DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Jeff Zucker Abandons Telegraph Bid, Putting London Paper Back Into Play
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Michael M. Grynbaum | More About Michael M. Grynbaum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Jeff Zucker’s bid for Tory titan-hood has come to an end. The media executive on Tuesday formally abandoned his attempt to take the reins of London’s Daily Telegraph, bailing out after British political and news leaders balked at Mr. Zucker’s reliance on Emirati financiers to bankroll the effort. Mr. Zucker’s venture company, RedBird IMI, had sought government approval to complete a debt-for-equity deal that would hand it control of The Telegraph and its sister magazine, The Spectator. Because of the withdrawal, other prospective owners may now attempt to purchase the publications. “Our ownership would have seen the strongest editorial protections ever put forward for a U.K. newspaper, along with much-needed investment,” a RedBird IMI spokesperson said in a statement.

Persons: Jeff Zucker’s, “, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan Organizations: London’s Daily Telegraph, Mr, RedBird IMI, The Telegraph, The, IMI, The Spectator, RedBird, Media Investments, United Locations: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Changpeng Zhao, the founder and former CEO of crypto exchange Binance, heads to a Seattle courtroom on Tuesday to learn whether the crimes he admitted to committing will land him in prison for an extended sentence. As part of his plea deal with the Department of Justice, Zhao agreed to step down as CEO. Once a titan of the crypto sector, Zhao grew Binance into the world's largest centralized crypto exchange globally. Unlike rival exchange FTX, which collapsed into bankruptcy when founder Sam Bankman-Fried was criminally charged, Binance has continued to operate. Binance processed a whopping $18.1 trillion worth of trading volume in 2023, according to data from CCData, a crypto market data firm.

Persons: Changpeng Zhao, Zhao, Richard Jones, Binance, Sam Bankman, Fried, Nansen, he's Organizations: Department of Justice, District, Prosecutors, Bank, U.S, Justice Department, Futures Trading Commission, Treasury Department, SEC Locations: Seattle, U.S, CCData, Iran

☆ Baby Born in Gaza After Her Mother Was Killed Has Died
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Hiba Yazbek | More About Hiba Yazbek | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A baby who was born premature after her mother was killed in an Israeli strike died on Thursday, a relative said, less than a week after news of her birth brought a glimmer of hope to war-torn Gaza. The baby, who was born after a strike in southern Gaza that also killed her father and sister, suffered respiratory problems and doctors were unable to save her, said her uncle, Rami al-Sheikh. The mother, Sabreen al-Sakani, was killed along with her husband, Shukri, and their 3-year-old daughter Malak when an Israeli strike hit their home in the city of Rafah shortly before midnight last Saturday. Instead of a name, doctors initially wrote, “The baby of the martyr Sabreen al-Sakani” on a piece of tape across her chest. “The baby was delivered into a tragic situation,” Dr. Salama told Reuters after her birth, adding, “Even if this baby survives, she was born an orphan.”

Persons: Rami al, “, ”, Sabreen, Shukri, Malak, Rouh, Mohammed Salama, Dr, Salama Organizations: Emirati, Emirati Hospital, Reuters Locations: Gaza, Israeli, Rafah

☆ Malaysia might add a casino to boost troubled $100 billion mega-development Forest City
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Shubhangi Goel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Malaysia may add a casino to Forest City, a mega-development that has turned into a ghost town. AdvertisementMalaysia's Forest City mega-development started with big ambitions and big money. Now, Malaysia is in talks with several high-profile investors to add a casino to Forest City, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg on Wednesday. AdvertisementThe southeast nation's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met with the heads of a Malaysian property development firm and a resort company at Forest City last week. Expensive, empty apartmentsA casino — which would only be the second in Malaysia — could help struggling Forest City.

