Oman launches $5B investment fund as part of efforts to diversify oil-dependant economy
May 31, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Oman plans to launch a $5 billion public investment fund to support plans to overhaul the economy in the Gulf Arab nation over the next two decades, state media reported Wednesday.
LONDON (AP) — Qatar's push to become a central hub on the global sporting landscape could see the emirate be an unlikely host of a Rugby League World Cup.
Qatar is one of four nations to express an interest in staging the 2025 tournament, rugby league's governing body said Wednesday, after France withdrew its hosting rights.
Syria’s main insurgent group seeks to move away from al-Qaida past, get off Western terrorism lists
May 14, 2023 GMTIDLIB, Syria (AP) — The leader of an insurgent group that rules much of northwest Syria rose to notoriety over the past decade by claiming deadly bombings, threatening revenge against Western “crusader” forces and dispatching Islamist religious police to crack down on women deemed to be immodestly dressed.
IMF says inflation to slow growth across Mideast this year
May 3, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Economies across the Middle East and Central Asia will likely slow this year as persistently high inflation and rising interest rates bite into their post-pandemic gains, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday.
United Arab Emirates, Qatar edge toward reopening embassies
April 18, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday both acknowledged they are edging closer to reopening embassies in each others' countries after a yearslong boycott of Doha over a political dispute.
Head of Mexican immigration agency charged after fatal fire
April 12, 2023 GMTMEXICO CITY (AP) — The head of Mexico’s National Immigration Institute will face criminal charges for a fire that killed 40 migrants in a locked cell, the federal Attorney General’s Office said Tuesday night.
US deploys guided-missile submarine amid tensions with Iran
April 8, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. Navy has deployed a guided-missile submarine capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk missiles to the Middle East, a spokesman said Saturday, in what appeared to be a show of force toward Iran following recent tensions.
QatarEnergy to acquire 25% stake in major Iraqi gas project
April 5, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — QatarEnergy, the Gulf country's state-run petroleum firm, said Wednesday it has agreed to buy a 25% stake in a massive gas project in Iraq, marking the rare entry of a major producer into a market that Western firms have pulled back from in recent years.
Bahrain sentences 3 for questioning Islamic teachings
March 30, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Prosecutors in the Arab Gulf nation of Bahrain on Thursday have handed down yearlong prison sentences to three people for debating Islamic theology in a series of blog posts and online videos.
Their world was the oyster: Oldest pearl town found in UAE
March 20, 2023 GMTSINIYAH ISLAND, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Archaeologists said Monday they have found the oldest pearling town in the Persian Gulf on an island off one of the northern sheikhdoms of the United Arab Emirates.
Syria’s Assad in UAE to mark ongoing thaw in relations
March 19, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, his first visit to the wealthy Gulf country since the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria last month.
State news: Kuwait court annuls 2022 parliamentary election
March 19, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Kuwaiti court on Sunday annulled the results of a parliamentary election held last year, saying it would reinstate the previous slate of lawmakers elected in 2020.
China denies hidden motives after hosting Iran-Saudi talks
March 11, 2023 GMTBEIJING (AP) — After hosting talks at which Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations, China said Saturday it has no hidden motives and isn’t trying to fill any “vacuum” in the Middle East.
Mexican pageant challenges standard of beauty
March 7, 2023 GMTVERACRUZ, Mexico (AP) — Edith Aguirre, a dance teacher and single mother of African descent, has been crowned “Miss Colonia” in a pageant that celebrates the beauty and talent of women from the lower-class neighborhoods of the Gulf coast port of Veracruz.
Mexico finds 343 migrants in abandoned truck trailer
March 6, 2023 GMTMexican authorities have found 343 migrants, including 103 unaccompanied minors, in an abandoned freight truck container on the side of a highway, the authorities said Monday.
The National Immigration Institute said the trailer was found Sunday night in the steamy Gulf coast state of Veracruz.
EU watchdog seeks clarity about Qatar travel freebies
March 6, 2023 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s administrative watchdog is trying to find out how a top transport official was permitted to fly to Qatar with tickets paid for by the government there, as a major corruption scandal linked to the Gulf state roils the bloc's parliament.
