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☆ 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.

☆ 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

☆ Regional ministers to discuss Syria's return to Arab fold in Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Flags are seen ahead of the Arab League Summit in Algiers, Algeria November 1, 2022. REUTERS/Ramzi BoudinaDOHA, April 11 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia will host a meeting of regional foreign ministers on Friday to discuss Syria's return to the Arab League, a Qatari official said on Tuesday, adding that an "Arab consensus" plus a "change on the ground" would shift Qatar's position. The GCC includes Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. Saudi Arabia plans to invite Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to the Arab League summit Riyadh is scheduled to host on May 19, sources have told Reuters. Assad's attendance would mark the most significant development in his rehabilitation within the Arab world since 2011, when Syria was suspended from the Arab League.

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

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

☆ Saudi provides $240 mln for Pakistan hydro-power dam
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Asif Shahzad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ISLAMABAD, April 7 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia will provide a $240 million loan to co-finance Pakistan's multi-purpose Mohmand dam project, a major hydro-power complex being built in northwest of the country, statements from both sides said on Friday. The project will "contribute to Pakistan's energy security, increase sustainable water supply for agriculture and human consumption and improve resilience to floods," Pakistan's economic affairs ministry said in a statement. Saudi state news agency issued the same statement in Arabic. "The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) has signed a $240 million loan agreement," the statements said. Reporting by Asif Shahzad in Islamabad; Additional reporting by Claudia Tanios in Dubai; Editing by Jason Neely and Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ These are the countries that will be 'most hit' if oil prices reach $100
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Esso Fawley Oil Refinery, operated by Exxon Mobil, stands in Fawley, U.K., on Thursday, May 14, 2020. The surprise output cut by OPEC and its allies sent oil prices rallying — and analysts say major oil importers like India, Japan and South Korea will feel the most pain if prices hit $100 per barrel, as some have predicted. On Sunday, OPEC+ announced a production cut of 1.16 million barrels per day, in a move that oil markets were not expecting. "It's a tax on every oil importing economy," said Pavel Molchanov, managing director of private investment bank Raymond James. The voluntary cuts by countries in the oil cartel are set to start in May and last till the end of 2023.

☆ Oil prices surge 8% after OPEC's surprise output cuts; analysts warn of $100 per barrel
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Oil storage tanks stand at the RN-Tuapsinsky refinery, operated by Rosneft Oil Co., at night in Tuapse, Russia. Oil prices surged as much as 8% at the open after OPEC+ announced it was slashing output by 1.16 million barrels per day. The voluntary cuts will start from May to end 2023, Saudi Arabia announced, saying it was a "precautionary measure" targeted toward stabilizing the oil market. The move comes on the back of Russia's decision to trim oil production by 500,000 barrels per day until the end of 2023, according to the country's Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak. "OPEC+'s plan for a further production cut may push oil prices toward the $100 mark again, considering China's reopening and Russia's output cuts as a retaliation move against western sanctions," CMC Markets' analyst Tina Teng told CNBC.

☆ OPEC+ just made the Fed's job more complicated. Here's why they did it — and what could be next
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The logo of the OPEC is pictured at the OPEC headquarters on October 4, 2022. In October last year, the oil cartel announced its decision to cut output by two million barrels per day. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has repeatedly lambasted the OPEC+ group for its production cuts, citing the inflationary toll on households and flinging accusations of camaraderie with sanctions-struck Russia. One such technical council, the OPEC+ Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee concluded on Monday with a statement that acknowledged the voluntary cuts, making no mention of a broader change in formal production policy. Referring to the voluntary cuts, the OPEC Secretariat said they represent "a precautionary measure aimed at supporting the stability of the oil market."

☆ Saudi Arabia, OPEC+ producers announce voluntary oil output cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, April 2 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and other OPEC+ oil producers on Sunday announced voluntary cuts to their production, with Riyadh saying it would cut output by 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) from May until the end of 2023, state media reported. Russia's deputy prime minister also said Moscow would extend a voluntary cut of 500,000 bpd until the end of 2023. The United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman and Algeria said they would voluntarily cut output over the same time period. The UAE said it would cut production by 144,000 bpd, Kuwait announced a cut of 128,000 bpd while Iraq said it would cut output by 211,000 bpd and Oman announced a cut of 40,000 bpd. The Saudi energy ministry said in a statement that the kingdom's voluntary cut was a precautionary measure aimed at supporting the stability of the oil market.