Persons: —, Anwar Ibrahim, Ibrahim Iskandar, King Ibrahim, Anwar, They're, Al Marjan Organizations: Service, City, Bloomberg, nation's, Forest City, Garden, Genting Group, Berjaya Corp, Business, United, United Arab Emirates, Las Vegas, downstate Locations: Malaysia, Forest City, Singapore, Malaysia's, Malaysian, Forest, Genting, Marielle, Johor, United Arab, Al, York City, York

☆ Palestinian Baby Delivered After Mother Killed in Israeli Strike
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Liam Stack | More About Liam Stack | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Doctors in Gaza delivered a baby on Sunday from a Palestinian woman who had been killed alongside her husband and daughter in an Israeli strike in the city of Rafah, where more than one million people have fled during Israel’s war in Gaza. The baby was born 10 weeks premature and weighed three pounds, Dr. Salama told Reuters. Instead of a name, doctors wrote “the baby of the martyr Sabreen al-Sakani” on a piece of tape across her chest. “Hopefully after her respiratory distress improves, she will need to be breastfed,” Dr. Salama said. “She has been denied everything — denied her mother, denied her milk.

Persons: Sabreen, Dr, Mohammed Salama, Salama, Rami al, Malak, ” “, Mr, Sheikh, “, —, ” Organizations: Reuters, Al, Emirati Locations: Gaza, Rafah

☆ The week that life in Dubai ground to a halt
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Abbas Allawati | Abbas Al Lawati | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The United Arab Emirates, of which Dubai is part, saw the heaviest rainfall in at least 75 years, with more than a year’s worth of precipitation in 24 hours. Abandoned vehicles on a flooded highway after a rainstorm in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Wednesday. People stand as flood water caused by heavy rains covers the stairs of a residential building, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Wednesday. A man walks in flood water caused by heavy rains, with the Burj Khalifa tower visible in the background, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 17, 2024. Residents move their belongings on a kayak at a flooded residential complex following heavy rainfall, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Thursday.

Persons: hadn’t, Christopher Pike, ”, Sofie, Sheikh, Avinash Babur, Amr Alfiky, Babur, Amr Alfiky Amr Alfiky, Ali Salem, “, wasn’t Organizations: UAE CNN, United, United Arab Emirates, Bloomberg, Getty, Dubai Marina, CNN, “, Dubai “, REUTERS, Reuters, . Schools Locations: Dubai, UAE, United Arab Emirates, Ras Al, Khaimah, Persian, United Arab, Western, lockdowns, freezers, United States, China, Burj Khalifa, Jumeirah

☆ Satya Nadella just tried to show everyone who's boss in AI, again
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Satya Nadella is hoping to prove he's the shrewdest dealmaker in AI. Microsoft just put $1.5 billion in UAE firm G42 while getting it to divest its China ties. G42 has been linked to a chip venture led by Microsoft's other main AI bet, OpenAI. Last month, Nadella pulled off a big coup by hiring Mustafa Suleyman, a DeepMind cofounder and Inflection AI CEO, and several of his software engineers to head up a new AI division at Microsoft. InflectionThe move involved a $650 million payment to Inflection AI that would also allow Microsoft to license Inflection's AI models.

Persons: Satya Nadella, —, Redmond, Peng Xiao, hasn't, Sam Altman, Nadella, Brad Smith, who's, …, Altman, Mustafa Suleyman, Mistral Organizations: Microsoft, Service, OpenAI, Huawei Locations: UAE, China, Abu Dhabi, DarkMatter, Beijing, @G42ai, OpenAI, Paris

deal as a diplomatic weaponA relatively small deal — by Microsoft’s standards, anyway — is leading to big geopolitical ripples on Tuesday. The tech giant is investing $1.5 billion in G42, an Emirati artificial intelligence company. On its face, that may appear to be just another effort by the tech giant to claim a foothold in a fast-growing A.I. The terms of the deal: G42 will be able to sell Microsoft services that use powerful A.I. chips; in return, it will use Microsoft’s Azure cloud services for its A.I.

Persons: OpenAI, Biden Organizations: Microsoft Locations: Beijing, China

☆ Microsoft Makes High-Stakes Play in Tech Cold War With Emirati A.I. Deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Paul Mozur | David E. Sanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Under the partnership, Microsoft will give G42 permission to sell Microsoft services that use powerful A.I. chips, which are used to train and fine-tune generative A.I. products shared with G42 and includes an agreement to strip Chinese gear out of G42’s operations, among other steps. “When it comes to emerging technology, you cannot be both in China’s camp and our camp,” said Gina Raimondo, the Commerce Secretary, who traveled twice to the U.A.E. The accord is highly unusual, Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president, said in an interview, reflecting the U.S. government’s extraordinary concern about protecting the intellectual property behind A.I.

