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☆ Kuwait and Lebanon Look to Ban ‘Barbie’ for Moral Reasons
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Christopher Kuo | More About Christopher Kuo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Although the “Barbie” movie is a billion-dollar global hit, officials in Lebanon and Kuwait moved on Wednesday to ban the film, saying its content contradicts the conservative values of their countries. Unlike other movies that have been banned in the Middle East, “Barbie” does not feature any scenes that overtly portray same-sex relationships. The cast does feature L.G.B.T.Q. A Kuwaiti committee on cinematic censorship banned both “Barbie” and the horror film “Talk to Me” this week. Al-Subei’e told the news agency that foreign movies that run counter to Kuwait’s public ethics will often have scenes censored, but that movies that carry “alien concepts, message or unacceptable behavior” are fully banned.

Persons: Barbie, “ Barbie ”, Kate McKinnon, Hari Nef, Barbie ”, Lafy, Subei’e Organizations: Ministry for Press Locations: Lebanon, Kuwait, Kuwaiti

☆ Saudi Arabia urges its citizens to quickly leave Lebanon
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aug 4 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia called on its citizens to quickly leave Lebanese territory and to avoid approaching areas where there have been armed clashes, the Saudi embassy in Lebanon said in a statement posted late on Friday on X, formerly known as Twitter. The kingdom did not specify which areas in Lebanon that it was advising its citizens to avoid. The embassy stressed "the importance of adhering to the Saudi travel ban to Lebanon," the statement added. On Aug. 1, the United Kingdom also updated its travel advice for Lebanon, advising against "all but essential travel" to parts of Lebanon’s south near the Palestinian camp of Ain el-Hilweh. Ain el-Hilweh is the largest of 12 Palestinian camps in Lebanon, hosting around 80,000 of up to 250,000 Palestinian refugees countrywide, according to the United Nations' agency for refugees from Palestine.

Persons: Fatah, Ain, Yomna Ehab, Enas, Moaz Abd, Grant McCool Organizations: Twitter, Kuwaiti Foreign, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Lebanon, Kuwait, Kuwaitis, Kuwaiti, United Kingdom, Lebanon’s, Ain el, Palestine

☆ Saudi Arabia may raise Sept crude prices for a third month
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Muyu Xu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SINGAPORE, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, may raise its price for Arab Light crude for sale to Asian refiners for a third month as its voluntary output cuts may be extended, further tightening the supply of high-sulphur, or sour, crude. The supply reductions have boosted oil prices, particularly for sour crude, since the end of June. Arab Light prices are also supported by improving refining margins in Asia, in particular for middle distillates. Most of the survey respondents expected Saudi Arabia to raise prices for heavier grades Arab Medium and Arab Heavy by more than Arab Extra Light as the light crude is oversupplied. The Arab Extra Light OSP typically tracks premiums of Murban, a light sour crude from the United Arab Emirates.

Persons: Backwardation, Saudi Aramco's, Muyu Xu, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Saudi Aramco, Organization of, Petroleum, Ministerial, United, Brent, Saudi, Kuwaiti, bbl, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Saudi Arabia, State, Saudi, Oman, Dubai, OPEC, Saudi Aramco, Asia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Americas, West Africa

☆ IOC asks Singh to continue as acting head of Olympic Council of Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Amlan Chakraborty | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI, July 30 (Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee has asked India's Randhir Singh to continue as acting head of the Olympic Council of Asia, according to a letter seen by Reuters, after the IOC refused to recognise the Asian governing body's elections. Sheikh Ahmad has denied any wrongdoing. Sheikh Talal was appointed OCA president by a margin of 24 votes to 20 over his fellow Kuwaiti, Husain Al-Musallam. The trial considered whether Sheikh Ahmad had used a bogus Kuwaiti coup plot to gain advantage over political rivals. Sheikh Ahmad denied all the charges in the case and appealed the conviction.

