Lebanon says dismantled ‘more than 500’ Hezbollah installations in south
Under a November ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group was required to pull its fighters out...
Geostrategy
Syria says Israeli strikes ‘aimed at undermining’ stability
Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani condemned on Wednesday Israeli strikes in retaliation for overnight rocket fire, saying they were aimed...
Geostrategy
Economy
Egypt turns to apps in new age of money-pooling
Gameya is a cooperative system that allows people to save and borrow money, and is popular in several parts of...
- On average, a gameya — the local money-pooling custom — lasts between five and 20 months
- The gameya is often formed among relatives or co-workers facing financial hardships
Science
Nuclear energy back in focus as climate crisis deepens
To resist climate changes, more sustainable sources of energy like nuclear could become a norm in the near future.
- Nuclear energy is part of the solution to global warming, there's no way around it, IAEA director general Rafael Mariano Grossi has said
- The UN's climate science advisory panel, the IPCC, has also given a place to nuclear in its models
Geostrategy
The Western Sahara conflict timeline is heating up
The Western Sahara conflict pits Morocco against the Polisario Front independence movement.
- Western Sahara is a former Spanish colony with extensive phosphate reserves and rich Atlantic fishing grounds
- Morocco sees it as its own sovereign territory, but the Polisario Front has proclaimed a democratic republic there with support from Algeria
Geostrategy
Iraq PM calls for ‘calm’ after house attacked
The attack came during a period of soaring tensions over the results of the October 10 elections.
- The attack in Baghdad's Green Zone was the first to target the residence of Kadhemi, who has been in power since May 2020
- It and came as Iraq's political parties wrangle over who will run the next government
Geostrategy
Iran says world powers must be ‘realistic’ in nuclear talks
Tehran has said the world powers should not exceed the bounds of the 2015 deal they are seeking to revive....
- The nuclear talks are being brokered by European Union mediators as Tehran refuses to deal with US negotiators directly
- The talks are aimed at bringing Washington back into a 2015 agreement with Iran that was abandoned by former US president Donald Trump
Economy
US Congress passes giant Biden infrastructure package
The passage of the infrastructure spending marks a legacy-making achievement for Biden, amid plunging personal approval ratings and a humiliating...
- Passing the infrastructure package into law required some tricky mathematics
- The votes capped months of tense negotiations on Capitol Hill
Business
French hotel industry on its knees: Accor CEO
Sebastien Bazin, head of the world's sixth-largest hotel group, said on French radio station RMC that Accor currently lacks at...
- Sebastien Bazin, head of the world's sixth-largest hotel group, said on French radio station RMC that Accor currently lacks at least 2,000 employees in France
- The hospitality industry in numerous countries has complained of difficulty rehiring staff and some employers are trying to lure workers with higher wages
Economy
Recovering US economy adds 531,000 jobs in October
The unemployment rate also dropped slightly from 4.8% to 4.6%, the lowest since the pandemic.
- The unemployment rate also dropped slightly from 4.8% to 4.6%, the lowest since the pandemic
- Most of the employment growth was in the leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, manufacturing, transportation and warehousing sectors
Business
Russia wins latest round of $50bn Yukos case
The Dutch supreme court on Friday scrapped an order for Russia to pay a record $50 billion to former shareholders in dismantled...
- Judges shunted the case back to a lower court for more hearings as the battle continues over Yukos
- Russia hailed Friday's decision, but the ex-shareholders said they were "confident" they would eventually win their fight over the original 2014 arbitration award
Geostrategy
Iraqi security forces clash with pro-Iran protesters
Hundreds of supporters of pro-Iran groups clashed with security forces in Iraq's capital on Friday, expressing their fury over last...
- The political arm of the pro-Iran Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary network saw its share of parliamentary seats decline substantially in the election
- Demonstrators from groups loyal to the Hashed threw projectiles and "blocked... access to the Green Zone" on three sides
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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
Lebanon says dismantled ‘more than 500’ Hezbollah installations in south
Under a November ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group was required to pull its fighters out...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
Sony to decide on Zee merger
The tie-up is aimed at helping both firms compete with streaming rivals.
Business
Middle East only region to overcome pre-Covid tourism levels: UNWTO
"International tourism is expected to fully recover pre-pandemic levels in 2024, with initial estimates pointing to 2.0 percent growth above...
Business
Strange calls may precede Israeli attacks in Lebanon
BEIRUT, LEBANON - "Good morning, madame. This is the bank calling. Are you at home?"  Since the Israel-Hamas war broke...
Geostrategy
Most Read
Geostrategy
China exhorts end of ‘harassment’ of civilian vessels in Red Sea
Beijing, China--China called for an end to "harassment" of civilian vessels in the Red Sea on Friday after attacks on ships by...
- Urging an end to the Houthi attacks, China said the area was an important trade route for goods and energy
- Many shipping companies are bypassing the crucial trade artery, causing delays along international trade routes
Geostrategy
Israel’s Gaza offensive breaches international law: UN expert
Francesca Albanese, an Italian lawyer who is the UN special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories, told a Madrid news conference...
- Albanese said that most Gaza hospitals have been closed, bombed or taken over by the army
- She said that 1,000 kids were amputated without anaesthesia in the first two months of the war
Business
IEA says oil production to rise but demand to be halved in 2024
Paris, France - World oil supply will continue to rise this year, the International Energy Agency said on Thursday, as it...
- Much of the slowing demand has mirrored falling demand for post-pandemic travel demand in China, which drives much of the world's oil demand growth.
- IEA added the world's oil supply will continue to grow due to "record-setting output" from the United States, Brazil, Guyana and Canada.