Despite Sudan’s agricultural and animal resources, political instability is hindering the country’s potential to benefit itself and the region. Sudan’s Minister of Trade and Supply Amal Saleh Saad says her country can secure food for the Arab world and compensate for the shortages of Ukrainian and Russian wheat caused by …
Read More »OPEC+ alliance agrees to production increase
Pressure on Saudi Arabia, Russia and other major oil producers has boosted production amid high prices. An alliance of major oil exporters announced a big increase in production today. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies agreed to boost production by 648,000 barrels a day for July …
Read More »Saudi crown prince balances Turkey visit with stops in Greece and Cyprus
Mohammed bin Salman’s plan to visit Turkey as part of a regional tour shows that the kingdom has no intention to upset Greece and Cyprus while mending fences with Turkey. A forthcoming visit by the Saudi crown prince could have made Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan all smiles — had …
Read More »Turkey calls on German and French envoys to protest against Kurdish militant events
Turkey summoned the German and French ambassadors to Ankara to protest against events organised by Kurdish militants in their countries. The envoys were told of Turkey’s discomfort with the events organised by the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, considered a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the EU, state-run …
Read More »Germany sentences five Tajiks to jail over ISIS plots
A German court on Tuesday convicted five Tajik men for their membership of an ISIS cell that planned terrorist attacks in Germany and abroad. The men, aged 25 to 34, were given jail terms of between three years and eight months to nine-and-a-half years, a court in Duesseldorf said. They …
Read More »EU Slaps Sanctions on al-Qaida-linked Group
The member states of the European Union on Monday agreed to impose terrorism-related sanctions against an al-Qaida-affiliated armed insurgent group and two of its leaders. The European Council, which oversees the 27-member bloc’s political direction, identified Hurras al-Din, a Syria-based al-Qaida affiliate, its leader, Faruq al-Suri, and its religious leader, …
Read More »Russia’s war on global food security
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine is also a war on global food security. In February 2022, Russia blockaded all of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, through which all its bulk exports were being shipped. The ports remain closed, with no opening in sight. David Beasley, the executive director of …
Read More »Denmark to join EU defence policy after historic vote
Denmark will join the European Union’s defence policy after a referendum on Wednesday (1 June), final results showed, signalling the latest shift among Nordic countries to deepen defence ties in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Denmark is the only EU member that is not part of the bloc’s defence …
Read More »Berlin promises Ukraine heavy weapons, but delivery may take months
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has promised to send Ukraine heavy weapons, including air defence systems, though Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was quick to dash hopes of speedy delivery. Speaking in front of the Bundestag on Wednesday (1 June), Scholz said Germany would provide Ukraine with a modern Iris-T air defence system …
Read More »The Netherlands, Germany announce joint North Sea drilling operation
The Netherlands and Germany will drill for gas in the North Sea together, with production expected to start in 2024, the Dutch government has announced. According to the Dutch government’s website, production will take place in the North Sea, about 19 kilometres north of Schiermonnikoog and Borkum. A pipeline is …
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