Washington, United States | AFP | US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday accused China of seeking to build an “empire” by bribing leaders with investment and vowed to fight it “at every turn.” As tensions led by trade disputes soar between China and President Donald Trump’s administration, the …
Read More »From Twitter to hotels, Saudi’s sprawling business interests
Paris, France | AFP | Saudi Arabia’s global investment reach is impressive, stretching from stakes in Twitter and Uber to AccorHotels and Virgin Galactic — but the Khashoggi affair has thrown a harsh spotlight on its economic footprint. The following is a synopsis of the Kingdom’s investment portfolio. A 2017 …
Read More »Turkey wants 18 Saudis extradited over Khashoggi murder
Istanbul, Turkey | AFP | Turkey on Friday said it wanted 18 Saudis extradited over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara still had more evidence to reveal in the case. The announcement came a day after the Saudi prosecutor said that based on …
Read More »Sudan lifts Egypt produce ban as Sisi visits Khartoum
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir on Thursday lifted a 17-month long ban on agricultural imports from Egypt, during an official visit by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to Khartoum. “I signed today a decision cancelling the ban on imports of Egyptian products,” Bashir told reporters after …
Read More »Maduro labels Pence ‘a madman’ for Venezuela caravan link
Caracas, Venezuela | AFP | Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday labelled US Vice President Mike Pence “a madman” after he accused Caracas of financing the Honduras migrant caravan marching towards the United States. “What tremendous convening power I have in Central America, Mike Pence! If it wasn’t for an …
Read More »Japan’s Abe to make rare China visit as relations thaw
Beijing, China | AFP | Japan’s Shinzo Abe is due to arrive in China Thursday, the first visit to the Asian giant by a Japanese prime minister since relations between the two countries soured six years ago over a territorial row. Abe and Chinese president Xi Jinping are expected to …
Read More »Saudi crown prince to make first speech since Khashoggi murder
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Saudi Arabia’s crown prince is scheduled to address an investment forum in Riyadh Wednesday, his first public speech since the murder of critic Jamal Khashoggi plunged the kingdom into crisis. Organisers of the glitzy flagship Future Investment Initiative listed Prince Mohammed bin Salman among …
Read More »Trump wants to meet Putin in Paris on November 11: Bolton
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Donald Trump wishes to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin when the two visit Paris on November 11 for World War I commemorations, the US president’s National Security Advisor John Bolton said on Tuesday. “I think President Trump will look forward to seeing you in …
Read More »Smiles, selfies as Saudi crown prince attends investment forum amid ‘crisis’
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Saudi Arabia’s powerful crown prince appeared Tuesday at a glitzy investment forum boycotted by a host of global business leaders, as the petro-state admitted it is facing a “crisis” after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman smiled and took …
Read More »US sees promise in Zimbabwe economic moves
Washington, United States | AFP | The top US diplomat for Africa on Tuesday voiced optimism over economic reforms by the new government in Zimbabwe, which remains under sanctions dating from Robert Mugabe’s 37-year reign. Tibor Nagy, the assistant secretary of state for African affairs, said that Zimbabwe’s level of …
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