Devastating Easter bombings in Sri Lanka were retaliation for recent deadly attacks on mosques in New Zealand, a Sri Lankan official said on Tuesday, adding that two domestic Islamist groups were believed to have been behind Sunday's blasts.
*U.S. aims to cut Iran oil exports to zero. *White House says working with Saudi Arabia, UAE to ensure supply. Eight economies, including China and India, were granted waivers for six months, and several had expected those exemptions to be renewed.
TUNIS, April 17- The International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday it had reached a staff-level agreement with Tunisia on the fifth review of a loan. The agreement will allow Tunisia to benefit from a disbursement of $247 million following the Executive Boards review that is expected to take place by early June this year. Tunisia struck a deal with the IMF in...
*Fuel queues grow in Syria. *Assad has said Syria under "siege" by enemies. BEIRUT, April 17- Syria has suffered oil shortages since an Iranian credit line was halted six months ago and not one oil tanker has reached the country since then, a pro-government newspaper said on Wednesday, as a fuel crisis worsened.
WASHINGTON, April 15- Turkey's purchase of a Russian air defense missile system should not trigger U.S. sanctions because Ankara is not an adversary of Washington and remains committed to the NATO alliance, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Monday. Speaking at a U.S.- Turkey conference in Washington as tensions mount between the two NATO allies over...
WASHINGTON, April 15- Turkey's purchase of a Russian air defense missile system should not trigger U.S. sanctions because Ankara is not an adversary of Washington and remains committed to the NATO alliance, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Monday. Speaking at a U.S.- Turkey conference in Washington amid rising tensions between the two NATO allies over...
*reuters:// realtime/verb= Open/url= cpurl:// apps.cp./ Apps/econ-polls? ANKARA, April 12- Turkey's economy is expected to contract in 2019 after a decade of strong growth, and economists are predicting a longer recession ahead after a recent bout of volatility in the lira, a Reuters poll showed on Friday. Turkey's economy last contracted in 2009, by 4.7 percent.
LONDON/ CARACAS, April 8- An Iranian delegation landed in Venezuela on Monday to discuss launching direct flights between the two countries, Venezuela's foreign minister said, as Tehran voices support for President Nicolas Maduro against the opposition backed by most Western countries. A plane belonging to Mahan Air, a private Iranian airline accused by the...
LONDON/ CARACAS, April 8- A delegation of Iranian officials landed in Venezuela on Monday to discuss launching direct flights between the two countries, Venezuela's foreign minister said, as Tehran voices support for President Nicolas Maduro against opposition backed by most western countries. A plane belonging to Mahan Air, a private Iranian airline...
LONDON/ CARACAS, April 8- Mahan Air, a private Iranian airline accused by the West of transporting military equipment to Middle East war zones, on Monday launched a direct flight to Venezuela, as Tehran voices support for Caracas against a U.S. backed opposition. Mehr news agency quoted the spokesman of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization Reza Jafarzadeh as...
LONDON, April 8- Mahan Air, a private Iranian airline accused by the West of transporting military equipment to Middle East war zones, on Monday launched a direct flight to Venezuela, as Tehran voices support for Caracas against a U.S. backed opposition. Mehr news agency quoted the spokesman of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization Reza Jafarzadeh as saying that...
World Economic Forum (WEF) President Borge Brende spoke to CNBC on Sunday, discussing his take on the evolving geopolitical landscape in the Middle East.
BEIRUT, April 5- Lebanon announced on Friday five offshore blocks to be included in its coming bidding round for energy exploration and production licences, including four along disputed maritime borders. "We expect greater participation in the second round of licensing," Boustani said, adding that representatives from Russia's Lukoil, Spain's Repsol and...
In every Israeli election since 1948, the top issue has been security. But the economy has become a major focus for voters as they head to the polls on Tuesday.
LONDON, April 4- The United Nations' shipping agency is working on tougher measures to clamp down on rogue shipping companies trying to use flag registries fraudulently to conceal their activities, officials said. With international and U.S. sanctions imposed on countries including North Korea, Iran and Syria, some ships involved in such trade have used...
Beijing sees the situation in Syria as an opportunity to benefit economically, expand its influence in the Middle East and even boost its globe-spanning Belt and Road infrastructure investment initiative.
Vice President Mike Pence warned Turkey on Wednesday against buying a Russian S-400 anti-missile system, keeping up pressure on the NATO ally to abandon a purchase that Washington views as a threat to U.S. military equipment. Pence said in an address during a meeting of NATO ministers in Washington. The United States and Turkey remain at loggerheads over...
*Army chief of staff had demanded action to remove him. ALGIERS, April 2- Algeria's ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigned on Tuesday, succumbing to six weeks of largely peaceful mass protests driven by youth and pressure from the powerful army against his 20- year rule. Western powers, some of which had demanded a peaceful solution, will be relieved that...
By Lamine Chikhi and Hamid Ould Ahmed. ALGIERS, April 2- Algeria's ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigned on Tuesday, succumbing to six weeks of largely peaceful mass protests driven by youth and pressure from the powerful army against his 20- year rule. The protests stand in stark contrast to Algeria's neighbor Libya, where Muammar Gaddafi was...
JERUSALEM, April 2- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will fly to Moscow on Thursday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Israeli leader's office said on Tuesday. On Monday, Netanyahu told reporters he and Putin spoke by telephone about Syria, whose Russian-backed president, Bashar al-Assad, has been gaining ground in an eight-year civil war.
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