UK Prime Minister to talk trade, Middle East during Gulf visit
London, United Kingdom -- Britain's leader Keir Starmer makes his first trip to the Gulf as prime minister from Sunday, seeking...
Geostrategy
World Bank announces record $100 bn support for world’s poorest countries
The World Bank announced Thursday that it had raised close to $24 billion to provide loans and grants for some...
Geostrategy
Libya to continue Tunisia border closure till end of smuggling
Tripoli, Libya - Libya's shutdown of its main border crossing with Tunisia this week will remain in force until authorities put...
- Authorities aim to "ensure the security of the borders and combat crime and smuggling," Interior Minister Imad Trabelsi said.
- The crossing was shut down on Tuesday after clashes between armed groups and security forces on the Libyan side the night before.
Geostrategy
Israel seizes 800 hectares of land in West Bank on Blinken’s arrival
Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared as "state lands" the area in the northern Jordan Valley. Israeli settlement watchdog Peace...
- Settlements in the Palestinian territories are illegal under international law. Smotrich, who heads the extreme-right Religious Zionism party, lives in a settlement.
- They are now home to more than 490,000 Israelis, who live alongside around three million Palestinians in the territory.
Geostrategy
Finland to resume funding to UN agency for Palestinian refugees
Australia, Canada and Sweden, which were among those states, announced earlier this month they were resuming aid. Ten percent of...
- Finland suspended its yearly funding of five million euros in January, following Israel's allegations that 12 of the UN agency's 30,000 employees were involved in the Hamas attack
- Finland's minister Tavio said in a statement that preventing misconduct and initiating close monitoring give sufficient guarantees at this point for resuming the support
Business
Asian markets struggle as US data dents Fed rate cut optimism
Equities across the world had surged Thursday in response to the central bank's closely watched dot plot projection that it...
- All three main US indexes clocked up record highs for a second straight day on the back of a tech rally as traders contemplated an end to the era of two-decade-high rates.
- However, Asia struggled to maintain the momentum after a string of data reminded investors that the world's largest economy was still in rude health.
Geostrategy
UK, Australia call for ‘immediate cessation of fighting’ in Gaza
Adelaide, Australia--Britain and Australia declared the need for an "immediate cessation of fighting" in Gaza, as diplomatic pressure built on Israel...
- The allies issued a statement that stressed the "urgency of an immediate cessation of fighting in Gaza to allow aid to flow and hostages to be released"
- The UK's call for an "immediate cessation of fighting" is a sign that Britain is also growing anxious about the toll of what Israel calls Operation Swords of Iron.
Blinken heads to Israel to press for ‘immediate’ truce in Gaza war
After talks in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Blinken flies to Israel on Friday, his sixth trip to the region since...
- United States said it would submit for a vote on Friday a draft to the Security Council on the need for an "immediate ceasefire as part of a hostage deal."
- Fighting in Gaza this week has centered around Al-Shifa hospital, with Israel also vowing to launch a new ground assault in overcrowded Rafah
Business
Italy’s Enel doubles net profit
Its net profit spiked to US$3.7 billion in 2023.
- Enel said that before exceptional items, profit rose 21 percent to $7.04 billion, in line with the company's objectives
- The company's revenue fell 32 percent to $103.62bn as prices declined as part of a "normalization of the energy sector"
Geostrategy
Israel spy chief to return to Qatar for Gaza truce talks
The Israeli prime minister's office said that Benjamin Netanyahu approved an Israeli delegation led by Mossad head David Barnea to...
- Barnea is to meet CIA director, Qatari prime minister and Egypt's intelligence chief
- Israel believes about 130 remain in Gaza, including 33 who are presumed dead
Economy
Eurozone business activity stabilizes in March
Brussels, Belgium - Business activity in the eurozone stabilized in March thanks largely to a "modest recovery" in the service sector,...
- "Business activity in the euro area came close to stabilizing in March" with "only a marginal decline in output of goods and services", the survey said.
- The ECB has kept its interest rates steady since October, following an unprecedented series of increases to tame what was red-hot inflation.
Geostrategy
Poorer countries need money before raising climate targets, says COP29 head
Copenhagen, Denmark - Developing countries should not have to set stricter targets for cutting their carbon emissions before funds are available...
- Addressing the meeting, Azerbaijan's Mukhtar Babayev said "there is a growing gap between the needs of developing countries and what's available.
- This year, "finance will lie at the heart of climate diplomacy", said Babayev, the ecology and natural resources minister of Azerbaijan, host of COP29 climate summit.
UK Prime Minister to talk trade, Middle East during Gulf visit
London, United Kingdom -- Britain's leader Keir Starmer makes his first trip to the Gulf as prime minister from Sunday, seeking...
Geostrategy
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Israel prepares for Lebanon ground invasion as Netanyahu tells Iranians ‘change coming soon’
While Israeli defense minister indicates imminent ground invasion of Lebanon speaking to his country's troops, Prime Minister Netanyahu addresses Iranian...
Geostrategy
Lebanon urges DNA tests to identify missing in Israel strikes
Families should head to centers affiliated with the Judicial Police "to conduct DNA tests", the police said in a statement....
Geostrategy
Israel targets Palestinian group in first strike on Beirut center
Israel hit a Beirut apartment block on Monday, killing three members of a Palestinian armed group in its first strike...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
More than 100 killed in Lebanon as Israel attacks south and central Beirut
Israeli fighter jets pounded parts of Lebanon and a drone attacked a Sunni neighborhood in central Beirut killing dozens across...
- Israel targets predominantly Sunni neighborhood of Kola in central Beirut hitting a residential building
- France's foreign ministry said late Sunday a second French national had been killed in Lebanon as minister visited Beirut for talks
Geostrategy
How Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah?
Israel has been planning for months to kill Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in south Beirut. Reports say Israeli PM approved...
- Exploding devices, which Israel has not claimed, killed at least 39 people, wounded almost 3,000 and "threw Hezbollah's communications back to the stone age
- Senior officials say that "more than 80 bombs were dropped over a period of several minutes to kill" Hassan Nasrallah
Geostrategy
UN sends emergency food aid for one million Lebanese amid fresh Israeli attacks
The World Food Program says it had launched an emergency operation to provide meals for one million people affected by...
- Lebanon's health ministry said Israeli air strikes killed 21 people on Sunday in east Lebanon
- "During the intelligence-based strikes, the (air force) struck approximately 120 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon"