DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Saudi Arabia needs peace in the Middle East for its $500 billion Neom megaproject to succeed
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In March 2023, Iran and Saudi Arabia brokered a deal to re-establish diplomatic relations. Related storiesThe US and Saudi Arabia are in the final steps of a new agreement on security guarantees and civilian nuclear assistance, Reuters reported last week. Many of Neom's projects aimed at capturing the luxury tourism market are located along the Red Sea coast. Set to open next year, Neom's luxury island resort of Sindalah is advertised as an "exclusive gateway to the stunning Red Sea." Saudi officials are already fighting to combat claims that Neom is facing delays and setbacks.

Persons: —, it's, Israel, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Ulrichsen, Robert Mogielnicki, Mogielnicki, Neom Organizations: Saudi, Service, Neom, New York Times, Reuters, Rice, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Gulf States Institute, Bloomberg, Business Locations: Saudi, Dubai, Israel, Gaza, Iran, Saudi Arabia, China, Palestinian, Israeli, Red, Jeddah

☆ Saudi Arabia wants big spenders for the first part of its Neom megaproject
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Saudi Arabia plans to open the first part of its Neom megaproject this year. Saudi Arabia is pushing to distinguish itself in the high-end luxury market to compete with Dubai. AdvertisementSaudi Arabia plans to open the first region of its Neom megacity by the end of the year. Neom recently ended investor roadshows in China by confirming the luxury island resort would open this year, Arab News reported. A rendering of The Line, part of the Neom project planned by Saudi Arabia.

Persons: —, Neom, roadshows, It's, Marriott Bonvoy, Chadi, MDLBEAST, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Saudi Arabia hasn't, Ulrichsen, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Organizations: Dubai, Service, Arab News, Marriott, United, Rice, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Emirates, Saudi, Bloomberg, Business Locations: Saudi Arabia, Sindalah, China, Saudi, Vives, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Crown, Gulf Kingdom

The two organizations have worked together on other issues, including several conferences on U.S. elections, but the principles released Tuesday are their first to examine the nation’s election system and policies. Carroll said challenging election results and the integrity of the voting process is a relatively new development. ”Extreme polarization really has led, I think, to more questioning of election processes that, ironically, have only improved significantly over the last 25 years," he said. Amy Cohen, executive director of the National Association of State Election Directors, said she had not seen the recommendations but said election officials are constantly trying to improve. “We need to normalize the fact that it just takes longer to tabulate election results accurately,” she said.

Persons: gamesmanship, ”, Jimmy Carter, State James A, Baker III, David Carroll, Carter, Carroll, ” Mark Jones, Baker, Jones, Amy Cohen Organizations: WASHINGTON, The Carter Center, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Democrat, Republican, State, Reform, Democracy, U.S, Rice University, National Association of State Locations: U.S

☆ Dubai is the economic jewel of the Middle East — now its Gulf neighbors are coming for a piece of the pie
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Pete Syme | Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

According to Forbes' 2023 Travel Guide, Dubai has nine 5-star hotels , compared to Abu Dhabi's three and two in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has made it clear that it wants in on international travel, stating it aims to attract 100-150 million visitors by 2030. Saudi Arabia is catching up with a new airlineThe competition is perhaps the most heated in the aviation industry. On its double-decker Airbus A380, Dubai's airline, Emirates, has top amenities like a shower for business-class passengers, plus an on-board bar. AdvertisementAnd even if it succeeds in attracting tourists to Saudi Arabia, it is unlikely to knock Emirates off its perch.

Persons: —, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Saudi Arabia hasn't, Abu, Abu Dhabi, Forbes, Abu Dhabi's, Faisal Alibrahim, Alibrahim, Mohammed Bin Salman, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Ulrichsen, Skytrax, Pete Syme, Tony Douglas, Douglas, That's, OAG Organizations: Service, United Arab Emirates, Business, Saudi Crown, Etihad, Bloomberg, CNN, Saudi, Economic, Rice, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Qatari, Etihad Airways, Riyadh Air, Air, Riyadh Air's Boeing, Boeing, Dubai International Airport Locations: Dubai, Gulf, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Abu, UAE, Qatar, Davos, Neom, Emirates, Still, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Europe, Americas, Africa, Asia

