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  • Saudi Arabia Eyes Stake in Broadcaster It Banned For Years

    Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund is considering an investment in BeIn Media Group, people familiar with the matter said, in what would be a major shift by the kingdom which until only recently had banned the Qatari broadcaster. The Public Investment Fund is among parties that have informally signaled interest in partnering with Doha-based BeIn, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing confidential information. US private equity firms are also keen to invest, they said.

  • General headscarf ban at work is OK, Europe’s top court says

    EU companies can ban headscarfs as long as it is a general prohibition that does not discriminate against employees, Europe's top court said on Thursday, the latest ruling on an issue that has divided Europe for years. The case concerned a Muslim woman who was told she could not wear a headscarf when she applied to do a six-week work traineeship at a Belgian company.

  • Death Toll Rises in the West Bank

    Last weekend’s violence brought the annual death toll to more than 120 Palestinians, marking the most fatalities since 2015. According to the Middle East Eye, “armoured vehicles, bulldozers, military helicopters and combat drones were reportedly deployed in the raid. Palestinian fighters responded with live fire, while unarmed residents also confronted Israeli soldiers with rocks.”

  • How Saudi Arabia is reimagining urban design

    The city is set to have an autonomous judicial system, tax regime and labour laws, while also being powered by 100% renewable energy. In July 2020 NEOM Green Hydrogen, Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power and US-based Air Products and Chemicals announced a joint development project to build the world’s largest green hydrogen plant in OXAGON. Reports surfaced in May 2022 that India’s Larsen & Toubro had been selected to construct the renewable energy power supply for the green hydrogen plant. This endeavour is expected to include a 2930-MW solar facility, a 1370-MW wind farm and a 400-MW battery storage system, along with a 190-km transmission network.

  • IMF, World Bank Warn of Increasing Risk of Global Recession

    In the US, the world’s largest economy, the labor market is still very strong but is losing momentum because the impact of higher borrowing costs is “starting to bite,” IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Monday. The euro zone is slowing as natural gas prices soar, and China due to Covid-19 disruptions and volatility in the housing sector.

  • UK bans over 1,300 ‘violent’ English, Welsh fans from travelling to FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

    British authorities have banned over 1,300 English and Wales supporters from travelling to the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. Those prohibited from travelling have a previous record of soccer-related offences and causing disorder. The 1,308 supporters who have been classified under this criteria must surrender their passports to the police, starting Friday.

  • Saudi Ambassador: Kingdom Keen on Lebanon’s Security, Stability

    Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed al-Bukhari underscored on Saturday the Kingdom’s keenness on Lebanon’s security and stability. He met with MP Ashraf Rifi in the northern city of Tripoli of which he was given a tour. The envoy stressed the need for officials to “prioritize the higher interest” of the country above others.

  • World Bank Cuts India Growth Forecast Citing Global Risks

    India’s gross domestic product will grow 6.5% in the year to March, the Washington-based institution said in its South Asia Economic Focus report released Thursday. That revision, along with a 1.4 percentage point cut to crisis-ridden Sri Lanka’s growth outlook, pulled the region’s 2022 forecast down to 5.8% from 6.8% seen in June, even though the outlook for five other countries in the region were upgraded.

  • Lebanese coins get new life as accessories

    A fashion store in Lebanon's Tripoli is using Lebanese pound coins to make accessories as the country struggles with one of the deepest financial crises of modern times.

  • Biden poised to get big Middle East win in Lebanon-Israel maritime border dispute

    The primary issue at play is a pair of natural gas fields near the coast of Lebanon and Israel. One of them — the Qana prospect — straddles a disputed area that each side has long tried to claim as its own. Both Beirut and Tel Aviv have sought access to it in recent decades as prospectors have predicted that it could hold significant amounts of natural gas. (Qana’s contents remain unconfirmed because gas companies have been unwilling to work in the disputed area.)