Venezuelan parliament swears in interim president after Maduro’s ouster
Venezuela's parliament swore in Delcy Rodriguez as interim president on Monday, two days after US forces seized her predecessor Nicolas...
Geostrategy
Volatility grips oil market as nervous investors assess Venezuela
Having spiked in an initial reaction to the military operation to apprehend Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, oil prices quickly dropped...
Business
Economy
US launches pact for AI supply chains with key Asia-Pacific allies to face China
The United States signed an agreement on the supply chains with key Asia-Pacific allies concerned about China's growing clout --...
- Dubbed the "Pax Silica," adapting the Latin terms for peace and silicon, a key material in AI, the partnership aims to secure supply chains
- China has quickly taken a dominant position in the race for resources in the fast-growing area of artificial intelligence, mining around 70 percent of key rare earths
Business
Trump demands CNN get new owners in Warner bidding war
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he wants to ensure CNN gets new ownership as part of the Warner...
- Warner Bros Discovery has become the center of a bidding war between Paramount — led by CEO David Ellison, son of Trump ally Larry Ellison — and streaming giant Netflix
- "I think any deal should — it should be guaranteed and certain that CNN is part of it or sold separately," Trump told business leaders Wednesday at the White House
Geostrategy
Hamas proposes weapons ‘freeze’ in return for long-term truce: leader to Al Jazeera
A top Hamas leader told Qatari news channel Al Jazeera on Wednesday that the militant group is open to a...
- "This is the idea we're discussing with the mediators, and I believe that with pragmatic American thinking... such a vision could be agreed," top Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal said
- As for the international peacekeeping force, Meshaal said the group was open to its deployment along Gaza's border with Israel, but was against its operation inside Gaza
Business
Trump says US will allow sale of Nvidia AI chips to China
Washington, United States - President Donald Trump said Monday he had reached an agreement with President Xi Jinping to allow...
- "President Xi responded positively! $25% will be paid to the United States of America," Trump wrote, without providing details on how the payment mechanism would work
- "We applaud President Trump's decision to allow America's chip industry to compete to support high paying jobs and manufacturing in America," an Nvidia spokesperson told AFP
Geostrategy
UNRWA chief denounces Israeli police’s seizure of agency’s Jerusalem assets
The compound in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem has been empty of UNRWA staff since January, when the law banning its operations...
- "Today in the early morning, Israeli police accompanied by municipal officials forcibly entered the UNRWA compound in East Jerusalem," Philippe Lazzarini said on X
- Lazzarini has been declared persona non grata by Israeli authorities, who banned his agency from operating inside the country early this year
Science
AI tools help choose best embryos, increase success rate for IVF
Paris, France -- Artificial intelligence tools can now help choose the most promising embryos for in vitro fertilisation (IVF), although...
- The facility in the French capital carries out more than 2,300 IVF procedures every year.
- Tools using AI such as machine learning have been shown to help doctors select the embryos that have the best chance of being successfully implanted or frozen for later.
Geostrategy
Saudi Arabia, Qatar sign high-speed rail deal to link capitals
The train would reach speeds exceeding 300 kilometers per hour and the trip would take roughly two hours between Riyadh...
- A direct flight between the cities clocks in at around 90 minutes.
- The project, set to be completed in six years, expects to serve 10 million passengers per year, the statement said.
Economy
Palestine, Syria celebrate reaching Arab Cup quarter-finals
Celebrations erupted on the pitch and in the stands in Doha on Sunday when both Palestine and Syria made it...
- For both sides, reaching the knockout stage in the regional tournament hosted by Qatar was magnified by the all-too recent memory of conflict in their homelands
- For both sides, reaching the knockout stage in the regional tournament hosted by Qatar was magnified by the all-too recent memory of conflict in their homelands
Geostrategy
US-Israel-Qatar meeting seeks to salvage Gaza peace deal amid strain over Israeli strike on Doha
Axios also reported White House envoy Steve Witkoff hosted the meeting, with Mossad spy chief David Barnea representing Israel and...
- Two sources told US news outlet Axios it was "the highest level meeting between the countries since the deal to end the war in Gaza, for which Qatar served as a key mediator."
- Axios also reported White House envoy Steve Witkoff hosted the meeting, with Mossad spy chief David Barnea representing Israel and an unnamed senior Qatari official in attendance
Geostrategy
Mediators Qatar and Egypt call for next steps in fragile Gaza truce
"Now we are at the critical moment... A ceasefire cannot be completed unless there is a full withdrawal of the...
- Hamas said on Saturday that it was ready to hand over its weapons in the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian authority on the condition that the Israeli army's occupation ends.
- Qatar, alongside Egypt and the United States, helped secure the long-elusive truce, which remains delicate as Israel and Hamas accuse each other of breaching its terms.
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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
Venezuelan parliament swears in interim president after Maduro’s ouster
Venezuela's parliament swore in Delcy Rodriguez as interim president on Monday, two days after US forces seized her predecessor Nicolas...
Geostrategy
Company News
France’s screen siren Brigitte Bardot dies at 91
Arts & Culture
Latest News
Netanyahu to meet Trump in Florida for talks on Gaza peace plan, Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Donald Trump in Florida on Monday, with the US president pushing to move...
Geostrategy
Somali president to visit Turkey after Israeli recognition of Somaliland
Somalia's president is to visit close ally Turkey on Tuesday following Israel's recognition of the breakaway territory of Somaliland, Turkey's...
Geostrategy
China says to launch digital currency action plan
Beijing, China -- China will on January 1 launch an "action plan" for boosting management and operations of its digital...
Economy
Most Read
Arts & Culture
France’s screen siren Brigitte Bardot dies at 91
Saint-Tropez, France - French film sensation Brigitte Bardot, a symbol of sexual liberation in the 1950s and 1960s who reinvented herself...
- Tributes were paid to the star who was known as "BB" in her home country, with Macron calling her a "legend" of the 20th century
- Bardot became a global star after appearing in "And God created Woman" in 1956, and went on to appear in about 50 more movies
Geostrategy
Israel’s recognition of Somaliland ‘threat’ to regional stability: Somali president
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has for decades pushed for international recognition. A self-proclaimed republic, it enjoys...
- But it has been diplomatically isolated since its unilateral declaration of independence.
- Egypt, Turkey, the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council and the Saudi-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation all condemned the decision.
Geostrategy
A saint, a monk, a rock: Bulgaria’s euro coin designs
Sofia, Bulgaria -- Ancient rock art, a patron saint and a monk will be emblazoned on euro coins from Thursday,...
- Bulgaria will become the 21st country to adopt the euro on Thursday.
- The single currency first rolled out in 12 countries on January 1, 2002, and has since regularly extended its influence, with Croatia the last country to join in 2023.