☆ Crossings at the U.S. Southern Border Are Higher Than Ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Eileen Sullivan | More About Eileen Sullivan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“It used to be that when there was a migration crisis, it tended to be one — maybe one source country at a time,” Mr. Blinken added. Now it’s all of the above, plus Venezuela, plus Nicaragua, plus Ecuador.”Over the past year, the Biden administration has rolled out new enforcement policies and legal pathways designed to drive down the number of illegal crossings on the southern border. The number of migrant arrests outside ports of entry, however, was down by about two million compared with a year ago. This path is much more orderly and safe than swimming across the Rio Grande, for example. But the demand is far greater than the number of appointments available, and some migrants have been waiting months to get one.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, ” Mr, Biden Organizations: Baker Institute, Rice University in Locations: Rice University in Texas, Haiti, Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Ecuador, United States, Rio

A state oil company PDVSA's logo is seen at a gas station in Caracas, Venezuela May 17, 2019. The United States on Wednesday lifted for six months most restrictions on Venezuela for producing, selling and exporting oil to its chosen markets. Not all sanctions on PDVSA were lifted by the United States. Before sanctions, India and the United States were other top destinations. PDVSA and Venezuela's oil ministry did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Persons: Ivan Alvarado, PDVSA, Francisco Monaldi, Rice, Nicolas Maduro's, Monaldi, Maduro, Spain's, Joe Biden's, Marianna Parraga, Will Dunham Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Treasury's, Foreign Assets Control, Washington, Chevron, Baker Institute, Venezuelan, Citgo Petroleum, Valero Energy, PBF Energy, India's Reliance Industries, Nayara Energy, Italy's Eni, United, Thomson Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, Venezuelan, United States, U.S, Asia, PDVSA, American, CHINA, EUROPE, China, India, PetroChina, Maduro, Washington

A state oil company PDVSA's logo is seen at a gas station in Caracas, Venezuela May 17, 2019. The U.S. on Wednesday lifted most restrictions on Venezuela for six months for producing, selling and exporting oil to its chosen markets. But it is not expected to significantly boost Venezuela's deteriorated oil production or immediately lead to stronger exports. Venezuela can now receive direct payments for goods or services under the license issued by OFAC, which oversees American sanctions. PDVSA and Venezuela's oil ministry did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Persons: Ivan Alvarado, PDVSA, Washington, Pedro Tellechea, Francisco Monaldi, Rice, Nicolas Maduro's, Monaldi, Maduro, Spain's, Joe Biden's, Marianna Parraga, Will Dunham, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Treasury's, Foreign Assets, Oil, OFAC, Washington, Chevron, Baker Institute, Venezuelan, Citgo Petroleum, Valero Energy, PBF Energy, India's Reliance Industries, Nayara Energy, Eni, Thomson Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, Venezuelan, U.S, Asia, PDVSA, United States, American, CHINA, EUROPE, China, India, PetroChina, Houston, Maduro, Washington

Rolling back Trump-era sanctions, U.S. officials issued general licenses for Venezuela's oil, gas and mining sectors in response to a deal between Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the county's opposition on the 2024 presidential election. SLOW RECOVERYThe sanctions relief authorizes the production, sale and export of Venezuela's crude and gas, while keeping a ban on business with Russia. Since the U.S. imposed secondary oil sanctions on Venezuela in 2020, PDVSA had been unable to fulfill its supply contracts to clients in regions from Europe to Asia. An individual authorization to Chevron Corp (CVX.N) allowed the return of Venezuela's crude to the United States this year. Area chart shows data from U.S. EIA showing Venezuela crude oil production.

Persons: Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Francisco Monaldi, Rice University's, Nicolas Maduro, Joe Biden, Monaldi, PDVSA, Baker Hughes, Maduro, Marianna Parraga, Julia Symmes Cobb, David Gregorio, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, South, Rice University's Baker Institute ., Trump, Venezuelan, OPEC, U.S, Chevron Corp, U.S Chevron, Eni, EIA, Thomson Locations: Jusepin, Venezuela, South American, U.S, American, Russia, Iran, Europe, Asia, United States, Trinidad and Tobago, China, Caribbean

Many of the GOP presidential candidates say they would carry out potential acts of war against Mexico in response to the trafficking of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador repeatedly denies his country is producing the synthetic opioid despite enormous evidence to the contrary. Border agents seized nearly 13 tons (12,000 kilograms) of fentanyl at the U.S.-Mexico border between September 2022 and August, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. "As commander in chief, I’m going to use the U.S. military to go after the Mexican drug cartels,” said DeSantis, the Florida governor. Lopez Obrador took office in December 2018 campaigning with a motto of “hugs, not bullets,” and for four years has shredded his predecessors’ prosecution of the drug war.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, ” Donald Trump, You’ve, you’ve, ”, Arturo Sarukhan, “, Andrea Thomas ’, Thomas, Joe Biden's, Andres Manuel López Obrador, I’m, DeSantis, James Mandryck, Lopez Obrador, Xóchitl Gálvez, James K, Polk, Woodrow Wilson, Pancho Villa, Trump, Tony Payan, Elliot Spagat, Mark Stevenson Organizations: MIAMI, Republican, GOP, U.S . Customs, U.S . Commission, Univision, Drug Enforcement Administration, Trump, Biden, U.S ., Center, Rice, Baker Institute for Public, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Mexico, United States, Washington, Junction , Colorado, Mexican, Florida, China, Sinaloa, Latin America, Texas, California , Nevada , Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma , Kansas, Wyoming, Veracruz, Columbus , New Mexico, San Diego, Mexico City

