Bid by Netflix for Warner Bros Discovery signals streaming giant’s ambition to dominate global content production
Streaming giant Netflix has made a mostly cash offer to buy TV and film group Warner Bros Discovery as the...
Business
‘Dinosaur tartare’ and holograms: Dubai AI chef sparks awe and ire
Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- A Dubai restaurant has opened that prides itself on having the world's "first AI chef",...
Arts & Culture
Geostrategy
Palestinian sources say Hamas, mediators in new talks to revive Gaza truce, hostage release deal
Negotiations between Hamas and Israel, mediated by Egypt along with Qatar and the United States, have been deadlocked for weeks...
- Talks are focusing on the possibility of implementing a truce during the Eid al-Fitr and Jewish Passover holidays
- A Palestinian source close to Hamas said that despite the discussions, "no breakthrough" had been achieved so far
Science
Firms and researchers at odds over superhuman AI
The belief that human-or-better intelligence -- often called "artificial general intelligence" (AGI) -- will emerge from current machine-learning techniques fuels...
- "Systems that start to point to AGI are coming into view," OpenAI chief Sam Altman wrote in a blog post last month.
- Such predictions help justify the hundreds of billions of dollars being poured into computing hardware and the energy supplies to run it.
Business
Automakers lead market losses after Trump tariffs on imported vehicles
Wall Street's main indexes opened in the red, with General Motors sinking more than nine percent in early trading while...
- Among European auto firms, Volkswagen shed 2.4 percent, Porsche was down around 3.5 percent, Mercedes lost four percent and BMW fell 2.7 percent.
- In Mumbai, India's Tata Motors, which exports Jaguar Land Rovers to the United States, lost more than five percent.
Geostrategy
From cars to champagne: Trump’s expanding tariffs trigger trade war fears
Paris, France -- From champagne to steel and now cars: it is getting harder to keep up with US President...
- In early March, Trump imposed a 20 percent tariff on products from China, which has a huge trade surplus with the United States and was already his top target during his first term
- Trump announced earlier he would slap 25-percent tariffs on imports from countries buying oil and gas from Venezuela, a punitive measure that could hit China and India.
Geostrategy
Lebanon cabinet appoints Karim Souaid central bank governor
Born in 1964, Souaid officially takes over after embattled former chief Riad Salameh's term expired in July 2023 with no...
- First vice-governor Wassim Manssouri had been acting head of the bank, a post that is traditionally reserved for a Maronite Christian in Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system.
- Souaid is the founder and managing partner at Gulf-based Growthgate, according to his biography on the private investment firm's website.
Geostrategy
Israel PM threatens to seize parts of Gaza over fate of hostages
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened Wednesday to seize parts of Gaza if Hamas did not release hostages, while the militant...
- Israel's resumption of intense bombardment and ground operations across Gaza shattered weeks of relative calm brought by a fragile ceasefire
- According to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, 830 people have been killed in the territory since Israel restarted its strikes on March 18
Business
AI’s impact on jobs, technology’s touchy topic sparks unease
New York, United States - "Stop Hiring Humans" read a provocative sign at an AI conference in Las Vegas, where...
- AI agents, which are supposed to make decisions that are usually made by humans, have become the latest buzzword of the AI story
- There is little doubt that some kind of upheaval of the workplace is underway, but its precise impact remains uncertain
Economy
Trump announces 25% tariffs on foreign-built vehicles
US President Donald Trump has announced steep tariffs on auto imports and parts, provoking threats of retaliation from trading partners...
- The duties take effect at 12:01 am (0401 GMT) on April 3 and impact foreign-made cars and light trucks while key automobile parts will also be hit within the month
- But the White House added that vehicles entering under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) can qualify for a lower rate depending on their American content
Geostrategy
Macron hosts European leaders to discuss Ukraine’s security amid ceasefire talks with Russia
The meeting is seeking to set out what security guarantees Europe can offer Ukraine once a ceasefire deal is agreed,...
- Speaking alongside Zelensky in Paris on Wednesday ahead of the talks, Macron said this was now a "decisive phase to put an end to the war of aggression"
- Macron also announced a new French two billion euro ($2.2 billion) military aid package for Ukraine, with Paris ready to rapidly ship existing hardware from its stocks
Geostrategy
Over a billion pounds of Coke plastic waste to enter waterways: study
Washington, United States -- By 2030, Coca-Cola products will account for an estimated 1.33 billion pounds (602,000 metric tons) of...
- Coca-Cola ranks as the world's top branded plastic polluter, followed by PepsiCo, Nestle, Danone, and Altria, according to a 2024 study published in Science Advances.
- Oceana's estimate is based on Coca-Cola's publicly reported packaging data from 2018 to 2023, combined with sales growth forecasts to create a "business-as-usual" scenario.
Most Read
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
Bid by Netflix for Warner Bros Discovery signals streaming giant’s ambition to dominate global content production
Streaming giant Netflix has made a mostly cash offer to buy TV and film group Warner Bros Discovery as the...
Business
Company News
Iran’s Khamenei says will not bow down to US
Geostrategy
Latest News
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...
Economy
Dubai scores global gaming partnerships at Gamescom 2025
Dubai, UAE - Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with XSOLLA, a global company that helps...
Business
Scientists train AI model to predict future illnesses
Paris, France - Scientists said Wednesday that they had created an AI model able to predict medical diagnoses years in...
Science
Most Read
Economy
US Fed set for first rate cut of 2025 as Trump pressure looms
The US Federal Reserve is poised to make its first interest rate cut of 2025 on Wednesday, but it battles...
- There is little doubt that the US central bank will lower rates at the end of its two-day policy meeting, and markets widely expect a 25 basis points reduction
- Typically, the Fed might be inclined to keep rates at a higher level to bring inflation back to its two-percent target -- or slash rates to support a weakening labor market
Geostrategy
Trump heads for landmark state visit with ‘friend’ King Charles
US President Donald Trump left for a historic second state visit to Britain Tuesday -- but political controversies, wars and...
- Britain is rolling out its royal family in a bid to woo the mercurial Trump, with security tight as protesters gear up to make their voices heard against the 79-year-old
- Trump, whose mother was Scottish and who has long been fascinated by the British monarchy, was full of praise for his "friend" King Charles III as he left Washington
Geostrategy
Syria announces plan with Jordan, US to restore calm in Druze-majority Sweida
Syrian foreign minister Asaad al-Shaibani announced on Tuesday a plan backed by Jordan and the United States to restore calm...
- The situation in the province has been tense since the clashes, which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said killed more than 2,000 people
- Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi, present at the event with US envoy Tom Barrack, said a "joint Syrian-Jordanian-American mechanism" would ensure the plan's implementation