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☆ Oil steady amid OPEC+ supply cut expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Mohi Narayan | Thomson Reuters | Reports On Everything How Asia S Fuel Use Recovers The Fallout Of To Tracking How The Global Energy Transition Impacts Refinery Expansion Plans | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW DELHI, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Oil prices were stable on Monday, amid expectations that major producers would keep supplies tight, as hopes grew for the Federal Reserve to leave interest rates unchanged to avoid dampening the U.S. economy. "Crude oil prices have been primarily driven by the anticipation of additional supply cuts from major oil-producing nations, Russia and Saudi Arabia," said Sugandha Sachdeva, executive vice president and chief strategist at Acme Investment Advisors. Sachdeva added, however, that the steady increase in U.S. oil production could limit further significant gains in price. Russia has already said it will cut exports by 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) in September, following a 500,000-bpd cut in August. "Because of the OPEC+ cuts, there's not sufficient supply (of sour crude) for all these complex refineries in India, Kuwait, Jizan, Oman and China," Hardy said.

Persons: Sugandha Sachdeva, Sachdeva, Alexander Novak, Russell Hardy, there's, Hardy, Mohi Narayan, Andrew Hayley, Simon Cameron, Moore, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Federal Reserve, Brent, . West Texas, Acme Investment Advisors, Organization of, Petroleum, Thomson Locations: DELHI, U.S, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, India, Kuwait, Jizan, Oman, China, New Delhi, Beijing

☆ Cyprus police make more arrests as racism-fuelled violence spreads
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NICOSIA, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Police in Cyprus have made 20 arrests after a spate of racism-fuelled violence against migrants which erupted in the west of the island last week and spread to its southern city of Limassol in a weekend rampage. Last week Syrians living in Chlorakas, a village in western Cyprus, were targeted by hooded attackers in sporadic incidents over two days, leading to 22 arrests. Overnight Saturday to Sunday, three people from southeast Asia were attacked and robbed, state media said. Among the victims of the weekend's violence were a group of visitors from Kuwait, according to social media accounts of witnesses. "This isn't the Cyprus I was born, raised, had a family and am getting old in," he said.

Persons: Kyriakos Kouros, Michele Kambas, Ros Russell Organizations: Police, Migrants, Reuters, Turkish, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thomson Locations: NICOSIA, Cyprus, Limassol, Chlorakas, Asia, East, Africa, Turkish, Kuwait

☆ Kuwait appoints Fahd Al-Jarallah as finance minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Kuwait on Sunday appointed Fahd Abdulaziz Al-Jarallah as finance minister, the state news agency said, following the resignation of his predecessor in July. Jarallah takes over from Manaf Abdulaziz Al Hajri who was in the role only since April this year. Oil Minister Saad Al Barrak had been acting finance minister after he resigned. Appointed as assistant undersecretary at the Ministry of Finance in August, Jarallah is a businessman who has served on the boards of the Commercial Bank of Kuwait and Noor Financial Investment Company. Among key reforms which have faced delays is a public debt law which would allow Kuwait to borrow from international markets, but which has faced opposition from members of parliament.

Persons: Fahd Abdulaziz Al, Jarallah, Abdulaziz Al Hajri, Saad Al Barrak, Muhammad Al Gebaly, Omar Abdel, Ahmed Hagagy, Rachna Uppal, Hugh Lawson, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Sunday, Oil, Ministry of Finance, Commercial Bank of Kuwait, Noor Financial Investment Company, Growth, International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: CAIRO, Kuwait

☆ Bill Richardson, U.S. diplomat and troubleshooter, dead at 75
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

As a congressman in 1994, Richardson visited reclusive communist-ruled North Korea to discuss a nuclear accord struck by Clinton. As Richardson was traveling to the country, North Korea shot down a U.S. military helicopter that had entered its territory, killing one pilot and capturing the other. Richardson stayed for weeks to negotiate, flying home with the dead pilot's remains while the surviving pilot was released soon thereafter. In 1996, Richardson negotiated the release of an American named Evan Hunziker, jailed on spy charges in North Korea. Richardson later attended a prep school in Massachusetts, where he became a star baseball pitcher with dreams of a professional career.