☆ Saudi Arabia and the UAE are battling to become the Middle East's economic superpower
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Saudi Arabia's crown prince is shaking up his economy in a move escalating its UAE rivalry. In March, Saudi Arabia unveiled Riyadh Air , a new airline serving as an alternative to the UAE's Emirates and Etihad Airways. If you want to do business with Saudi Arabia or Saudi state-owned entities, you've got to base your regional HQ in Saudi Arabia." "Saudi Arabia sees the separation project in Yemen as a way to let the Houthis control the north and therefore have a more-threatening border at the south of Saudi Arabia." Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERSHow far the rivalry between the two nations goes largely depends on Saudi Arabia's actions.

Persons: Saudi Arabia's, Mohammed bin Salman, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, MBZ, Obama, You've, Kristian Ulrichsen, Rice, Sheikh Mohamed, Prince Mohammed, Sheikh Mohamed —, —, Leon Neal, Shaybah, Ulrichsen, Sheikh Zayed, Sultan Al Nahyan, Abu, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Neom, Abishur Prakash, Jorg Greuel, Abdullah Alaoudh, Prakash, you've, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed, Ludovic Marin, Mohammed's, Jamal Khashoggi, Biden, Baker Institute's Ulrichsen, Alaoudh, wouldn't Organizations: United Arab Emirates, UAE, Service, Baker Institute, Saudi, UAE —, Qatar, Dubai, United, Freedom Initiative, UAE's Emirates, Etihad Airways, Saudi Public Investment Fund, Newcastle United FC, English Premier League, Manchester City, Saudi Crown, Getty, Ritz Carlton, Saudi Royal Court, REUTERS, Saudi Aramco, United Nations Locations: Saudi, Wall, Silicon, Saudi Arabia, East, Washington, London, UAE, Persian, Al Ain, British, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, United Arab, Riyadh, Manchester City . Saudi Arabia, New Delhi, Istanbul, Yemen, Iran, Saudi Arabia's, Bandar, Ukraine

☆ Ukraine seeks progress towards peace at Saudi Arabia talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Maha El Dahan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Ukrainian, Russian and international officials say there is no prospect of direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia at present, with the war raging. The world's top oil exporter Saudi Arabia, which has maintained contacts with both sides since Russia invaded Ukraine last February, has played a role in convening countries that did not join earlier meetings, Western diplomats have said. SAUDI DIPLOMACYWestern officials and analysts said Saudi diplomacy had been important in securing China's presence at the talks. Zelenskiy attended an Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia last year where MbS voiced readiness to help mediate in the war. In March, Beijing brokered a resumption of ties between Saudi Arabia and its arch regional foe Iran.

Persons: Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, Volodymyr Zelenskiy's, Zelenskiy, Russia's, Eurasian Affairs Li Hui, Ajit Doval, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Xi Jinping, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Rice, Yun Sun, Sun, Lidia Kelly, Maha El Dahan, Omar Abdel, Michael Martina, Aftab Ahmed, Angus McDowall, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: International, REUTERS, Saudi, Global, Kremlin, Eurasian Affairs, Indian National Security, Crown, Arab, MbS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Iran, Baker Institute, Stimson, Razek, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, China, India, Jeddah Ukraine, Russia, DUBAI, United States, Saudi Arabia, Ukrainian, Copenhagen, Beijing, Moscow, Jeddah, Riyadh, SAUDI, Saudi, Turkey, Middle East, Washington, Warsaw, Maha, Dubai, New Delhi

☆ Focus: In Mexico, private cash races to plug nearshoring energy crunch
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Isabel Woodford | Thomson Reuters | Isabel Is A British-Spanish Journalist Based In Mexico City. She Joined Reuters In As Part Of The Latin America News Hub | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Sergio Arguelles, president of the Mexican Association of Private Industrial Parks (AMPIP), said parks' investment in state energy assets today is unprecedented. "Mexico would be very well positioned to take advantage of nearshoring if it didn't have such an energy problem," he said. THE SHRINKING STATEMexico's approach to its groaning electricity grid is in contrast to its fast-growing peers, which tend to either incentivize private energy contractors or have state utility companies with deep pockets. Still, there is some hope for the new wave of 47 planned industrial parks. Yet critics say Mexico's push for state control over energy distribution while also neglecting it is self-sabotage.

