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  • Ukraine agrees to U.S. ceasefire plan. ‘Hopefully Russia agrees to it,’ Trump

    The United States will resume military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine after Ukrainian negotiators today agreed to a U.S. proposal for a 30-day interim ceasefire, which the US will now discuss with Moscow, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. “We’ll take this offer now to the Russians, and we hope that they’ll say yes,” Rubio told journalists after the conclusion of talks with the Ukrainians in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, tonight. “The ball is now in their court.” President Trump “wants the war to end,” Rubio said. “Today, Ukraine has taken a concrete step in that regard. We hope the Russians will reciprocate.” “The Ukrainian delegation today made something very clear: that they share President Trump’s vision for peace,” US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz said. “They share his determination to end the fighting.”

  • Saudi finance leaders discuss accounting reforms at ICAEW event

    Finance leaders in Saudi Arabia discussed the need for accounting reforms to augment investor trust and financial transparency at an event hosted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).  The conversation centred on how enhanced accounting standards, ethical frameworks, and technological adaptation could keep the profession aligned with the country’s progress.

  • Positive Energy and Pragmatic Actions Needed to Drive Global Growth and Rise of AI: Dr. Sultan Al Jaber

    Speaking at CERAWeek in Houston, Texas, Dr. Al Jaber called for durable, stable policies to meet the growing demand for energy. “The world is finally waking up to the fact that energy is the solution. Energy is the beating heart of economies, a key driver of prosperity and is fundamental to every aspect of human development. If we want a pro-growth world, we need pragmatic actions and policies that are pro-growth, pro-investment, pro-energy and pro-people.”

  • How separatist militants hijacked a train in Pakistan

    The Jaffar Express was heading to the city of Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, with 425 people on board when it was attacked. Militants blew up the railway tracks and opened fire on the train, killing the driver and trapping the locomotive inside a tunnel before taking control of it. Some of those rescued said they crouched low when the firing started, while others spoke of passengers who had been injured or killed.

  • US resumes sending aid, intel to Ukraine; seeks ‘yes’ from Russia on ceasefire

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his own statement that the day’s discussions began with Ukraine’s key priorities: stopping Russia’s missile and drone attacks, releasing prisoners of war, the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia, and building confidence in the overall diplomatic process. “The American side understands our arguments and considers our proposals,” Zelenskyy said. “The U.S. side proposed taking an even bigger first step—a 30-day full interim ceasefire, not only stopping missile, drone, and bomb attacks, not only in the Black Sea, but also along the entire front line. Ukraine is ready to accept this proposal.”

  • Saudi-owned Sela strikes deal with Olympics hero Mills

    Sky News has learnt that Sela, which has gained international prominence in recent years as the shirt sponsor of Saudi-owned Premier League side Newcastle United, will announce later on Tuesday the formation of a partnership with Origin Sports Group. The alliance will come soon after Sela agreed a collaboration with The Ring and TKO to form a new international boxing promotion company. Sela's joint venture with Origin will include the establishment of an international headquarters in London, with a board including Sela's head of international business, Ibrahim Mohtaseb.

  • The Thirst for Power: Water and Politics in the Middle East

    This new CSIS report provides a new perspective on an old topic. The Middle East has battled water insecurity for centuries, but today, the region is on a razor’s edge. Climate change and overuse have threatened water supplies like never before. In a region beset with wars, fragility, and political tensions, it is harder than ever to develop agreements and reforms that would alleviate water scarcity. The trends are clear: By 2050, every single country in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) will live under extremely high water stress.1

  • Saudi Arabia rebrands as mediator for global crises

    Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is increasingly busy hosting state leaders who fly in to discuss pressing global conflicts. This Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met the Saudi Crown Prince to speak about Russia's war in Ukraine. This is ahead of a Tuesday meeting between Ukrainian and a US teams set to negotiate a potential end to Russia's war of aggression, as well as a security deal that would include US access to Ukraine's valuable mineral and metal deposits. It will be the first time that Ukrainian and US delegates talk face-to-face after the public spat between US President Donald Trump and President Zelenskyy in the White House in late February. The fact that the two countries have agreed to meet in Saudi Arabia — and not, say, in Europe — highlights the emerging key position of the oil-rich kingdom in the Middle East. "Saudi Arabia has indeed established itself as a platform for dialog in the last two to three years," Sebastian Sons, a senior researcher for the German think tank CARPO, told DW. "In Saudi Arabia's foreign policy strategy, it currently plays a very important role to talk to everyone," he added.

  • Saudi Arabia, Ukraine Issue Joint Statement Emphasizing Strong Economic Ties and Collaborative Efforts to Enhance Trade Volume

    The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Ukraine commended the strong economic ties between the two friendly countries and emphasized the importance of joint action to develop the volume of trade exchange. The two sides also welcomed the upcoming reestablishment of the Saudi-Ukrainian Business Council in 2025. This came in a joint statement issued following the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the text of which reads as follows: "Within the framework of distinguished relations and close cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Ukraine, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy paid an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on March 10, 2025. His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, received President Zelenskyy at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah. They held an official discussion session, during which they reviewed the aspects of the distinguished relations between the two friendly countries, and expressed their desire to enhance them in all fields.

  • Damascus faces demands for accountability after civilian killings

    Syria's Islamist-led government on Monday said it had completed a military operation against a nascent insurgency by Bashar al-Assad loyalists, as it faced Western demands for accountability over the reported killing of hundreds of civilians. The violence in Syria's coastal region marks the biggest test for interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa since he seized power in December, with hundreds of civilians reported by a war monitor to have been killed in Alawite villages as government forces sought to crush the insurrection by members of Assad's minority Alawite sect.