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☆ Crespo set to take charge at UAE club Al Ain
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 13 (Reuters) - Al Ain-bound Argentine coach Hernan Crespo will arrive on Monday to formally sign his contract, the UAE club said. Crespo will succeed Dutch coach Alfred Schreuder who parted ways with Al Ain last week after just six months in charge following media reports he would be moving to Saudi Arabia. Al Ain made the announcement on social media platform X with a video clip reviewing Crespo's career as a player and coach. Al Ain signed 51-year-old Schroeder last May after the departure of coach Sergei Rebrov, but media have linked the Dutch coach with Saudi champions Al-Ittihad, who have sacked Portuguese coach Nuno Espirito Santo. Al Ain are third in the UAE Pro League with 15 points after seven games.

Persons: Al, Hernan Crespo, Crespo, Alfred Schreuder, Al Ain, Duhail, Paris St Germain, Christophe Galtier, Schroeder, Sergei Rebrov, Nuno Espirito, Al Wasl, Saudi Arabia's, Ashraf Hamed Atta, Ken ferris Organizations: Argetina, Parma, Lazio, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Qatari, Al, Paris St, Saudi, Nuno Espirito Santo, UAE Pro League, Asian Champions League, Thomson Locations: Al Ain, Argentine, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Ittihad, Portuguese, Al

☆ Fact Check: Image of Barack Obama bowing to Ayatollah Khamenei is fake
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Two separate photographs of former U.S. President Barack Obama and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were digitally combined into a single image to make it appear as if Obama was bowing before Khamenei. It was captured by AFP photographer Atta Kenare and shows Khamenei looking toward Ahmadinejad while former Iranian presidents, Mohammad Khatami and Ali Akbar Hashami Rafsanjani, are seen sitting next to Khamenei. The image of Obama bowing has been taken from an official White House photograph from May 8, 2009. Years later, Obama reconnected with the boy and posted a video about the encounter on Instagram (archived) on May 27, 2022. The image of Obama bowing to Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei is edited to combine two unrelated photographs.

Persons: Barack Obama, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Obama, Khamenei, ”, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Atta Kenare, Ahmadinejad, Mohammad Khatami, Ali Akbar Hashami Rafsanjani, Jacob Philadelphia, Read Organizations: Iran's, Twitter, Facebook, AFP, White House, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Iran’s, Tehran

☆ How Morgan Stanley exec Ted Pick rose from 'rough edged' deal junkie to CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

Editor's note: Morgan Stanley announced on October 25 that Ted Pick would replace James Gorman as CEO. Employees knew they were getting promoted if Pick told them to wear a tie the following day, an ex-managing director recalled. While Morgan Stanley currently trades at a premium among its Wall Street peers, its enviable success isn't thanks to Pick. Gonzalo Marroquin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images Show less Morgan Stanley investment management head and dark horse in the race for CEO, Dan Simkowitz. Despite enjoying the stock price gains under Gorman's reign, plenty of longtime employees want another dyed-in-the-wool Morgan Stanley loyalist, according to a former senior executive.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Ted Pick, James Gorman, Pick, Gucci loafers, Blackstone, Tony James, Morgan, Gorman, Andy Saperstein, Dan Simkowitz, John Mack, Ted, James, Phil Purcell, Mack, Purcell, Merrill Lynch, Paul Taubman, Colm Kelleher, coheads, Gonzalo Marroquin, Patrick McMullan, Saperstein, Euromoney, Parker Gilbert, He's, John, cohead, Bolu, Goldman Sachs, Pablo, tony, Betsey Kittenplan, Smith Barney, James cochairs, Jim Breyer, Anna Wintour, John Mack pranking Pick, John Waldron, I'm, Howard Marks, Bill Parcells, atta, Brian Moynihan, aren't, David Solomon, Jamie Dimon's, Eaton Vance, he's, you've, Richard Drew, —, Hayley Cuccinello Organizations: Employees, Archegos Capital Management, Blackstone, McKinsey, Getty, Middlebury College, China Construction Bank, Harvard Business School, Mitsubishi, Wall, Autonomous Research, Anguilla, Agricultural Bank of China, Capital Management, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Vogue, New York Rangers, Oaktree Capital Management, Bloomberg, Staten, Disney, JPMorgan, Trade, AP Locations: China, Beijing, Manhattan, New York City, Caracas, Venezuela, Brookville, tony Long, hcuccinello@insider.com

