Saudi Arabia wealth fund in talks to acquire national airline Saudia: Report

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Saudi Arabian. Aircraft to Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport. Fiumicino (Italia), Nov. 11, 2021 Massimo Insabato/Archivio Massimo Insabato/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images Saudi Arabia’s behemoth sovereign wealth fund is in talks to buy the kingdom’s national airline Saudia, Bloomberg reported over the weekend, citing people familiar with the matter. The reported move … Read more

Biden and Netanyahu on a collision course?

US President Joe Biden (L) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) meet in Tel Aviv, Israel on October 18, 2023. (Photo by GPO/ Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images) GPO | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images Visible tensions are appearing in the historically close relationship between the White House and Israel, as the war in Gaza becomes … Read more

Red Sea battle expands with EU stepping up its efforts against Houthis

The battle for the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea has expanded with the entrance of a European Commission naval defense effort in the past week, and more U.S. and allied strikes against Houthi land targets over the weekend, but to date, combined military efforts have not deterred rebel attacks. On Saturday evening, United … Read more

World’s No. 1 shipper pleads with Congress to help end Houthi ‘chaos’

A cargo ship crosses the Suez Canal, one of the most critical human-made waterways, in Ismailia, Egypt on December 29, 2023.  Fareed Kotb | Anadolu | Getty Images The world’s largest shipping company, MSC, and several retail and trade experts warned Congress on Tuesday that if the Red Sea chaos caused by Houthi rebel attacks … Read more

Saudi Arabia’s first alcohol store aims to tackle booze smuggling

Saudi Arabia’s first alcohol store has opened in the diplomatic quarter of its capital Riyadh, accessible to non-Muslim diplomats.  While it only affects a select group, it’s a big change for the highly conservative Muslim kingdom, where alcohol has been banned since 1952 after a Saudi prince murdered a British diplomat in a drunken rage. … Read more

Israel-Hamas war talks reportedly working toward weeks-long cease-fire

A picture taken from a position in southern Israel along the border with the Gaza Strip on January 19, 2024, shows an Israeli tank rolling along the fence as damaged buildings are see in the Gaza strip amid continuing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas. Jack Guez | Afp | Getty Images Negotiations … Read more

Iran’s strikes around the Middle East send a message, analysts say

A man watches a news channel on television inside a shop after the Pakistani foreign ministry said the country conducted strikes inside Iran targeting separatist militants, two days after Tehran said it attacked Israel-linked militant bases inside Pakistani territory, in Peshawar, Pakistan January 18, 2024. Fayaz Aziz | Reuters Iran’s recent missile and drone strikes … Read more

Iran strikes Syria, Iraq and Pakistan as Middle East tensions spike

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Within 24 hours, Iran launched missile and drone strikes on targets in three countries — Iraq, Syria and Pakistan — and took the extraordinary step of announcing its responsibility for the attacks, triggering anger from its neighbors. The developments have heightened concerns over the possibility of a wider Middle East … Read more

Saudi Arabia nearly doubles estimate for the value of its mineral resources

Saudi Arabia nearly doubled the estimate for the value of its mineral resources and is seeing lucrative deals signed during its Future Minerals Forum held in Riyadh this week, ministers told CNBC. Estimates for the kingdom’s untapped mineral reserves have jumped from $1.3 trillion in a 2016 forecast to $2.5 trillion, according to Saudi Mineral Resources … Read more

White House backs Defense Secretary Austin after secret ICU stay

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks to the media after a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany, April 21, 2023. Thomas Lohnes | Getty Images White House officials on Monday reinforced their support for Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who has come under fire for failing to … Read more