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KUWAIT, June 6 (Reuters) - Kuwait on Tuesday holds its second legislative election in nine months in a bid to resolve a grinding political crisis that has seen parliament repeatedly dissolved and reinstated, hindering economic reforms. Kuwait's last election was in September 2022, when opposition candidates made gains and which was called to replace the 2020 parliament which had been dissolved in a bid to end political bickering. The 2022 vote was nullified in March and parliament was reinstated under its 2020 composition. Frequent political deadlock in Kuwait, the Gulf region's oldest and most lively legislature, has for decades led to cabinet reshuffles and parliament dissolutions. "In terms of moving past this political impasse, political reform is often discussed, but there is little agreement about what type of reform would be best" Freer said.

Persons: state's, reshuffles, Courtney Freer, Freer, Lisa Barrington, Ahmed Hagagy, Bernadette Baum Organizations: National Assembly, Emory University, Monetary Fund, Debt, Thomson Locations: KUWAIT, Kuwait, dissolutions

Carbon accounting will be in focus at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai this year as countries assess progress against climate goals agreed in Paris in 2015, and de Klerk said it was crucial military emissions were included. "Emissions of conflicts and military emissions are often overlooked," he told Reuters. The report - Climate Damage Caused By Russia's War in Ukraine - was funded by the European Climate Foundation and the Environmental Policy and Advocacy Initiative in Ukraine. HARD TO DECIPHERUkraine's Ministry of Environmental Protection said it was important to initiate discussions about the impact of conflicts on the climate. Government reporting of military and conflict emissions to the United Nations is notoriously hard to decipher.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko LONDON, Lennard, Klerk, it's, de Klerk, James Appathurai, of Environmental Protection, Bremer, Sarah McFarlane, Valerie Volcovici, Richard Valdmanis, David Clarke Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, European Climate Foundation, Environmental, Initiative, Environment Observatory, of Environmental, United Nations, Brown University, International Institute for Applied Systems, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Shakhtarsk, Donetsk, Russian, Bonn, Belgium, Europe, Hungary, Dubai, Paris, U.S, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Britain

☆ Opinion | Fareed Zakaria on Where Russia’s War in Ukraine Stands — and Much More
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +96 min

Obviously, the line is not perfect, but I think that’s a very sensible line. And I don’t think that’s all about absorption capability. But I don’t think it’s fair to say that the Russians have done everything they can. fareed zakaria[LAUGHS] And by the way, I think that’s some key to understanding the alliance is a personal one. I think India, Israel, and Poland — usually, in the 70 percent-plus say they like — have a favorable view of America.

Persons: ezra klein, it’s, Fareed Zakaria, Zakaria, “ Fareed Zakaria, fareed zakaria, Ezra, Putin, They’ve, there’s, fareed zakaria It’s, they’re, It’s, Fidel Castro, Sean Penn, haven’t, you’re, won’t, Biden, They’re, Washington, Winston Churchill, Merkel, wouldn’t, —, Nancy Gibbs, Khomeini, Macron, Ron DeSantis, YouGov, fareed zakaria I’m, that’s, DeSantis, Lindsey Grahams, Mitch McConnell, Xi Jinping, ezra klein Yes, Xi, Gorbachev, Zelensky, Trump, Obama, Bush, United States —, McCarthy’s, I’ve, they’d, doesn’t, didn’t, ezra klein They’re, fareed zakaria They’re, we’ve, Simpson, I’m, Janet Yellen, Colin Powell, unquote, That’s, Jonathan Haidt, We’ve, he’s, fareed zakaria That’s, they’ve, fareed zakaria Well, gee, TikTok, we’re, George Kennan, Mike Gallagher, klein, Nirupama Rao, Bob Kagan, can’t, — fareed zakaria, Lord Mountbatten, Gandhi, Franklin Roosevelt, Ho Chi Minh, fareed zakaria Right, narratively —, Modi, you’ve, China’s —, fareed zakaria Modi, India’s, Advani, Vajpayee, you’d, There’s, India, Joe Biden, fareed zakaria I’ve, Benedict Anderson’s “, Orville Schell, John Delury, Sunil Khilnani, ezra klein Fareed Zakaria Organizations: CNN, The Washington Post, Putin, Starbucks, Russia, Revolutionary Guard, NATO, Ukrainian, Communist, European Union, U.S, Republican Party’s, Republican Party, Republicans, ASEAN, Trump, Defense, United, U.S ., Democrats, Chinese Communist Party, State, Facebook, Google, Soviet Union, Huawei, Twitter, South China Seas, Foreign Affairs, Yale Law, International Criminal, South China, . Security, Trade Organization, Pax Americana, Americana, New York Fed, America, Republican, Fox, Beijing Locations: ezra klein Russia, Ukraine, Russia, America, Europe, China, India, Russian, United States, Relatedly, Japan, Turkey, Holland, South Korea, Singapore, Iran, Venezuela, Central America, Southeast Asia, Washington, Britain, ‘, U.S, United Europe, Germany, Soviet Union, Vietnam, Beijing, Trump, Asia, Iraq, Hainan, Montana, Republic, Soviet, weirdly, South, Taiwan, Pakistan, New Delhi, South Africa, Kuwait, Russia’s, Eden, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Kashmir, it’s, Cuba, Pax, American, Mumbai, Shanghai, Israel, Poland, Indian, Nigeria