Saudi Arabia says it deposited $5B in Turkish central bank
March 6, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia said Monday it deposited $5 billion into the Turkish central bank, likely helping Ankara firm up its long-weakening currency, the lira, after last month's massive earthquake that struck southeast Turkey and northern Syria.
Israel: Oman to allow Israeli planes through its airspace
February 23, 2023 GMTTEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel's foreign minister said Thursday that the Gulf Arab state of Oman has decided to allow Israeli planes to fly through its airspace. The announcement was another sign of closer ties between Israel and some Arab countries.
Dutch-flagged vessel catches fire off Latvia, crew evacuated
February 22, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A Dutch-flagged container vessel en route from Lithuania to neighboring Latvia caught fire in the Baltic Sea early Wednesday morning prompting the 15-strong crew to be evacuated and leaving the vessel to drift in the Gulf of Riga, off the Latvian capital.
Abrahamic House in UAE houses a church, synagogue and mosque
February 21, 2023 GMTABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — On the shores of the Persian Gulf, a new complex houses a Catholic church, a Jewish synagogue and an Islamic mosque in the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
Syrian president visits Oman in 1st trip abroad since quake
February 20, 2023 GMTDAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad visited the Gulf nation of Oman on Monday on his first official visit since the deadly Feb. 6 earthquake, his office said.
Oman is one of a few Arab countries that kept normal relations with Damascus after Syria was suspended from the Arab League in 2011 over its crackdown on Arab Spring protests.
From Qatar to Elon Musk, Man United sale rumors grow
February 14, 2023 GMTMANCHESTER, England (AP) — The race is on to buy Manchester United and it will take deep pockets to meet an estimated price of $6 billion.
Qatar donates World Cup mobile homes to earthquake survivors
February 14, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Qatar plans to send 10,000 cabins and caravans from last year's World Cup to provide shelter for survivors of the Turkish earthquakes, officials said.
Greenpeace to appeal Spain-Saudi arms deal confidentiality
February 13, 2023 GMTMADRID (AP) — Greenpeace said Monday it will appeal a Spanish Supreme Court decision blocking public access, on national security grounds, to information on government export licenses for vehicle-mounted weapons systems sold to Saudi Arabia.
Egypt’s president praises UAE, seeking to heal Gulf aid rift
February 13, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi offered effusive praise Monday for the United Arab Emirates, seeking to repair a rift between Cairo and the Gulf Arab states that have supplied billions of dollars in aid to his nation.
Feds drop lobbying probe of retired general, lawyer says
January 31, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has dropped its probe of retired four-star Gen. John Allen for his role in an alleged illegal foreign lobbying campaign on behalf of the wealthy Persian Gulf nation of Qatar, his lawyer told The Associated Press.
Top UN woman urges Muslims: Move Taliban into 21st century
January 26, 2023 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — The highest-ranking woman at the United Nations said Wednesday she used everything in her “toolbox” during meetings with Taliban ministers to try to reverse their crackdown on Afghan women and girls, and she urged Muslim countries to help the Taliban move from the “13th century to the 21st.”
Facing ‘tipping point,’ UNRWA chief seeks Gulf state support
January 24, 2023 GMTGENEVA (AP) — The head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees called Tuesday on rich Gulf countries to chip in more to help educate, house and provide health care for them. He suggested some of those countries don't put their money where their mouths are when they voice support for the beleaguered refugees.
Forecast: Chance of tornadoes, severe storms in Gulf states
January 23, 2023 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — A cold front forecast to move across the Gulf Coast will bring an enhanced threat of severe storms and tornadoes to communities from Louisiana to Florida.
The greatest potential for severe weather Tuesday into early Wednesday will stretch across an area populated by more than 4.5 million people across four Southern states, according to the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center.
Kuwait’s government resigns amid struggle with assembly
January 23, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Kuwait's government resigned on Monday amid a power struggle with the Arab Gulf country's assembly less than four months after parliamentary elections delivered a mandate for change.
Bayern held by Leipzig as Bundesliga resumes after 2 months
January 20, 2023 GMTLEIPZIG, Germany (AP) — The Bundesliga restarted Friday after its unprecedented two-month winter break with Bayern Munich and Leipzig grinding out an error-strewn 1-1 draw.
