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☆ Fourth Bahraini serviceman dies after Houthi drone attack close to Saudi border
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A screen grab from a video shows the arrival of the bodies of two Bahrain Defence Force officers, who were killed in a Houthi drone attack against forces of the Saudi-led coalition in Saudi Arabia near the border with Yemen, at Bahrain Royal Air Force Base in Jaw, Bahrain, September 26, 2023. Bahrain News Agency/Handout via... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreCAIRO, Sept 29 (Reuters) - A fourth Bahraini serviceman died on Friday following a Houthi drone attack on Monday against forces of the Saudi-led coalition in Saudi Arabia near the border with Yemen, the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) said on Friday. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement has battled the Saudi-led coalition since 2015 in a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and left 80% of the population dependent on aid. The drone attack follows more than a year of relative calm in Yemen as negotiations gain momentum. It could jeopardise talks between Saudi and Houthi officials who have just held another round of negotiations on a potential agreement towards ending the conflict.

Persons: BDF, Enas, Grant McCool Organizations: Bahrain Defence Force, Bahrain Royal Air Force Base, Bahrain News Agency, Bahraini, Saudi, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Jaw, Bahrain, CAIRO, Iran

☆ Small Fire at Baghdad's Al-Rasheed Hotel Extinguished; Occupants Have Returned to Rooms -Official
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A small fire that led to guests and diplomatic personnel being evacuated from Baghdad's Al-Rasheed hotel has been brought under control, an official at the hotel told Reuters via phone early on Wednesday. The hotel houses several envoys from Gulf states. The small fire occurred in kitchen, and an official described the evacuation as a routine precautionary measure, saying guests had safely returned to their rooms. The hotel is in Iraq's highly fortified Green Zone which hosts parliament, many government buildings and foreign embassies. (Reporting by Timour Azhari and Muhammad Al Gebaly; Writing by Enas Alashray; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Gerry Doyle)

Persons: Baghdad's Al, Rasheed, Timour Azhari, Muhammad Al Gebaly, Enas Alashray, Christopher Cushing, Gerry Doyle Locations: BAGHDAD, Baghdad's, Gulf

☆ Sudan's Rapid Support Forces Fully Ready for Ceasefire and Political Talks -Hemedti
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO (Reuters) - Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are fully prepared for a ceasefire and to engage in comprehensive political talks for an end to its civil conflict with the army, RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo said in a rare video appearance on Thursday. Dagalo, known as Hemedti, made the comments in a recorded video message addressed to the U.N. General Assembly and released by the RSF shortly before army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan was due to give a speech to the assembly in New York. Most of Hemedti's recent communications have been audio messages, and his whereabouts have been a source of speculation since war between the army and the RSF erupted in mid-April. In the video released on Thursday he appeared in military uniform, seated behind a desk with a Sudanese national flag behind him as he read out his speech. (Reporting by Khalid Abdeaziz, Yomna Ehab and Enas Alashray; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Leslie Adler)

Persons: Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Dagalo, Abdel Fattah al, Burhan, Khalid Abdeaziz, Yomna, Aidan Lewis, Leslie Adler Organizations: Support Forces, General Assembly, Sudanese Locations: CAIRO, New York, Sudan

☆ GCC countries, US call for completion of demarcation of Kuwaiti-Iraqi maritime borders
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken listens to Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi as they attend a breakfast with the Foreign Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council Nations, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, in New York, U.S. Craig Ruttle/Pool via REUTERS/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsCAIRO, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the U.S., in a joint statement on Wednesday, called for the completion of demarcation of Kuwaiti-Iraqi maritime borders "beyond boundary point 162". The statement comes after a meeting of GCC Arab foreign ministers, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and GCC Secretary-General Jasem al-Budaiwi in New York. They also called on the Iraqi government to "expeditiously resolve the domestic legal status of the 2012 Kuwait-Iraq Agreement to regulate maritime navigation in Khor Abdullah and ensure that the agreement remains in force." The joint statement also "called on Iraq and the UN to exert maximum efforts to reach a resolution of all the issues involved." Reporting by Enas ALashray, Muhammad Al Gebaly; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Antony Blinken, General Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, Craig Ruttle, Jasem, Khor Abdullah, Enas ALashray, Muhammad Al Gebaly, Christopher Cushing, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Cooperation, Foreign Ministers, Gulf Cooperation Council Nations, Rights, Gulf Cooperation Council, GCC, UN, United Nations, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Rights CAIRO, Kuwaiti, Iraqi, Kuwait, Iraq, Khor