☆ Mexico's Pemex positioned to meet 2023 debt obligations, govt to help if needed -official
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Anthony Esposito | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, May 31 (Reuters) - Mexican state oil firm Pemex is in a position to meet its remaining 2023 debt obligations and is looking at refinancing strategies for next year, said Deputy Finance Minister Gabriel Yorio, who added the government could also help if needed. Pemex had financial debt of $107.4 billion at the end of the first quarter, according to company data. Mexico, a popular travel destination, ranks in the top 10 globally in terms of international tourists and business generated through tourism. They're making big investments in infrastructure," said Yorio, adding that Mexican hoteliers were eyeing investments there. "Mexico is looking to diversify the markets where we buy fertilizer because 60% of the fertilizer imports used to come from Russia before the conflict," Yorio said.

Persons: Gabriel Yorio, Yorio, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Pemex, Anthony Esposito, Jamie Freed Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Reuters, NATIONS, United Arab, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Gulf, Mexican, Pemex, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Exclusive: Mexico mulls benefits of Banamex purchase, eyes synergies with state bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Anthony Esposito | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. lender Citigroup scrapped its sale of the Banamex unit last week and said it will instead list it, a surprise move coming amid talks to sell the business to Mexican billionaire German Larrea's conglomerate Grupo Mexico (GMEXICOB.MX). "The Finance Minister has asked us to evaluate the different scenarios in which it might be beneficial for Mexico to acquire the bank," Deputy Finance Minister Gabriel Yorio told Reuters. After Citi announced its IPO plans, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the government could acquire up to half of Banamex. Before Citi's u-turn, banking sources said Grupo Mexico had been eyeing the unit for around $7 billion. "Banamex, in fact, has had a significant deterioration in its payment systems, precisely because it was in this sale process," he said.

Persons: Gabriel Yorio, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Yorio, Lopez Obrador, Banamex, Anthony Esposito, Valentine Hilaire, Dave Graham, Mark Porter, Diane Craft Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Citigroup Inc's, Banco, U.S, Citigroup, Grupo Mexico, Finance, Reuters, United, Citi, Welfare Bank, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexico, German, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, expropriate

☆ Oil prices sink below $70 on debt ceiling jitters, Russia-Saudi tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —US oil prices dropped below $70 a barrel Tuesday on concerns about whether the debt ceiling deal will make it through Congress and on reports of tensions between Saudi Arabia and Russia ahead of a key OPEC+ meeting. The selloff marks one of the worst days of the year for the oil market and could help keep a lid on pump prices. “It’s not a layup that the debt deal is going to get done. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned the government will not have enough funds to meet all of the nation’s obligations if Congress does not address the debt ceiling by June 5. Meanwhile, there are new questions about the relationship between OPEC leader Saudi Arabia and Russia ahead of this weekend’s meeting of oil producers in Vienna.