Persons: Daniel Becerril, Sergio Bermudez, Barbie, Mattel, Bermudez, …, Eduardo Martinez, Sergio Arguelles, Aaron Gallo, Gallo, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's, David Gantz, Electrobras, AMPIP's Arguelles, Lopez Obrador, Ramses Pech, Hans Joachim Kohlsdorf, Zonia Torres, Alfredo Nolasco, Isabel Woodford, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Federal Electricity Commission, REUTERS, MEXICO CITY, Unilever, Mexican Association of Private Industrial Parks, American Industries, Industries, CFE, U.S, Baker Institute, Thomson Locations: Mexico's, Santa Catarina, Monterrey, Mexico, MEXICO, Nuevo Leon, Brazil, Guanajuato

☆ Obama agreed to spending cuts to end the 2011 debt ceiling crisis. Here's what happened next
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

What happened after the 2011 deal was signedThe joint committee in 2011 was tasked with finding additional deficit reduction measures to offset a $1.2 trillion increase in the debt ceiling. The committee did not accomplish its goal, which triggered the spending caps, known as sequestration. In the end, spending was curtailed by about $1.5 trillion out of the total $2.1 trillion agreed to in the 2011 deal, Riedl said. One of the major sticking points to ending the debt ceiling impasse was the depth of the spending cuts. “People were operating under the presumption that the spending caps would never actually happen,” Payne said.

REUTERS/Ramzi BoudinaHOUSTON/WASHINGTON, April 4 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and other OPEC+ oil producers announced over the weekend they would launch deep oil production cuts starting next month, a surprise move that sent oil prices surging. If refiners reduce capacity, the drain on stocks could lead to a sudden jump in retail fuel prices, he said. U.S. gasoline prices have climbed 11.6 cents a gallon from a month ago to $3.506, the AAA said on Monday. A 6% jump in oil prices would boost retail gasoline prices 10 cents a gallon, said Mark Finley, an expert in energy policy at Rice University's Baker Institute. OPEC's reason for cutting production - as a precautionary step - suggests it expects global oil demand to slow this year.

☆ Analysis: Saudi crown prince acts to realign Mideast dynamics amid concern over US support
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Aziz El Yaakoubi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

"Saudi Arabia is moving from disengagement towards engagement to allow it to focus on pushing ahead on Vision 2030," said Saudi analyst Abdulaziz Sager. A Saudi official said the United States and China are both very important partners for Riyadh. Washington and Riyadh are working on addressing common security challenges, he said. "The Saudis don’t want to be in a shooting war between Iran and the United States. Shadi Hamid of the Brookings Institution in Washington said Saudi Arabia's view that the U.S. is increasingly disengaged from the region is not entirely wrong.

☆ Reaction to Iran and Saudi Arabia resuming ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

STATEMENT ISSUED BY IRAN, SAUDI ARABIA AND CHINATehran and Riyadh agreed "to resume diplomatic relations between them and re-open their embassies and missions within a period not exceeding two months". HEZBOLLAHThe head of Lebanon's powerful armed group said the resumption of ties between its backer Iran and longtime rival Saudi Arabia was a "good development". ANWAR GARGASH, DIPLOMATIC ADVISER TO UNITED ARAB EMIRATES PRESIDENT"We welcome the agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran to resume diplomatic relations, and we hail the Chinese role in this regard," he tweeted. QATARPrime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who also acts as foreign minister, called the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia to welcome the deal. IRAQ STATE NEWS AGENCYIraq welcomes "turning a new page" between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

☆ U.S. is 'absolutely' behind on supply chain independence from China, Biden advisor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

watch nowThe U.S. has some rapid catching up to do if it is to secure the reliability of its supply chain and its independence from competitors like China, a top White House advisor admitted this week. "We can't have a supply chain that is concentrated in any country, doesn't matter which country that is," he said. Workers transport soil containing rare earth elements for export at a port in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China October 31, 2010. The Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war have also highlighted the fragility of the global supply chain. Globally, China controls most of the market for processing and refining for cobalt, lithium, rare earths and other critical minerals."

