Thousands of money exchangers shut shop across Afghanistan on Sunday after Taliban authorities imposed a steep hike in license fees, the brokers’ commission said, in a bid to slow down money laundering and terrorism financing according to financial analysts. Afghanistan’s formal banking system collapsed when the Taliban swept back to power in August last year, … Read more
On Sunday, the front lines in Ukraine altered as Russia advanced in the highly contested eastern Donbas area and Ukraine’s forces launched a counteroffensive near the strategically important Russian-held city of Izium. Commanders in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, where Ukrainian forces have been attacking since early this month, claimed Russia was withdrawing soldiers to … Read more
Iran is considering selling gas to Europe, an oil ministry official said on Sunday, amid rising energy prices caused by Russia’s conflict in Ukraine. “Iran is studying this subject but we have not reached a conclusion yet,” deputy oil minister Majid Chegeni was quoted as saying by the ministry’s official news agency, Shana. “Iran is … Read more
The UAE’s new president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, met with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, on Sunday as international leaders descended on Abu Dhabi to pay respect to his predecessor. Following the death of Sheikh Khalifa on Friday, Macron, who was re-elected last month, extended his sympathies to Sheikh Mohamed. On Sunday and Monday, … Read more
In Sokoto, Nigeria, a 24-hour curfew has been imposed after demonstrators took to the streets demanding the release of two suspects in the death of a Christian student last week. Deborah Samuel was attacked and burnt by Muslim students on Thursday after they accused her of making “blasphemous” insults about Islam in a WhatsApp group. … Read more
Police in Somalia has announced a 33-hour curfew on the capital Mogadishu that will keep almost all residents at home during a presidential election by lawmakers on Sunday, in which incumbent leader Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed is seeking a second term. Police spokesperson Abdifatah Aden announced at a press conference on Saturday a full curfew in … Read more
Around 15,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in London on Saturday to protest the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh earlier this week in the West Bank. “In response to Shireen Abu Akleh’s murder by an Israeli sniper, protesters today held 55 paper press jackets outside the BBC headquarters in London to represent the 55 journalists killed … Read more
Leader Kim Jong-UN says a Covid outbreak is causing ‘great upheaval’ in North Korea, which announced 21 new “fever” deaths Saturday. Two days after confirming its first cases of Covid-19, the government said more than half a million people had been sickened nationwide. Despite activating its “maximum emergency quarantine system” to slow the spread of … Read more
The unequivocal message was delivered by families in the southwestern Yemeni city of Taiz who held a silent vigil on Saturday to denounce the Houthi shelling of their homes and demand the militia lift its eight-year siege of the center. The Yemeni villagers stood in silence, but the words on their placards spoke volumes. “On … Read more
The Group of Seven industrialized nations said Saturday they would never recognize the borders Russia is trying to shift in its war against Ukraine and pledged enduring support for Kyiv. Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 but Kyiv’s forces managed to push Moscow’s troops back from the capital. The conflict is now well into its … Read more
The Group of Seven major economies cautioned on Saturday that the Ukraine conflict is fueling a worldwide food and energy crisis that threatens impoverished nations, and that immediate action is required to unblock grain stocks that Russia is stopping from leaving Ukraine. The conflict has become a “global disaster,” according to German Foreign Minister Annalena … Read more
Iraqi authorities have exhumed the remains of 15 people from a mass grave believed to hold dozens more likely killed under Dictator Saddam Hussein, an official said Saturday. The mass grave was first discovered in April near the southern city of Najaf, during work to build a residential compound. It is believed to date back … Read more
NATO member Turkey has proposed evacuating injured fighters holed up in a steel plant in the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol via water, according to President Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesperson on Saturday. In an interview with Reuters, Ibrahim Kalin said that he personally discussed the plan with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv two weeks ago … Read more
According to the Wall Street Journal, US President Joe Biden’s administration has urged Congress to “approve” a proposed transfer of missiles and equipment upgrades to Turkey. The agreement, estimated to be worth $300 million, is anticipated to strengthen defense connections between NATO nations. The planned transaction, however, is not part of a $6 billion pact … Read more
