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US foreign policy in Middle East could have economic impact
AMERICA’S so-called ‘pivot’ towards Asia and its surprise agreement in principle with Iran on its nuclear programme in November 2013, have caused a heightened degree of uncertainty among the ruling...
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US-Iran frosty relations opens opportunities for Russia
THE LEVEL of contact between high ranking Washington and Tehran officials in recent months is unprecedented. This intense diplomatic effort has focussed on the P5+1 negotiations involving the permanent...
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Unlikely alliance as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran and US face ISIS
IRAQ’S new Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi pledged to ‘work with all communities in Iraq’ as parliament approved a new government on September 8, 2014. International demands called for an inclusive...
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Oil-producing countries vulnerable as world energy prices fall
FALLING oil prices from a peak of more than US$125 per barrel in early 2012 to US$80 in October 2014 appear to reflect a weakening global economy in Europe, the US and China. Coal and gas prices have...
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Islamist surge must be a wake-up call for the West
THE WESTERN coalition of forces currently operating in Iraq and Syria against ISIS - the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria - has seen fit to forge an alliance with Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The professed...
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Arab coalition strikes Yemen's Houthi rebels in regional power play
A COALITION of Sunni Arab states, led by Saudi Arabia and Egypt, has pledged its active and long-term support to the internationally-recognised Yemeni government in its fight against the Iran-backed...
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‘Historic’ nuclear deal with Iran provides huge benefits
US PRESIDENT Barack Obama called the interim nuclear deal with Iran ‘historic’ within two hours of the agreement in Lausanne, Switzerland. Hindsight will arguably prove this true - irrespective of its...
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Iran looks to grow strongly after sanctions are lifted
RIVALRY between the two extremely unequal neighbours of Saudi Arabia and Iran was largely neutralised by Iran’s isolation by United Nations Security Council sanctions imposed since 2006, writes World...
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Yemen air strikes highlight Saudis’ tough new foreign policy
SAUDI Arabia's intervention in Yemen underlines the determination of the Saudi leadership to advance the kingdom’s security interests by military means if need be, writes World Review expert Professor...
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Low oil price gives Arab nations chance to reform economies
THE WORLD -which saw the price of oil fall by around 50 per cent since 2014 - has seen prices plummet before. But for the time being, it is ‘back to normality’ for the global commodity. However, it is...
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Christians targeted by Islamic terror groups across the globe
THE MIDDLE East’s population of 12 million Christians will be halved by 2020, if current demographic trends continue, writs World Review expert, Lord Alton. Christians made up a quarter of the Middle...
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Can Pakistan succeed in its quest to reconcile conflicting regional interests?
AHEAD of the inevitable withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan and the ensuing shift in the regional power balance, Pakistan is striving to position itself in an arena of conflicting...
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Saudi-led buildup of ADF erects new bulwark against threats to Sunni states
THE CREATION of an Arab Defence Force (ADF) marks the emergence of a Saudi-led coalition ready to fight the twin threats of Iran and Islamic State. Whether the new grouping will prove a regional...
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Iran nuclear deal offers oil and gas investment opportunities but not without...
THE DEAL between Iran and the six world powers - the P5+1 of China, France, Russia, US, UK, plus Germany, whereby Iran agreed to scale back its uranium enrichment programme brings Iran back into the...
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Lebanon’s fragile balance holds amid political paralysis
THIS SUMMER, the streets in many of Lebanon’s cities were not only scorching hot and humid, but also stank to high heaven. Rubbish collections stopped on July 17, when Beirut’s main landfill was...
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Saudi Arabia reconsiders foreign policy as US guarantee fades
THE UPHEAVALS witnessed in the Arab world since early 2011 have forced the leadership of Saudi Arabia to rethink its position in the region. For the first time since World War II, Riyadh cannot fall...
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As ‘dollar bloc’ comes apart, policymakers brace for trouble
A clean break in the renminbi’s link to the dollar, which has existed since China started opening its economy in the late 1970s, would herald the demise of a “dollar bloc” that has dominated global...
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Mistral purchase could give Egypt a ‘light’ carrier battle group
Two Mistral-class warships equipped with Russian Ka-52K naval attack helicopters can enhance Egypt’s naval capabilities with what is essentially a “light” carrier battle group, says freelance writer on...
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As the Middle East heats up, conflicts suck global powers in
MIDDLE Eastern disputes have again become flash points for global rivalries – a trend that will accelerate and intensify this year. Shia-Sunni tensions remain central, but they are no longer the sole...
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Fed’s policy may derail economy and bring collapse of dollar bloc
THE YEAR has not started well for global financial markets. Undoubtedly, one reason that stocks have slumped is that the United States Federal Reserve under Janet Yellen has started to raise interest...
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