☆ Russia adapted to the game-changing HIMARS, but Ukraine's new Storm Shadow missiles could put the fear back into its commanders, warfare experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Experts say Russian commanders are now facing logistical headaches and a renewed sense of fear. Warfare experts say Storm Shadow missiles could spark new logistical headaches for Russia, giving Kyiv a massive capability to put the fear back into Moscow's commanders who thought they were safe and out of reach. With an operational range of 155 miles, Storm Shadow will more than triple the distance for Ukraine's long-range strike capabilities. "So the more that these Russian commanders are exposed to Ukrainian fires, I expect their survivability to decrease," Barros said. "Employed well, in conjunction with psychological operations and other capabilities, Storm Shadow offers myriad opportunities to cognitively attack the enemy," he said.

☆ Singapore's Whampoa Group to set up digital bank HQ in Bahrain
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, May 18 (Reuters) - Singapore's Whampoa Group, an investment firm with stakes in global tech firms, will set up the headquarters of its new digital bank in Bahrain, the Gulf state's Economic Development Board (EDB) said on Thursday. The bank aims to launch at the end of this year, the EDB said. The island state has been actively trying to expand its fintech and finance industry to diversify and strengthen its non-oil economy. "We were impressed by Bahrain's solid reputation in the financial services sector, transparent regulatory framework, and ongoing pledge to collaborate and innovate," Whampoa Group CEO Shawn Chan said. Writing by Lisa Barrington; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Can Ukraine use Patriot defense systems to knock out Russian hypersonic missiles?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Here is what you need to know about the Patriot:WHAT IS THE PATRIOT MISSILE SYSTEM? CAN PATRIOTS KNOCK OUT HYPERSONIC MISSILES? Ukraine has said it needs more air defense systems to protect against the barrage of missile and drones strikes from Russian forces. The United States has also provided a pair of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) to Ukraine. Raytheon has built more 240 Patriot systems and they are currently used by 18 countries, including the United States.

☆ Syria's Assad to steal spotlight at Arab summit after years in the cold
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Aziz El Yaakoubi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Saudi Arabia, Qatar and others for years supported anti-Assad rebels. While Arab countries appear to have brought Assad in from the cold, they are still demanding that he curbs Syria's flourishing drugs trade and that war refugees can return. His return to the Arab League is likely to revive questions over his human rights record. Government forces have used chemical weapons more than two dozen times during Syria’s civil war, U.N. war crimes investigators said. The Syrian crisis and other regional conflicts including Yemen and Libya, pose further challenges for the Arab League, which is often undermined by internal divisions.

The country is planning to purchase Russian crude oil at a discount as high prices caused by geopolitical tensions have caused fuel prices to more than double in Pakistan. Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL) will initially refine the Russian crude in a trial run, followed by Pak-Arab Refinery Limited (PARCO) and other refineries later. Pakistan is undertaking several measures, including raising fuel prices, to unlock a $1.1 billion tranche of aid from the International Monetary Fund. Fuel prices have jumped 143 rupees ($0.5046), or nearly 100%, in the last 12 months. Fuels including diesel became more expensive globally after Russia invaded Ukraine, which resulted in Western nations that consume large quantities of diesel imposing sanctions on Russian oil.

BANGKOK, May 8 (Reuters) - Japanese carmaker Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) has stopped sales and deliveries of its Yaris Ativ in Thailand, senior officials said on Monday, after its affiliate Daihatsu rigged part of the door in side-collision safety tests. Toyota was working with the Thai government to resume sales of the model, which has been produced in Toyota's Gateway plant in Chachoengsao province, and further investigation was underway. "If development had been carried out under appropriate conditions, this kind of problem would of course not have happened," Maeda said. Daihatsu has said that some 76,000 of those vehicles were Yaris Ativs mainly bound for Thailand, Mexico and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Toyota President Koji Sato, who took over the top job from Toyoda on April 1, was not at the press conference.

☆ Kuwait sets June 6 date for legislative elections, state news agency reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KUWAIT, May 3 (Reuters) - Kuwait on Wednesday set June 6 as the date for its legislative elections, state news agency Kuna reported, two days after the Gulf state's parliament was dissolved by royal decree. The parliament was only reinstated in March based on a Constitutional Court ruling following a previous dissolution. The OPEC member has seen prolonged bickering between the government and the elected parliament that has hampered fiscal reforms. The June 6 date was agreed by the council of ministers on Wednesday and referred to Kuwait's Crown Prince, Kuna reported. Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah had said last month the legislature would be dissolved and new parliamentary elections would be held in the coming months.