Persons: New Mexico Bill Richardson, Gus Ruelas, Bill Richardson, Richardson, Mickey Bergman, Bergman, Bill Clinton, you've, You've, Barack Obama, Obama, Danny Fenster, Clinton, Evan Hunziker, Saddam Hussein, Fidel Castro, William Blaine Richardson, Will Dunham, Lucia Mutikani, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: University of Southern California's Schwarzenegger Institute for State, Global, REUTERS, Rights, New, Richardson Center, U.S, Richardson, Democratic, U.S . House, Representatives, United Nations, Foreign Policy, Cuban, Citibank, Tufts University, State Department, Thomson Locations: New Mexico, Los Angeles , California, U.S, Chatham , Massachusetts, Mexican, American, United States, North Korea, Myanmar, Sudan, Iraq, Iran, Cuba, New Hampshire, Iowa, Korean, Kuwait, Iraqi, Miami, Pasadena , California, Mexico City, Oaxaca, Massachusetts, Washington

☆ Lebanon approves 'Barbie' film for release after bid to ban it
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A boy stands near an advertising billboard of the movie 'Barbie' at a cinema theatre, as Lebanon approved the film to be screened in cinemas following an initial attempt to ban it, in Beirut, Lebanon September 1, 2023. REUTERS/Emilie Madi Acquire Licensing RightsBEIRUT, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Lebanon on Friday approved the "Barbie" film to be screened in cinemas following an initial attempt to ban it by its culture minister over claims it contradicts conservative values. Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi in turn asked General Security's censorship committee to review the film and give its recommendation. Kuwait has banned "Barbie" and supernatural horror film "Talk to Me" to protect "public ethics and social traditions", the state news agency said last month. Starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, the movie sends Mattel Inc's (MAT.O) Barbie doll on an adventure into the real world.

Persons: Emilie Madi, Mohammad Mortada, Bassam Mawlawi, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Barbie, Ken, Mattel, Nour Hajjar, Maya Gebeily, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, General Security, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Lebanon, Beirut, Rights BEIRUT, Kuwait, Lebanese

☆ Exclusive: US to send depleted-uranium munitions to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Although Britain sent depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine earlier this year, this would be the first U.S. shipment of the ammunition and will likely stir controversy. The use of depleted uranium munitions has been fiercely debated, with opponents like the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons saying there are dangerous health risks from ingesting or inhaling depleted uranium dust, including cancers and birth defects. While depleted uranium is radioactive, it is considerably less so than naturally occurring uranium, although particles can linger for a considerable time. The Wall Street Journal reported in mid-June the U.S. was considering sending depleted uranium rounds to Ukraine. Recent weapons aid packages for Ukraine have included artillery, air defense missiles and ground vehicles as Ukraine's counteroffensive grinds on.

Persons: Abrams, Kacper, Biden, Mike Stone, Jonathan Landay, Don Durfee, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: U.S . 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Abrams, International Coalition, NATO, International Atomic Energy Agency, Street, Presidential, Authority, Thomson Locations: Drawsko, Pomorskie, Ukraine, U.S, United States, Yugoslavia, Kuwait, Iraq, Lebanon, Washington

[1/2] The logo of Italian energy company Eni is seen at the booth of Eni during the Nigeria International Petroleum Summit in Abuja, Nigeria February 10, 2020. Under the revised terms, Eni and Repsol can supply the state company with fuels, potentially helping Venezuela ease an intermittent scarcity that has led to long lines at gasoline stations in recent years. Eni and Repsol were not immediately available to respond to a Reuters request for comment. Crude received by Eni and Repsol under their swap deal has mostly been sent to Repsol's refineries in Spain. The field is run by the Petrosucre joint venture between Eni and PDVSA.