☆ Saudi Arabia welcomes positive results of talks to support peace process in Yemen
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CAIRO, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia welcomed positive results from discussions to reach a road map supporting the peace process in Yemen, the kingdom's foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, after Houthi negotiators' talks with the Saudis in Riyadh. Houthi enovys left Riyadh on Tuesday after a five-day round of talks with Saudi officials on ending the eight-year-old conflict in Yemen, sources familiar with the meeting and Houthi media said. The kingdom reaffirmed its commitment to promoting dialogue among all warring parties in Yemen, the Saudi defence minister said on Wednesday after meeting with the Houthi delegation. The Houthi delegation arrived in Saudi Arabia last week. The United States has put pressure on its ally Saudi Arabia to end the war and linked some U.S. military support to the kingdom to ending its involvement in Yemen.

Persons: Houthi enovys, Prince Khalid bin Salman, Enas Alashray, Chris Reese Organizations: Saudi, UN, United Nations, United, Thomson Locations: CAIRO, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Riyadh, Houthi, Saudi, Iran, United States

☆ Suez Canal ship traffic unaffected after tanker collision
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A view of the BW Lesmes tanker at Freeport, Texas, U.S., August 3, 2023, in this picture obtained by Reuters. The two tankers, the Singapore-flagged liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier BW Lesmes and the Cayman Islands-flagged oil products tanker Burri, briefly collided in the canal, ship tracking company MarineTraffic said early on Wednesday citing eyewitnesses. As of 5 a.m. (0200 GMT), the BW Lesmes was facing north but being towed to the south by two tugboats, according to ship tracking data on Refinitiv Eikon. A person who answered the phone at the Suez Canal Authority's operations room when contacted by Reuters said he could not provide any information on the tankers. The Suez Canal is one of the world's busiest waterways and the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia.

Persons: Glenn Travis, MarineTraffic, Osama Rabie, Yusri Mohamed, Muhammad Al Gebaly, Nafisa, Enas Alashray, Florence Tan, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: BW, Reuters, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Shipping, BW Group, TMS, Thomson Locations: Freeport , Texas, U.S, Rights CAIRO, Singapore, Cayman, Suez, Europe, Asia

☆ Two tankers collide briefly in Suez Canal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Two tankers, the Singapore-flagged BW Lesmes and Cayman Islands-flagged Burri, briefly collided in Egypt's Suez Canal, ship tracking company Marine Traffic said early Wednesday, citing eyewitnesses. The shipping tracker showed the BW Lesmes, which carries LNG, stopped and pointing north, and Burri, an oil products tanker, moored and pointing south about 19 km from the southern end of the canal at 2:55 a.m.(2355 GMT). A time lapse shared by Marine Traffic showed Burri turning sideways and colliding with an already sideways BW Lesmes at 2040 GMT before backing up and pointing straight. There was no immediate confirmation from the Suez Canal Authority. Approximately 12% of the world's trade moves through the canal.

Persons: Said, Muhammad Al Gebaly, Nafisa Eltahir, Yusri Mohamed, Enas Alashray, Jacqueline Wong, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Traffic, Marine, Authority, Thomson Locations: CAIRO, Singapore, Cayman Islands, Suez

☆ Egypt's president pardons activist Douma, other prisoners -state TV
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends a working dinner at a the final day of the Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 28, 2023. Mikhail Metzel/TASS Host Photo Agency via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsCAIRO, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has pardoned a number of prisoners, including prominent Egyptian activist Ahmed Douma, the state TV said on Saturday. Like several other prominent activists in Egypt, Douma has been jailed under Mubarak, the subsequent ruling military council, former president Mohamed Mursi, and al-Sisi. Last month, authorities also freed Egyptian rights researcher Patrick Zaki and lawyer Mohamed el-Baqer after they were pardoned by al-Sisi. Egypt's most prominent activist, Alaa Abd el-Fattah, and many other detainees swept up in a decade-long crackdown on dissent, remain in prison.

