If Europe wants war with Russia, ‘we are ready,’ says Putin as he meets US envoys over Ukraine deal
Washington has presented a 28-point draft to end the conflict, later amended after criticism from Kyiv and Europe, which viewed...
Geostrategy
Trump optimistic after Ukraine talks as Rubio says ‘more work’ needed to end war
US President Donald Trump said Sunday there was a "good chance" of a deal to end the war in Ukraine...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Le Pen’s French presidency bid in jeopardy after election ban
Paris, France -- A French court on Monday threw into severe doubt far-right leader Marine Le Pen's 2027 bid for...
- A French court on Monday handed her a five-year ban on running for office after convicting her over a fake jobs scheme.
- She was also given a four-year prison term by the Paris court but will not go to jail, with two years of the term suspended and the other two to be served outside jail.
Economy
Trump puts world on edge as ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs loom
Trump kept rivals and allies alike guessing about who would be targeted and by how much, but promised to be...
- A fan of tariffs for decades, Trump said that he had "settled" on a plan but kept the world in suspense as he refused to reveal the details.
- He would only say that the tariffs would be lower than what other countries would be charging the United States, adding that "we sort of have a world obligation perhaps."
Business
Vanke reports annual loss of $6.8 bn
The property giant attributes loss to falling sales and shrinking profit.
- Beijing has in recent years grappled with a prolonged crisis in the country's vast real estate sector, once a key pillar of the economy but now beset with sprawling debt.
- Hong Kong-listed Vanke is part-owned by the government of Shenzhen and was China's fourth-largest real estate firm by sales last year, according to research firm CRIC.
Geostrategy
Trump says ‘there will be bombing’ if Iran fails to make ‘peace deal’
Trump's language represented a sharpening of his comment a few days earlier that if Tehran refused to negotiate a new...
- It was not clear whether Trump was threatening bombing by US planes alone or perhaps in an operation coordinated with Israel
- Trump in 2018 pulled the United States out of an agreement to relieve sanctions on Iran in return for curbs on its nuclear program
Geostrategy
Trump says ‘very angry, pissed off’ with Putin over Ukraine
"If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think...
- NBC's Kristen Welker said Trump had called her to express his fury over Putin questioning Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's future as a leader
- Putin rejected a joint US-Ukrainian plan for a 30-day ceasefire, and on Friday suggested Zelensky be removed from office as part of the peace process
Geostrategy
Netanyahu offers Hamas leaders Gaza exit but demands group disarm amid strikes on the Palestinian territory
A senior Hamas official stated on Saturday that the group had approved a new ceasefire proposal put forward by mediators...
- Gaza's civil defence agency said an Israeli air strike on a house and tent sheltering displaced Palestinians killed at least eight people, including five children
- The strike in Khan Yunis came in the morning on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan
Geostrategy
Turkey opposition pushes for early polls as Swedish reporter jailed
Istanbul, Turkey -- The Turkish opposition on Sunday worked to keep up the momentum of the protest movement triggered by...
- With Turkey entering several days of public holiday marking the end of the Ramadan, the opposition has vowed to keep up the protest movement while switching to focused events.
- Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Thursday 1,879 people had been detained in connection with the protests since March 19, with 260 of them remanded in custody pending trial.
Geostrategy
‘Day of funerals,’ Gazans mark grim Eid under Israeli strikes
At dawn, many Gazans gathered across different parts of the territory to offer traditional morning Eid prayers, an AFP correspondent...
- Many prayed beside makeshift tents sheltering tens of thousands of displaced Gazans, living in dire humanitarian conditions.
- At the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, several residents visited the graves of loved ones killed in the war.
Geostrategy
First orbital rocket launched from Europe crashes seconds after blast-off
Oslo, Norway -- The first orbital rocket launched from continental Europe crashed seconds after blast-off Sunday, in a closely watched...
- Isar Aerospace, which had said it did not expect to reach orbit with the launch, said the two-stage rocket fell into the sea, adding that "the launch pad seems to be intact".
- The 28-metre (92-foot) tall, two-meter diameter rocket has a one-ton carrying capacity, but was unloaded for the test flight.
Economy
Morocco ‘water highway’ averts crisis in big cities but doubts over sustainability
Morocco is spending hundreds of millions of dollars on tapping northern rivers to supply water to parched cities farther south...
- Morocco has spent $728 million so far on what it dubs a "water highway" to redirect the surplus flow of the Sebou River to meet the drinking water needs of capital Rabat
- Officials say the project has been a success in heading off the immediate threat to the water supply of the country's most populous region
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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
If Europe wants war with Russia, ‘we are ready,’ says Putin as he meets US envoys over Ukraine deal
Washington has presented a 28-point draft to end the conflict, later amended after criticism from Kyiv and Europe, which viewed...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
After Japanese Softbank, US Govt, Chip-maker Nvidia to buy stake in rival Intel
Shares in chipmaker Intel skyrocketed on Thursday after AI giant Nvidia announced it would invest $5 billion in its struggling...
Science
US again vetoes UN Security Council Gaza ceasefire call
The United States on Thursday again wielded its veto and thwarted a UN Security Council call for a ceasefire in...
Geostrategy
Gaza, Palestinian future to dominate UN gathering to be attended by 140 world leaders
Kicking off Monday, Saudi Arabia and France will co-chair meetings on the future of the Israeli and Palestinian two-state solution, which...
Geostrategy
Most Read
Arts & Culture
Egypt says stolen pharoah’s bracelet melted down, sold for $4,000
Cairo, Egypt -- Egyptian police said on Thursday they arrested a museum employee and three alleged accomplices after a priceless...
- The 3,000-year-old bracelet, a gold band adorned with lapis lazuli beads, dated back to the reign of Amenemope, a pharaoh of Egypt's 21st Dynasty (1070-945 BC).
- Kept in a locked metal safe inside the museum's conservation lab, it was reported missing on Saturday by museum staff.
Business
Stocks rise on $5 billion Nvidia-Intel deal, Fed rate cut
Nvidia announced a $5 billion investment in struggling US rival to jointly develop chips for PCs and data centers. The...
- Investors were also reacting to Wednesday's US central bank decision to lower rates by 25 basis points, its first cut of the year.
- The decision to cut came even as US inflation runs well above policymakers' two-percent target, but analysts said the main focus was on the jobs market.
Economy
US Fed makes first rate cut of 25 basis points over employment risks as Trump mounts pressure
Fed Chair Jerome Powell stressed that the central bank remains "strongly committed" to maintaining its independence from politics, however, when...
- Fed Chair Jerome Powell stressed that the central bank remains "strongly committed" to maintaining its independence from politics
- He added that the Fed was "right to wait and see how tariffs and inflation and the labor market evolved" before lowering rates