Freightos CEO

With much press coverage on Syria, scant attention has been paid to the Saudi-Egypt rift, and China’s rising influence as a crucial player in Egypt and the Middle East. Rift over Syria The Riyadh-Cairo spat began in April 2016, when Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi agreed to cede territorial integrity over two of its islands in the Red Sea, Tiran and Sanafir, in exchange for a series of lucrative contracts and promise of Riyadh’s diplomatic support.

The United States has not renewed a major aid package to the Philippines because of “significant concerns” about the rule of law under President Rodrigo Duterte, the US embassy said on Thursday. “This decision reflects the Board’s significant concerns around rule of law and civil liberties in the Philippines,” embassy spokeswoman Molly Koscina said in a statement emailed to AFP after the country was not selected for a new Millennium Challenge Corporation grant.

Pressure is building on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to reveal details of corruption involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a party meeting, press conference or an alternative forum as the last day of India’s winter session is likely to be washed out on Friday. Days after Rahul asked lawmakers to be ready for an “earthquake” in Parliament when he speaks on demonetization, he said on Wednesday that he had explosive information on corruption involving Modi.