Persons: Biden, ”, Gina Raimondo, Brad Smith Organizations: Microsoft, United Arab, U.S ., Commerce Locations: United Arab Emirates, China, Washington, Beijing, Gulf

☆ The Orfali Bros Bistro is the best restaurant in the Middle East and North Africa — again
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

We love food, and we love people who love food,” says Orfali. Orfali Bros BistroA multicultural menuOrfali left Syria in 2006, relocating to Dubai a year later, and his brothers followed. “Different nationalities, different colors, different languages, different accents. Orfali Bros BistroA “flourishing” food sceneDubai’s restaurant scene has, until recently, been dominated by celebrity chefs and international franchises. “We build a relationship between us and the guests, and we make it family,” Orfali says.

Persons: CNN —, Mohamad Orfali, Treet Bel Laban ” —, ”, Orfali —, Mohamad, Omar, We’re, Orfali, “, Mohammad, barak, they’ve, Orfali Bros, Eclair, Samantha Wood, “ Mohamad, Wood, Chez Wam, ” Orfali, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Michelin, ”, Orfali, UAE, Dubai, “, Bros Locations: Aleppo, Syria, Dubai, East, North Africa, Orfali’s, UAE, Lebanese, Sichuan, , “ Dubai, Hokkaido, Turkish

☆ EU to Bolster Egypt Ties With Billions in Funding
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

The agreement is designed to enhance cooperation in areas including renewable energy, trade, and security while delivering grants, loans and other funding over the next three years to support Egypt's faltering economy. War in Israel and Gaza View All 222 ImagesInflation has been running close to record highs and many Egyptians say they struggle to get by. Of that, funding from the European Union is expected to total $5-6 billion, Finance Minister Mohamed Maait told Asharq Business. Egyptian officials say Egypt deserves recognition for hosting an estimated nine million foreign residents and largely shutting off irregular migration from its north coast since 2016. CROSSINGS VIA LIBYABut there has been a surge in Egyptians trying to cross to Europe via Libya, and the European Union is already providing funding aimed at reducing those flows.

Persons: Ursula von der, Mohamed Maait, Abdel Fattah al, Egypt's, Patrick Werr, Philip Blenkinsop, Renee Maltezou, Aidan Lewis, Nick Zieminski Organizations: IMF, Diplomats, Cypriot, European, Asharq Business, Rights Watch Locations: CAIRO, Egypt, Cairo, Israel, Gaza, Sudan, Qatar, United States, European Union, LIBYA, Europe, Libya, Crete, Gavdos, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Tunisia, Mauritania, U.S

☆ Vertical farming: This GigaFarm in Dubai’s desert could produce 3 million kilograms of food
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —In 2022, Dubai unveiled the world’s largest vertical farm. Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS)“Not just another vertical farm”GigaFarm’s vertical farming solution is supplied by IGS, a Scottish company founded in 2013. “This is not just another vertical farm, this is something completely different,” says Lloyd, adding that the recycling model could be applied to any urban area. And it’s not just the UAE that’s interested in vertical farming: Qatar is investing heavily in smart farming, and agritech companies are expanding into Saudi Arabia. However, it will take another decade before we see widespread adoption of vertical farming, and more research is required to increase the number of crops that can be grown, Sharma adds.