☆ Gaza Displaced Show Signs of Disease From Crowding, Poor Sanitation - Doctors
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By Nidal al-MughrabiGAZA (Reuters) - Doctors in Gaza say patients arriving at hospitals are showing signs of disease caused by overcrowding and poor sanitation after more than 1.4 million people fled their homes for temporary shelters under Israel's heaviest-ever bombardment. With all hospitals running out of fuel to power their generators, doctors have warned that critical equipment, like incubators for newborns, risk stopping. The World Health Organization warned that a third of Gaza hospitals were not operating. The only other hospital that had still been serving patients in northern Gaza, Beit Hanoun Hospital, stopped operations because of the intense bombardment of the town, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. "If the hospital doesn't get fuel, this is going to be a death sentence against the patients in northern Gaza," said Atef al-Kahlout, the hospital's director.

Persons: Nidal, Abu Taaema, Khan Younis, Rick Brennan, Sojood Najm, Abdallah Abu al, Israel, Nidal al, Angus McDowall, Janet Lawrence Organizations: Nasser Hospital, Hamas, Ministry, World Health Organization, Indonesian Hospital, Intensive Care Unit, Hospital, Palestinian Health Ministry Locations: GAZA, Gaza, Khan, Israel, Beit, Gaza City, Atta

☆ China's quiet campaign to win over Middle Eastern countries has run into a problem Beijing isn't really ready to deal with
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Until recently, 2023 looked to be a major year for Chinese outreach in the Middle East. Until this month, 2023 looked to be a landmark year for China's outreach to the Middle East. Zhai, China's Middle East envoy, began a tour of the region last week, stopping in Qatar first on October 19. "It's the kind of role we've played for the last half-century in the Middle East. Paul Iddon is a freelance journalist and columnist who writes about Middle East developments, military affairs, politics, and history.

Persons: —, Xi Jinping, Bashar Assad, Benjamin Netanyahu, Kim Kyung, Yoav Gallant, Ariel Hermoni, Zhai Jun, Wang Yi, Chuck Schumer, Xi, Nicholas Burns, Burns, Michael Singh, Abraham, Singh, Mahmud Abbas, Jade Gao, Alexus Grynkewich, Grynkewich, Abu Dhabi, ATTA KENARE, it's, Zhai, we've, Paul Iddon Organizations: Service, Initiative, Israeli, REUTERS, Saudi, UAE, Israeli Defense Ministry, Getty Images, Washington, The Washington Institute, White House, Israel, US Air Forces, Defense Writers, Huawei, Getty Locations: East, Beijing, Israel, China, Iran, Syria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Gaza, Anadolu, Getty Images Beijing, Saudi, Egypt, UAE, Jordan, Iraq, Abu, AFP, Qatar, Palestine

The Palestinian Red Crescent logistics head in Gaza, Mahmoud Abu al-Atta, said truckloads of aid had been handed to specific agencies including UNICEF and the Qatari Red Crescent. Mohammad Maher, 40, who has fled to the south from Gaza City in the north, said: "We don't want food or money. Palestinians gather around the remains of a mosque destroyed in Israeli strikes, as the conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas continues, in the northern Gaza Strip October 22, 2023. REUTERS/Anas al-Shareef Acquire Licensing Rights"Whoever chooses not to leave north Gaza to the south of Wadi Gaza might be identified as an accomplice in a terrorist organisation," the leaflets said. In Jabalia refugee camp, in the north of the enclave, Israeli air strikes destroyed two mosques - among 30 that local authorities say the bombardment has smashed in two weeks.