☆ Trinidad offers to pay for Venezuelan gas with humanitarian supplies
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Curtis Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday issued a license allowing Trinidad to co-develop the Dragon gas field, which holds 4.2 trillion cubic feet of reserves on the Venezuelan side of the maritime border with Trinidad. The project would have Trinidad import the gas and turn it into exportable liquefied natural gas (LNG). So we buy the gas and we pay for it in a variety of ways," Rowley told journalists late on Tuesday. Venezuela has resorted to swaps to make its economy work amid stiff U.S. sanctions prohibiting financial transactions or the use of dollars to pay Venezuela or the country's state companies. Shell (SHEL.L), which operates the neighboring Hibiscus field in Trinidad, ideally could become the operator, said Trinidad's Rowley.

REUTERS/Jorge Silva/HOUSTON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Venezuela's oil exports last year declined due to infrastructure outages, U.S. sanctions and rising competition in its key Asia market despite assistance from ally Iran, according to shipping data and documents. Iran expanded its role in Venezuela last year, sending supplies to boost exports and technicians to repair a refinery. Venezuela's crude production averaged some 721,000 bpd according to a preliminary data for December and OPEC reports. A U.S. license granted to Chevron Corp (CVX.N) to recover output and exports in Venezuela will take effect this year. A global appetite for fuel alternatives boosted its oil byproducts exports, which added millions of dollars last year.

Pro-Palestinian sympathies among fans have also spilt into stadiums as four Arab teams compete. Qatari players have worn pro-Palestinian arm-bands, even as Qatar has allowed Israeli fans to fly in directly for the first time. The first Middle Eastern nation to host the World Cup, Qatar has often seemed a regional maverick: it hosts the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas but has also previously had some trade relations with Israel. Arab fans have shunned Israeli journalists reporting from Qatar. Omar Barakat, a soccer coach for the Palestinian national team who was in Doha for the World Cup, said he had carried his flag into matches without being stopped.

POLITICAL TALKSFollowing oil sanctions on Venezuela in 2019, Chevron received an exemption to trade its Venezuelan crude to recoup pending debts. Chevron's four PDVSA joint ventures produced about 200,000 barrels per day of crude oil and exported the crude around the world prior to the sanctions. It also allows the U.S. company to import supplies to help process the country's crude oil into exportable grades. That limits any wider expansion of Venezuelan oil production. Chevron and other U.S. oil refiners could benefit from supplies of Venezuela's heavy crude flowing to their U.S. Gulf Coast processing plants.

The decision allows Chevron to revive existing oil projects in the U.S.-sanctioned country and bring new oil supplies to refiners in the United States. However, it restricts cash payments to Venezuela, which could reduce the amount of oil available to Chevron. License terms are designed to prevent Venezuelan state-run oil firm PDVSA from receiving proceeds from Chevron's Venezuelan petroleum sales, U.S. officials said. A Chevron spokesperson said the company was reviewing the license terms and declined immediate comment. Proceeds due Venezuela from Chevron's oil sales would go into a humanitarian fund rather than to PDVSA.

☆ U.S. diesel fuel problem may worsen this winter, says RBC's Helima Croft
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailU.S. diesel fuel problem may worsen this winter, says RBC's Helima CroftRice University Baker Institute’s Mark Finley and RBC Capital’s Helima Croft join 'The Exchange' to discuss the looming diesel shortage in the U.S.

☆ No kissing in Qatar? Fears grow of crackdown on LGBTQ fans at World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Matt Lavietes | Matt Lavietes Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

More than a million soccer fans from around the world are expected to gather in Qatar for next month's FIFA World Cup, but as the global competition nears, concerns over how the Gulf nation will treat its LGBTQ visitors are rising. “These are the basic rights that should be afforded to all and will ensure continued progress in Qatar,” one of the players said. But for years, the Gulf nation's government and FIFA have sought to reassure fans that LGBTQ fans are welcome and will be safe attending the World Cup. Scrutiny over how Qatar treats its own LGBTQ people has also gained traction in the lead-up to the World Cup. Rasha Younes, a researcher who studies LGBTQ rights in the Middle East and North Africa for Human Rights Watch and author of the new report, said she hopes that the displays of LGBTQ solidarity will influence Qatar's domestic policies.

☆ Analysis: Saudi prince's Ukraine mediation signals 'useful' Russia ties - analysts
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Aziz El Yaakoubi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

With Prince Mohammed's mediation, Russia on Wednesday released 10 foreigners it had captured in Ukraine, including five Britons and two Americans. He denied the Crown Prince had become involved to rehabilitate his reputation. U.S. citizens Alexander Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27, both from Alabama, are expected to leave Saudi Arabia within days, officials said. But Saudi Arabia has shown little readiness to join the effort to isolate Russia. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Prime Minister Liz Truss thanked the Saudi crown prince for his role.

Search resuls for: "Baker Institute"

25 mentions found