Honda and Nissan expected to begin merger talks
Honda and Nissan were poised Monday to announce the start of talks on a merger to help the Japanese giants...
Biden cancels $4.28 bn more in student debt before leaving office
Washington, United States -- US President Joe Biden said Friday he was canceling student loans for an additional 55,000 Americans, which...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Republicans seize control of US Senate: networks
Republicans wrested the US Senate from Democratic control, ending four years in the minority, in its quest to dominate every...
- Republicans reversed the Democrats' 51-49 Senate advantage with at least 51 seats and counting
- If Republicans win all of the toss-up races, they'll end the election with 55 of the 100 seats
Geostrategy
Netanyahu sacks defense minister Gallant over differences on Gaza
Citing a “trust breakdown,” Netanyahu dismissed Defense Minister Gallant amid the Gaza conflict, sparking Tel Aviv protests, as new defense...
- Netanyahu and Gallant have frequently clashed over Israel's military offensive against Hamas following the Palestinian militant group's attack on Israel on October 7 last year
- Israel's campaign has killed 43,391 people in Gaza, a majority of them civilians, according to Gaza health ministry figures which the United Nations considers to be reliable
Business
Saudi Aramco’s quarterly profit drops 15% on low oil prices
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Energy giant Saudi Aramco reported a 15 percent year-on-year drop in third-quarter profit on Tuesday, citing prices...
- The fall in net income to $27.56bn from $32.58bn in 2023 is the seventh consecutive quarterly drop for Aramco, one of the world's biggest companies by market capitalization.
- Aramco is the chief source of revenue for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 reform agenda, which aims to remodel the Gulf kingdom's crude-reliant economy.
Economy
Most Asian markets rise ahead of toss-up US election
Asian markets mostly rose Tuesday a day before results from the US presidential election rolled in, with opinion polls showing...
- Uncertainty about the outcome led to warnings that investors could be in for a period of volatility
- Wall Street's three main indexes ended in the red
Economy
Eight OPEC+ members extend oil supply cuts until year end
Supply cuts seek boosting oil prices amid uncertain demand and accelerating supply, with an eye on the imminent US presidential...
- Persistent downside pressure on oil prices due to sluggish Chinese and weakening global demand outlook
- "The US presidential election will have a significant impact on the oil market"- Analyst with Rystad Energy
Geostrategy
Israel escalates strikes in Lebanon, Gaza as Netanyahu visits Northern Border, and Hezbollah claims missile attack
Israel intensifies airstrikes across Lebanon and Gaza, escalating cross-border violence as Netanyahu urges troops to push Hezbollah back and prevent...
- Netanyahu's visit came after an air strike killed at least three people near the southern Lebanon city of Sidon,, and as more bombs hit the country's east
- Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday said a potential ceasefire with its allies Hamas and Hezbollah "could affect the intensity and type of our response."
Geostrategy
B-52 bombers arrive in Middle East: US military
Washington, United States -- American B-52 bombers have arrived in the Middle East, the US military said Saturday, a day after...
- "B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers from Minot Air Force Base's 5th Bomb Wing arrived in the US Central Command area of responsibility," the military said.
- The United States announced on Friday evening that it was sending the bombers, fighter and tanker aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the Middle East.
Geostrategy
Pro-Palestinian protesters take Israel sculptures from UK university
London, United Kingdom -- A pro-Palestinian group took two sculptures of Israel's first president from a UK university in a protest marking...
- "Today, Palestine Action have marked 107 years since the Balfour Declaration, by taking two sculptures of Israel's first president, Chaim Weizmann," the protest group said.
- Palestine Action also sprayed the London office of charity Jewish National Fund (JNF) with red paint.
Geostrategy
Lebanon accuses Israel of truce rejection after deadly Beirut strikes and growing Gaza crisis
A US-brokered plan reportedly under consideration would see Hezbollah pull back 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border, north of...
- The strikes on Lebanon came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met US officials to discuss a possible deal to end the war against Hezbollah
- In Gaza, where Israel has been engaged in a major offensive in the north for nearly a month, a Hamas official said the Palestinian group had rejected short-term truce
Geostrategy
Israel, US envoys discuss possible ceasefire amid rising casualties in Lebanon conflict
With US mediation, a ceasefire proposal emerges for both Gaza and Lebanon, balancing Israel's security demands and Lebanon’s need for...
- Netanyahu told Washington envoys Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk that any Lebanon deal must guarantee Israel's longer term security
- More than a month into its war with Israel, Hezbollah says it is ready for a truce, but there are limits to what it can accept after suffering devastating attacks
Honda and Nissan expected to begin merger talks
Honda and Nissan were poised Monday to announce the start of talks on a merger to help the Japanese giants...
Company News
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Trump touts tariffs, mass deportations and NATO skepticism
In his first formal television interview -- and just six weeks before he takes office -- Trump again signaled that...
Geostrategy
Celebrations erupt across Syria to mark end of 50 years of Baath party rule
Bashar al-Assad's whereabouts not clear, but his key backer Russia said he had resigned from the presidency and left Syria....
Geostrategy
Syria: Assad faces stunning setbacks as rebels seize Daraa, Hama, and Aleppo in quick succession
While Aleppo and Hama, the two other main cities taken from government control in recent days, fell to an Islamist-led...
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World Bank announces record $100 bn support for world’s poorest countries
The World Bank announced Thursday that it had raised close to $24 billion to provide loans and grants for some...
- The Bank can use this money to borrow on financial markets
- This funding will be deployed to support the 78 countries that need it most
Qatar resumes Gaza mediation: source with knowledge of talks
Doha, Qatar - Qatar has resumed its role as a mediator in efforts to secure a truce in the Israel-Hamas war...
- The Gulf emirate, along with the US and Egypt, had been involved in months of unsuccessful negotiations for a Gaza truce and hostage release after nearly 14 months of war
- In November, Doha announced it had put its mediation on hold, saying it would resume when Hamas and Israel showed "willingness and seriousness".
Syria: Tens of thousands of Alawites flee Homs, fearing rebel advance towards Damascus-coast strategic link
Analysts said they expected the fighters led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to push on towards the city,...
- Khaled, who lives on the city's outskirts told AFP that "the road leading to (coastal) Tartus province was glowing... due to the lights of hundreds of cars on their way out."
- In April 2014, at least 100 people, mostly civilians, were killed in twin attacks in Homs that targeted a majority Alawite neighbourhood