Category: Blogs

EconSource: Saudi Power Projects Will Need $133 Billion Investment Over 10 Years

By EconSource

Saudi Arabia will need to invest $133.3 billion in electricity projects over the next ten years to cope with rising power demand, its Electricity and Water Minister Abdullah al-Hussayen said Sunday.

China Pays the Price for North Korea’s Belligerence

By Robert A. Manning

North Korea’s fourth nuclear test followed by a ballistic missile launch have ominous implications—a North Korea in possession of miniaturized warheads and a delivery system. These developments have rattled nerves and escalated tensions in Northeast Asia. The outrage over North Korea’s flagrant violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions has reverberated worldwide, yet China, North […]

What Happened to Giulio Regeni?

Circumstances surrounding the death of an Italian national in Egypt remain vague, two days after his body was discovered on the outskirts of Cairo. Egyptian Public Prosecutor Ahmed Nagi told AP that Giulio Regeni was found dead on Wednesday in an empty lot in the 6th of October suburb. His body was transferred to Cairo’s […]

Syria: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

By Frederic C. Hof

Word out of Saudi Arabia that the Kingdom is willing to contribute ground forces to the anti-Islamic State (ISIL, ISIS, Daesh) fight in Syria and the positive reaction of Secretary of Defense Ash Carter combine to form one of earth’s rarest elements: good news on Syria. The ongoing display of official American disbelief about the […]

Putin Corners Himself in Ukraine. We Would Be Crazy to Placate Him Now

By Diane Francis

The recent backroom bilateral talks between the United States and Russia about Ukraine have caused anxiety in the region, raised hopes that sanctions could be lifted, and elevated Russian President Vladimir Putin’s status to super power level. All are counterproductive. Since the bilateral talks and optimistic statements by US Secretary of State John Kerry about […]

Top News: Libya loses voting rights at UN General Assembly over non-payment of dues

By MENASource

Libya has had its voting rights United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) suspended because it has not paid its UN membership dues. In a letter to the UNGA a fortnight ago, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that to have the ban lifted, Libya would have to pay a minimum of $1,369,638 towards reducing its debt.

Top News: Egypt’s Top Prosecutor Orders Striking Doctors at Matariya Hospital Back to Work

By EgyptSource

Egypt’s top prosecutor ordered the immediate reopening of Matariya Hospital on Thursday so that medical care can resume after doctors launched a strike over an assault by a group of policemen last week.

EconSource: World Bank Says Support to MENA Will Total $20 Billion in the Next Five Years

By EconSource

World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim announced Thursday that the World Bank Group will triple its commitment to the Middle East and North Africa over the next five years to nearly $20 billion.