US envoy Witkoff to meet Zelensky, Europe leaders in Berlin at weekend
US President Donald Trump's special envoy will meet with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders in Berlin this weekend,...
Geostrategy
Hamas proposes weapons ‘freeze’ in return for long-term truce: leader to Al Jazeera
A top Hamas leader told Qatari news channel Al Jazeera on Wednesday that the militant group is open to a...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
US says new foundation to spearhead Gaza aid
Israel has imposed a blockade for two months on Gaza, leading UN agencies and other humanitarian groups to warn of...
- State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said the foundation was non-governmental and would make an announcement "shortly," without offering further details
- "We welcome moves to quickly get urgent food aid into Gaza... in a way that the food aid actually gets to those to whom it's intended," Bruce told reporters
Science
AI tool selfies predict biological age, cancer survival
FaceAge, a deep learning algorithm described Thursday in The Lancet Digital Health, converts a simple headshot into a number that...
- FaceAge, a simple headshot into a number that more accurately reflects a person's biological age rather than the birthday on their chart
- Trained on tens of thousands of photographs, it pegged cancer patients on average as biologically five years older than healthy peers
Arts & Culture
Cardinals elect a new pope to lead Catholic Church
Cardinals chose a new pope to lead the world's 1.4 billion Catholics on Thursday, sending up white smoke from the...
- Crowds of people rushed towards the square to watch the balcony of the basilica, which has been fitted out with red curtains for the first address to the world by the 267th pope.
- The new pontiff, who succeeds Argentine reformer Pope Francis, will be introduced in Latin with his chosen papal name and address the world for the first time.
Analysis
US truce fails to curb Huthi ambitions: analysts
Paris, France - Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels have emerged bruised but defiant from a blistering US bombing campaign, cementing their...
- US President Donald Trump said the rebels had "capitulated" after the intense, seven-week campaign that came in response to Huthi threats to renew attacks on Red Sea shipping
- Rebel leader Abdulmalik al-Huthi slammed Trump's remarks on Thursday, calling on supporters to celebrate "America's great failure" during Friday demonstrations
Geostrategy
First responders in Gaza say running out of supplies
Gaza City, Palestinian Territories - First responders in Gaza said Thursday that their operations were at a near standstill, more...
- Over 20 independent experts mandated by the UN's Human Rights Council demanded action on Wednesday to avert the "annihilation" of Palestinians in Gaza
- The UN's agency for children, UNICEF, warned that Gaza's children face "a growing risk of starvation, illness and death" after UN-supported kitchens shut down
Geostrategy
Pakistan and India accuse each other of waves of drone attacks
India and Pakistan accused each other Thursday of carrying out waves of drone attacks, as deadly confrontations between the nuclear-armed...
- India launched missiles on Wednesday it said targeted "terrorist camps", and Pakistan retaliated with a barrage of artillery strikes, with at least 48 deaths reported on both sides
- The South Asian neighbours have fought multiple wars over Kashmir since they were carved out of the sub-continent at the end of British rule in 1947
Geostrategy
Israel threatens to do to Iran what it has done to Hamas
Israel will do to Iran what it has done to Hamas in Gaza, Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Thursday, days...
- Along with Hezbollah and Hamas, Yemen's Huthi rebels are part of Iran's "axis of resistance" against Israel and its ally the United States
- Hezbollah began launching attacks in October 2023 in support of its ally Hamas following its unprecedented attack on southern Israel
Geostrategy
UN experts warn of ‘annihilation’ in Gaza
More than 20 independent United Nations experts said the world faced a "stark decision" to "remain passive and witness the...
- A planned expanded offensive revealed by the Israeli military has drawn international condemnation, after UN agencies previously warned of humanitarian catastrophe
- More than 20 independent United Nations experts said the world faced a "stark decision" to "remain passive and witness the slaughter of innocents or take part in a just resolution"
Arts & Culture
Joseph Nye, influential political scientist, who coined ‘soft power,’ dies at 88
Washington, United States - Joseph Nye, a versatile and influential political scientist and US policymaker who coined the term "soft...
- The neo-liberal thinker studied topics as varied as arms control and pan-Africanism but became best known for developing the term "soft power" in the late 1980s
- As opposed to hard power, such as weapons and economic sanctions, soft power includes values and culture that can win over others
Geostrategy
Pakistan warns will ‘avenge’ deaths from Indian strikes
India's army said it destroyed nine "terrorist camps" in Pakistan in the early hours of Wednesday, two weeks after New...
- Pakistan military spokesman Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said five Indian jets had been downed across the border
- An Indian senior security source, who asked not to be named, said three of its fighter jets had crashed on home territory
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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
US envoy Witkoff to meet Zelensky, Europe leaders in Berlin at weekend
US President Donald Trump's special envoy will meet with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders in Berlin this weekend,...
Geostrategy
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Oracle shares up 35%
Business
Putin vows ‘significant’ response to ‘Europe’s militarisation’
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday promised a "significant" response to "Europe's militarisation", as he addressed a foreign policy forum...
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...
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...
Geostrategy
Most Read
Business
Elon Musk halfway to becoming world’s first trillionaire: report
Billionaire Elon Musk, the world's richest person, is nearly halfway to becoming the planet's first trillionaire, Forbes magazine reported Wednesday.
- The Tesla and SpaceX CEO became the first person to achieve a net worth of $500 billion, briefly, as the shares in his electric vehicle company rebound from his stint in politics
- The 54-year-old's net worth hit $500.1 billion Wednesday before dipping back to $499.1 billion, the publication's "Real-Time Billionaires" tracker reported
Science
Over a dozen Australian suncreams pulled over safety concerns
Sydney, Australia - The makers of over a dozen suncreams have halted sales in Australia after a consumer advocacy group...
- Long, hot days in the sun are a fixture of daily life in Australia, famous for its good weather and outdoors-loving lifestyle
- But the country also has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world -- almost 19,000 Australians were estimated to be diagnosed with melanoma in 2024
Geostrategy
Hamas wants to amend disarmament clause in Trump plan: source close to group leaders
Hamas negotiators held discussions Tuesday with Turkish, Egyptian and Qatari officials in Doha, the source said, requesting anonymity to discuss...
- Hamas negotiators held discussions Tuesday with Turkish, Egyptian and Qatari officials in Doha, the source told AFP
- A Palestinian source said: "Hamas wants to amend some of the clauses such as the one on disarmament and the expulsion of Hamas and faction cadres."