Persons: Mahmoud Abu al, Atta, Mohammad Maher, Israel, Anas, Khan Younis, Ashraf al, Younis, Shady, Nidal al, Angus McDowall, Nick Macfie Organizations: Gaza, Palestinian, Crescent, UNICEF, Qatari Red Crescent, Hamas, REUTERS, Shifa, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Gaza, GAZA, Rafah, Mahmoud, Gaza City, United States, Israel, Palestinian, Wadi Gaza

☆ Braves look to bounce back, even series with Phillies
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Field Level Media | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

After winning a league-best 104 games in the regular season, the Braves find themselves on the precipice of elimination in the National League Division Series at the hands of the Phillies, in Philadelphia. The Braves must win Game 4 on Thursday night to bring the best-of-five series back to Atlanta for a winner-take-all showdown on Saturday. The hype around "Red October" in Philadelphia is back after the Phillies overcame a difficult loss in Game 2. Turns out, that was just what the Phillies needed as the series shifted home. Strider allowed a Harper home run in Game 1, a 3-0 Phillies win.

Persons: They'll, NL Cy Young, Spencer Strider, Ranger Suarez, Max Fried, Brian Snitker, Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos, Castellanos, Bryce, there's, Harper, Orlando Arcia, Atta, Arcia, wasn't, Brandon Marsh, Strider, Suarez, Adam Zielonka Organizations: Atlanta Braves, Braves, National League, Phillies, NL Cy, Atlanta, NBC Sports Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Thomson Locations: PHILADELPHIA, Philadelphia, Atlanta

The most valuable of all the Phillies, Harper insisted he was fine. Harper hit two homers in Game 3 and stared down Arcia each time as he trotted around second base. After Game 4, the Phillies had their fun, spraying Harper with beer and gleefully yelling, “Attaboy, Harper! A night after he hit two homers in Game 3, Castellanos became the first Phillies slugger, heck, any slugger in baseball history, to drill multiple homers in consecutive playoff games. Castellanos continued to wave his arms toward the crowd as he headed to right field in the seventh with the Phillies up 3-1.

Persons: — Bryce, —, Harper, “ Atta Boy Harper, ”, Nick Castellanos, “, ” Harper, “ We’ve, Matt Strahm, Vaughn Grissom, Matt Olson, Olson's, Trea Turner, Orlando Arcia, attaboy, “ Attaboy, ” Castellanos, Johan Rojas, Ronald Acuña Jr, Brian Snitker, Castellanos, Spencer Strider, Strider, Rob Thomson, Suárez, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Sean Murphy, Austin Riley, Castellanos socked, Liam, ” Turner, Philadelphia —, ___ Organizations: PHILADELPHIA, Philadelphia Phillies, Phillies, Atlanta Braves, Bank, National League, Arizona Diamondbacks, Braves, Harper, NL East, Philadelphia, ” Braves, Orioles, Dodgers, Brewers, Citizens Bank, Thomson Locations: Philadelphia, Atlanta

But if you are a believer in momentum heading into Game 3 Wednesday, then the Braves just might be the team to beat. The Phillies said all the right things in the clubhouse after Game 2. Thomson and Game 3 starter Aaron Nola said vibes were good in Philly, especially with a needed day off to regroup. Nola gave up five hits, walked two and struck out six in six-plus innings against the Braves in a Game 3 NLDS win last season. So we just got to take it game by game.

Persons: —, Zack Wheeler, Travis d’Arnaud’s, Bryce Harper’s baserunning, Fred Merkle, Michael Harris II, Austin Riley, Trea, Rob Thomson’s, Nick Castellanos, Thomson, Aaron Nola, ” Thomson, “, Brian Snitker, you’ve, A.J, Minter, there’s, they’re, ” Nola, Nola, “ It’s, Orlando Arcia cackled, Arcia, atta, Harper, ” ___ Organizations: PHILADELPHIA, Phillies, Philadelphia, National, Braves, Citizens Bank, The Phillies, Atlanta, Games, ” Braves, Marlins, NL, Fox, MLB Locations: Atlanta, Philly

