Middle East

Minister for Foreign Affairs Rimbink Pato extended the invitation when arriving in Dubai on Tuesday.

Pato said he would be discussing with UAE what they would like to do in PNG, with particular interest in technology and renewable energy.

“The International Renewable Energy Agency is based in UAE and we are keen for it to assist with a review of our renewable energy options.

“We want to find what would best suit PNG, whether it is one or more of the options such as hydro, solar, biomass, windmills, thermal and waves.

I explained that the symposium, in part, responds to those who doubt the wealth, breadth and quality of modernism in this region. She laughed, knowing all too well the criticism that Middle East art practitioners face.

As an arts writer, I've heard the uninformed allegations countless times.

"The Middle Eastern art scene is a bubble."

"Its art arena is five minutes old."

"There is no institutional interest or acquisition."

Some of the 500,000 fans expected in the Gulf nation might be accommodated under canvas near stadiums.

"At the heart of this World Cup is a commitment to showcase hospitality and friendship of the Middle East," said a spokesman.

"As a result, we are actively researching the concept of supporters sleeping under the stars."

Bedouin campsites are inspired by the homes of tribes that have historically lived in the Arabian and Syrian deserts.

Two officials and a congressional aide said that Secretary of State John Kerry told members of Congress in a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill Wednesday that the United States will boost its worldwide quota for resettling refugees from 70,000 to 75,000 next year, a number that could increase further. A fraction of those would be from Syria.

Kerry said after the meeting that the United States would increase the number of refugees it is willing to take in but did not give a specific number.

After closed-door meetings on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Kerry said President Barack Obama has made it clear that the U.S. wants to take a leadership role on humanitarian issues.

"We are looking hard at the number that we can specifically manage with respect to the crisis in Syria and Europe," he said. "That's being vetted fully right now."

This was reported on Monday by the official IRNA news agency.

Hassan Rouhani, who met visiting German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel, said he hopes Germany plays a "positive role" in improving relations between Iran and the EU, "as it played a positive role in nuclear talks."

Gabriel is heading a delegation of representatives from German companies, one of the first overt signs of a thaw following a deal with world powers over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.

A day after the U.S., Iran and world powers announced the deal, Obama said the U.S. faces a "fundamental choice" about whether to embrace the opportunity to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue peacefully. His remarks in a White House news conference appeared aimed squarely at Congress, where lawmakers are discussing legislation to try to stop the deal's implementation.

"I expect the debate to be robust, and that's how it should be," Obama said, imploring lawmakers who are skeptical of the deal to "remember the alternative."