltd., giving the emirate a 2 percent holding in BP, the London-based company said Saturday in a statement.