Around the world on 12 January 2021
Oman is embarking on a radical shakeup of its constitution: Sultan Haitham bin Tareq announced yesterday that a crown prince will be appointed for the first time ever and a new committee will be formed to evaluate the performance of government officials, reports the Oman News Agency.
The US State Department is expected to declare Yemen’s Houthis a terrorist organization in a symbolic attempt to boost its support for Saudi Arabia, which has backed the Yemeni government opposed by the Houthis for the past six years, the New York Times reports, citing unnamed sources.
Saudi Arabia plans to build a carless, roadless city called “The Line” by 2030 as part of its USD 500 bn Neom project, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Sunday, Bloomberg reports.
IN DIPLOMACY: Egypt, France, Germany, and Jordan agreed to push for a revival of Israel-Palestine talks over a two-state solution in a meeting of the four countries’ foreign ministers in Cairo yesterday, according to a statement from Egypt’s Foreign Ministry. The ministers agreed to communicate their recommendations to Palestinian and Israeli parties, and decided to hold their next meeting in France. The Associated Press also had the story.
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi discussed the reconciliation drive in talks with the three ministers in Ittihadiya yesterday, according to a statement. El Sisi also separately met with French Foreigh Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, to talk across-the-board cooperation, and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry had a one-on-one with his German counterpart, Heiko Maas, on regional affairs.