Israel presses ground offensive in Gaza, encircles part of Rafah city
Israel's military pressed ground operations across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, encircling part of Rafah city near Egypt almost a...
Geostrategy
‘Dark universe detective’ telescope releases first data
Paris, France - Europe's Euclid space telescope, which is on a mission to shed light on the mysteries of dark...
Science
PKK declares ceasefire with Turkey after 40 years of armed struggle
Istanbul, Turkey - Outlawed Kurdish militants on Saturday declared a ceasefire with Turkey following a landmark call by jailed PKK...
- The PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, has waged an insurgency since 1984 with the aim of carving out a homeland for Kurds
- Turkey's vice president Cevdet Yilmaz said "a new phase" began toward achieving the goal of a "terror-free Turkey", without making any mention of the PKK statement
Geostrategy
Israel endorses plan to extend Gaza truce as first phase draws to close, Hamas wants permanent peace
The first phase of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas was set to expire over the...
- Negotiations have so far been inconclusive, with the fate of hostages still held in Gaza and the lives of more than two million Palestinians hanging in the balance.
- A senior Hamas official told AFP the Palestinian militant group was prepared to release all remaining hostages in a single swap during the second phase
Arts & Culture
Wild AI, a royal letter and big hugs – a week in Trumpworld
Washington, United States - President Donald Trump closed out a packed week at the White House after hosting a string...
- Last week, Trump branded elected Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator" -- but things change fast in this administration
- "Did I say that? I can't believe I said that," Trump responded with a slight grin when asked if his opinion had evolved
Geostrategy
Trump and Zelensky clash in heated Oval Office meeting over Ukraine peace deal
During a tense meeting at the White House, Trump and Zelensky argued over the war with Russia, with Trump accusing...
- Zelensky was at the White House to sign a deal on sharing Ukraine's mineral riches and discuss a peace deal with Russia, despite the US president recently branding him a dictator
- Tempers frayed after Vice President JD Vance said that "diplomacy" was needed to end the war. Zelensky asked "what kind of diplomacy" and Vance accused him of being disrespectful
Science
Microsoft retires Skype, the online voice and video call pioneer
San Francisco, United States - Microsoft on Friday announced it was retiring Skype, the online voice and video call pioneer...
- Skype was founded in 2003 by Scandinavians Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis in Estonia, revolutionizing internet communication by offering free voice calls
- Over the years, and as internet speeds improved, Skype evolved to include video calls, instant messaging, file sharing and group communication features
Arts & Culture
Saudi Arabia, Gulf neighbours say Ramadan to start on Saturday
Observing fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, requiring believers to abstain from eating, drinking, smoking...
- Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's two holiest sites, was joined by the UAE and Qatar in declaring the sighting of the crescent moon that heralds Ramadan
- "The Supreme Court has decided that tomorrow, Saturday, is the first day of the month of (Ramadan)," the official Saudi Press Agency posted on X
Business
e& reports $2.94 billion in net profit
e&’s subscriber base rose 11.7% to 189.3m
- The company acquired PPF Telecom’s assets, expanding into Central and Eastern Europe
- e& announced a progressive dividend policy, aiming for USD 0.24 per share by 2026
Business
$2.65bn in contracts signed during first two days of IDEX and NAVDEX 2025
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Tawazun Council, UAE's authority responsible for managing acquisitions, procurement, and contracts on behalf of the Ministry...
- Tawazun Council signed five deals worth a total of AED 5.8 billion with local and international companies on the second day of IDEX and NAVDEX 2025.
- Tawazun Council is UAE's authority responsible for managing acquisitions, procurement, and contracts on behalf of the Ministry of Defense and security agencies.
Business
UAE announces top-up tax for multinational enterprises
Abu Dhabi, UAE - The Ministry of Finance has announced the issuance of Cabinet Decision No. 142 of 2024 on...
- The top-up tax will apply to entities that are members of Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) operating in the UAE with annual global revenues of €750 million or more
- To bolster the UAE’s competitiveness as a leading investment hub, the top-up tax has been structured to exclude Investment Entities
Geostrategy
UAE, France discuss bilateral ties, sign AI cooperation deal
Paris, UAE - UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and French President Emmanuel Macron of France explored various...
- Both sides emphasized collaboration in AI, climate action, energy, and sustainable development initiatives
- They signed the UAE-France Framework for Cooperation in AI, including a 1GW AI Campus investment
Israel presses ground offensive in Gaza, encircles part of Rafah city
Israel's military pressed ground operations across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, encircling part of Rafah city near Egypt almost a...
Geostrategy
Company News
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4 charged with plot to kidnap New York-based Iranian journalist
Four Iranian nationals were indicted Tuesday on charges of plotting to abduct a journalist in New York, the Justice Department...
G20 ministers set to green light global tax reform
Finance ministers from the G20 richest nations are expected to give the green light Saturday to a historic deal to...
Bomb-laden drones hit Erbil airport in northern Iraq
The attack took place at around 1930 GMT but caused no injuries or major damage Since the start of the...
Disagreement between UAE, Saudi Arabia hobbles OPEC
The UAE on Sunday pushed back against a plan by the OPEC+ group to extend a pact to cut oil...
Saudi Arabia to create 40,000 jobs for its nationals
Job creation is part of Saudi strategy to help residents obtain high-quality jobs The strategy seeks to push more Saudi...
Turkey central bank cuts rate to 42.5% as inflation eases
Istanbul, Turkey - Turkey's central bank on Thursday lowered its key interest rate for a third consecutive time as inflation...
Economy
Arab leaders meet to hash out Gaza plan as Hamas urges against displacement under Trump plan
A draft version of the Egyptian plan seen by AFP lays out a five-year roadmap with a price tag of...
Geostrategy
Trump orders pause to Ukraine aid: White House official
President Donald Trump suspended military aid to Ukraine on Monday, a US official told AFP, sharply escalating pressure on Kyiv...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
Israel blocks humanitarian aid to Gaza as ceasefire’s first phase ends, sparking global outrage
Truce mediators Egypt and Qatar accused Israel of blatantly violating the ceasefire deal by halting the aid, a move left trucks...
- Early on Sunday Israel had announced a truce extension until mid-April that it said United States Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff had proposed
- But Hamas has repeatedly rejected an extension, instead favouring a transition to the truce deal's second phase that could bring a permanent end to the war.
PKK declares ceasefire with Turkey after 40 years of armed struggle
Istanbul, Turkey - Outlawed Kurdish militants on Saturday declared a ceasefire with Turkey following a landmark call by jailed PKK...
- The PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, has waged an insurgency since 1984 with the aim of carving out a homeland for Kurds
- Turkey's vice president Cevdet Yilmaz said "a new phase" began toward achieving the goal of a "terror-free Turkey", without making any mention of the PKK statement
Geostrategy
Israel endorses plan to extend Gaza truce as first phase draws to close, Hamas wants permanent peace
The first phase of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas was set to expire over the...
- Negotiations have so far been inconclusive, with the fate of hostages still held in Gaza and the lives of more than two million Palestinians hanging in the balance.
- A senior Hamas official told AFP the Palestinian militant group was prepared to release all remaining hostages in a single swap during the second phase