Persons: India's Randhir Singh, Kuwait's Sheikh Ahmad Al, Fahad, Sheikh Talal Fahad Al, Ahmad Al, Sheikh Ahmad, Sheikh Talal, Husain Al, Singh, Sheikh Talal Al, Sheikh Ahmad's, Amlan Chakraborty, Tommy Lund, Ken Ferris Organizations: Olympic, Olympic Council of Asia, Reuters, IOC, OCA, Asian Games, Thomson Locations: DELHI, Fahad Al, Sabah, Bangkok, Singh, Swiss, OPEC, Geneva, Switzerland, Hangzhou, China, New Delhi

☆ Russia and Ukraine just turned much of the Black Sea into a dangerous no man's land
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged threats this week to ships sailing through the Black Sea. The Kremlin then went much further, warning it may attack any vessels it believes are bound for Ukraine, effectively turning the Black Sea into a no man's land. They added that Moscow even published a video claiming to have detected and detonated an alleged Ukrainian sea mine. "Our information indicates that Russia laid additional sea mines in the approaches to Ukrainian ports. Turkish-flagged bulker TQ Samsun, carrying grain under UN's Black Sea Grain Initiative, transits Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey July 18, 2023.

Persons: Biden, Adam Hodge, António Guterres, —, Matthew Miller, Lasalle, Mark Duncan, Washington didn't Organizations: Service, United Nations, AP, White, Security, REUTERS, Black Sea Initiative, UN, US State, US Naval Institute Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Wall, Silicon, Kremlin, Odesa, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Crimea, Azov, Samsun, Istanbul, Turkey, Iran, Persian, Iraq, Hormuz, Kuwait, Soviet, Iraqi, American

☆ Kuwait, Saudi Arabia have 'exclusive rights' in Durra gas field, Kuwait oil minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, July 9 (Reuters) - Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have "exclusive rights" in the Durra gas field in the Arabian Gulf, Kuwait Oil Minister Saad Al Barrak said on Sunday, and he called on Iran to validate its claim to the field by demarcating its own maritime borders first. "Until this moment, this is an exclusive right of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia in the Durra field, and whoever has a claim must start demarcating the borders. "The other side has claims that are not based on a clear demarcation of the maritime borders," he added, referring to Iran. Al Barrak's comments echo those of Saudi Arabia, which said last week that the kingdom and Kuwait exclusively own natural wealth in the Gulf's maritime "Divided Area". Saudi Arabia also renewed its call to Iran to start negotiations with Riyadh and Kuwait on the demarcation of the eastern border of the area, Saudi state news agency SPA said.

Persons: Saad Al Barrak, Al Barrak, Al, Al Barrak's, Hatem Maher, Muhammad Al Gebaly, Hugh Lawson, Leslie Adler Organizations: Kuwait Oil, Saudi, Thomson Locations: CAIRO, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Arabian Gulf, Iran, Saudi, Riyadh

☆ Asia refiners expect Saudi Arabia to cut August crude prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Saudi Arabia in June unexpectedly raised prices for July-loading cargoes, eating into Asian refiners' margins. Profits at a typical Singapore refinery processing Dubai crude fell to an average of $3.44 a barrel in June, from $4.78 a barrel last month. Saudi crude prices typically closely track changes in benchmark Dubai monthly price spreads, but the two have disconnected in recent months. Saudi crude OSPs are usually released around the fifth of each month, and set the trend for Iranian, Kuwaiti and Iraqi prices, affecting about 9 million bpd of crude bound for Asia. Below are expected Saudi prices for August 2023 (in $/bbl against the Oman/Dubai average):Reporting by Muyu Xu; Editing by Florence Tan and Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Unipec, Muyu Xu, Florence Tan, Jamie Freed Organizations: Saudi Aramco, Dubai, Global, Kuwaiti, bbl, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Saudi Arabia, OPEC, Saudi, Dubai, Oman, Singapore, PetroChina, Asia

☆ The Russian air force's struggles in Ukraine reveal glaring problems in now Moscow trains its pilots
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Alex Hollings | Sandboxx News | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +35 min

Despite being bigger and more advanced than its enemy, Russia's air force has struggled in Ukraine. It's commonly said that Russian fighter pilots are not as well trained as their Western counterparts, particularly those from the United States. But however ineffective you may think Russian pilot training is compared to the West, the truth seems to be … much worse. A Russian air force pilot prepares to take off in an Su-35 fighter jet at Hemeimeem air base in Syria in September 2019. Put simply, the Gulf War air campaign creates a damning juxtaposition when compared directly to Russia's air campaign over Ukraine.