Persons: Afolabi, Repsol, PDVSA, Joe Biden's, Perla, Marianna Parraga, Francesca Landini, Pietro Lombardi, Mircely, Matt Spetalnick, David Holmes Organizations: Eni, Nigeria International Petroleum Summit, REUTERS, Companies, U.S . State Department, Kuwait Petroleum, Repsol, U.S . Treasury, PDVSA, Perla, Washington, Thomson Locations: Nigeria, Abuja, HOUSTON, Venezuela, Europe, Venezuelan, PDVSA's, Italy's Milazzo, Kuwait, U.S, Spain, Chevron, American, Venezuela's Gulf, Colombia, Milan, Madrid, Maracay, Washington

☆ India isn't over dependent on Russian oil, Indian energy minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"India doesn't get over dependent on anyone," Hardeep Singh Puri told CNBC's Tanvir Gill when asked if his country was too dependent on the Kremlin. Moscow has since leapfrogged to become India's leading source of crude oil, accounting for about 40% of India's crude imports. Hardeep Singh Puri India's Minister of Petroleum and Natural GasIndia is the world's third largest energy importer, and purchases more than 80% of its crude oil from international markets. Asked if India was getting a $15 or $30 discount per barrel on Russian crude, Puri said: "Yes, there have been discounts. According to data from S&P Global in July, India's crude oil sources come largely from Middle East and Russia.

Persons: Hardeep Singh Puri, CNBC's Tanvir Gill, India's, Puri Organizations: India's, Petroleum, Natural Gas, CNBC, P Global, Brent, U.S . West Texas, West Texas Locations: India, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Natural Gas India, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Middle East, U.S

☆ To Trump, Foreign Business Is Scandalous, Unless It’s His Own
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Peter Baker | More About Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After his fourth indictment, bringing his total count of felony charges to 91, former President Donald J. Trump last week posted a video online accusing President Biden and his family of being criminals. “The Biden crime family,” he claimed, had received millions of dollars from foreign countries. “I believe we have a compromised president,” Mr. Trump said, adding: “He’s a Manchurian candidate. That’s why Crooked Joe is letting other countries walk all over the United States.”For Mr. Trump, outrage is a selective commodity when it comes to presidential families taking millions of dollars from foreign countries. Unlike other modern presidents, Mr. Trump never gave up control of his sprawling business with its interests in multiple countries, nor did he forswear foreign business even as president.

Persons: Donald J, Biden, “, ”, ” Mr, Trump, Joe, Hunter Biden Organizations: Trump, Manchurian, White Locations: United States, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain

☆ Kuwait Airways plans to lease eight Airbus jets within 10 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Ahmed Hagagy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Kuwait Airways (KA.UL) plans to lease eight Airbus (AIR.PA) passenger jets within 10 years, Chairman Ali Aldokhan said on Sunday. The state-owned carrier is examining offers from leasing companies, and the contract duration for the leased planes, all Airbus 321 neo aircraft, will be between eight and 10 years, Aldokhan told a news conference. The plan to lease eight planes is in addition to Kuwait Airways' multi-billion dollar deal with Airbus in 2022 to buy 31 planes, 18 of which it has already received. The cost of jet fuel for Kuwait Airways has increased 38% year-on-year since the beginning of 2023, Aldokhan said. Kuwait Airways is in negotiations with Kuwait Petroleum Corporation on a discount mechanism to reduce the airline's jet fuel costs, CEO Maen Razouqi told the same press conference.

Persons: Ali Aldokhan, Aldokhan, Maen Razouqi, Ahmed Hagagy, Adam Makary, David Goodman, Susan Fenton Organizations: KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait Airways, Airbus, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Tala, Thomson Locations: KUWAIT

☆ Asia's refiners face profit crunch as Kuwait cuts crude exports
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Muyu Xu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Lower Kuwaiti exports follow cuts from OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia that have pushed Brent prices close to $90 a barrel and left little wriggle room for Asia's refiners, reliant on the Middle East for more than two-thirds of crude imports. Chinese refiners, which have invested heavily in new plants designed to process sour oil, are especially exposed. Discounted oil from Russia has eased some of the pain, replacing some Kuwaiti supply, largely to China and India. Additionally, Kuwait's joint venture 230,000 bpd Duqm refinery in Oman is scheduled to start operation by end-2023, which could reduce Kuwaiti crude exports by a further 100,000 bpd to 200,000 bpd in 2024, the consultancies said. Formosa could replace Kuwaiti supply with grades such as Iraq's Basra Medium, Qatar's al-Shaheen and Oman crude, Lin said, adding it can also process U.S. light sweet crude.