On Saturday, Israel’s police commander ordered an inquiry into the acts of policemen during the burial of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who attacked the procession and battered pallbearers, provoking international anger. Thousands of mourners gathered in Jerusalem’s Old City on Friday to pay their respects to the 51-year-old Al Jazeera correspondent. The Palestinian-American was slain … Read more
The Tunisian navy said Saturday it rescued 81 migrants, one of them a woman, who had set out for Europe from Libya on a barely seaworthy vessel. The boat, which had been damaged, was boarded around six kilometers (four miles) off Tunisia’s northeastern coast, the navy said. It carried 38 Egyptians, 32 Bangladeshis, 10 Sudanese, … Read more
The sale of a 10 million euro ($10.4 million) luxury mansion in Portugal was halted due to a “strong conviction” that it belonged to sanctions-hit Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, Foreign Minister Joao Cravinho said on Saturday. The property record of the home in the upscale Quinta do Lago resort in the Algarve was blocked on … Read more
Russian energy supplier RAO Nordic says it will suspend deliveries of electricity to Finland from Saturday, citing problems with payments. The company said it had not been paid for previous deliveries. The Finnish grid operator said Russia provided only a small percentage of the country’s electricity and that it could be replaced by alternative sources. … Read more
Shell has agreed to sell almost 400 of its gas outlets in Russia to Lukoil, the country’s second-largest oil company. Shell Neft, the company’s Russian business, will be sold for an unknown value. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, several Western oil and gas companies have been trying to sell their Russian operations. The transaction, which … Read more
The Chinese yuan is quickly depreciating as the world’s second-largest economy struggles under the weight of Covid regulations. Concerns over escalating lockdowns in key cities, as well as Beijing’s tight links with Moscow in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have driven investors out of China since the beginning of the year. The linkages … Read more
At least ten of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministers have resigned in response to his instruction to all of his appointments to resign if they want to stand for elections. Some of the ministers hope to succeed him in the presidency, while others want to become senators or state governors. Mr. Buhari is set to … Read more
Ethiopia’s media regulator has announced it is revoking the press credentials for The Economist magazine’s correspondent in the country, Tom Gardner, after accusing him of breaching “professional ethics” and the “rules and regulations of the country”, without providing details. The Ethiopian Media Authority (EMA) said in a statement on Friday that they had held “repeated … Read more
According to Reuters, cryptocurrency markets nursed huge losses on Friday, with Bitcoin returning over $30,000 but still on track for a record losing run following the collapse of TerraUSD, a so-called stablecoin. Concerns about high inflation and increasing interest rates have prompted the widespread dumping of hazardous investments, including crypto assets. Sentiment is extremely delicate … Read more
Saudi Arabia and the US are in talks to boost trade cooperation in the digital economy and innovation fields, Saudi Press Agency reported. The Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah bin Amer Al-Sawaha met with US Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves and briefed him regarding the steps taken by the Kingdom to support … Read more
A Syrian interpreter abandoned by the UK’s asylum system attempted suicide after waiting nearly two years for a decision on his claim. Ali, not his real name, arrived on Tier 2 Highly Skilled Worker visa in 2020 and with permission to work as a translator for the Syrian White Helmets. He told The Guardian that … Read more
On Friday, Israeli soldiers resumed raids in the occupied West Bank settlement of Jenin, where a renowned Palestinian journalist was killed this week, injuring at least four individuals, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli military stated its soldiers were fighting terrorists on the outskirts of Jenin, where Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh … Read more
Pope Francis selected three Lebanese Catholic priests to lead some of the most significant dioceses in the Eastern Catholic Churches, a decision considered “another evidence of care for that country’s clergy and faithful” by Vatican watchers. The Pope gave his approval to the appointment of Rev. Joseph Abdel-Jalil Chami as archbishop of Hassake-Nisibi, Syria. Rev. … Read more
US President Joe Biden and Jordan’s King Abdullah II met on Friday to explore measures to “urgently address” the surge in violence between Israel and the West Bank. Since late March, the region has been gripped by a wave of violent violence, with Israeli security forces and Palestinians often battling. “The leaders consulted on recent … Read more