☆ Kuwaiti prime minister selects new cabinet - state news agency
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

April 9 (Reuters) - Kuwait's Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf al-Sabah has selected a new cabinet, state news agency KUNA reported on Sunday without giving further details. Sheikh Ahmad was re-appointed as prime minister by the crown prince in March, more than a month after the government resigned due to renewed friction with parliament. Reporting by Hatem Maher; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Inside Disney it's 'Revenge of the Creatives' and 'Shields Up!' against outside foes as returned CEO Bob Iger is taking no prisoners
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Since returning as Disney CEO, Bob Iger has vanquished foes and dumped many of predecessor Bob Chapek's hires. But it's a supercharged Bob Iger who is really taking command. "If I'm inside Bob's head coming back, after the downfall of Bob Chapek, this is all about taking no prisoners," said Will Schutte, a high-level executive coach. Disney World is scheduled to host a major conference on gay rights in September, according to the Miami Herald. Even if he wants to be the Bob Iger of old he can't be.

☆ Exclusive: China plans $500 million subsea internet cable to rival US-backed project
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Joe Brock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

China's three main carriers – China Telecommunications Corporation (China Telecom), China Mobile Limited and China United Network Communications Group Co Ltd(China Unicom) – are mapping out one of the world’s most advanced and far-reaching subsea cable networks, according to the four people, who have direct knowledge of the plan. They said HMN Tech, which is majority-owned by Shanghai-listed Hengtong Optic-Electric Co Ltd, would receive subsidies from the Chinese state to build the cable. China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, HMN Tech, and Hengtong did not respond to requests for comment. The consortium on the SeaMeWe-6 cable – which originally had included China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom and telecom carriers from several other nations – initially picked HMN Tech to build that cable. China Telecom and China Mobile pulled out of the project after SubCom won the contract last year and, along with China Unicom, began planning the EMA cable, the four people involved said.

☆ Exclusive: China plans $500 mln subsea internet cable to rival U.S.-backed project
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Joe Brock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

China's three main carriers – China Telecommunications Corporation (China Telecom), China Mobile Limited and China United Network Communications Group Co Ltd(China Unicom) – are mapping out one of the world’s most advanced and far-reaching subsea cable networks, according to the four people, who have direct knowledge of the plan. They said HMN Tech, which is majority-owned by Shanghai-listed Hengtong Optic-Electric Co Ltd, would receive subsidies from the Chinese state to build the cable. China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, HMN Tech, Hengtong and China’s Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment. The consortium on the SeaMeWe-6 cable – which originally had included China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom and telecom carriers from several other nations – initially picked HMN Tech to build that cable. China Telecom and China Mobile pulled out of the project after SubCom won the contract last year and, along with China Unicom, began planning the EMA cable, the four people involved said.

[1/2] Air India passenger aircraft are seen on the tarmac at Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport in Mumbai, India, February 14, 2023. Current limits on the amount of flying allowed between India and many markets date back to heavy losses at Air India around the beginning of the last decade, analysts said. "We are not getting enough share from this market," Turkish Airlines Chief Executive Bilal Eksi told the CAPA India conference. "I think it's about time that our carriers looked at the international market with greater focus. Other analysts noted India is not alone in making use of a post-war system of air traffic agreements to aid development.

☆ Inside the germy, sneeze-filled meeting between Morgan Stanley's CEO and the Saudi crown prince at the onset of COVID-19
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Liz Hoffman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

James Gorman, CEO of Morgan Stanley, met with the Saudi crown prince at the onset of the pandemic. The young royal kept sneezing during the meeting — and Gorman's fear of a deadly pathogen began to grow. He was in the royal palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, seated to the right of the country's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. Given their recent experience with a deadly virus, Gorman took the caution of his Kuwaiti hosts as a sign that the West was underestimating the dangers of this one. And now, as Gorman chatted with the controversial 34-year-old crown prince about ways Saudi Arabia could diversify its economy and reduce its reliance on oil, the young royal kept sneezing.

