Netanyahu sees Gaza hostage release ‘opening’, orders talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he ordered negotiators to "advance" talks on releasing hostages held in Gaza, after...
Geostrategy
Trump pocketed over $57 mn from crypto coin sales
New York, United States -- US President Donald Trump pocketed more than $57 million from token sales by the crypto...
Geostrategy
Business
GM sees strong demand in 2022
In Q4 2021, GM saw global car sales sink
- Profits fell in the final quarter of 2021 as GM saw global car sales sink but the US automaker still managed to notch a record $10 billion in annual profits
- GM signaled it expects comparable profits in 2022 in spite of cost pressures in commodities, freight services and labor
Business
Alphabet doubles annual profit
The tech giant had net income of $20.6 billion on revenue that grew 32 percent to $75 billion in the...
- The tech giant had net income of $20.6 billion on revenue that grew 32 percent to $75 billion in the final quarter of 2021, ending the year with a total of $76 billion in profit
- Google earned more than $61 billion in advertising revenue, mostly from online search and its video platform, while its cloud business grew by 45 percent to $5.5 billion in revenue
Economy
Top oil producers eye modest output boost as prices surge
The 23 members of the OPEC+ oil cartel, who meet on Wednesday, are expected to stick to their guns and...
- The cartel's prudent approach dates back to the spring of 2021 as demand recovered from drastic cuts in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic
- OPEC+ has not deviated from its line despite calls in the autumn from the White House to further boost supplies to tamp down prices
Geostrategy
Houthi ballistic missile attack on UAE came amid Israeli president’s visit
The latest rebel missile was fired as Isaac Herzog makes the first visit to the UAE by an Israeli president.
- The latest rebel missile was fired as Isaac Herzog makes the first visit to the UAE by an Israeli president
- Herzog visited Dubai's Expo 2020 site and held talks with the UAE Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai
Geostrategy
Can’t rescue Europe alone if Russia cuts gas, says Qatar
Qatar's energy minister told the European Union on Tuesday that his country could not rescue Europe alone if Russia turned...
- But the minister, Saad al-Kaabi, told EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson that Qatar was ready to help Europe "in times of need".
- The Ukraine crisis was a key topic in a meeting on Monday between US President Joe Biden and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
Business
ExxonMobil posts Q4 profit
ExxonMobil reported a profitable fourth-quarter Tuesday to conclude a strong comeback year in 2021 on higher oil prices amid recovering...
- The oil giant reported annual profits of $23 billion last year compared with a loss of $22.4 billion in 2020 when demand was dented by the Covid-19 lockdowns
- In the fourth quarter, ExxonMobil's upstream business benefited from higher prices in oil and natural gas, which surged 63 percent
Geostrategy
UN extends its Libya mission for three months
The UN Security Council on Monday adopted a British-drafted resolution extending its political mission in Libya for just three months,...
- The extremely short text, which was adopted unanimously, provides for a continuation of the mission until April 30. An earlier version had taken the mission until September 15
- Moscow, which favored a short renewal of the UNSMIL mission, threatened to use its veto and even went as far as proposing a counter-draft to the British text last week
Geostrategy
Israel apartheid state, usurps rights of Palestinians: Amnesty
A year ago, the Israeli-based human rights group B'Tselem drew fire when it asserted that Israeli policies had been designed...
- New York-based Human Rights Watch in April last year became the first major international rights group to publicly accuse Israel of 'apartheid' crimes.
- Amnesty urged UN Security Council to "impose targeted sanctions, such as asset freezes, against Israeli officials most implicated in the crime of apartheid".
Geostrategy
Qatar emir meets Biden in shadow of Ukraine tensions
The move underscores the Qatar’s strategic importance, including in a scramble to shield European allies from potential Russian energy cutoffs.
- US President Joe Biden recognized Qatar's place in the US military's global footprint: It hosts Pentagon's Central Command and a huge airbase
- Biden also announced he was designating Qatar a “major non-NATO ally,” which opens the door to closer military and commercial ties
Business
Lebanon power cuts turn cafes into coworking spaces
For the patrons filling Beirut's cafes these days, the most important things are good lighting and stable wi-fi.
- The power cuts have left many already with no option but to plant themselves in cafes all day
- The 23-hour power cuts and the falling quality of many internet connections have complicated matters
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
Netanyahu sees Gaza hostage release ‘opening’, orders talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he ordered negotiators to "advance" talks on releasing hostages held in Gaza, after...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
BMW Q3 profit drops 7.7%
Business
Russian president to make ‘imminent’ visit to Turkey
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has managed to maintain trade and political relations with both Ukraine and Russia, allowing Russia...
Geostrategy
Paris Olympics’ organizers worry heatwave can spell trouble for games
A new study presenting "climate simulations to anticipate worst-case heatwaves during the Paris 2024 Olympics" has focused minds after it...
Blinken to arrive in Middle East to press for truce
The US secretary of state is expected to discuss a proposed truce hammered out in a Paris meeting in January...
Geostrategy
Most Read
Geostrategy
Arab Israelis let out of Gaza recount ‘terrifying’ journey
JERUSALEM - When Fatima, an Arab Israeli married to a Palestinian from the Gaza Strip, fled Israel's bombardment of the...
- The majority of the Palestinian population, around 760,000 people, either fled or were forced from their homes during the first Arab-Israeli war.
- According to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, there are more than two million Arab Israelis today, accounting for 21 percent of the population.
Geostrategy
Parisians vote in anti-SUV parking and pollution referendum
Paris, France -- Parisians were voting on Sunday in a referendum on tripling parking costs for hefty SUV-style cars, a campaign...
- Some 1.3m people in Paris are eligible to cast their ballot on the change, which would see cars weighing 1.6 tons or more charged $19.50 per hour for parking in central areas.
- Fully electric cars would have to top two tons to be affected, while people living or working in Paris, taxi drivers, tradespeople, health workers and the disabled are exempted.
Geostrategy
Hamas weighs Gaza truce as Israeli onslaught nears fifth month
French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne was in Egypt and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expected in the region in...
- Sejourne said he he told Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi of France's desire "for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and restarting talks for a... two-state solution".
- Experts and rights groups told AFP that Israeli forces have destroyed buildings near the border in an attempt to create a buffer zone inside the Palestinian territory.