UAE top court upholds life terms for 24 convicted in mass trial
Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- The UAE supreme court has jailed 24 people for life after upholding their convictions for...
Geostrategy
Cristiano Ronaldo extends contract with Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr until 2027
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Cristiano Ronaldo inked a two-year extension with Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr, the club announced Thursday, following...
Arts & Culture
Geostrategy
Nations advance ocean protection, vow to defend seabed
UN Ocean Conference wrapped up Friday with world leaders taking major steps toward marine protection and vowing a showdown when...
- The summit was just the third -- and largest yet -- dedicated entirely to what the United Nations calls an "emergency" in the world's oceans.
- More than 60 heads of state and government joined thousands of business leaders, scientists and environmental campaigners over five days in the southern city of Nice.
Geostrategy
Iran calls Israeli strikes ‘declaration of war’ amid international calls for restraint
Trump warns Tehran that the "next planned attacks" will be "even more brutal" and said Iran should cut a deal...
- Top brass killed included the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, and the chief of staff of its armed forces, Mohammad Bagheri.
- Trump said Israel fully informed him of its raids ahead of time, but insisted the United States was not involved.
Arts & Culture
Picasso on a plate: unseen ceramics up for auction in Geneva
Geneva, Switzerland -- A clutch of one-off and hitherto unseen ceramic plates and dishes by Pablo Picasso are going under...
- Emblematic motifs from Picasso's artistic universe -- pigeons, fish, a goat, a bull, and a bird adorn the colorful plates and dishes.
- Picasso was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. The prolific Spanish painter died in 1973, aged 91.
Arts & Culture
Saudi Arabia and Qatar to host Asian playoffs for World Cup: AFC
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -- Saudi Arabia and Qatar will host the Asian qualifying playoffs for the 2026 World Cup, the...
- Six teams, the third and fourth-placed sides from the recent Asian qualifiers, namely Indonesia, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE will be divided into two groups of 3 teams.
- They will battle each other in a centralized format from October 8 to 14, 2025, the AFC said in a statement.
Geostrategy
Nuclear states spent $100 billion on atomic arsenals in 2024, say ICAN
ICAN said Britain, China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia and the United States together spent nearly $10 billion...
- ICAN said Britain, China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia and the United States together spent nearly $10 billion more than in 2023
- The United States spent $56.8 billion in 2024, followed by China at $12.5 billion and Britain at $10.4 billion, ICAN said in its flagship annual report
Geostrategy
US still wants talks with Iran on Sunday: US official
Washington, United States - The United States still hopes to hold talks Sunday with Iran, even after Israel launched a...
- The official had no further information on whether Iran had agreed to the talks
- Oman had earlier planned talks Sunday involving Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's friend
Geostrategy
MENA brief Jun 13: Prince Salman to skip G7 meet, OpenAI in funds talks with PIF
In the financial sector, Fitch Ratings has projected a notable uptick in mergers and acquisitions within Saudi Arabia’s insurance industry....
- Qatar’s real estate sector recorded transactions exceeding QAR 1 billion in the first five days of June, driven by strong demand for residential and commercial assets.
- Morocco emerged as North Africa’s financial leader, with six of the region’s top 20 listed firms based in the country.
Geostrategy
Israel says Hamas ‘weaponising suffering in Gaza’ as aid workers killed
Israel charged on Thursday that Hamas was "weaponising suffering in Gaza" after a US and Israeli-backed charity accused the Palestinian...
- The distribution of food and basic supplies in the blockaded and war-ravaged Gaza has become increasingly fraught and perilous
- Asked to respond to the GHF accusation, the Hamas government media office in Gaza said GHF was a "filthy tool" of Israeli forces
Geostrategy
Israel strikes Iran’s nuclear sites, kills top generals; Tehran, Iraq shut airspace, casualties reported
Israel's operation struck at the "heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment programme", taking aim at the atomic facility in Natanz and...
- Israel's operation struck at the "heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment programme", taking aim at the atomic facility in Natanz and nuclear scientists
- Iranian state media said residential buildings in Tehran were also hit, killing a number of civilians including women and children
Geostrategy
Flames and smoke in aftermath of crashed India passenger jet
While officials initially said everyone aboard was feared dead, state health official Dhananjay Dwivedi told AFP later that one passenger...
- Air India's flight 171 -- a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London's Gatwick Airport -- crashed shortly after takeoff around 0810 GMT.
- The passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and a Canadian. Two pilots and 10 cabin crew were also aboard.
UAE top court upholds life terms for 24 convicted in mass trial
Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- The UAE supreme court has jailed 24 people for life after upholding their convictions for...
Geostrategy
Company News
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Oil prices spike after US strikes on Iran nuclear sites
Economists at MUFG warned of "high uncertainty of the outcomes and duration of this war", giving a "scenario analysis" of...
Economy
Netanyahu says returning Gaza hostages will take ‘a bit more time’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday insisted gains in the conflict against Iran would help with the country's war...
Geostrategy
Iran threatens US bases in response to strikes on nuclear sites
Iran on Sunday threatened US bases in the Middle East after massive air strikes that Washington said had destroyed Tehran's...
Geostrategy
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Business
Japan’s high-tech sunscreens tap into skincare craze
Tokyo, Japan -- When YouTuber Hannah Price set out to compare Japanese and Australian sunscreen, she wasn't expecting her deep...
- Companies that have perfected their secret formulas want to capitalize on booming demand, including selling to Japan's record influx of foreign tourists.
- The global skincare market was worth more than $115 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to $194 billion by 2032, according to Fortune Business Insights.
Geostrategy
Massive US bunker-buster bombs make combat debut in Iran strikes
The US military says the GBU-57 -- also named Massive Ordnance Penetrator -- is designed to penetrate up to 200...
- The 6.6-meter-long GBU-57 also has a specialized fuse as "you need an explosive that's not going to immediately explode under that much shock and pressure," Dahlgren said.
- The only aircraft capable of deploying the GBU-57 is the B-2 Spirit, a stealth bomber.
Geostrategy
Risk of wider conflict flare up as US claims strikes ‘devastated’ Iran’s nuclear program
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters in Istanbul the United States and Israel had "crossed a very big red...
- People gathered in the center of Tehran to protest against US and Israeli attacks, waving flags and chanting slogans, state TV showed.
- The European Union called on all sides "to step back," while stressing Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.