☆ Seven World Cup stadiums to be used for Asian Cup in Qatar
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Hassan Rabea Al Kuwari, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications at the Local Organising Committee for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, and Abdulaziz Al-Mawlawi, Qatar Tourism Chief Marketing Officer, sit alongside the moderator at a press conference organised by the Local Organising... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreOct 9 (Reuters) - The upcoming Asian Cup in Qatar will be held across nine stadiums, including seven venues that were used for last year's World Cup, the local organising committee said on Monday. The tournament runs from Jan. 12 to Feb. 20. with the opening match and the final to be held at Lusail Stadium – the 88,966-seat venue that hosted the World Cup final. The seven World Cup venues are the Lusail, Al Bayt, Khalifa International, Al Janoub, Ahmad bin Ali, Al Thumama and Education City stadiums. Two other venues, the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium and Abdulla bin Khalifa Stadium, will also be used. Hosts Qatar are the defending champions, having won the title in 2019 after an impressive unbeaten run.

Persons: Hassan Rabea Al Kuwari, Abdulaziz Al, Hassan Al Kuwari, Al Bayt, Al Janoub, Ahmad bin Ali, Al Thumama, Abdulla, Ashraf Hamed Atta, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Marketing, Communications, Local, AFC Asian, Qatar, Qatar Tourism, Khalifa International, Education City, Thomson Locations: Mawlawi, Qatar, Asia, Jan, Al, China, Tajikistan, Lebanon, Cairo

Quetta, Pakistan CNN —At least 52 people were killed and dozens more wounded in what authorities believe was a suicide attack at a religious procession in southwest Pakistan Friday. Local police told CNN two explosions had occurred at the mosque in Hangu, causing its roof to collapse and potentially trapping worshipers inside. People gather outside the Mastung hospital, following the deadly attack, on September 29, 2023. One of the attackers then detonated an explosive close to the mosque’s entrance, while the other detonated one inside the building, local police officer Saaleh Muhammad told CNN. Muhammad told CNN that while most worshipers fled during the shootings, some had remained inside as the mosque’s roof collapsed.

Persons: Prophet Mohammed, Jan Achakzai, Shaheed Nawab Ghous Bakhsh, Atta Ul Munim, Abdul Rasheed, Ul Munim, Achakzai, Anwar, Haq Kakar, Arshad Butt, Saaleh Muhammad, Muhammad Organizations: Pakistan CNN —, CNN, Local, Reuters, ” Police Locations: Quetta, Pakistan, Mastung, restive Balochistan, Balochistan, Pakistan’s, Peshawar City, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Hangu, Karachi

☆ Saudi Arabia announces crucial step forward in its nascent nuclear power plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The announcement put the spotlight on the kingdom's nascent nuclear energy efforts — Saudi Arabia has a small nuclear reactor, a research unit set up with the help of Argentina, that it has not yet put into operation. The Saudi energy minister did not comment on whether his country would also join the IAEA's Additional Protocol, which requires more thorough oversight including snap inspections. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a recent wide-ranging interview with Fox News that if Iran developed nuclear weapons, Saudi Arabia would too. U.S. assistance with a nuclear energy program is one of Saudi Arabia's key demands — but not everyone is happy about that. The multilateral Obama-era deal had allowed the lifting of economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs to its nuclear program.

Persons: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Al, Mandel Ngan, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, Rafael Grossi, Thomas Kronsteiner, Grossi, Saud, Prince Abdulaziz's, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Mohammed bin Salman's, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Evelyn Hockstein, Yair Lapid, Donald Trump, ATTA KENARE Organizations: Saudi, Crown, AFP, Getty Images, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Saudi Energy, Governors, CSA, United, Fox News, CBS, West, Saudi Arabian Crown, Indian, Biden, Obama, Iranian, Getty Locations: Royal, Saudi, Jeddah, Getty Images Saudi Arabia, Vienna, Austria, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Russia, Ukraine, China, New Delhi, India, Riyadh, Washington, Israel, Tehran, Bushehr

☆ Meet Ted Pick, the hard-charging 'deal junkie' who rose to the top at Morgan Stanley the old-fashioned way — and looks poised to succeed James Gorman as CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