Persons: Dubai’s Al, it’s, Oliver Christof, “, Andrew Lloyd, you’ve, ”, Lloyd, AeroFarms, Lloyd —, It’s, ReFarm, Rohit Sharma, Sharma Organizations: CNN, Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport, UAE, UN, IGS, University of Wollongong Locations: Dubai, Dubai’s, Dubai’s Al Maktoum, Tech, Scottish, Abu Dhabi, UAE, Ukraine, Russia, Carrefour, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, East, Africa

☆ How far does Gulf money go? An Abu Dhabi-backed newspaper buyout attempt is sparking panic in London
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Copies of The Daily Telegraph newspaper on a newsstand in a shop in London, UK, on March 12, 2024 (L), and UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan speaking at COP28 on Dec. 1, 2023. More than 100 members of Parliament have signed a letter opposing the buyout of major British newspaper the Telegraph and news magazine, The Spectator, by UAE government-backed investment fund RedBird IMI. Long a favorite of Britain's Conservative Party, ownership of the 168-year old daily is not just about profit, but about power. The deal would ultimately see the Telegraph, which is valued at a reported £600 million, come under full Emirati ownership. Lawmakers have been scrambling to introduce a new law that would enable Parliament to veto buyouts of news outlets by foreign governments.

Persons: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Nahyan, Britain's, Long, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Barclay, Lucy Frazer Organizations: Daily Telegraph, UAE, COP28, United Arab Emirates, United Emirates, British, Telegraph, The, IMI, Britain's Conservative Party, Lloyds Bank, State for Culture, Media, Sport Locations: London, DUBAI, United Arab, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE

☆ Al-Hilal: Saudi Arabia club sets record for most consecutive wins in men’s soccer
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal set the world record for the most consecutive victories in men’s soccer on Tuesday, defeating Al-Ittihad 2-0 in the AFC Champions League. Before that, Dutch giant Ajax had held the record for 44 years after a 26-game winning streak between 1971 and 1972. “Everyone at Al Hilal is delighted to achieve world football history by winning 28 consecutive matches,” said manager Jorge Jesus. “It is up to everyone at Al-Hilal to ensure that we close out the season as Roshn Saudi League champions and meet our targets in the cup competitions. According to Guinness World Records, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin has the most consecutive wins in soccer – men’s or women’s – with 41 across all competitions between 2012 and 2013.

Persons: Hilal, Al Hilal, ”, Jorge Jesus, Romarinho, Yasser Al, Shahrani, Hilal's, Yasser Bakhsh, Abderrazak, Ali Al, Malcom, Jesus, ” Al, Al Ain, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al, Nassr, Neymar Organizations: CNN, Saudi, Al, AFC Champions League, Welsh, New Saints, Ajax, ”, “, Saudi League, Champions League, Saudi Pro League, Guinness World Records, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin Locations: Saudi Arabian, Ittihad, Al, Hilal, Jeddah

☆ U.K. Moves to Bar Foreign State Ownership of Newspapers, a Blow to Telegraph Bid
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Michael M. Grynbaum | Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

An audacious effort by the American media executive Jeff Zucker and his Emirati backers to acquire London’s Daily Telegraph appeared to be on life support on Wednesday after the British government advanced legislation that would bar foreign state ownership of newspapers and newsmagazines. The move by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would torpedo Mr. Zucker’s bid in its current form, which relies heavily on financing from investment partners in the United Arab Emirates. The use of Emirati funds caused an uproar in Westminster over foreign influence in the British media, given the outsize importance of The Telegraph and its sister publication, The Spectator, to Mr. Sunak’s Conservative Party. Mr. Zucker’s media venture company, RedBird IMI, can now try to salvage its bid for the publications by finding new investors and diluting the Emiratis’ majority stake to a level allowed under the government’s proposed rules. His representatives had no immediate comment on Wednesday.

Persons: Jeff Zucker, Rishi Sunak, Zucker’s, Zucker, Rupert Murdoch Organizations: London’s Daily Telegraph, United, United Arab Emirates, Telegraph, Spectator, Sunak’s Conservative Party, RedBird IMI, CNN Locations: United Arab, Westminster, Britain

☆ BP and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company suspend major purchase in Israeli gas firm
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Plans for a 50% stake purchase by energy major BP and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) in Israeli gas producer NewMed are on hold because of regional turbulence, NewMed said Wednesday. The three companies "have agreed, due to the uncertainty created by the external environment, to suspend discussions in relation to the proposed transaction," a NewMed statement said. The statement also said that BP and Adnoc "reiterated [their] interest in the proposed transaction," indicating that the deal was not permanently off the table. At the time, BP and Adnoc said that the deal would result in a joint venture from the two companies to focus on "gas development in international areas of mutual interest including the East Mediterranean." The two companies last month announced a separate gas joint venture in Egypt.