Persons: Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Mikhail Metzel, Ahmed Douma, autocrat Hosni Mubarak, Douma, Mubarak, Mohamed Mursi, Patrick Zaki, Mohamed el, Alaa Abd el, Mohamed Hendawy, Enas Alashray, Adam Makary, Toby Chopra, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Agency, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, Rights CAIRO, Egypt

☆ 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

☆ Islamic State confirms death of its leader, names replacement
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Islamic State on Thursday confirmed the death of its leader Abu Hussein al-Husseini al-Quraishi and named Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Quraishi as his replacement, the group's spokesperson said in an undated recording published on its Telegram channel. Islamic State, a shadow of the organisation that once ruled a third of Iraq and Syria, gave no details about the new leader. Abu Hussein al-Husseini al-Quraishi took over in November 2022 after his predecessor was killed, also in Syria. Islamic State militants continue to wage insurgent attacks in both Syria and Iraq. The U.S.-led coalition alongside a Kurdish-led alliance known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is still carrying out raids against Islamic State in Syria.

Persons: Abu Hussein al, Husseini, Abu Hafs, group's, Tayyip Erdogan, Abu Bakr al, Baghdadi, Quraishi, Jana Choukeir, Nayera Abdallah, Nadine Awadalla, Enas Alashray, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Islamic, Syrian Democratic Forces, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Islamic State, Turkish, Syria, Iraq, U.S, Kurdish

☆ Saudi Arabia buys Turkish drones during Erdogan's visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Aziz El Yaakoubi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attended the signing ceremony between Turkish defence firm Baykar and the Saudi defence ministry, Saudi state news agency SPA reported. Erdogan arrived in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah on Monday for the first stop of a Gulf tour. Saudi Arabia will acquire the drones "with the aim of enhancing the readiness of the kingdom's armed forces and bolstering its defense and manufacturing capabilities," Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said in a tweet on Tuesday. SPA said Erdogan and Prince Mohammed attended the signing of a defense cooperation plan by Prince Khalid and Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler. Developing a local military industry has been part of an ambitious plan by Prince Mohammed to diversify the kingdom's economy away from oil.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Baykar, Prince Khalid bin Salman, Haluk Bayraktar, Jamal Khashoggi, Prince Mohammed, Prince Khalid, Yasar Guler, Cevdet Yilmaz, Mehmet Simsek, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Enas Alashray, Daren Butler, Jamie Freed, Lincoln, Tomasz Janowski, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Saudi Crown, Defence, Investments, United, United Arab Emirates, Turkish Defence, Turkish, Thomson Locations: RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Saudi Red Sea, Jeddah, Ankara, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, East, North Africa, Istanbul, Qatar, United Arab, Riyadh, UAE, Nahyan, Cairo

☆ Saudi Arabia and Turkey sign agreements on energy, defence and other fields
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, July 18 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed a number of memorandums of understanding in many fields including energy, direct investments and defence, Saudi state news agency SPA reported early on Tuesday. Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, witnessed the signing ceremony of the bilateral agreements between the two countries, SPA said. Saudi Arabia signed two contracts with Turkish defence firm Baykar to buy drones "with the aim of enhancing the readiness of the Kingdom's armed forces and bolstering its defense and manufacturing capabilities," Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said in a tweet on Tuesday,The two countries also signed a defence cooperation plan, the minister added. Erdogan's Gulf tour, which also includes Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, is due to conclude on July 19. Reporting by Enas Alashray and Yomna Ehab; Editing by Jamie Freed and Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Baykar, Prince Khalid bin Salman, Erdogan, Enas Alashray, Jamie Freed Organizations: Saudi Crown, Turkish, Saudi Defence, United Arab, Thomson Locations: CAIRO, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Saudi, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Lincoln