Employees knew they were getting promoted if Pick told them to wear a tie the following day, an ex-managing director recalled. While Morgan Stanley currently trades at a premium among its Wall Street peers, its enviable success isn't thanks to Pick. Succession has traditionally been a bloody sport on Wall Street, and Morgan Stanley is no exception. Gonzalo Marroquin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images Show less Morgan Stanley investment management head and dark horse in the race for CEO, Dan Simkowitz. Despite enjoying the stock price gains under Gorman's reign, plenty of longtime employees want another dyed-in-the-wool Morgan Stanley loyalist, according to a former senior executive.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Ted Pick, Pick, Gucci loafers, Blackstone, Tony James, Morgan, James Gorman, Gorman, Andy Saperstein, Dan Simkowitz, John Mack, Ted, James, Phil Purcell, Mack, Purcell, Merrill Lynch, Paul Taubman, Colm Kelleher, coheads, Gonzalo Marroquin, Patrick McMullan, Saperstein, Euromoney, Parker Gilbert, He's, John, cohead, Bolu, Goldman Sachs, Pablo, tony, Betsey Kittenplan, Smith Barney, James cochairs, Jim Breyer, Anna Wintour, John Mack pranking Pick, John Waldron, Goldman, I'm, Howard Marks, Bill Parcells, atta, Brian Moynihan, aren't, David Solomon, Jamie Dimon's, Eaton Vance, he's, you've, Richard Drew, — Organizations: Employees, Archegos Capital Management, Blackstone, McKinsey, Getty, Middlebury College, China Construction Bank, Harvard Business School, Mitsubishi, Wall, Autonomous Research, Anguilla, Agricultural Bank of China, Capital Management, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Vogue, New York Rangers, Oaktree Capital Management, Bloomberg, Staten, Disney, JPMorgan, Trade, AP Locations: China, Beijing, Manhattan, New York City, Caracas, Venezuela, Brookville, tony Long

☆ Russia and Iran's 'unprecedented' military ties worried the US, but it's starting to look like Russia can't hold up its end of the deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Iran has supported Russia by providing it with arms to use in Ukraine. Kirby said "support is flowing both ways," with Moscow providing Tehran "an unprecedented level of military and technical support." As part of this burgeoning partnership, Iran expected to receive an unspecified number of Russian Su-35 jets, along with helicopters and even advanced S-400 air-defense systems. REUTERS/FARS NEWS/Ali ShayeganWhile Iran has never armed Russia to the extent it has in recent months, Moscow has sold Tehran considerable military hardware in the past. Paul Iddon is a freelance journalist and columnist who writes about Middle East developments, military affairs, politics, and history.

Persons: John Kirby, Kirby, Russian Su, Saeed Azimi, Hassan Rouhani, Azimi, Putin, Alexei Nikolsky, Abu, Russia's, Richard Moore, Ali Shayegan, haven't, Tehran weren't, Iranian Su, ATTA KENARE, Moore, William Burns, Burns, Paul Iddon Organizations: Service, National Security, Iranian MiG, Army Day, REUTERS, Sputnik, Gulf Cooperation Council, United Arab, GCC, Intelligence Service, Tehran, Soviet Union, Getty, UN, CIA Locations: Iran, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Tehran, Wall, Silicon, Iranian, Egypt, Aktau, Kazakhstan, Kremlin, United Arab Emirates, Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, Persian, Hormuz, British, UAE, FARS, Iraq, Soviet, Islamic Republic, AFP

☆ 4 major fighter-jet deals could reshape the Middle East's biggest militaries for decades to come
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Middle Eastern countries have for decades been major buyers of advanced fighter jets. Four potential deals involving Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Egypt show that the trend will continue. Four looming acquisitions by Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Egypt show that this trend will not change any time soon. Egypt's EaglesEgyptian Air Force MiG-29s during an exercise in Sudan in May 2021. While the Russian jets couldn't exchange data with Egypt's US-made aircraft, Cairo hoped they could operate as an "air force within an air force" and partially redress its limited air-to-air capabilities.