Persons: NewMed, Adnoc Organizations: Abu, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Tel, BP, CNBC Locations: Nasholim, DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, Tel Aviv, Egypt

☆ Al-Nassr knocked out of the AFC Champions League by Al Ain after Cristiano Ronaldo’s costly miss
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr crashed out of the AFC Champions League after a thrilling tie against Al Ain ended 4-4 on aggregate before the Emirati side triumphed on penalties. Monday’s end-to-end game could have gone either way, though Ronaldo will likely regret his staggering miss in the second half which could have seen Al-Nassr progress to the semifinals. Together, always!”After Al Ain won the first leg 1-0, the visiting team got off to a superb start in Riyadh thanks to two first-half goals from Soufiane Rahimi, whose neat finish had been the difference between the teams last week. Al Ain players celebrate their dramatic victory. Al Ain, chasing its first AFC Champions League title in 21 years, will next face another Saudi Arabian team – either Al-Hilal or Al-Ittihad – in the semifinals.

Persons: CNN — Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al, Nassr, Al Ain, Ronaldo, “, Soufiane Rahimi, Khalid, Sadio Mané, Abdulrahman, Fayez, Alex Telles ’, Ayman Yahya, Sultan Al, Shamsi, Raghed Al, Yasser Bakhsh, Marcelo Brozović Organizations: CNN, AFC Champions League, Al, Getty, AFC, League, Saudi Arabian Locations: Riyadh, Portuguese, Al Ain, Saudi, Al, Hilal, Ittihad

☆ As Israel’s Ties to Arab Countries Fray, a Strained Lifeline Remains
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Vivian Nereim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Only a few years ago, plenty of citizens of the United Arab Emirates were willing to speak warmly about their country’s budding ties with Israel. Two women, Emirati and Israeli, posed for a photograph holding hands atop a skyscraper in Dubai. American, Emirati and Israeli officials predicted that their deal, called the Abraham Accords, would spread peace across the Middle East. But now, as Israel’s monthslong bombardment of Gaza fuels anger around the region, Emirati fans of the deal are increasingly hard to find. Some Emiratis, although frustrated with the accords, said they were afraid to speak publicly, citing their authoritarian government’s history of arresting critics.

Persons: Israel, “, ” Organizations: United Arab, Emirates, Abraham Accords Locations: United Arab Emirates, Israel, U.S, Dubai ., Gaza

She passed away.”As Israel’s severe restrictions on aid entering the Gaza Strip drain essential supplies, displaced Palestinians told CNN they are struggling to feed their children. CNNFood shortages are reportedly the worst in northern Gaza, where Israel concentrated its military offensive in the early days of the war. Dr. Muhammad Salha, acting director of Al-Awda Hospital, in northern Gaza, told CNN medical workers are treating cases of dehydration, gastroenteritis, and hepatitis among women and children. The US military said it had, alongside the Royal Jordanian Air Force, parachuted more than 36,800 meals into northern Gaza that day. He told CNN that he injured his foot while trying to buy flour along Al-Rashid Street.

Persons: CNN — Anwar Abdul Nabi, Kamal Adwan, tenderly, Mila, Nabi, Ashraf Al, Hussam Abu Safiya, Israel, “, ”, Ikhlas Shehadeh, ” Anwar Abdul Nabi, Richard Peeperkorn, Dr, Muhammad Salha, ’ wombs, Mohammed Salem, Ahmad Salem, Kosay Al Nemer, Melanie Ward, Riyad Mansour, Faraj Abu Naji, Rashid Organizations: CNN, Kamal, Health, Hamas, Ministry of Health, Integrated Food Security, UNICEF State, United Nations Population Fund, World Health Organization, WHO, Al, Awda, Reuters, Humanitarian Affairs, Kamal Adwan Hospital, United Arab, Emirati Ministry of Defense, Royal Jordanian Air Force, Medical Aid, Israel Defense Forces, United Nations Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestine, Rafah, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Gaza City, ”, Kuwait, Rasheed, Palestinian, Al

