AWS outage in Gulf raises reliability concerns as services remain disrupted over a week after strikes
Cloud services operated by Amazon Web Services (AWS) in the Gulf region continue to face disruptions more than a week...
Economy
Wealthy Asians consider shifting assets from Dubai amid Iran war fears: report
Some wealthy Asian investors are considering moving assets out of Dubai following Iranian missile and drone attacks on the city,...
Economy
Geostrategy
Syria’s new authorities to help locate missing Americans: US envoy
Damascus, Syria -- Syria's new authorities have agreed to help the United States locate and return Americans who went missing...
- "The new Syrian government has agreed to assist the USA in locating and returning USA citizens or their remains," US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack wrote on X.
- "The families of Austin Tice, Majd Kamalmaz, and Kayla Mueller must have closure," he added, referring to American citizens who had gone missing or been killed.
Geostrategy
Spain hosts European, Arab nations to pressure Israel on Gaza
Madrid will host 20 countries as well as international organizations with the aim of "stopping this war, which no longer...
- The meeting, which also includes representatives from the Arab League and OIC, will promote a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
- After the EU decided this week to review its cooperation deal with Israel, Albares said "we must consider sanctions, we must do everything, consider everything to stop this war"'.
Geostrategy
Iraq’s water reserves lowest in 80 years after a dry rainy season
Baghdad, Iraq -- Iraq's water reserves are at their lowest in 80 years after a dry rainy season, a government...
- Water is a major issue in the country of 46 million people undergoing a serious environmental crisis because of climate change, drought, rising temperatures and declining rainfall.
- Authorities also blame upstream dams built in neighboring Iran and Turkey for dramatically lowering the flow of the once-mighty Tigris and Euphrates.
Geostrategy
22 killed in Israeli air strikes across Gaza
The Israeli military has stepped up its Gaza offensive in recent days in what it has described as a renewed...
- Civil defense agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said seven people were killed in a strike on a home in Jabalia, in the north.
- Fatal strikes were also recorded around Deir el-Balah in the center of the territory, Beit Lahia in the north, and the main southern city of Khan Yunis.
Arts & Culture
Iraq’s first ever director in Cannes wins best feature debut
Hasan Hadi won the top prize for his childhood adventure under economic sanctions in "The President's Cake".
- Also from the Middle East, Palestinian director Tawfeek Barhom received his award for his short film "I'm Glad You're Dead Now".
- Gazan twin brothers Arab and Tarzan Nasser on Friday received a directing award in the Certain Regard parallel section for "Once Upon A Time In Gaza".
Economy
United Kingdom renationalizes first train operator under Labor reforms
London, United Kingdom -- Britain's South Western Railways on Sunday becomes the first private train operator to be returned to...
- Renationalizing all of the UK's rail operators is among the key policies launched by Prime Minister Keir Starmer since his party's return to government last July.
- Train passengers in Britain suffer from frequent cancellations, in addition to high ticket prices and regular confusion over which services they can be used on.
Geostrategy
Syria revamps interior ministry to reassure West
The interior ministry restructure includes reforms and creating "a modern civil security institution that adopts transparency and respects international human...
- The move was formalized Friday after being announced by President Donald Trump on a Gulf tour this month during which he shook hands with Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
- It includes setting up a citizens' complaints department and incorporating the police and General Security agency into an Internal Security command, he told a press conference.
Geostrategy
Kuwait strips tens of thousands of citizenship since August 2024
The latest campaign abolishes naturalization by marriage, which only applied to women, and revokes citizenship granted to wives since 1987....
- The mass revocations have been cast as part of a reformist agenda spearheaded by Kuwaiti emir Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.
- Kuwait already has a big stateless community: the Bidoon, estimated at around 100,000 people, who were denied citizenship on independence from British protectorship in 1961.
Business
Real estate transactions in five UAE emirates reach $65 billion in Q1
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Real estate transactions across five emirates in the UAE surged to over AED 239 billion ($65...
- More than 94,719 sales, purchase, and mortgage deals were recorded from January through March in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, and Ras Al Khaimah.
- Dubai accounted for the largest share, with AED 193 billion in real estate transactions, resulting from 58,039 transactions, a growth of 16.2% in value and 31.5% compared to 2024.
Business
Trump expands Apple tariff threat to all smartphones
Washington, United States -- US President Donald Trump on Friday threatened Apple and other smartphone manufacturers with a 25 percent...
- Trump initially said the tariff would apply only to Apple -- an unusual move to single out a specific company in trade policy.
- While Apple designs its products in the United States, most iPhone assembly occurs in China, which remains embroiled in a trade war with the United States.
Most Read
Revenue from Saudi cinema may exceed $1bn by 2030KSA, UAE play well as e-gaming trends across GCCExclusive: Middle East’s retail sector rides on AR and hybrid shopping to become $600bn digital economyTECOM Group profit soars 13%UAE startups eye Saudi Arabia for growth, expansionSaudi Arabia leads GCC AI healthcare raceDisparity remains as Saudis, Emiratis see wealth gains
AWS outage in Gulf raises reliability concerns as services remain disrupted over a week after strikes
Cloud services operated by Amazon Web Services (AWS) in the Gulf region continue to face disruptions more than a week...
Economy
Company News
Latest News
Roma loans Turkey midfielder Cengiz Under to Marseille for $9.9 million
A transfer fee of 8.4 million euros ($9.9 million) has been set with the Italian club receiving 20 percent of...
Rumsfeld, Iraq war architect, dead at 88
Rumsfeld and vice president Dick Cheney were emblematic of what was seen as excesses in Bush's "war on terror" He...
Saudi Arabia clamps down on anti-vaxxers
The country of 34 million has already administered 12 million doses Over 7,200 people have died of coronavirus in the...
OpenAI faces backlash over Pentagon AI deal
Geostrategy
OpenAI faces backlash over Pentagon AI deal
OpenAI is facing online backlash after signing a deal with the United States Department of Defense to deploy its AI...
Geostrategy
GCC as the bridge in a fragmented global ad tech market
S4 Capital founder Martin Sorrell tells TRENDS digital dominance, AI disruption and consolidation are reshaping global advertising, urging agile, tech-first...
Iran’s protests: What we know
Iran has been rocked this week by protests that started in Tehran and have spread to other cities, with at...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
US, Qatar, Turkey to join third day of Gaza peace talks in Egypt
Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Turkey's intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, Trump's special Middle East envoy Steve...
- Israel and Hamas are holding indirect negotiations in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, based on a 20-point plan proposed by US President Donald Trump last month
- "There's a real chance that we could do something," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, adding that US negotiators were also involved in the talks
Business
60 percent travelers in UAE trust AI to plan their trips: Report
Dubai, UAE -- Nearly 60 percent of travelers in the UAE trust Artificial Intelligence (AI) to plan every aspect of...
- A recent report by Tourism Economics on behalf of Arabian Travel Market says 21 percent using it before their most recent trip.
- The research also confirmed that travel firms are harnessing AI to enhance customer service and drive economic impact.
Geostrategy
Urgent need for ‘global approach’ on AI regulation: UN tech chief
Geneva, Switzerland -- The world urgently needs to find a global approach on regulating artificial intelligence, the United Nations' top...
- Doreen Bogdan-Martin, head of the UN's International Telecommunications Union (ITU), said regulation was key as concerns rise over fast-moving technology.
- Bogdan-Martin, the first woman to serve as ITU secretary-general in the organization's nearly 160-year history, also stressed the need to get more women into the digital space.