Persons: Cuneyt, MURAD, Erdogan, Mehmet Kaman, Recep Tayyip Erdogan's, Biden, Sen, Bob Menendez, hasn't, Iran's, Vladimir Putin, Ebrahim Raisi, ALEXANDR DEMYANCHUK, it's, —, Iran hasn't, ATTA KENARE, Mohammed Reza Ashtiani, Iraq's, KARIM SAHIB, Saddam Hussein's, Ali Mohammed, KARI, ASHRAF SHAZLY, Derek Seifert, Frank McKenzie, Israel, Paul Iddon Organizations: Service, United Arab Emirates, Dassault Rafales, Dassault, Vipers, NATO Air Policing, Anadolu Agency, Getty, US, Turkish Aerospace Industries, Getty Images, NATO, Senate Foreign Relations, SPUTNIK, Army Day, Iranian Parliament's National Security, Foreign, Iranian Defense, Rafale, ISIS, Getty Images Iraq, Thales Ground, AIM, Meteor, Egypt's Eagles Egyptian Air Force, Eagles, US Air Force, US Central Command Locations: Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Wall, Silicon, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Poland, Ankara, Syria, Greece, Samarkand, Getty Images Iran, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Soviet, US, Tehran, AFP, Iranian, Persian, Baghdad, France, South Korea, Czech, Iraqi, Balad, Sudan, Qatar, Cairo, Derek Seifert Egypt

☆ Ghana sees agreement with bilateral creditors in coming weeks
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ofori-Atta said the West African nation aimed to reach agreement with bilateral creditors in coming weeks, adding that it was in the process of getting a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the creditors. The total external debt stock was about $30 billion. "We've successfully worked with the Paris Club and other creditors to determine the parameters for official debt restructuring under the G20 common framework for debt treatment," Ofori-Atta told journalists in Accra on Sunday. "In the coming weeks, we will seek to complete the MoU on terms with bilateral debt treatment," he added. Ofori-Atta said Ghana will continue discussions with private creditors, Eurobond investors on external debt to reach agreement with private creditors in the shortest possible time.

Persons: Ken Ofori, Atta, We've, Maxwell Akalaare Adombila, Bate Felix, Frances Kerry, David Evans Organizations: International Monetary Fund, IMF, Paris Club, Thomson Locations: ACCRA, Ghana, West, China, Accra

☆ Air strikes hit Sudanese capital, killing 17 including 5 children
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DUBAI/CAIRO, June 17 (Reuters) - Air strikes killed civilians and pummeled multiple parts of the Sudanese capital on Saturday, residents said, as mediators pushed the warring factions towards a new ceasefire. Fighting between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces is entering its third month with neither side gaining a clear advantage. On Friday and Saturday the army appeared to ramp up air strikes, hitting several residential neighborhoods. Air strikes in central and southern Omdurman continued from Friday into Saturday, impacting homes and killing one person, according to the local committee in the Beit al-Mal neighborhood. Residents said three members of a family were killed in the Sharq el-Nil district after an air strike on Friday.

Persons: Yassir Al, Atta, Khalid Abdelaziz, Nafisa Eltahir, Omar Abdel, Mark Heinrich, David Holmes Organizations: Rapid Support Forces, United Nations, AIR, Air, Residents, Nafisa, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, CAIRO, Saturday, Darfur, Khartoum, Omdurman, Bahri, Mayo, al, Mal, West Darfur, Chad, United States, Jeddah, Saudi, Dubai, Razek, Cairo

JOHANNESBURG, May 18 (Reuters) - Ghana is targeting $10.5 billion of external debt service relief from 2023-2026, the IMF said, giving an early indication of how large a hit investors might face in an impending debt overhaul. "Our back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that this translates to a 40%-50% haircut on external debt, if there is not further restructuring of domestic debt," Bojosi Morule, an economist at Goldman Sachs, said in emailed reaction to the DSA. Ghana's already strained finances buckled under the fallout of COVID-19 and Russia's invasion of Ukraine and it is now seeking to restructure $20 billion of its roughly $30 billion external debt, including about $13 billion of Eurobonds, under the Group of 20's Common Framework platform. Earlier this year it completed a domestic debt exchange. Other risks include Ghana not regaining market access to issue debt and the domestic debt exchange posing dangers to financial sector stability, the IMF said.

