A week of marathon meetings in Doha between various Syrian factions barely yielded any significant results, despite the importance of opposition unity in face of the Syrian regime …
Israel may seize advanced weapons in Syria: Barak
Israeli Defence minister Ehud Barak threatens intervention in case the beleaguered Syrian government delivers missiles to the Lebanese Hezbollah movement …
COMMENT: Uzbek privatisation – this time it seems to be for real!
Privatisation efforts in Uzbekistan are moving to a practical level. The newly appointed State Asset Management Agency (SAMA) head has started …
Oil Jumps Above $70 After Saudi Arabian Energy Facility Attacked
Oil surged above $70 a barrel in early Asian trading after Saudi Arabia said an energy facility was attacked, with prices extending gains after OPEC+ last week said it would keep production …
Yemen’s Houthis attack Saudi oil heartland with drones, missiles
Yemen’s Houthi forces fired drones and missiles at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s oil industry on Sunday, including a Saudi Aramco facility at Ras Tanura vital to petroleum exports, in what Riyadh called …
UPDATE 1-U.S. says all options on table for Afghanistan, decision unclear on force posture after May 1
The U.S. government said Sunday that all options remain on the table for its remaining 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, saying it has made no decisions about its military commitment after May 1. The State …
Iran plans new manoeuvres in Hormuz Strait in Feb
Iran unveils its willingness to hold new naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz next month, coinciding with new financial sanctions signed into law by US President Barack Obama on New Year’s eve …
Egypt-Iran rapprochement: Prospects and challenges
The strained Egypt-Iran relationship has long been marked by pragmatism by both sides. But with President Morsi gearing up to visit Tehran, how far will the Brotherhood go to open a new chapter with …
B-52s again fly over Mideast in U.S. military warning to Iran
A pair of B-52 bombers flew over the Mideast on Sunday, the latest such mission in the region aimed at warning Iran amid tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Diokno’s FIST law gives Philippine banks a boost, but do they need it?
The ‘bad bank’ asset management company recently launched in the Philippines has not just been designed to make life easier for the banks, it could boost growth as well.