Hamas says open to 5-year Gaza truce, one-time hostages release
Cairo, Egypt - Hamas is open to an agreement to end the war in Gaza that would see all hostages...
Geostrategy
Huge crowds flock to Vatican for Pope Francis’s funeral
Tens of thousands of mourners flooded into St Peter's Square on Saturday for the funeral of Pope Francis, the champion...
Arts & Culture
Geostrategy
UN shipping body approves first global carbon pricing system
From 2028, all ships will be required to use a less carbon-intensive fuel mix, or face financial penalties -- but...
- Those who do not meet the guidelines will have to pay annually for every ton of greenhouse gas emissions that exceeds the targets set.
- A majority of members, 63 states, voted for the carbon pricing system, including the European Union, Brazil, China, India and Japan.
Economy
Trump admits trade war ‘cost’ as markets hit
Jitters about US tariffs hammered Asian stocks again early Friday as President Donald Trump acknowledged a "cost" to his surging...
- Trump acknowledged "a transition cost and transition problems," but dismissed global market turmoil. "In the end it's going to be a beautiful thing."
- On Wall Street, the broad-based S&P 500 finished down 3.5 percent on Thursday after soaring 9.5 percent the day before. The Dow Jones shed 2.5 percent and the Nasdaq 4.3 percent
Geostrategy
In skies, as on land, European forces face gaps if US pulls back
Leeuwarden, Netherlands - Fighter jets from the United States, France, Finland and Germany roar into the skies from a Dutch...
- Since returning to office, US President Donald Trump has sowed doubt over Washington's commitment to underpinning European security
- But if Trump does decide to withdraw US forces, there are fears that could leave European militaries struggling to plug gaps in key areas
Geostrategy
Bridges in the Gulf: wealthy states mediate crisis after crisis
Dubai, United Arab Emirates - When US and Iranian negotiators meet in Oman on Saturday they will be just the...
- Oman is a long-established venue for Iranian talks, while promoting peace is a pillar of Qatar's foreign policy and even enshrined in its constitution
- More recently Saudi Arabia has caught on, hosting Ukraine ceasefire talks including the latest round in a lavish hotel in Riyadh last month
Geostrategy
Trump warns of military option; Iran threatens to end UN nuclear inspections before Oman talks
Last month, Trump sent a letter to Khamenei, who has the final say in matters of state in Iran, calling...
- A senior adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Iran could expel UN nuclear watchdog inspectors over "threats."
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced hope Thursday that the US-Iran nuclear talks in Oman this weekend could lead to "peace."
Geostrategy
European Union and UAE agree to launch trade deal negotiations
Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan "and I just decided to launch negotiations on an EU-UAE free trade agreement,"...
- Sheikh Zayed said that the CEPA would create new avenues for cooperation between the UAE and EU, increase trade and investment flows.
- The EU is the UAE’s second-largest trading partner, accounting for 8.3 percent of the UAE’s total non-oil trade, which hit $67.6 billion in 2024.
Investigation
Verstappen out to silence McLaren in the battle of Bahrain
McLaren's Lando Norris holds a wafer-thin advantage over four-time world champion Max Verstappen going into this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix.
- Max Verstappen arrives in Bahrain fresh from one of the best weekends of his life, on the track at least, in Japan
- Friday's opening practice will feature a host of teams giving potential stars of the future a spin
Geostrategy
Turkey opposition to fight Erdogan ‘until the end’: leader tells AFP
The Turkish opposition will fight "until the end" against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the leader of the opposition CHP party...
- Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel demanded snap polls that would show the "biggest no confidence vote in history" against Erdogan
- Imamoglu's arrest sparked the biggest opposition protests to grip Turkey since 2013 although the rallies have dipped in intensity over the past 10 days
Geostrategy
US reiterates support for Morocco on Western Sahara
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday renewed US support for Morocco's sovereignty and political plan for Western Sahara, a...
- Trump, during his first term in office, in 2020 recognized Morocco's claim to the vast desert territory after the kingdom normalized relations with Israel
- Morocco mostly controls the former Spanish colony but has been challenged for decades by the Algeria-backed Polisario Front
Geostrategy
Israel seizes Gaza territory as Macron signals imminent French recognition of Palestinian statehood
French President Emmanuel Macron meanwhile said that France plans to recognise a Palestinian state in the "coming months", a move...
- Israel's Defence Minister Katz said that "large areas are being seized and added to Israel's security zones, leaving Gaza smaller and more isolated."
- Katz emphasised that Israel would keep increasing pressure on Gaza "until the hostages are freed and Hamas is defeated."
Hamas says open to 5-year Gaza truce, one-time hostages release
Cairo, Egypt - Hamas is open to an agreement to end the war in Gaza that would see all hostages...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
Saudi Aramco, BYD form alliance to develop low-carbon automotive innovations amid EV growth
Saudi Aramco, the world's largest producer of oil, "is exploring a number of ways to potentially optimize transport efficiency, from...
Israel security chief accuses PM of demanding personal loyalty
Israel's internal security chief, whom the government is trying to sack, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday of demanding personal...
Geostrategy
US envoy to Israel urges Hamas to sign deal so aid can enter Gaza
The new US ambassador to Israel on Monday called on Palestinian militant group Hamas to accept a deal that would...
Geostrategy
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Business
Gold hits record, dollar drops as tariff fears dampen sentiment
With several markets still closed for the Easter holiday, business was limited ahead of a week that will see the...
- The precious metal was also helped by a weaker dollar, which has also been hit by worries about Trump's standoff with Fed boss Jerome Powell.
- Stocks had a mixed start to the week, with Tokyo weighed by the stronger yen while Taipei, Jakarta and Bangkok were also in negative territory.
Geostrategy
Davos meet founder Klaus Schwab steps down from WEF board
Geneva, Switzerland -- The World Economic Forum said on Monday that its founder Klaus Schwab has stepped down from the...
- Schwab told the WEF's board that "as I enter my 88th year, I have decided to step down from the position of Chair and as a member of the Board of Trustees, with immediate effect.
- The WEF said Vice Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe was appointed board chairman in the interim and that a search committee for replacement had been appointed.
Geostrategy
Pope Francis is dead at 88, world leaders pay tributes to the energetic reformer
"Today, we lost a faithful friend of the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights," Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said, noting...
- His death sets in motion centuries-old traditions that will culminate in the gathering of a conclave of cardinals to choose a successor.
- In the next four to six days the Vatican's cardinals will decide on the pope's funeral date, at which point his coffin will be transferred to St Peter's Basilica.