US envoy in Beirut says ‘real opportunity’ to end Israel-Hezbollah war
US special envoy said he was in Beirut because he saw "real opportunity" to end the Israel-Hezbollah war
Geostrategy
Egypt’s middle class cuts costs as IMF-backed reforms take hold
Cairo, Egypt -- Egypt's economy has been in crisis for years, but as the latest round of International Monetary Fund-backed reforms...
Economy
Geostrategy
US offers $20 mn for info on Iranian behind Bolton assassination plot
Washington, United States- The US State Department announced a $20 million reward on Thursday for information leading to the arrest of...
- US officials said in August 2022 that they had uncovered a plot by Shahram Poursafi, a member of Iran's IRGC to kill Bolton who served as NSA to former president Trump
- The State Department's "Rewards for Justice" program "is offering a reward of up to $20 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction" of Poursafi, a notice said
US gives US$8.7 billion in military aid to Israel amid global push for a ceasefire
While international pressure on Israel for ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza intensifies, Netanyahu refuses to slow down military operations. Lebanese...
- Lebanese authorities said Thursday that more than 1,500 people had been killed in almost a year of cross-border violence
- Yemen’s Huthis: “will not hesitate to support Lebanon and Hezbollah” as cross-border fire between the Lebanese group and Israel intensifies
Geostrategy
World’s first CO2 storage service soon ready in Norway
Øygarden, Norway -- Norway inaugurated Thursday the gateway to a massive undersea vault for carbon dioxide, a crucial step before opening...
- The Northern Lights project plans to take CO2 emissions captured at factory smokestacks in Europe and inject them into geological reservoirs under the seabed.
- The aim is to prevent the emissions from being released into the atmosphere, and thereby help halt climate change.
Geostrategy
Ceasefire calls mount as Israeli troops on alert for Lebanon incursion
International calls for restraint mounted Wednesday after Israel's army chief told soldiers to prepare for a possible ground offensive against...
- Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed 72 people on Wednesday
- Biden met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the UN General Assembly to discuss ceasefire efforts
Business
OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati leaving company
San Francisco, United States - OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati on Wednesday said she is leaving the company behind ChatGPT,...
- Murati called her more than six years at the San Francisco-based company "an extraordinary privilege" and described her decision to leave as difficult in a post on X
- OpenAI chief Sam Altman replied to Murati's post with his thanks for what Murati has helped the company build, and promised details on a transition plan soon
Economy
OECD raises growth forecast, calls for higher property taxes
Paris, France -- The OECD on Wednesday slightly raised its world economic growth forecast for 2024 but called for higher property...
- The Paris-based organization said global gross domestic product would expand by 3.2 percent, compared to 3.1 percent in its previous forecast.
- While it raised the world GDP outlook, the OECD sounded the alarm on rising debt, urging governments to make "stronger efforts" to contain spending and raise revenue.
Diplomacy fails Lebanon: Biden hints all-out-war while Israel plans ground invasion
Israel's army chief told troops on Wednesday to be prepared for possible entry into Lebanon as Israeli fighter jets bombarded...
- Israel asks its troops to get ready for a possible ground offensive in Lebanon as diplomacy fails to achieve peace
- Over 90,000 people are displaced while more than 700 killed and over 5,000 are wounded since Israel' pager attacks in Lebanon
Putin expects Türkiye’s Erdogan to attend BRICS summit in Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday he expected his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to attend a BRICS summit in...
- Putin says he was due to meet Erdogan on October 23 - a day after the start of the BRICS summit in Russia's Kazan
- "Our president has many times stated that we want to become a BRICS member," says Turkish main political party
Geostrategy
HRW says Israeli strikes on Lebanon putting civilians ‘at grave risk’
United Nations "member states should take urgent action to establish an independent inquiry into violations during the current hostilities", said...
- Israeli raids on Lebanon on Monday killed at least 558 people
- "More than 1,000 Israeli strikes across Lebanon that have killed hundreds of people and injured thousands" this week
Geostrategy
Biden warns at UN against ‘full-scale war’ over Lebanon
Biden also pushed again for an elusive ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, telling the global body it was time to...
- The UN General Assembly, the high point of the diplomatic calendar, comes as Lebanese authorities say Israeli strikes killed 558 people -- 50 of them children
- "Full-scale war not in anyone's interest. Even though the situation has escalated, a diplomatic solution is still possible," Biden said in his farewell address to the global body
US envoy in Beirut says ‘real opportunity’ to end Israel-Hezbollah war
US special envoy said he was in Beirut because he saw "real opportunity" to end the Israel-Hezbollah war
Geostrategy
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‘Amazing’ AI de-ages Tom Hanks in new film ‘Here’
Arts & Culture
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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...
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...
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...
Geostrategy
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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
Geostrategy
Saudi, US FM says could move ‘quite quickly’ on some deals with US
Since last year Saudi Arabia has been bargaining hard for a defense pact with the United States as well as...
- Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last month ruled out recognizing Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state.
- Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan reiterated that normalization was "off the table until we have a resolution to Palestinian statehood".
New Hezbollah leader signals ceasefire openness, but Israel demands Hezbollah withdrawal, border security
Israel’s security cabinet discussed terms, including Hezbollah’s withdrawal north of the Litani River and Lebanese army deployment along the border...
- Naim Qassem's statement came as Israel's security cabinet met to discuss a possible truce, but also as Israel attacked the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek
- According to Israel's Channel 12, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met ministers late Tuesday to discuss Israel's demands in return for a 60-day truce