☆ Bertarelli-backed Volta Trucks seeks $264 mln in pre-IPO round, says CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, March 8 (Reuters) - Volta Trucks, the electric-truck maker backed by billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli, is in advanced discussions to raise as much as 250 million euros ($263.58 million), its CEO told Reuters. Volta Trucks is gearing up to roll out its electric trucks, after delays in obtaining certification for its vehicles and constraints in sourcing supplies held up production, according to a company spokesperson. The company just months ago tapped investors for around 300 million euros in a deal that valued it at close to 600 million euros. Volta Trucks' existing backers include Kuwaiti supply-chain services provider Agility Public Warehousing Co (AGLT.KW), Bertarelli's family office B-Flexion, Swedish investor Byggmastare Anders J Ahlstrom (AJAb.ST) and U.S. hedge fund Luxor Capital. A spokesperson for B-Flexion said the investor remains "wholly committed" to Volta Trucks, but declined to comment further.

☆ Kuwait re-appoints Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf al-Sabah as PM - state news agency
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KUWAIT, March 5 (Reuters) - Kuwait's crown prince re-appointed Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf al-Sabah as prime minister and asked him to nominate a cabinet, state news agency KUNA reported on Sunday, more than a month after the government resigned due to renewed friction with parliament. Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, who has taken over most of the ruling emir's duties, moved last year to end feuding by naming Sheikh Ahmad as premier, dissolving parliament and calling early polls, in which opposition members made gains. Kuwait bans political parties but has given its legislature more influence than similar bodies in other Gulf monarchies. While Kuwait has strong fiscal and external balance sheets, frequent political bickering and institutional gridlock have hampered investment and reforms aimed at reducing its heavy reliance on oil revenues. Reporting by Mahmoud Mourad; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ojo, a home-listings site aiming to rival Zillow, sells its Canadian operations to Royal Bank of Canada and raises funds from Vista Equity Partners in combined deal of nearly $200 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Home-listings company Ojo Labs sold its Canadian operations to the Royal Bank of Canada. The transactions, totaling nearly $200 million, will help Ojo navigate a bumpy housing market. "We put the company in an extremely healthy cash position, while others are having to retrench," Berkowitz told Insider. These services can differentiate Ojo from Zillow and Realtor.com, which are most intently focused on the home transaction. CoStar, the real estate data giant that's reached a dominant position in commercial real estate data, has recently trained its eye on residential listing platforms.

☆ Saudi Arabia may lower crude prices to Asia for 4th straight month
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Muyu Xu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The European Union is set to ban Russian oil products imports from Feb. 5, which is expected to curb Russia's oil processing and lead to more crude oil exports. Saudi crude OSPs set the trend for Iranian, Kuwaiti and Iraqi prices, affecting about 9 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude bound for Asia. Saudi Aramco sets its crude prices based on recommendations from customers and after calculating the change in the value of its oil over the past month, based on yields and product prices. Saudi Aramco officials as a matter of policy do not comment on the kingdom's monthly OSPs. Below are expected Saudi prices for March (in $/bbl against the Oman/Dubai average):Reporting by Muyu Xu; editing by Uttaresh.VOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Fact Check-Photos do not show pigeons carrying illegal substances in New York
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Social media posts spreading the false claim that the New York Police Department (NYPD) caught “a group of pigeons with backpacks carrying illicit substances” in January 2023 feature years-old photos of drug busts in other countries. In fact, reverse image searches show the photographs in the social media posts are years old and appear in reports about police drug busts outside of the United States. Reuters published the images in 2015, attributing them to the Costa Rica Ministry of Justice and Peace, (here). Photos of pigeons carrying illegal substances were not taken in New York in January 2023 but correspond to years-old drug busts featuring avian drug smuggling operations in Costa Rica and Kuwait. Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts here .