☆ Egypt's current account moves into surplus in Oct-Dec
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, May 3 (Reuters) - Egypt's current account turned a surplus for the first time in years in the October-to-December quarter as imports dropped and exports rose, the central bank said in a statement on Wednesday. Egypt imposed import restrictions during most of 2022 and continues to suffer an acute shortage of foreign currency. The current account registered a surplus of $1.41 billion dollars compared to deficits of $3.19 billion in July to September and $3.8 billion in Oct-Dec 2021. Imports fell to $17.99 billion from $19.07 billion in July-September and $22.48 billion a year earlier, while exports rose to $11.54 billion from $9.97 billion in July-September. Reporting by Enas Alashray and Alaa Swilam; Editing by Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Saudi officials arrive in Iran to discuss reopening diplomatic missions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

DUBAI, April 8 (Reuters) - Saudi officials have arrived in Iran to discuss procedures for reopening Riyadh's embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad after China brokered a deal to restore relations between the two regional powers, the Saudi foreign ministry said on Saturday. After years of hostility that fueled conflicts across the Middle East, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to end their diplomatic rift and reopen their diplomatic missions in March. Chinese President Xi Jinping helped broker the surprise deal which left the United States on the sidelines. Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran was stormed during a dispute between the two countries over Riyadh's execution of a Shi'ite cleric. Reporting by Enas Alashray; writing by Maha El Dahan Editing by Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Houthi official says Saudi Arabia freed 13 detainees
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Mohammed Alghobari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aden, April 8 (Reuters) - An official of Yemen's Houthi movement said on Saturday the group had received 13 detainees released by Saudi Arabia in exchange for a Saudi detainee freed earlier, ahead of a wider prisoner exchange agreed by the warring sides. Houthi official Abdul Qader al-Mortada said on Twitter the 13 detainees had arrived in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, which is held by the Iranian -aligned Houthi group that has been battling a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia since 2015. At talks in Switzerland last month attended by the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, Yemen's Saudi-backed government and the Houthis agreed to free 887 detainees. A visit by Saudi officials would indicate progress in Oman-mediated talks between Riyadh and the Houthis, which run in parallel to U.N. peace efforts, as well as a reduction in tensions after Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to restore relations. The Yemen conflict is widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

☆ Foreign ministers of Iran, Saudi meet in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CAIRO, April 6 (Reuters) - The foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia met in China for the first formal meeting of their most senior diplomats in more than seven years, Saudi state-run Al Ekhbariya television said, under a deal to revive ties between the regional powers. Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran was stormed during a dispute between the two countries over Riyadh's execution of a Shi'ite Muslim cleric. The relationship began worsening a year earlier, after Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates intervened in the Yemen war, where the Iran-aligned Houthi movement ousted a Saudi-backed government and took over the capital, Sanaa. For Saudi Arabia, the deal could mean improved security. The kingdom has blamed Iran for arming the Houthis, who carried out missile and drone attacks on its cities and oil facilities.

☆ Israeli strike hits near Aleppo airport - Syrian officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

AMMAN March 22 (Reuters) - An Israeli air strike hit near Syria's Aleppo airport early Wednesday, causing "material damage" and shutting down operations there, Syrian officials said, while regional intelligence sources said the attack hit an Iranian arms depot. In the third attack on Aleppo airport in six months, Israel launched "a number of missiles from the Mediterranean Sea, west of the coastal city of Latakia, at 3:55 a.m.", the Syrian defence ministry said in a statement on state media. Two regional intelligence sources said the strike hit an underground munitions depot linked to the nearby Nairab military airport, where missile systems delivered on several Iranian military planes had been stored. Nairab military airport has been used regularly for Iranian arms deliveries and the movement of troops, the intelligence sources said. An Israeli strike on March 7 that knocked Aleppo airport out of service blew up an Iranian arms cargo shipment hours after it was delivered by a plane that Damascus said was carrying aid, the Western intelligence sources say.

☆ Syria says Israeli strike puts Aleppo airport out of service
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIRUT, March 7 (Reuters) - An Israeli air strike knocked Aleppo airport out of service on Tuesday and forced the Syrian authorities to reroute flights carrying aid for those affected by last month's earthquake, Syrian state media reported. The attack caused "material damage" to the airport, SANA cited the source as saying, without mentioning any casualties. Foreign donors including the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Algeria have flown aid into Aleppo airport since the Feb. 6 earthquake, Syrian state media has reported. The attack overnight was Israel's third air strike in Syria this year, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. In January, the Syrian army said an Israeli missile attack briefly put Damascus airport out of service.