Persons: Brent, Asia's, Janiv Shah, Sun Jianan, Al Zour, consultancies, KPC, Lin, al, James Forbes, Muyu Xu, Florence Tan, Sonali Paul Organizations: Kuwait Oil Tanker, Oil, Companies, Lower, Saudi, United Arab, Rystad Energy, P, Kuwait Petroleum Corp, Shenghong, Taiwan Formosa Petrochemical Corp, FGE, Dubai, Brent, Thomson Locations: Kuwait, Pier, Companies Kuwait, SINGAPORE, OPEC, Lower Kuwaiti, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, India, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Taiwan, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, Oman, PetroChina's, Guangdong, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Formosa, Basra, Shaheen, Brent, Dubai

☆ Climate change: Extreme water stress affects a quarter of humanity and it's poised to get worse
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Hafsa Khalil | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The biggest change in water demand will occur in sub-Saharan Africa according to the report, which projects a 163% increase in water demand by 2050. In North America and Europe, water demand has plateaued, helped by investment in water use efficiency measures. In the US, six states experience extremely high water stress, according to the report. People collect drinking water from in Cape Town on January 19, 2018, during a water crisis which saw the city nearly run dry. The report suggests various measures to prevent water stress spilling into a water crisis.

Persons: ”, Samantha Kuzma, “ I’ve, ” Kuzma, Will Lanzoni, Kuzma, “, Charles, Rodger Bosch, Dieter Gerten, – Organizations: CNN, Ocean Program, UN, Getty, Potsdam Institute, Climate Impact Research Locations: Bahrain, Cyprus, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Lake Mead, Boulder City , Nevada, East, North Africa, Africa, Saharan Africa, North America, Europe, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Charles Iceland, Cape Town, AFP, Vegas, Singapore

☆ Banned in Kuwait, ‘Barbie’ Sparks Delight, and Anger, in Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Vivian Nereim | More About Vivian Nereim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Friday night, Mohammed al-Sayed donned a pale pink shirt and denim overalls to join a friend at a movie theater in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, where the men settled in to watch a film about a doll on a mission to dismantle the patriarchy. They watched as the movie imagined a matriarchal society of Barbie dolls where men are eye candy. They laughed when a male character asked, “I’m a man with no power; does that make me a woman?” They snapped their fingers in delight as a mother delivered a monologue about the strictures of stereotypical femininity. Then, they emerged from the darkened theaters to contemplate what it all meant. “The message is that you are enough — whatever you are,” said Mr. al-Sayed, 21, echoing the Ken doll’s revelation.

Persons: Mohammed al, Sayed, “ Barbie, ”, Barbie, “, Ken doll’s Locations: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appears in CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the region’s biggest stories. The drill is the latest in a flurry of Chinese activity in the Middle East, traditionally seen as the US’ backyard. According to the Wall Street Journal, the US wants Saudi Arabia to distance itself economically and militarily from Beijing in return. Four of the top 10 importers of US arms are Gulf Arab states: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE. Some of these purchases were driven by US restrictions on selling arms to Gulf states under the Biden administration, according to Alhasan.

Persons: ” Hasan Alhasan, “, Barack Obama’s, ”, Mohammed Baharoon, John Calabrese, …, ” Calabrese, CNN’s Becky Anderson, Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, Washington, Biden, Alhasan, China’s, Xi Jinping, ” Yun Sun, ” Alhasan, ” Baharoon Organizations: UAE CNN, United Arab Emirates, American, Washington, UAE, Middle East, International Institute for Strategic Studies, CNN, Asia Experts, East ., US, Dubai Public Policy Research Center, Middle East Institute, Wall Street Journal, China Program, China, Stimson Center Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, United States, China, China’s, Xinjiang, Ukraine, Gulf, Asia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Yemen, Washington, Dubai, Russia, Saudi, Riyadh, Israel, Beijing, Europe, Arab, Qatar, Kuwait, Sun, “

