Kuwait is set to replace expatriates in the country’s private sector with Bidoon, the country’s disadvantaged stateless minority. The government will set up a platform to register Bidoon seeking employment, according to an official cited by Kuwaiti dai…
Russia denies ‘blame’ for grain shipping trouble
Russian President Vladimir Putin told Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer Friday that attempts to blame Russia for difficulties in shipping grain worldwide were unfounded and pointed to Western sanctions instead, the Kremlin said. “Vladimir Putin stresse…
Turkey’s talks with Sweden, Finland made little progress
Talks between Turkish officials and delegations from Sweden and Finland have made little headway overcoming Ankara’s objections to their NATO membership bids, and it is not clear when further discussions will take place, according to two sources. Swedi…
Palestine: Abbas makes Hussein Al-Sheikh his number two
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas made key ally and possible successor Hussein Al-Sheikh Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) executive committee secretary-general on Thursday. The decision, reported by Palestinian Authority (PA) news agency Wafa,…
Iran ‘offered Instagram moderators bribes’ to remove profile
Iran offered bribes to Instagram moderators to remove anti-regime profiles from the platform, BBC Persian has reported. A Persian-language content moderator linked to Instagram claimed Iranian intelligence offered them thousands of dollars to block the…
Alaa Aswany slammed for ‘interview with Israeli army radio’
A recent interview reportedly conducted by Israeli army radio with award-winning Egyptian novelist Alaa Al-Aswany earlier last week has been marred by contradictory accounts. Aswany denied speaking to any Israeli reporters, saying the interview was con…
Ethiopia rights body seeks release of detained journalists
Ethiopia’s state-appointed human rights body called on Friday for the release of 16 journalists and media personnel after new arrests in recent days in the capital Addis Ababa and the restive region of Amhara. Press watchdogs and rights groups say Prim…
Jordan: Boycott launched as govt chickens out on price cap
A boycott of chicken and eggs has been launched in Jordan amid calls on the government by campaigners to cap rising prices. A watchdog accused Jordan’s government of favouring farmers and traders over consumers after it removed a cap on prices earlier …
Lebanon faces hurdles on Egyptian gas
Lebanon’s plan to bring natural gas from Egypt is facing hurdles, the Dubai-based Asharq TV channel reported on Friday, citing Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib. The plan is aimed at easing Lebanon’s severe electricity shortage by supplying …
WHO: Nearly 200 cases of monkeypox in more than 20 countries
TheWorld Health Organization says nearly 200 cases of monkeypox have been reported in more than 20 countries not usually known to have outbreaks of the unusual disease, but described the epidemic as “containable” and proposed creating a stockpile to eq…