PARIS (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron appointed on Wednesday his former foreign minister as personal envoy to Lebanon just a year after he stepped down and having previously not been able to make any inroads in the political deadlock in the country. Macron led international efforts after a massive explosion that killed more than…
By Nevzat Devranoglu and Huseyin Hayatsever ANKARA (Reuters) -Turkey’s lira plunged 7.6% to a record low on Wednesday in its biggest selloff since the historic 2021 crash, and traders called it a “strong signal” that Ankara is moving away from state controls toward a freely traded currency. The lira has come under increasing pressure since…
By Humeyra Pamuk and Aziz El Yaakoubi JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had an “open, candid” conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the early hours of Wednesday about a wide range of bilateral issues, a U.S. official said. The top U.S. diplomat arrived in Saudi Arabia late…
By Tim Hepher, Joanna Plucinska and Aditi Shah ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Global airlines called on Tuesday for broad co-operation to reach “very tough” emission targets and pledged to release interim climate targets next year as the industry aims for a goal of net-zero by 2050. Aviation, which produces around 2% of the world’s emissions, is…
(Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is in Saudi Arabia for a much anticipated visit amid frayed ties due to deepening disagreements on everything from Iran policy to regional security issues, oil prices and human rights. The U.S.-Saudi alliance has weathered many storms over the decades, but the relationship remains vital to both:…
By Trevor Hunnicutt and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said on Tuesday that Israel’s democracy requires “an independent judiciary,” wading into the controversy over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed judicial overhaul that has drawn mass protests in Israel. “America will continue to stand for the values that have been the bedrock…
By Joanna Plucinska ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Despite progress in improving gender diversity in the aviation sector, equality is still a distant goal, figures presented on Tuesday at the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) annual meeting in Istanbul showed. Aviation is known for its poor record on achieving gender balance, particularly among pilots, but also in…
By Angus Berwick and Tom Wilson LONDON (Reuters) – Two offshore trading firms controlled by Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao lie at the centre of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) lawsuit launched against the world’s largest crypto exchange, which highlights concerns over client funds. Swiss-registered Sigma Chain received customer funds from Binance, the…
By Humeyra Pamuk JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday on a mission to steady Washington’s relationship with Riyadh after years of deepening disagreements on issues ranging from Iran and regional security to oil prices. Blinken met with the kingdom’s de-facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin…
CAIRO (Reuters) – Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met and discussed bilateral relations, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported early on Wednesday. They also discussed “aspects of cooperation in various fields and developments in regional and international situations”, the SPA added. Blinken arrived in Saudi…