Leipzig defender Marcel Halstenberg equalized after Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s first-half strike as third-place Leipzig stayed six points behind league leader Bayern.
Scandal-hit EU political group starts damage limitation work
January 16, 2023 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — The major center-left political group embroiled in a corruption scandal at the European Parliament will seek this week to insulate itself from more fallout in the cash-for-influence affair linked to Qatar and Morocco as Belgian justice authorities target its members.
Where are the Gulf Arab tourists? Israel’s hopes fall short
January 15, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — When Israel struck an agreement with the United Arab Emirates to open diplomatic ties in 2020, it brought an electrifying sense of achievement to a country long ostracized in the Middle East.
Al-Attiyah on brink of Dakar title; sprint for motorbike win
January 14, 2023 GMTAL-HOFUF, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Nasser Al-Attiyah should complete the cruise to his fifth Dakar Rally title. Meanwhile, the motorbikes are heading to the closest finish in the race's history.
Only 12 seconds separate former champions and KTM teammates Toby Price and Kevin Benavides after about 3,900 kilometers of racing through Saudi Arabia.
Scandal-hit EU assembly set to move on anti-corruption plan
January 11, 2023 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — Spurred into action by a major corruption scandal, the European Parliament president wants to prevent former lawmakers from lobbying on behalf of businesses or governments soon after they leave office and to make public the names of current members who break assembly rules, a parliamentary official said Wednesday.
Soccer fans hopeful ahead of Gulf Cup in Iraqi city of Basra
January 5, 2023 GMTBASRA, Iraq (AP) — For many Iraqis, the first international soccer tournament their country is hosting in more than four decades is about to kick off in the southern city of Basra, offering a rare moment of joy and optimism.
Court says EU corruption scandal suspect must remain in jail
December 22, 2022 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — A former European Parliament vice president suspected of being at the center of one of the European Union’s biggest corruption scandals is to be kept in prison for at least another month, Belgian prosecutors said Thursday.
France’s dismay mixed with awe for Messi in World Cup final
December 18, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — In the pain, there also was consolation. Losing to Argentina in the World Cup final wasn't the ending that heart-broken France fans hoped for.
More questions than answers as EU corruption scandal unfolds
December 17, 2022 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — No one answers the door or the phone at the offices of the two campaign groups linked to a cash-for-favors corruption scandal at the European Union’s parliament, allegedly involving Qatar.
At World Cup, women shrug off worries over dress codes
December 16, 2022 GMTDOHA, Qatar (AP) — Coming from Brazil for the World Cup in Qatar, Daniela Crawford had been worried about conservative dress codes. But like many women attending the tournament, she said she found no problems.
What would a more sustainable World Cup look like?
December 16, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Paris 2024 Olympics will be “climate positive,” organizers claim. The men’s World Cup in 2026 — to be held in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada — will be the “lowest-carbon FIFA World Cup of the modern era,” if promises pan out.
Macron ‘immensely proud’ that France in World Cup final
December 14, 2022 GMTAL KHOR, Qatar (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron said he was ”immensely proud” that France reached the World Cup final after he traveled to Qatar to watch the team's win over Morocco in the semifinals on Wednesday.
EU lawmaker at heart of corruption case to remain in custody
December 14, 2022 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — A Greek European lawmaker charged with corruption in an alleged plot by a Gulf country that's tarnishing EU institutions will stay in detention until at least next week after her hearing by a judge was postponed, judicial officials said on Wednesday.
AP’s top albums 2022: ‘Renaissance,’ ‘Motomami,’ Bad Bunny
December 14, 2022 GMTTen of the best albums of the year, as selected by The Associated Press entertainment journalists.
BEYONCÉ, “RENAISSANCE”
Few would be shocked that Beyoncé's “Renaissance” would makes our top albums list, but just because it’s low hanging fruit doesn’t negate how delicious it is.
EU reels as scandal tarnishes parliament’s credibility
December 13, 2022 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s parliament was reeling Tuesday with its credibility under threat, as a corruption scandal damaged lawmakers’ careers and fingers were pointed at Qatari officials accused of bribing them to play down labor rights concerns ahead of the soccer World Cup.