Hong Kong/Atlanta/London CNN —Oil prices spiked Monday after OPEC+ producers unexpectedly announced that they would cut output. Brent crude, the global benchmark, jumped 5.31% to $84.13 a barrel, while WTI, the US benchmark, rose 5.48% to $79.83. With oil prices now rising, inflation could remain higher for longer, adding pressure to a hot-button issue for consumers around the world. Saudi Arabia now says it will cut oil production by another half a million barrels a day. “We’re focused on prices for American consumers, not barrels.”In October, OPEC+’s decision to cut production had already rankled the White House.

☆ OPEC oil output falls on Angola, Iraq outages - Reuters survey
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Alex Lawler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has pumped 28.90 million barrels per day (bpd) this month, the survey found, down 70,000 bpd from February. OPEC+ lowered its output target by 2 million bpd, of which about 1.27 million bpd was to come from the 10 participating OPEC countries. With the declines in Angola and Iraq this month, compliance with the agreement increased to 173% of pledged cuts, according to the survey, against 169% in February. ANGOLA, IRAQThe largest drop of 100,000 bpd was in Angola due to a small export programme and field maintenance on the Dalia stream. Among countries with higher output, Nigerian production again posted OPEC's biggest increase in March, the survey found, bringing the country closer to a target to lift output to 1.6 million bpd this quarter.

President Joe Biden has said he will sign the measure if it passes both the Senate and House and reaches his desk. Supporters of repeal also said it recognized that Iraq is no longer an adversary but has become a U.S. security partner. The resolution also would repeal the Gulf War AUMF approved in 1991 after Saddam's Iraq invaded Kuwait. The Iraq AUMFs have been labeled "zombie" authorizations because they never expire but their original purpose no longer applies. In 1971, Congress voted to repeal the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which had provided authority for the Vietnam War.

Under the Constitution, Congress, not the president, has the right to declare war. But to allow a president to respond to a threat, the Senate and House of Representatives can pass an AUMF. Members of Congress are not - for now - targeting a third AUMF, which passed days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. WILL THE REPEAL PASS THIS TIME? Congress has tried and failed to repeal AUMFs repeatedly over the past 10 years.

SINGAPORE, March 27 (Reuters) - Saudi Aramco's Jizan refinery is set to increase output of ultra-low sulphur diesel (ULSD) and reduce exports of vacuum gasoil (VGO) as it ramps up production in the second quarter, industry sources said. The refinery could produce up to 250,000 barrels per day (bpd) of ULSD, or 10-ppm gasoil, when it hits full capacity. This could boost Aramco's fuel exports to Europe, the sources said. A hydrocracker processes residual fuel and VGO to produce diesel and kerosene. This could end Jizan's residual fuel exports, with about 90,000 bpd of high-sulphur fuel oil and vacuum residues estimated to be fed into the power plant, said FGE.

☆ Standard Chartered agrees to sell business in Jordan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, March 26 (Reuters) - Standard Chartered (STAN.L) plans to sell its Jordanian business to Arab Jordan Investment Bank (AJIB) (AJIB.AM), the two parties said on Sunday, as the emerging markets-focused lender presses ahead with plans to exit seven markets in Africa and the Middle East. All Standard Chartered Bank employees in Jordan will be transferred to AJIB, it said an emailed statement. AJIB said the purchase falls within the Jordanian lender's strategy to grow its market share in the country, which continues to grow after it acquired HSBC's banking business in Jordan in 2014 and National Bank of Kuwait's banking business in Jordan in 2022. Standard Chartered in April 2022 said it plans to leave seven markets, consisting of Angola, Cameroon, Gambia, Jordan, Lebanon, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe. Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh, Editing by Louise Heavens and Elaine HardcastleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Some US volunteers in Ukraine have become embroiled in infighting that has undermined the war effort, with one individual having lied about being a Marine: NYT
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The squabbles have not only threatened the war effort, but have exposed deeply consequential lies. Some volunteers have left the war effort in Ukraine after questions arose about their backgrounds. Foreign Legion volunteers in Ukraine. And while Ukrainian officials estimated that there were possibly 20,000 Legion volunteers, that number was officially much smaller. Lackey told Legion members that he was a Marine and said that he had been an assistant manager at LongHorn Steakhouse.

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