☆ An Israeli strike near a hospital in Rafah killed at least 11 people, Gaza health officials say.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Anushka Patil | More About Anushka Patil | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

An Israeli strike outside a hospital in Rafah, in southern Gaza, on Saturday killed at least 11 people and injured dozens of other displaced Palestinians, including children, who were sheltering in tents nearby, the Gaza Health Ministry said. At least two health care workers, including a paramedic, were among those killed after the strike near the gate of the Emirati maternity hospital, the health ministry said. The victims of the strike were sheltering near the Emirati maternity hospital, one of the last hospitals still functioning in Gaza. The Emirati hospital is essentially “the last hope for pregnant women in the whole of Gaza,” Mr. Allen said. A strike so close to the hospital poses a “terrifying” risk to pregnant women, newborns and the overloaded health care workers trying to care for them, he added.

Persons: Abdul Fattah Abu Marai, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Dominic Allen, Mr, Allen Organizations: Gaza Health Ministry, “ Islamic, World Health Organization, United Nations Population Fund Locations: Israeli, Rafah, Gaza, Kuwaiti, stretchers, Gaza’s, State, Palestine

☆ The eyes have it: The intriguing history of kohl
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Zahra Hankir | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

A Palestinian woman Hadeya Qudaih applying traditional kohl eyeliner to her granddaughter in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip in March 2020. Hadeya Qudaih makes and sells traditional kohl eyeliner for medical and cosmetic purposes (photograph taken in February 2020). A Bedouin man wearing traditional kohl, photographed in the ancient Jordanian city of Petra. Kohl is so commonly worn in the area that girls are sometimes named or nicknamed Kahla by their parents or friends, roughly meaning “the girl who appears to have kohl around her eyes.” Kohl is also a feature of many millennia-old myths, rituals, and legends. “Even if she doesn’t (make kohl) anymore, I will for sure continue to do this myself,” Abu Issa said.

Persons: CNN — Kohl, kohl, Hadeya, kohl eyeliner, Khan Younis, Majdi, Tamam Farhan Abu Issa, Deir al Balah, “, Abu Issa, ”, ” Abu Issa, Issa, Qudaih, Hassan Jedi, Prophet Muhammad —, Alessandro Bigazzi, Jack Sparrow, eyeliner, Kohl, ” Kohl, Zarqa, TikTok, “ Blinkaria Kohl, tightlining, Eyeliner, Fatima Shbair, “ Kohl, I’ve Organizations: CNN, Crusaders, UNESCO, United, kohl, Quds Net News, ZUMA Press, UAE General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments Locations: East, North Africa, Egypt, Europe, Lebanon, Gaza, Gaza’s, Deir, United Nations, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestinian, Petra, Raed, Kohl, Eastern, “

This black market for foreign currencies is among the signs of the economic woes plaguing Algeria. In the oil-rich North African nation, business owners are rumored to be dumping their assets and scrounging up euros on the black market so their wealth isn't stuck. The government estimates roughly $7 billion worth of foreign currency trades hands on the country's black market. Traders are intimately aware that the gap between the official and black market exchange rate can narrow or widen by the day. The growing chasm between the official and black market rates meant fewer euros are getting into the country, he said.

Persons: isn't, Belamane, Nourdine Sadaoui, Hicham Safar, “, ”, Abdelmajid Tebboune, Karim Allam Organizations: Associated Press, Traders, “, Bank of Locations: ALGIERS, Algeria, Algiers, Mecca, Europe's, Lebanon, Nigeria, Bank of Algeria, Ukraine, Europe, Russian

☆ UAE Sends First Ambassador to Syria Since Conflict
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

Incoming Emirati envoy Hassan al-Shehi presented his credentials to Syria's foreign affair minister Faysal al-Meqdad at the foreign ministry on Tuesday. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and, to a lesser extent, the UAE then backed rebels against Assad - but Abu Dhabi has rebuilt ties with Damascus in recent years. Assad visited the UAE in 2022 - his first trip to an Arab state since the civil war erupted - and again in 2023 after a devastating earthquake killed thousands in Syria. The tragedy cleared the way for a thaw in Arab ties with Assad and months later the Arab League reversed its more than decade-long suspension of Syria's membership. Hundreds of thousands of people have died in the Syria conflict, which spiralled out of an uprising against Assad, drew in numerous foreign powers and splintered the country.