☆ Algeria bans 'Barbie' movie, media and official source say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Margot Robbie attends the European premiere of "Barbie" in London, Britain July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska/File PhotoALGIERS, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Algeria has banned the movie "Barbie," which had been showing at some cinemas in the country for several weeks, an official source and the local 24H Algerie news site said on Monday. The official source said the film "promotes homosexuality and other Western deviances" and that it "does not comply with Algeria's religious and cultural beliefs." Starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, the movie sends Mattel Inc's (MAT.O) doll on an adventure into the real world. Reporting by Lamine Chikhi, writing by Angus McDowall, editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Margot Robbie, Maja Smiejkowska, Ryan Gosling, Barbie, Ken, Mattel, Lamine Chikhi, Angus McDowall, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, Ministry, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, ALGIERS, Algeria, Algerie, Lebanon, Kuwait

CNN —Authorities in Lebanon moved to ban the “Barbie” movie from cinemas on Wednesday, saying it promotes homosexuality and violates the nation’s values. The minister said the movie also “promotes sexual deviance and transsexuality,” by Lebanese state-run media on Wednesday. “Sexual deviance” is a term commonly used in the Middle East to refer to homosexuals. The ban comes amid heightened anti-LGBTQ rhetoric by some politicians and government officials in Lebanon and the wider Middle East. He referred to homosexuality as “sexual perversion” and identified same-sex relations as a “threat” to Lebanon.

Persons: Barbie, Mohammad Mortada, ”, Hassan Nasrallah, Hussain bin Ali, Prophet Mohammed’s, Nasrallah, “ Barbie ” Organizations: CNN, Authorities, Rights Watch Locations: Lebanon, ”, Lebanese, East, Kuwait, Iraq, Denmark, Sweden, Vietnam, South China

☆ 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

☆ How Saudi Arabia and UAE learned to stop worrying and love Turkey's Bayraktar drones
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have signed multibillion-dollar deals for Turkish drones in recent months. Azeri Ministry of DefenseSaudi Arabia previously showed interest in procuring Turkish drones and securing rights for local production. Bakir told Insider that Turkish drones have gained "global recognition" due to their "affordability, efficiency, and lethal capabilities" and documented successes over modern battlefields. "Moreover, Saudi Arabia could use such capabilities to balance Iran's drone technology in the long run," Ozeren said. Ozeren said the Saudi deal could help Baykar "monopolize" drone technology in Turkey but noted that crucial details about the agreement remain unknown.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Baykar, Abu Dhabi's, Loong, Loongs, Abu Dhabi, Abu, Ali Bakir, Erdogan, Mohammed bin Salman, Murat Kula, Bakir, Suleyman Ozeren, It's, Ozeren, Ali Atmaca, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Murat Centinmuhurdar, Bashar Assad, Paul Iddon Organizations: UAE, Service, United, United Arab Emirates, Turkey's Baykar Defense, Ministry of Defense, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Dassault Rafales, Ibn Khaldon, NATO, European Union, American University, Orion Policy Institute, Ataturk Airport, Security Initiative, Atlantic Council Locations: Saudi Arabia, Wall, Silicon, United Arab, Turkish, Riyadh, East, North Africa, South Caucasus, Ukraine, Armenian, Ministry of Defense Saudi Arabia, Republic of Turkey, Kuwait, UAE, Saudi, Istanbul, Yemen, Libya, Abu, Turkey, China, France, Qatar, Jeddah, Anadolu, Nahyan, Abu Dhabi

☆ Lebanon seeks to reassure Gulf, Germany after travel warnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Germany and Britain updated their travel warnings amid clashes between rival armed groups in the Palestinian camp of Ain el-Hilweh in Lebanon's south. The Saudi embassy on Friday urged its citizens to leave Lebanon quickly and avoid areas where there have been armed clashes. The Saudi statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, stressed "the importance of adhering to the Saudi travel ban to Lebanon". Last week, Germany warned citizens not to travel to Palestinian camps in Lebanon, among other areas. Reporting by Maya Gebeily in Beirut and Vera Eckert in Germany; editing by Giles ElgoodOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Najib Mikati, Mikati, Abdullah Bou Habib, Fatah, Ain, Maya Gebeily, Vera Eckert, Giles Elgood Organizations: Saudi, Saturday, United Nations, Thomson Locations: BEIRUT, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Britain, Ain el, Lebanon's, Lebanon, Saudi, Palestine, Beirut