☆ Kuwait aims to build political cohesion with new amnesty for jailed critics
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Ahmed Hagagy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

KUWAIT, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Kuwait's emir has pardoned dozens of jailed critics under a new amnesty as the Gulf state builds on efforts to end domestic political feuding that has hampered fiscal reforms and as tensions surface between the new government and parliament. The amnesty decreed by Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, published in the Official Bulletin on Wednesday pardoned 34 Kuwaitis, most of them convicted for voicing public criticism. Kuwait bans political parties but has given its legislature more influence than similar bodies in other Gulf monarchies, and political stability in the U.S.-allied country has traditionally hinged on cooperation between the government and parliament. Opposition MP Mubarak Al-Hajraf, who has submitted a request to question the finance minister, in a Twitter post thanked the emir and the crown prince for the "generous amnesty". Reporting by Ahmed Hagagy Writing by Ghaida Ghantous Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Google Cloud to support Kuwait's digitisation drive
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Google Cloud (GOOGL.O) has formed a strategic alliance with the Kuwaiti government to support digitisation efforts across the country's public sector, the company said on Friday. Most Gulf states are investing significantly in digital technologies across the government sector to improve efficiency and make public services easier to access online, and as a way to diversify oil-dependent economies. Google Cloud did not provide a value for the agreement with the Kuwaiti government, but said it would encompass digitising government services, migrating and storing national data securely on the cloud and setting up a national digital skills programme. The company aims to invest in a cloud region in Kuwait, its third announced in the Middle East after Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and said it plans to open an office on the ground without specifying a timeframe. There is increasing competition for developing cloud services in the region among international players, with Chinese firms such as Huawei also vying for lucrative government contracts as part of Gulf national economic transformation plans.

☆ Female cabin crew applicants had to strip so recruiters could check for scars, birthmarks or tattoos, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Recruiters rejected women with glasses, moles or visible scars, Spain's El Diario reported. Three sources told El Diario that the interview process was uncomfortable from the start. Bianca, a 23-year-old flight attendant from Romania, told El Diario: "The first girl that went in came out crying." I was freaking out — but they weren't exaggerating," Bianca told El Diario. The recruiter told Bianca that she was checking for "scars, birthmarks, and tattoos."

☆ Saudi Arabia may cut Arab Light crude prices to 15-month low for Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Muyu Xu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Saudi Arabian Oil Co FollowSINGAPORE, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia may further cut the prices for its flagship Arab Light crude grade to Asia in February, after they were set at a 10-month low this month, as concerns of oversupply continued to cloud the market. Though Moscow last week banned crude sales to countries that observe the price ceiling on Russian crude oil, its key oil clients in Asia would be unaffected as they did not join the price cap coalition. Oil demand is also unlikely to return imminently even though China has removed its stringent COVID-19 restrictions. Saudi Aramco sets its crude prices based on recommendations from customers and after calculating the change in the value of its oil over the past month, based on yields and product prices. Below are expected Saudi prices for February 2023 (in $/bbl against the Oman/Dubai average):Reporting by Muyu Xu; Editing by Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

CNN —Football pundits on Qatar’s Alkass Sports channel mocked the German football team following its World Cup exit – by mimicking the players’ protest over human rights. Soon after, El-Hadary and other pundits then cover their mouths and wave goodbye – apparently in celebration of Germany’s exit. Football pundits on Qatar's Alkass Sports channel appear to mimic the German players' protest gesture. Twitter/@alkasschannelThe gesture mimics what the German players did to protest against FIFA’s decision to ban the “OneLove” armband that many European captains had been hoping to wear in Qatar in support of LGBTQ rights. Following Germany’s 1:1 draw against Spain last Sunday, Jassem said in an al-Majlis episode that he was “shocked” at Germany’s protest.

☆ 5 men and 2 women were put to death in a rare mass execution in Kuwait
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Kuwait government hanged seven prisoners in the first mass execution in five years. Those killed included three Kuwaiti men, a Kuwaiti woman, a Syrian man, a Pakistani man, and an Ethiopian woman. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyThe Kuwait government put to death seven prisoners in the first mass execution in five years. The state-run news agency KUNA news has said that those killed include three Kuwaiti men, a Kuwaiti woman, a Syrian man, a Pakistani man, and an Ethiopian woman. The last mass execution happened in 2017 when seven prisoners — including a member of the Kuwaiti royal family — were hanged in the oil-rich state, AP reported at the time.

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