☆ Ghana's main opposition party picks Mahama as 2024 presidential candidate
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ACCRA, May 14 (Reuters) - Ghana’s main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress, voted overwhelmingly on Saturday to retain former president, John Mahama, as its leader for the 2024 presidential election. This is the third time Mahama will run for the top job in Ghana, one of Africa's most stable democracies. The upcoming presidential vote is expected to be keenly contested. Mahama, 64, secured 297,603 votes, representing 98.9% of votes cast, the electoral commission said early on Sunday. "I am humbled by the overwhelming vote of confidence reposed in me by the party," Mahama said shortly after the declaration.

TEL AVIV — Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have agreed to a cease-fire ending five days of fighting between the two sides, one U.S. official and one Israeli official told NBC News on Saturday. The fighting has killed 33 Palestinians inside Gaza, including at least 13 civilians. Over the past few days, Israel has conducted more airstrikes, killing other senior Islamic Jihad commanders and destroying their command centers and rocket-launching sites. The Israeli military alleged the targeted homes belonged to or were used by Islamic Jihad militants. Islamic Jihad has retaliated by firing over 1,200 rockets toward southern and central Israel, according to the military.

☆ Matt Gaetz's legislative aide is a convicted war criminal who murdered an Afghan civilian and dumped his body in a latrine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Sonam Sheth | John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A legislative aide who works for GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz is a convicted war criminal, The Intercept reported. The aide, Derrick Miller, spent eight years in prison after murdering an Afghan civilian, the report said. Gaetz's office defended its decision to hire Miller, saying he was "wrongfully convicted." According to The Intercept, Miller shot Mohammed in September 2010. The Florida congressman also repeatedly criticized the war in Afghanistan before President Joe Biden withdrew US troops in 2021.

☆ George W. Bush misrepresented our work at CIA to sell the Iraq invasion. It's time to call him what he is: 'A liar.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Two former CIA officials spoke to Insider before the 20th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq. They gave a firsthand account of the George W. Bush administration's attempts to misrepresent intelligence and assert a connection between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda. The closest they came was this alleged, and apparently nonexistent, help that Iraq gave al-Qaeda [via Atta] in bringing about the attacks. Alice: Today, people say that Bush was looking to justify the invasion of Iraq. Pretty soon it became clear that the administration was focused on this alleged meeting between Atta and Iraqi intelligence in Prague.

☆ The China-brokered Saudi-Iran deal has big repercussions for the Middle East — and the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Taking up a specific role that the U.S. could not have fulfilled, this was Beijing's first foray into Middle East mediation, an area that for the past few decades was largely occupied by Washington. "I think China was a good partner to do this. I think they're the right people," he said, noting that China invests heavily in Saudi Arabia and is its top trading partner. Chinese President, Xi Jinping (L) is welcomed by Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (R) at the Palace of Yamamah in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 8, 2022. And not just economically, as it already exports an immense amount of goods to the Middle East and is the largest importer of Saudi oil – but politically.

"I would like to call on all creditors to join the efforts as swiftly as possible," Christian Lindner said in a news conference with his Ghanaian counterpart Ken Ofori-Atta. In January, Reuters reported exclusively that Ghana had requested a bilateral debt restructuring under the Common Framework, a platform set up by the Group of 20 major economies during the COVID-19 pandemic to bring China and other newer creditor nations into existing debt relief processes. Western leaders have repeatedly criticised China for delaying developing country debt restructurings, which it disputes. "Germany is being true partners" in helping Ghana through the debt restructuring process in "an accelerated way," Ofori-Atta told reporters. "Ghana needs to return as fast as possible to the international financial markets.

☆ Ghana extends domestic debt exchange deadline for third time
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ACCRA, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Ghana has again extended the deadline to register for its domestic debt exchange, this time to Jan. 31, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta said on Monday. The crisis-hit nation launched the debt swap plan at the start of December, days before clinching a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $3 billion rescue package. "Building consensus is key to a successful economic recovery for Ghana," Ofori-Atta wrote on Twitter, adding that registration for the debt exchange would be extended "pending further stakeholder engagement". The IMF has said its board will approve the deal only if Ghana undergoes comprehensive debt restructuring. The deadline for the debt swap, initially set for Dec. 19, had previously been extended to Dec. 30 and then to Jan. 16.

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