Trump vows revenge after troops in Syria killed in alleged IS ambush
The deadly attack had been "an ambush by a lone ISIS gunman," who was "engaged and killed," US Central Command...
Geostrategy
Trump demands CNN get new owners in Warner bidding war
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he wants to ensure CNN gets new ownership as part of the Warner...
Business
Geostrategy
India and Pakistan agree to ceasefire after days of attacks
Pakistan and India agreed Saturday to a full and immediate ceasefire after days of deadly jet fighter, missile, drone and...
- Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri said both sides would "stop all firing and military action on land, air and sea."
- The ceasefire comes after four days of attacks and counter-attacks by both sides that killed at least 60 people
Geostrategy
Syria’s Sharaa meets Bahrain king on Gulf trip
Manama, Bahrain - Bahrain's King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa on Sunday welcomed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Bahraini state media...
- The official Bahrain News Agency said the king hosted Sharaa at his palace, where they "discussed relations and opportunities to strengthen cooperation" in various fields.
- Bahrain was one of the first countries to express willingness to cooperate with the new authorities in Damascus after Assad's fall.
Geostrategy
Hamas releases video of two Israeli hostages alive in Gaza
Hamas's armed wing released a video on Saturday showing two Israeli hostages alive in the Gaza Strip, with one of...
- Israeli media identified the pair in the undated video as Elkana Bohbot and Yosef Haim Ohana, who were kidnapped during Hamas's October 7, 2023
- Since the ceasefire collapsed, Hamas has released several videos of hostages, including of the two appearing in Saturday's video.
Economy
US and China prepare for trade talks as Trump floats tariff cut
Senior US and Chinese officials are in Switzerland this weekend for talks aimed at de-escalating a burgeoning trade war sparked...
- Tariffs imposed on the Asian manufacturing giant since the start of the year currently total 145 percent, with cumulative duties on some goods reaching a staggering 245 percent.
- In retaliation, China slapped 125 percent levies on US goods, cementing what is effectively a trade embargo between the world's two largest economies
Geostrategy
Rubio urges India, Pakistan to communicate to ‘avoid miscalculation’
Washington, United States - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged India and Pakistan to restore direct communication to "avoid...
- Rubio placed telephone calls to the rivals' top diplomats and, for the first known time since the conflict erupted, also spoke with Pakistan's army chief
- The stepped-up diplomacy came as the conflict intensified between the nuclear-armed neighbors, with Pakistan launching counterattacks after India struck three of its air bases
Geostrategy
Israel not part of Gaza food aid plan: envoy
Israel would not be involved in food distribution under a US-led plan for the Gaza Strip but would provide "necessary military...
- Despite imposing a now two-month-long blockade of aid on Gaza, Israel has asserted there is no humanitarian crisis in the territory.
- The US-led initiative has been met with international criticism as it appears to sideline the United Nations and existing aid organisations
Geostrategy
Pakistan says India has brought neighbours ‘closer to major conflict’
Pakistan charged India Friday with bringing the nuclear-armed neighbours "closer to a major conflict", as the death toll from three...
- Most of the more than 50 deaths were in Pakistan during Wednesday's air strikes by India and included children
- Pakistani military sources said that its forces had shot down 77 Indian drones in the last two days
Geostrategy
Iran top diplomat to visit Saudi, Qatar before Trump tour
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will visit Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Saturday, his ministry said, days before US President...
- Araghchi is due to hold talks with senior Saudi officials in Riyadh before heading to Doha for a conference on Arab-Iranian dialogue
- The Iranian top diplomat later said meetings in Saudi Arabia would cover the latest on the nuclear talks with the United States
Geostrategy
Kurdish PKK says held ‘successful’ meeting on disbanding
The outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) held a "successful" meeting this week with a view to disarming and disbanding, a...
- On February 27, Ocalan urged his fighters to disarm and disband, ending a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state
- Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned there will be harsh consequences "if the promises are not kept"
Economy
Damascus, Ankara agree natural gas deal for Syria
Damascus, Syria - Syrian Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir said Friday Damascus and Ankara had reached a deal for Turkey to...
- Syria's Islamist authorities, who toppled Bashar al-Assad in December, are seeking to rebuild the country's infrastructure
- The conflict badly damaged Syria's power infrastructure, leading to cuts that can last for more than 20 hours a day
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Trump vows revenge after troops in Syria killed in alleged IS ambush
The deadly attack had been "an ambush by a lone ISIS gunman," who was "engaged and killed," US Central Command...
Geostrategy
Company News
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Not all ‘A’s: Unconventional paths that led to Nobels
Stockholm, Sweden -- Some Nobel laureates were straight-A students from the get-go. But others AFP spoke to recounted how they...
Geostrategy
Carrefour name disappears from Arab stores as Israel boycotters claim victory
Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- The Carrefour name has disappeared from storefronts in some Arab countries, with pro-Palestinian shoppers and...
Geostrategy
Let the ‘Showgirl’ era begin: Taylor Swift’s new album is almost here
New York, United States - Swifties, the wait is nearly over. Taylor Swift's hotly anticipated "The Life of a Showgirl"...
Arts & Culture
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Geostrategy
Two dead, four wounded in UK synagogue ‘terrorist attack’
Two people were killed Thursday and four wounded outside a Manchester synagogue packed with worshippers on a Jewish holiday, UK...
- Police said the two dead victims were Jewish, and declared the attack a "terrorist incident" in the northwest English city
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer swiftly condemned the event as "horrific", and announced security was being boosted at UK synagogues
Geostrategy
Israel to deport aid flotilla activists, draws widespread condemnation
Turkey called the interception "an act of terrorism," and on Thursday said it had opened an investigation after Israeli forces...
- Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he will expel all remaining Israeli diplomats in the country over the interception.
- South Africa urged Israel to immediately release the activists, who include Mandla Mandela, the grandson of anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela.
Business
OpenAI valuation soars to $500 bn in private share sale: reports
If confirmed, OpenAI workers' sale of a reported $6.6 billion in shares to investors would make the company the world's...
- In the first six months of 2025, OpenAI pulled in around $4.3 billion in revenue, specialist outlet The Information reported this week.
- But like other generative AI developers, OpenAI has spending plans running into the hundreds of billions over the coming years to build the computing infrastructure.