☆ Arab ministers discuss how to normalise ties with Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

AMMAN, May 1 (Reuters) - A group of Arab foreign ministers held a landmark meeting with their Syrian counterpart in Jordan on Monday to discuss how to normalise ties with Syria as part of a political settlement of the country's more than decade-old conflict, officials said. Jordan has called on Syria to engage with Arab states jointly on a step-by-step roadmap to end the conflict, tackling the issues of refugees, detainees, drug smuggling and Iran-backed militias in Syria - all of which affect its neighbours. Amman has been fighting armed groups smuggling narcotics from Syria, including the highly-addictive amphetamine captagon. Arab states and those most impacted by the conflict are trying to reach consensus on whether to invite Assad to the Arab League summit on May 19 in Riyadh, to discuss the pace of normalising ties with Assad and on what terms Syria could be allowed back. Washington, which said it would not change its policy towards the Syrian government which it terms a "rogue" state, has urged Arab states to get something in return for engaging with Assad.

☆ Kuwait again dissolves reinstated parliament by decree
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, May 1 (Reuters) - Kuwait's parliament was dissolved by royal decree on Monday, state news agency KUNA said, having only been reinstated in March based on a Constitutional Court ruling after a previous dissolution. The Gulf Arab state, an OPEC member, has seen prolonged bickering between the government and the elected parliament that has hampered fiscal reforms. Sheikh Meshal, who signed Monday's Emiri decree, was handed most of the duties of the ruling emir, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, in late 2021. The cabinet had submitted the decree to Sheikh Meshal earlier in the day, according to a previous statement by KUNA. Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf al-Sabah, the emir's son, had in January submitted his government's resignation due to friction with the parliament elected in 2020.

☆ Jordan to host talks on Syria's return to Arab League
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary Meeting brings Syrian FM together with group of Arab statesJordan seeks an Arab-led peace road mapAMMAN, April 30 (Reuters) - Jordan will host a meeting of Arab foreign ministers and Syria's top diplomat on Monday to discuss Syria's return to the Arab League as part of a broader political settlement of Syria's more than decade-old conflict, officials said. The meeting comes two weeks after talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia between the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as Egypt, Jordan and Iraq, failed to reach agreement on Syria's possible return to the Arab fold. Arab states and those most affected by the conflict are trying to reach consensus on whether to invite Assad to the Arab League summit on May 19 in Riyadh, to discuss the pace of normalising ties with Assad and on what terms Syria could be allowed back. Officials said the Jordanian initiative calls on Damascus to engage with Arab governments collectively on a step-by-step road map to end the conflict. At the Jeddah meeting there was resistance to the move to invite Assad to the Arab League summit, with Qatar, Jordan and Kuwait saying it was premature before Damascus accepts to negotiate a peace plan.

☆ Toyota-affiliate Daihatsu rigged safety test for 88,000 cars
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Toyota said it had not received any report of an accident or injury related to the rigged side-crash test. Daihatsu said it had discovered the rigged safety test after a whistleblower report. It said it had reported the issue to safety regulatory agencies and stopped shipment of affected models. The affected models include Toyota Yaris Ativs made in Thailand from last August, and Perodua Axias manufactured in Malaysia starting from February. Daihatsu said it would run new safety tests in the presence of regulators and confirm the safety of the models before resuming shipments.

☆ Iran seizes oil tanker in Gulf, U.S. Navy says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/4] Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker Advantage Sweet, which, according to Refinitiv ship tracking data, is a Suezmax crude tanker which had been chartered by oil major Chevron and had last docked in Kuwait, sails at Marmara sea near Istanbul, Turkey January 10, 2023. Iran's army said it had seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman after it collided with an Iranian boat, injuring several crewmen, Iranian state media reported. The vessel's destination was listed as the U.S. Gulf of Mexico port of Houston, ship tracking data showed. Iran last November released two Greek-flagged tankers it seized in the Gulf in May in response to the confiscation of oil by the United States from an Iranian-flagged tanker off the Greek coast. The U.S. Navy, whose Fifth Fleet is based at the Gulf island state of Bahrain, called on Iran to immediately release the tanker.

