For the first time Turkey has placed orders for 50,000 tonnes of wheat imports from India joining Egypt. While this will benefit farmers in India, it will further push up wheat prices in the country, which have already surged by up to 15% in recent weeks. Wheat prices shot up as Indian wheat is in … Read more
Russia is struggling to sell oil as buyers flee the stigma, logistical challenges and fears of further sanctions that come with dealing with Moscow in the wake of the Ukraine invasion. Even without direct sanctions on its energy industry Russia will lose around one million barrels per day (bpd) in oil exports, according to analyst … Read more
The Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah fired barrages of rockets towards Israeli forces on Friday, drawing retaliatory fire from Israel into south Lebanon, in a third day of cross-border salvoes amid wider regional tensions with Iran. Suggesting its attack was calibrated to avoid further escalation, Hezbollah said it had targeted open ground near Israeli forces in … Read more
The top American commander in the Middle East said Tuesday that it would be “extremely difficult” for the United States to watch and counter terrorist threats in Afghanistan such as al-Qaida after U.S. troops leave the country by Sept. 11. The head of the U.S. Central Command, Gen. Kenneth McKenzie Jr., offered the first extensive … Read more
Iran began enriching uranium to 60% purity in order to show its technical capacity after a sabotage attack at a nuclear plant, and the move is quickly reversible if the United States lifts sanctions, the Iranian government said on Tuesday. Talks in Vienna aimed at bringing the United States and Iran back to full compliance … Read more
New Delhi: In a major diplomatic success Central Asia‘s biggest country has been able to bring back its citizens from Syria. Kazakhstan had played a key role in settlement of political process of Syria. The National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of … Read more
Tesla is bringing its electric cars to the heart of the oil producing world. The automaker announced Monday that its first official venture in the Middle East will be in the United Arab Emirates. The first cars — the Model S and Model X — will hit the road this summer. “Timing seems to be … Read more
Istanbul CNN — Turkey’s Red Crescent organization has been criticized by lawmakers and citizens after revelations that it sold tents to a charity instead of donating them to people in urgent need after the massive earthquake that claimed more than 44,000 lives earlier this month. While people were begging the government for shelters to sleep … Read more
Editor’s Note: A version of this story first appeared in CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the region’s biggest stories. Sign up here. Abu Dhabi, UAE CNN — The devastating earthquake that hit Turkey on February 6 killed at least 45,000 people, rendered millions homeless across almost a dozen cities … Read more