☆ Italy's Eni signs $8 billion Libya gas deal as PM Meloni visits Tripoli
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Gavin Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The deal, signed during a visit to Tripoli by Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, aims to increase gas output for the Libyan domestic market as well as exports, through the development of two offshore gas fields. Output will begin in 2026 and reach a plateau of 750 million cubic feet per day, Eni said in a statement. "This agreement will enable important investments in Libya's energy sector, contributing to local development and job creation while strengthening Eni's role as a leading operator in the country," said its chief executive, Claudio Descalzi. Meloni met Libya's Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, head of the internationally recognised Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli for talks that also focused on migration across the Mediterranean. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who oversees the migration issue for Rome, accompanied Meloni to Libya, as well as Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

☆ Egypt's currency weakens more in wake of latest devaluation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Patrick Werr | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The pound closed at 27.11 per dollar, according to the central bank, after fluctuating more than usual. Currency flexibility was a key component of the 46-month, $3 billion financial IMF package. After the central bank allowed the pound to depreciate sharply last March and October, it soon resumed trading within a band, moving only about 0.01 pounds per dollar per day. Egypt's pound and bondsHUGE BACKLOGDespite last year's devaluations a shortage of foreign currency has continued to hamper imports in recent months. Deutsche Bank said in a note that Wednesday's devaluation and an interest rate hike by the central bank last month "clearly show an approach to re-attract (structural) foreign inflows into local markets".

☆ Ronaldo joins Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr until 2025
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 30 (Reuters) - Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has joined Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr on a contract until 2025, the club announced in a tweet on Friday. "I am eager to experience a new football league in a different country. Al Nassr Club's vision is very inspiring," the club quoted Ronaldo as saying. "This is more than history in the making. Reporting by Ahmed Tolba and Enas Alashray; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Al Qaeda releases video it claims is narrated by leader al-Zawahiri who was believed dead -SITE
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Al Qaeda has released a 35-minute recording the group claims was narrated by its leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was believed to have been killed in a U.S. raid in August 2022, SITE intelligence group said on Friday. The recording was undated and the transcript did not clearly point towards a time frame for when it could have been made. Al Qaeda has not named a successor. But Saif al-Adel, a mysterious, low-key former Egyptian special forces officer who is a high-ranking member of Al Qaeda, is seen by experts as the top contender. Reporting by Enas Alashray; Editing by Nadine Awadalla, Chris Reese, Michael Georgy and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Saudi Arabia will soon make $5 bln deposit with Turkey -Saudi finance minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

RIYADH, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia will place a $5 billion deposit at Turkey's central bank "within days," the kingdom's finance minister, Mohammed al-Jadaan, said on Wednesday. The decision was taken between us and Turkey," he told reporters, saying discussions were on remaining details and the deposit could happen "within days." "There is great improvement in our relationship with Turkey and we aspire for investment opportunities in Turkey and other countries," he said. A Saudi finance ministry spokesman told Reuters on Nov. 22 that the two states were in "final discussion" on the deposit. The momentum of talks between the countries' central banks comes after Ankara and Riyadh's joint effort to mend ties that were ruptured after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 at the kingdom's Istanbul consulate.

RIYADH, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia expects to post a second consecutive budget surplus in 2023, though down 84% from this year as an uncertain global economic outlook and lower crude prices look set to weigh on the top oil exporter's revenues. Spending is slightly lower than 1.132 trillion riyals this year. Revenues are expected at 1.13 trillion riyals, down from 1.234 trillion riyals in 2022 as oil prices are seen falling from this year's high levels. Public debt is seen falling 3.5% to 951 billion riyals next year, or 24.6% of GDP. Government reserves at the Saudi Central Bank are estimated to reach 399 billion riyals at the end of next year, the finance ministry said.

☆ Iraqi oil minister says OPEC members committed to agreed production rates
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

CAIRO, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Iraqi oil minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani affirmed OPEC members are committed to the agreed production rates till the end of 2023, ministry statement said in a statement on Saturday. Abdel-Ghani made these remarks during a ministerial meeting of the member states of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) via video conference. Reporting by Enas Alashray and Yomna Ehab; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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