Saudi Arabia to host Arab summit on Trump’s Gaza plan, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and the UAE to attend
Trump sparked a global outcry with his proposal for the United States to "take over" the Gaza Strip and to...
Geostrategy
Israel says could fulfil Trump’s Gaza displacement plan if hostages not freed, Hamas says truce deal ‘fragile’
Hamas has said it would postpone the release citing Israeli violations, and hours later, Trump warned that "hell" would break...
Geostrategy
Business
Elon Musk asks US court to block OpenAi’s for-profit conversion
Washington, United States -- Elon Musk has again asked a US court to stop ChatGPT-maker OpenAI from converting into a for-profit...
- The move is the latest development in a business feud between OpenAI and Musk, who co-founded the group in 2015 but has since left.
- OpenAI has seen its profile skyrocket over recent years as it has become a star player in the growing field of artificial intelligence.
Turkish-backed jihadists breach Aleppo, displacing thousands and cutting vital highway to Damascus
By Friday, the jihadists and their allies had taken more than 50 towns and villages in the north and entered...
- The fighters took control of "half of the city of Aleppo" as regime forces withdrew, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
- The offensive began on Wednesday, the same day that a fragile ceasefire took effect in neighbouring Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah
Trump threatens 100% tariff on BRICS countries over currency plans
Washington, United States - President-elect Donald Trump on Monday threatened to impose a 100 percent tariff on the BRICS group nations...
- The statement comes after a BRICS summit held last month in Kazan, Russia, where the countries discussed boosting non-dollar transactions and strengthening local currencies
- The BRICS group has expanded significantly since its inception in 2009, and now includes countries such as Iran, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates
Geostrategy
Iran-Europe nuclear talks on as global tensions escalate ahead of Trump’s return
The stakes were laid bare in a warning from Britain's foreign intelligence chief that Iran's nuclear ambitions posed a major...
- Following the talks in Geneva, shrouded in an unusual level of secrecy, the parties to social media to say the discussions had focused on Iran's nuclear program and sanctions
- The sides had "agreed to continue diplomatic dialogue in the near future", the German foreign ministry and the high-level diplomats representing France, Britain and Iran said
Geostrategy
Okonjo-Iweala’s second term: Trump’s disdain for WTO biggest challenge
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the first woman and the first African to head the WTO, is the only candidate in the race,...
- Her term ends in August 2025, and the appointment process expected to lead to her next term had initially been scheduled to take months.
- During Trump's first term, the WTO also faced relentless attacks from his administration, which crippled the organization's dispute settlement appeal system.
Arts & Culture
Crypto boss Justin Sun eats banana art he bought for $6.2 million
Hong Kong, China -- Crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun on Friday fulfilled a promise he made after spending $6.2 million on an...
- Titled "Comedian", the conceptual work created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan was sold at a Sotheby's auction in New York last week, with Sun among seven bidders.
- Sun this week also became an advisor to World Liberty Financial, a crypto initiative backed by US president-elect Donald Trump, following a $30 million investment.
Saudi Arabia hosts UN talks on drought, desertification
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia will host the COP16 UN conference on land degradation and desertification next week as the...
- The subject of desertification is close to home for the Gulf kingdom, which has one of the biggest deserts on the planet
- Land degradation disrupts ecosystems and makes land less productive for agriculture, leading to food shortages and spurring migration
Israel PM again warns Iran after top diplomat talks of revising nuclear doctrine if more sanctions imposed
The renewed war of words between the Middle East foes came as Iran prepares to hold key nuclear talks with...
- Israel is the region's sole, if undeclared, nuclear-armed state, and it has long made preventing any rival from matching it its top defence priority
- Netanyahu said that the ceasefire that went into effect in Lebanon the following day would allow Israel to focus on Iran, but he did not elaborate on what action he envisaged
Geostrategy
How are countries regulating the wild west of social media for minors?
Paris, France -- A handful of nations are trying to clean up social media with measures including robust privacy provisions and...
- Among the countries taking action is Australia, which on Thursday passed a landmark law banning children under 16 from social media.
- In June 2023 France passed a law requiring social media platforms to check the age of users and obtain parental consent for those under 15 years of age.
Geostrategy
OPEC+ postpones meeting amid signs of ‘discord’ on output plans
The 22-member OPEC+ group led by Saudi Arabia and Russia was due to decide on its 2025 output policy at...
- An OPEC spokesman told AFP that the December meeting will be held online.
- In a bid to boost crude prices, eight OPEC+ members announced earlier this month they were extending supply cuts until the end of December.
Saudi Arabia to host Arab summit on Trump’s Gaza plan, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and the UAE to attend
Trump sparked a global outcry with his proposal for the United States to "take over" the Gaza Strip and to...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
Egypt tests Suez Canal extension aimed at boosting vessel capacity
Cairo, Egypt -- Egypt has tested a new 10-kilometre (6.2-mile) extension to the Suez Canal as it tries to minimize the...
Business
Israeli raid puts last major Gaza health facility out of service: WHO
The World Health Organization said the operation had put the "last major health facility in north Gaza out of service"....
Geostrategy
New Dawn over Damascus: Residents reclaim Mount Qasyun after years of curbs under Assad’s rule
Mount Qasyun, once closed due to war, reopens as a vibrant community space where Damascus residents gather to reclaim joy,...
Geostrategy
Most Read
Business
Global stocks rise as Japan led Asia gains on a weaker yen
Seoul was an outlier in Asia with shares plunging as South Korea's political crisis deepened with a second impeachment vote....
- Japan's Nikkei index closed up nearly two percent, with the yen's recent weakness proving a boon for major exporters.
- In Europe, Frankfurt's DAX index rose after German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier dissolved parliament on Friday and confirmed the expected date for the early general election
Israeli strikes hit Yemen as Netanyahu fires warning
Israeli air strikes pummeled Sanaa's international airport and other targets in Yemen on Thursday, with Huthi rebel media reporting six...
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel's strikes would "continue until the job is done"
- Iran's foreign ministry condemned the strikes as a "violation" of peace and security
Geostrategy
Israeli strike on broadcast vehicle kills five Al-Quds Today journalists
Palestinian Territories -- A Palestinian TV channel said five of its journalists were killed Thursday in an Israeli strike on...
- The station identified the five staffers as Faisal Abu Al-Qumsan, Ayman Al-Jadi, Ibrahim Al-Sheikh Khalil, Fadi Hassouna and Mohammed Al-Lada'a.
- The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate said last week that more than 190 journalists had been killed and at least 400 injured since the start of the war in Gaza.