Former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100
Carter had been in hospice care since mid-February 2023 at his home in Plains, Georgia -- the same small town...
New Dawn over Damascus: Residents reclaim Mount Qasyun after years of curbs under Assad’s rule
Mount Qasyun, once closed due to war, reopens as a vibrant community space where Damascus residents gather to reclaim joy,...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
US President Biden pardons son Hunter before White House exit
Washington D.C. -- US President Joe Biden on Sunday issued an official pardon for his son Hunter, who is facing...
- Hunter Biden was convicted earlier this year of lying about his drug use when he bought a gun - a felony
- Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother for cocaine charges and Trump pardoned the father of his son-in-law for tax evasion
Geostrategy
Bashar Al Assad of Syria seeks support from allies as extremist rebels take over key city of Aleppo
Extremist-dominated rebel alliance, including ISIS supporters, runs over Syrian city of Aleppo allegedly backed by Turkey. Russia and Iran push...
- Extremist rebels' offensive saw Syrian government forces lose control of Aleppo for the first time since the start of the country's civil war
Geostrategy
Gulf summit in Kuwait urges ‘immediate ceasefire’ for Gaza
Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah called on the international community to implement "an immediate ceasefire, providing international protection for...
- Sheikh Meshal hit out at what he characterized as the "double standards in the application of relevant international laws, charters and resolutions."
- The Kuwaiti ruler spoke in support of Saudi Arabia's work to form a global body pushing for an independent Palestinian state.
Geostrategy
Trump threatens 100% tariff on BRICS countries over currency plans
Washington, United States -- President-elect Donald Trump on Monday threatened to impose a 100 percent tariff on the BRICS group nations...
- The statement comes after a BRICS summit held last month in Kazan, Russia, where the countries discussed boosting non-dollar transactions and strengthening local currencies.
- The BRICS group has expanded significantly since its inception in 2009, and now includes countries such as Iran, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates
Business
Elon Musk asks US court to block OpenAi’s for-profit conversion
Washington, United States -- Elon Musk has again asked a US court to stop ChatGPT-maker OpenAI from converting into a for-profit...
- The move is the latest development in a business feud between OpenAI and Musk, who co-founded the group in 2015 but has since left.
- OpenAI has seen its profile skyrocket over recent years as it has become a star player in the growing field of artificial intelligence.
Turkish-backed jihadists breach Aleppo, displacing thousands and cutting vital highway to Damascus
By Friday, the jihadists and their allies had taken more than 50 towns and villages in the north and entered...
- The fighters took control of "half of the city of Aleppo" as regime forces withdrew, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
- The offensive began on Wednesday, the same day that a fragile ceasefire took effect in neighbouring Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah
Trump threatens 100% tariff on BRICS countries over currency plans
Washington, United States - President-elect Donald Trump on Monday threatened to impose a 100 percent tariff on the BRICS group nations...
- The statement comes after a BRICS summit held last month in Kazan, Russia, where the countries discussed boosting non-dollar transactions and strengthening local currencies
- The BRICS group has expanded significantly since its inception in 2009, and now includes countries such as Iran, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates
Geostrategy
Iran-Europe nuclear talks on as global tensions escalate ahead of Trump’s return
The stakes were laid bare in a warning from Britain's foreign intelligence chief that Iran's nuclear ambitions posed a major...
- Following the talks in Geneva, shrouded in an unusual level of secrecy, the parties to social media to say the discussions had focused on Iran's nuclear program and sanctions
- The sides had "agreed to continue diplomatic dialogue in the near future", the German foreign ministry and the high-level diplomats representing France, Britain and Iran said
Geostrategy
Okonjo-Iweala’s second term: Trump’s disdain for WTO biggest challenge
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the first woman and the first African to head the WTO, is the only candidate in the race,...
- Her term ends in August 2025, and the appointment process expected to lead to her next term had initially been scheduled to take months.
- During Trump's first term, the WTO also faced relentless attacks from his administration, which crippled the organization's dispute settlement appeal system.
Arts & Culture
Crypto boss Justin Sun eats banana art he bought for $6.2 million
Hong Kong, China -- Crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun on Friday fulfilled a promise he made after spending $6.2 million on an...
- Titled "Comedian", the conceptual work created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan was sold at a Sotheby's auction in New York last week, with Sun among seven bidders.
- Sun this week also became an advisor to World Liberty Financial, a crypto initiative backed by US president-elect Donald Trump, following a $30 million investment.
Former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100
Carter had been in hospice care since mid-February 2023 at his home in Plains, Georgia -- the same small town...
Company News
Latest News
Biden cancels $4.28 bn more in student debt before leaving office
Washington, United States -- US President Joe Biden said Friday he was canceling student loans for an additional 55,000 Americans, which...
Geostrategy
Honda and Nissan in merger talks as electric vehicle competition intensifies
Tokyo, Japan --Japanese auto giant Honda and its struggling rival Nissan will reportedly begin talks on a merger to boost their...
Business
Turkey, Iran leaders at Cairo summit urge action to address Gaza, Syria crises
Cairo, Egypt -- The leaders of Turkey and Iran were in Egypt on Thursday for a summit of eight Muslim-majority countries,...
Geostrategy
Most Read
HRW accuses Israel of ‘acts of genocide’ for restricting Gaza water access
Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Israel of committing "acts of #genocide" in the Gaza Strip by damaging water infrastructure and...
- "Systematic nature" to deprive Gazans of water has "likely caused thousands of deaths"- HRW
- Israel also cut electricity supplies, attacked repair workers and blocked imports of repair materials
Geostrategy
UN urges ‘free and fair’ elections in Syria post-Assad ouster amid ongoing challenges
Turkey's Foreign Minister warned Syria's new government to address Kurdish militancy, signaling potential intervention if unresolved with tensions rising with...
- UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher called for a massive aid boost by donor countries to respond to "this moment of hope" for Syria
- Years of civil war have also left the country heavily dependent on aid, deeply fragmented and desperate for justice and peace
UN envoy warns Syria conflict not over yet
United Nations' special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, referring to fighting between the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and...
- Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on Syrian military assets since Assad's overthrow
- Large-scale returns of refugees to Syria could destabilize the country further