Police raid more EU Parliament offices in corruption probe
December 12, 2022 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — Belgian police conducted more raids at European Parliament offices Monday as the legislature's president pledged to launch an internal investigation into corruption allegations and the bloc's top official called for the creation of an EU-wide independent ethics body.
Four hit with corruption charges over EU lobbying scandal
December 11, 2022 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — Four people have been charged with being part of a criminal group, money laundering and corruption in connection with an investigation into suspected influence peddling by a Persian Gulf country at the European Union’s parliament, the Belgian federal prosecutors office said Sunday.
EU parliament chief takes action as lobbying scandal simmers
December 10, 2022 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — A vice president of the European Union’s parliament was suspended from her duties on Saturday after being caught up in an investigation into influence peddling at the EU assembly allegedly involving officials from Qatar.
Top lawmaker suspended amid lobbying scandal at EU assembly
December 9, 2022 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — A vice president of the European Union’s parliament was suspended Friday by her party group after Belgian police carried out several raids linked to an investigation into suspected influence peddling at the EU assembly by a Gulf state.
China’s Xi vows to buy more Mideast oil as US focus wanes
December 9, 2022 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping vowed on Friday to import more oil and natural gas from energy-rich Gulf Arab states while not interfering in their affairs, likely seeking to cast Beijing in a more favorable light than Washington as America's attention in the region wanes.
For World Cup visitors, a peek into Islamic art, heritage
December 9, 2022 GMTDOHA, Qatar (AP) — An emerald inscribed for a Mughal emperor. A Safavid-period knotted wool carpet. An Ottoman-era curtain, intricately embroidered with metal threads, which was part of the covering of the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure in Mecca that Muslims consider the metaphorical “house of God.”
AP PHOTOS: World Cup fans explore Qatar’s artificial reefs
December 7, 2022 GMTMESAIEED, Qatar (AP) — Thirty feet (9 meters) deep into the waters of the Persian Gulf, angel fish swim in and out of rusted trucks and SUVs. Plastic bags and water bottles, blown in from the nearby shoreline, float across the ocean floor.
US forces monitor Mideast skies at Qatar base amid World Cup
December 2, 2022 GMTAL-UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar (AP) — As World Cup fans throng stadiums across Qatar, about 8,000 American troops stationed just nearby watch over the airspace of the tumultuous Middle East from a major base run by this energy-rich nation.
Qatar to supply liquefied natural gas to Germany from 2026
November 29, 2022 GMTDOHA, Qatar (AP) — Qatar is to supply liquefied natural gas to Germany under a 15-year deal signed Tuesday as the European economic powerhouse scrambles to replace Russian gas supplies that have been cut during the ongoing war in Ukraine.
AP PHOTOS: Qatar bustles with traditional and tourist stops
Energy-rich Qatar faces fast-rising climate risks at home
November 26, 2022 GMTAL RAYYAN, Qatar (AP) — At a suburban park near Doha, the capital city of Qatar, cool air from vents in the ground blasted joggers on a November day that reached almost 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit).
World Cup host Qatar leaves pearl diving past far behind
November 22, 2022 GMTDOHA, Qatar (AP) — Seventy years ago, Saad Ismail Al Jassim used to free dive 40 feet (13 meters) deep into the waters of the Persian Gulf, holding his breath to comb the seabed for oysters in the hope of finding a cluster of pearls.
World Cup fans ready to celebrate despite stadium beer ban
November 18, 2022 GMTDOHA, Qatar (AP) — Flag-draped fans poured into Qatar on Friday ahead of the Middle East's first World Cup as organizers banned the sale of beer at stadiums — a last-minute decision that stunned FIFA sponsor Budweiser but was largely welcomed by the country's conservative Muslims and shrugged off by some visitors.
EXPLAINER: World Cup host Qatar relies on desalination
November 10, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Arid and surrounded by the salt waters of the Persian Gulf, World Cup host Qatar is among the world's most water-stressed countries. The nation of 2.9 million people has no rivers, and receives less than four inches (10 centimeters) of rain per year on average.