Cross-border payments and financial inclusion drive stablecoin popularity
London, United Kingdom -- Stablecoins -- a form of cryptocurrency backed by traditional assets -- are gaining traction, with the...
Business
Israel, Iran trade missile fire as Trump warns Tehran to ‘evacuate’
The United States and Iran had engaged in several rounds of indirect talks on Tehran's nuclear programme in recent weeks,...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
US warns Russia could attack Ukraine ‘any day’
The United States dramatically raised the alarm Friday over Ukraine, warning that a Russian invasion starting with civilians caught under...
- Sullivan made clear that the United States was bracing for the worst, including a "rapid assault" on the capital Kyiv
- Russian naval forces and troops, including units brought in from all over the vast country, now surround Ukraine to the south, east and north
Geostrategy
UN chief calls on ‘all parties’ to preserve stability in Libya
UN chief Antonio Guterres called Friday on "all parties to continue to preserve stability in Libya as a top priority,"...
- The UN chief's statement did not mention by name either Libya's interim Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah or the new prime minister appointed on Thursday, Fathi Bashagha
- Guterres also did not repeat what his spokesman had said a day earlier, namely that the UN has continued to support Dbeibah as interim prime minister
Business
High taxes take fizz out of Turkey’s cafes
In a waterfront Istanbul neighborhood that once buzzed with cafe and pub life, there are now only empty tables after...
- The tax is one of the biggest blows to alcohol consumption by a government often accused by its opponents of eroding the pillars of modern Turkey
- The blow was felt particularly hard in the Besiktas neighborhood on the European side of the Bosphorus
Economy
IEA warns of ‘chronic’ OPEC+ failure to meet 2022 oil demand
The 13 members of the Saudi-led Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and their 10 allies, including Russia, had...
- The group began to increase output last year, renewing every month a target of 400,000 barrels per day, as demand and prices recovered.
- But analysts have said some members, such as Angola and Nigeria, have been unable to scale up their production and others are unwilling to do so.
Geostrategy
‘Difficult talks’ over Ukraine to resume again in March
German, Russian, Ukrainian and French representatives have agreed to meet again in March after "difficult talks" in Berlin, sources close...
- The meeting in the so-called four-way "Normandy" format late Thursday lasted more than nine hours
- Mediation between Russia and Ukraine by Berlin and Paris led to the Minsk agreement of 2015, but Kyiv and Moscow regularly accuse each other of violating its terms
Geostrategy
Iranians get behind wheel to mark 43rd anniversary of Islamic revolution
Thousands of Iranians drove through Tehran on Friday to mark the 43rd anniversary of the country's Islamic Revolution, staying in...
- Due to the pandemic, state television said this year, as the previous year, there should be "no gathering or marching" by those celebrating the 1979 overthrow of the shah's regime.
- Instead, people travelled by car, motorcycle and bicycle, to converge on the capital's iconic Azadi Square, despite chilly temperatures.
Geostrategy
Algeria’s Sonatrach signs deal to restart Libya operations
The Algerian group announced the deal during a visit to the neighbouring North African country by its chief Toufik Hakkar.
- The Algerian group announced the deal during a visit to the neighbouring North African country by its chief Toufik Hakkar
- The Sonatrach statement said the oil and gas giant planned to “redouble efforts for a swift return” to its activities in Libya
Geostrategy
EU chief unveils 150-bn-euro investment plan for Africa
The scheme is the first regional plan that seeks to mobilise up to 300 billion euros ($340 billion) for public...
- The scheme is the first regional plan that seeks to mobilise up to 300 billion euros ($340 billion) for public and private infrastructure around the world by 2027
- Seen as a response to China's Belt and Road initiative, the strategy will use funding from EU institutions and member countries to leverage private-sector investment
Business
Tesla makes 4th car recall
The decision was taken due to a feature that drowns out audible warnings.
- The automaker faces increasing scrutiny from American regulators, as watchdogs have accused Elon Musk's firm of pushing safety limits.
- US authorities have set specific standards for the sounds that electric and hybrid vehicles must make
Geostrategy
Lebanon bars Bahrain opposition from holding Beirut events
On Thursday, Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said he was banning ‘two events’ organized by Bahraini opposition figures.
- The decision comes weeks after Lebanon ordered the expulsion of members of Bahrain's leading opposition party, Al-Wefaq
- The party had held a news conference in Beirut that had irked authorities in the Gulf kingdom, where it is banned
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Cross-border payments and financial inclusion drive stablecoin popularity
London, United Kingdom -- Stablecoins -- a form of cryptocurrency backed by traditional assets -- are gaining traction, with the...
Business
Company News
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$120m Picasso: Auction houses eye monster sales
Arts & Culture
New round of Gaza negotiations to start in Cairo: Egypt source
Cairo, Egypt -- Egypt and Qatar are sponsoring a new round of negotiations to start Thursday in Cairo aimed at achieving...
Geostrategy
US lawmakers reject US$17.6 billion Israel aid bill
Republicans in the House of Representatives scheduled the vote after the Democratic-led Senate released a bipartisan bill Sunday pairing billions of dollars for...
Geostrategy
Canada announces sanctions against Hamas leaders
The move comes two weeks after Britain and the United States unveiled new coordinated asset freezes and travel bans on...
Geostrategy
Most Read
Business
TotalEnergies reports record annual profit
Net profit came in at $21.4 bn, an increase of 4% over 2022.
- Net profit came in at $21.4 billion, an increase of four percent over 2022, with the the energy giant proposing a 7.1 percent increase in its annual dividend
- After adjusting for non-recurring items, net profit stood at $23.2 billion, a fall of 36 percent from 2022 when the company withdrew from Russia
Arts & Culture
Iran’s long-lasting love for gemstones believed to have divine power
Common beliefs associated with gemstones are largely what motivates people to buy them, said Hassan Samimi, a lapidary at the...
- Iran's senior officials including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have often been spotted wearing rings with agate or turquoise stones
- Agate, especially from Yemen, is popular "because it is recommended by imams" who often claim it can boost livelihoods
Economy
Tunisia parliament votes to let central bank finance budget
The parliament ratified by a huge majority of 92 votes out of 133 an amendment to an article that prohibited...
- The country's finance minister said the funds were "not intended to finance current expenses"
- The IMF agreed in principle, in October 2022, to a loan of around US$2 billion to Tunisia