☆ Americans trying to flee Sudan are hiring private security companies to get out of the civil war zone after the US said no military evacuation is coming
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Hannah Getahun | Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Private security contractors are being hired to evacuate Americans and other foreign nationals from Sudan. As a result, some citizens have taken it upon themselves to hire private security, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. Private security for hireDale Buckner, CEO of private security firm Global Guardian, told WSJ the company's staff has escorted dozens of expatriates to neighboring countries — sometimes dodging gunfire, artillery, and mortar fire. "Our rescue teams have to navigate dozens of checkpoints in an active war zone," Buckner told WSJ. "It is not our standard procedure to evacuate American citizens living abroad," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Friday.

☆ Latest status on foreign states' Sudan evacuation efforts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Several evacuation efforts appear to be via Port Sudan on the Red Sea, which is directly located about 650 km (400 miles) northeast of Khartoum, but is about 800 km (500 miles) by road. SAUDI ARABIA AND KUWAITSaudi Arabia on Saturday pulled 91 Saudis and about 66 people from other countries out from Port Sudan by naval ship to Jeddah, across the Red Sea. QATARSudan's army accused the RSF of attacking and looting a Qatari embassy convoy heading to Port Sudan. OTHER COUNTRIESJordan said it had begun evacuating about 300 of its nationals from Port Sudan on Saturday. Sweden has given the government permission to deploy forces to help evacuate embassy staff and families.

☆ Where to watch the London Marathon live stream for free from anywhere in the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Brendan Griffiths | Senior Commerce Director | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Wherever you are in the world, we can show you where to watch the London Marathon live stream for free. Where to watch the London Marathon (US)US viewers getting up early to watch the London Marathon online are looking at one of the most expensive routes to tune in via the local option. It's the best way to tune into the free London Marathon live stream showing in the UK wherever you are in the world. ET / 8:30 a.m. BST / 9:30 p.m. CETDo any other countries have a free London Marathon live stream? Full London Marathon scheduleHere are the times for each race in the 2023 London Marathon on April 23.

ORLANDO, Florida, April 14 (Reuters) - Engineering a soft landing is hard. Blinder posits that the soft landing parameters of avoiding recession completely are too narrow. "To achieve another soft landing under these circumstances, the Fed will have to be skillful indeed," Blinder concludes. The Fed cut rates five months later and the rest is soft landing history. Of these 70 episodes, 41 ended with a hard landing and 29 with a soft landing.

☆ Analysis: No China, no deal: Bid to break sovereign debt logjams gets weary thumbs up
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Libgeorge Marc Jones | Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

LONDON, April 13 (Reuters) - The latest bid by the world's leading institutions and creditors to speed up debt restructurings and get bankrupt countries back on their feet has been greeted by a mix of cautious optimism and weary scepticism by veteran crisis watchers. The somewhat loose framework around sovereign restructurings has seen Beijing seek to influence the traditional rules of engagement in these processes. The Common Framework platform introduced by leading G20 nations in 2020 aimed to bring all creditors, including China, together and streamline negotiations. Anna Ashton, director of China research at Eurasia Group, said this week’s developments underscored the benefits for China to give some ground on some of its concerns. "China is a difficult partner to talk to but we need China at the table for the solution of debt problems, because otherwise we won't see any progress," Lindner said.

☆ No China, no deal: Bid to break sovereign debt logjams gets weary thumbs up
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Libgeorge Marc Jones | Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

☆ Read Your Way Through Kerala, India
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Abraham Verghese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Read Your Way Around the World is a series exploring the globe through books. If you arrive in Kerala from elsewhere in India, you’ll feel as though you’ve landed in a different country — “God’s own country,” as Keralites like to say. Not surprisingly, the Gulf has shaped Kerala’s culture and literature. The territory sits between the Indian Ocean and the Western Ghats, the mountain range that runs parallel to the coast. I think it’s responsible for the fluid facial movements that allow Malayalis to convey volumes without uttering a word.

Persons: you’ve Locations: Kerala, India, Sri Lanka, Goa, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Persia, Ghats

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