☆ 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

☆ India's rice export ban to hurt millions globally. These countries will be the worst hit
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

20 Xinhua News Agency | Xinhua News Agency | Getty ImagesIndia's rice export ban could ripple across global rice markets — and millions are expected to be impacted, with Asian and African consumers set to bear the biggest brunt. The scale of people impacted by Indian rice ban will be in millions. Other affected regionsAsia is not the only region hit by India's rice export ban, many African and Middle East nations are also vulnerable. That means up to 40% of India's rice exports are now offline, according to BMI forecasts. India's rice export ban is expected to ripple across global rice markets.

Persons: Mohanty, Samarendu Mohanty, Narendra Modi Organizations: Xinhua News Agency, Getty, Barclays, El Nino, BMI, Fitch Solutions, Workers, International Potato Center, CIP Locations: Nagaon district, India's, Assam, India, Malaysia, Asia, Singapore, Thailand, Pakistan, Vietnam, Philippines, Saharan Africa, East, North Africa, Djibouti, Liberia, Qatar, Gambia, Kuwait, Cambodia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nepal

☆ Iran will pursue rights over Durra gas field if other parties shun cooperation -report
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

DUBAI, July 30 (Reuters) - Iran will pursue its rights over the Durra/Arash field if other parties shun cooperation, the country's Oil Minister Javad Owji said on Sunday, according to the Oil Ministry's SHANA news agency. "If there is no willingness to cooperate, Iran will pursue its rights and benefits, including the exploitation and exploration of the Arash gas field, and will not tolerate any violation of its rights," Owji said. Kuwait oil minister Saad Al Barrak told SkyNews Arabia on Thursday that his country will start drilling and begin production at the Durra gas field without waiting for border demarcation with Iran. Reporting by Dubai Newsroom Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Arash, Javad Owji, SHANA, Owji, Saad Al Barrak, SkyNews, Bernadette Baum Organizations: country's Oil, Dubai, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Iran, Kuwait, SkyNews Arabia

☆ 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

☆ India now has AI news anchors. I tuned in and within the first 5 minutes, it's clear that news presenters are in serious trouble.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Even so, I feel news presenters should now be very worried about their job security. AI-generated anchors presented the news in India for the first time in April, the South China Morning Post reported. One of them, named Lisa, is now a news presenter on Odisha TV, a local station broadcasting in eastern India. Today, Lisa joins the legion of other AI-generated presenters employed by newsrooms in Indonesia, Taiwan, Kuwait, Malaysia, and China. Odisha TV's managing director, Jagi Mangat Panda, told the South China Morning Post, "Lisa is going to be a great partner.

Persons: Lisa, isn't, Odisha TV's, Jagi Organizations: China Morning Post, Twitter, newsrooms, South China Morning Locations: India, Indonesia, Taiwan, Kuwait, Malaysia, China

☆ South Florida ocean temperature tops 101 degrees Fahrenheit, potentially a record
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Fish swim around a coral reef in Key West, Florida on July 14, 2023. A buoy in Manatee Bay, Florida, showed an ocean temperature reading of over 101 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday night, the latest sign of record heat in the coastal waters. The existing record for the hottest ocean surface temperature is 99.7, which was reached in Kuwait Bay in the Persian Gulf. "These buoys that are inside Florida Bay — so that's to the north of the Florida Keys and to the South Florida peninsula — they're all in very shallow, murky, dark water," Berardelli told CNBC. "Because it's murky, and because it's contaminated with sediment, the water temperatures are reflective of the fact that darker surfaces absorb more heat."

Persons: Jeff Berardelli, Berardelli Organizations: Data, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Florida WFLA, Florida, CNBC Locations: Key West , Florida, Martin County , Florida, Manatee Bay , Florida, Kuwait Bay, Persian, Florida, South Florida

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