By Marshall Auerback, a market analyst and commentator. Produced by the Independent Media Institute Ever since the dollar replaced gold at the center of the global financial system, many outside the U.S. have complained about “dollar hegemony,”and the “exorbitant privilege” conferred on the U.S. by virtue of this hegemony. What […]
Read MoreEarlier this year, it was rumored that Spotify would arrive in MENA (Middle East and North Africa) sometime in Q4 2018. It seems the speculation was true, as Spotify has now launched in a handful of MENA countries — but only to those with invites. Spotify now appears to be live in Lebanon, Jordan, UAE, […]
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WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s new focus on threats from China and Russia after almost two decades of fighting terrorism “too often rests on questionable assumptions and weak analysis,” an independent bipartisan commission concluded in a sharply critical report issued on Wednesday that challenges President Trump’s commitment to supporting a strong […]
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The Trump administration is not ready to admit it, but its Middle East strategy is in deep trouble, now compounded by the murder of the dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Turkey last month. The administration’s recent pressure on the Saudis to seek a truce in their […]
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By Barkley Rosser, Professor of Economics at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Originally published at EconoSpeak A curious coincidence is that the US midterm elections happened one day after the US reimposed its second round of illegal economic sanctions on Iran, with the focus on oil, shipping, and banking, […]
Read MoreEarlier this year, it was rumored that Spotify would arrive in MENA (Middle East and North Africa) sometime in Q4 2018. It seems the speculation was true, as Spotify has now launched in a handful of MENA countries — but only to those with invites. Spotify now appears to be live in Lebanon, Jordan, UAE, […]
Read MoreThis analysis is by Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Edmond Christou and Philip Richards. It appeared first on the Bloomberg Terminal. ADCB’s LDR challenges in 4Q may limit gains: Earnings outlook Post-3Q Earnings Outlook: Increasing competition on liquidity among banks in 4Q will further challenge Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank’s effort to expand its lending capacity and current […]
Read MoreOn Thursday’s broadcast of CNN’s “OutFront,” Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said that if Washington Post writer Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi Arabia there should be “all-out sanctions” and everything should be on the table. Graham said that if Saudi Arabia is responsible for Khashoggi’s death, there will be “hell to pay.” He added that this “means […]
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Enlarge / An illustration of what will become the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park (Phase III). reader comments 11 Share this story In recent years, massive solar projects proposed for the Middle East have grabbed headlines with extremely low prices. Developers have announced agreements to sell their solar energy for as low as […]
Read MoreRussian President Vladimir Putin met with his security council on Friday to discuss the impending invasion of Syria’s Idlib province and is considering a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been pleading with Russia and Syria to hold off on the offensive. Russian officials nevertheless maintained airstrikes against rebel positions in Idlib […]
Read MoreA Syrian rebel commander revealed on Thursday his coalition is conducting large-scale military exercises alongside U.S. Marines in the backdrop of the expected invasion of Idlib, the nation’s last rebel stronghold. Colonel Muhanad al Talaa, the commander of the Pentagon-backed Maghawir al Thawra group, confirmed to Reuters that eight days of drills involving hundreds of U.S. […]
Read MoreThe U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Monday that over 30,000 people have already fled their homes in the Idlib province of Syria, as dictator Bashar Assad and his allies in Russia and Iran step up air and artillery strikes. The U.N. warned that Assad’s invasion of Idlib could be […]
Read MoreIranian lawmakers are urging the country’s regime to consider rationing food and using food coupons as the pressure of U.S. sanctions begin to take their toll, Radio Farda reported this week. On Tuesday, the parliament approved a bill calling on the regime to begin importing food items such as meat, rice, sugar, bread, and other essential commodities and start […]
Read MoreThe Times of Israel reported: US Jews were split Friday night over the Trump administration’s decision to cut all funding to the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency hours earlier, with left-leaning Jewish organizations calling UNRWA “deeply flawed” but arguing that stripping it of aid would endanger Israel and destabilize the region. … The liberal Middle East […]
Read MoreThe U.S. Embassy in Ankara has denied reports that American pastor Andrew Brunson will be released from house arrest and allowed to return back to the United States. According to an official who spoke with Reuters, reports that emerged on social media indicating that Brunson would be released are false. The news comes just two weeks […]
Read MoreThis article was written by Sarah Algethami. It first appeared on the Bloomberg Terminal. Saudi Arabia is now looking for Plan B to propel its sovereign wealth fund into the ranks of global giants. The initial plan was to raise at least $100 billion through an initial public offering of a small stake in Saudi Aramco, the […]
Read MoreOne proposal discussed by officials involved the creation of as many as 500,000 government jobs, even though Prince Mohammed’s blueprint for the post-oil era was based on cutting the public payroll, according to three people familiar with the matter. That idea isn’t likely to be pursued, one of the people said, but the fact that […]
Read MoreTechCrunch is coming back to Berlin to talk with the best and brightest people in tech from Europe and the rest of the world. In addition to fireside chats and panels, new startups will participate in the Startup Battlefield Europe to win the coveted cup. Grab your ticket to Disrupt Berlin before August 1st as […]
Read MorePresident Donald Trump responded to a threat from Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani, issued on Sunday, vowing to make the country suffer consequences if threats continue. “NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE,” President Trump wrote in all-caps on Twitter. “WE […]
Read MoreIn theory, such objectives make sense. But Mr. Trump seems to be singularly naïve, or deliberately ignorant, about why his own senior national security advisers have identified Russia as one of America’s chief geostrategic adversaries, along with China. Despite a weak economy, corruption and other domestic problems, Mr. Putin has crushed most political opposition at […]
Read MoreOn Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump will hold a globally anticipated one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Here’s a preview of what to expect. Trump gave a topical preview during Friday’s joint press conference with U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May of what he and the Russian president will discuss during their highly anticipated sit-down […]
Read MoreTrump will meet with Putin this week in Helsinki. But despite talk of a “grand bargain” that enlists Russia in helping the US-Israel-Saudi-UAE front against Iran, don’t expect it to happen, says professor of journalism at the American University of Beirut, nonresident senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, and syndicated columnist Rami Khouri in […]
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