Arab politicians and commentators greeted U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East $50 billion economic vision with a mixture of derision and exasperation, although some in the Gulf called for it to be given a chance.
The Trump administration’s $50 billion Middle East economic plan calls for creation of a global investment fund to lift the Palestinian and neighboring Arab state economies, and construction of a $5 billion transportation corridor to connect the West Bank and Gaza, according to U.S. officials and documents reviewed by Reuters.
Southeast Asian leaders opened a two-day summit in Bangkok on Saturday, though it was unclear what progress their 10-country group could make on disputes in the South China Sea and the plight of ethnic Rohingya fleeing Myanmar.
The dollar fell on Friday to three-month lows against a basket of currencies on bets the Federal Reserve would start lowering interest rates.
Massive explosions that engulfed a Philadelphia refinery in flames on Friday has renewed concerns about the oil industry’s use of a highly toxic chemical to make high-octane gasoline at plants in densely populated areas.
Indonesia plans to tighten vetting of senior public servants amid fears that hardline Islamist ideology has permeated high levels of government, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and a senior official involved in the plan.
European Union leaders failed to agree at a summit on Thursday on who should get the bloc’s top jobs next and will meet again on June 30 to try seal a deal, an EU official said.
The US confirmed Thursday that an American drone was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile in international airspace, contradicting Iran’s claim that the unmanned aircraft was flying over its territory.
Signs that Brussels will hold off on disciplinary action over Italy’s budget helped European stocks hit six-week highs on Thursday, as the latest signals of potential new monetary stimulus from the world’s big central banks boosted sentiment.
The US military refuted reports about an alleged UAV being shot down over Iran, according to Al-Arabiya TV Channel.