Persons: Hassan al, Shehi, Faysal, Bashar al, Assad, Abu Dhabi, Firas Makdesi, Maya Gebeily, Ed Osmond Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Incoming, Arab League, Regional Locations: DAMASCUS, Damascus, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Iran, Al, Riyadh

☆ Palestinians share their lives in war-torn Gaza via TikTok, X, and Instagram
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Harmeet Kaur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

Palestinians on social media are a window into the warLike millions of others around the world, Noor is witnessing the war in Gaza through the eyes of Palestinians who are sharing their daily realities on social media. Eyewitness accounts on social media are critical in understanding global conflicts, including past flare-ups between Israelis and Palestinians. Before October 2023, Azaiza had about 25,000 Instagram followers, according to the social media analytics firm Social Blade. Now watching from afar in Melbourne, she’s the one refreshing her social media feeds and anxiously texting relatives, friends and colleagues to make sure they’re safe. Mark Kerrison/In Pictures/Getty ImagesEven as people flock to learn from and support these Palestinians on social media, Noor says the exchange is overshadowed by feelings of powerlessness.

Persons: Motaz Azaiza, Azaiza, “, ” Noor, she’s, Noor, He’s, ”, It’s, ‘, ’, Leyla Hamed, Kanwal Ahmed, They’ve, Bisan Owda, hasn’t, Ahmed, Young, Hind Khoudary haven’t, “ Everyone’s, ” Ahmed, Zaina Arafat, Mark Kerrison, Marwa Fatafta, Clarissa Ward, Mohammed el, Sheikh Jarrah, Owda, Hind Khoudary, Plestia Alaqad, ” Alaqad, Alaqad, “ It’s, Sheikh Zayed Al, Hind, Syed Faizan Raza, Wael Al, Hamza Al, Mustafa Thuraya, Ahmad Hasaballah, Ismail al Dahdouh, ” Owda, Fatafta, ” Fatafta, She’s Organizations: CNN, Images Israel, European, Palestinian Ministry of Health, Reuters, Agence France, Presse, Israel Defense Forces, Getty, Gaza’s, Committee, Protect Journalists, Reporters, Palestinian, Israel, Quinnipiac University Locations: Gazan, Deir, Gaza, Israel, California, Noor isn’t, Iraq, London, Toronto, Palestinian American, Brooklyn, Instagram, European Union, Ramallah, East, North Africa, Egypt, Palestinian, East Jerusalem, Palestine, Australia, Melbourne, Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan, Al, Gaza City, Anadolu, Gaza’s Old City, Islamabad, “, Jazeera, Rafah

☆ Climate Summit Leader Tries to Calm Uproar Over a Remark on Fossil Fuels
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Lisa Friedman | More About Lisa Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Simmering tensions around the decision to hold a global climate summit in a petrostate burst into the open on Monday when Sultan Al Jaber, the Emirati oil executive who is leading the conference, launched into an angry public defense of his position on ending fossil fuel use. Mr. Al Jaber, who runs the state-owned oil company, Adnoc, was under fire for a video that surfaced in which he said there is “no science” behind the idea that fossil fuels must be phased out in order to keep average global temperatures from rising above 1.5 degrees Celsius over preindustrial levels. That’s the threshold beyond which scientists say humans would struggle to adapt to increasingly severe storms, drought, heat and rising sea levels caused by global warming. Climate experts convened by the United Nations have said that nations must cut the emissions from fossil fuels by 43 percent by the end of this decade, compared to 2019 levels, if the world has any hope of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Persons: Sultan Al Jaber, Al Jaber Organizations: United Nations

Search resuls for: "Emirati"

25 mentions found