Trump launches ‘Board of Peace’ at Davos after Greenland u-turn
A group of leaders and senior officials from 19 countries -- including Trump allies from Argentina and Hungary -- gathered...
Geostrategy
Iraq announces complete withdrawal of US-led coalition from federal territory
Iraq said on Sunday US-led coalition forces had finished withdrawing from bases within the country's federal territory, which excludes the...
Geostrategy
Business
Meta to remove under-16 Australians from Facebook, Instagram on December 4
Australians younger than 16 will be removed from Facebook and Instagram on December 4, tech giant Meta said Thursday, as...
- From December 10, Australia will force social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, to remove users under the age of 16 or face hefty fines
- "From today, Meta will be notifying Australian users it understands to be aged 13-15 that they will lose access to Instagram, Threads and Facebook," Meta said in a statement
Geostrategy
Israeli strikes kill 27 in Gaza in spite of fragile truce, follows attacks targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon
The strikes were among the deadliest in Gaza since the truce entered into force last month, and came as Israel...
- Fourteen people were killed Wednesday in Gaza City in the north and 13 in the Khan Yunis area in the south, according to the territory's civil defence agency
- The highest daily toll registered since the truce took effect was on October 29, when more than 100 people were killed in Israeli strikes, according to civil defence figures
Geostrategy
COP30 dragged into clash over gender language
Negotiators say the effort -- by Paraguay, Argentina, Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia as well as the Holy See -- seeks to...
- The issue has become so sensitive that COP30's Brazilian presidency has elevated it from technical negotiations to a higher political level.
- At stake is a revamped Gender Action Plan (GAP) meant to guide work for the next decade, including efforts to mainstream gender across climate programs.
Business
Italy’s Leonardo launches joint venture with UAE defence firm
Milan, Italy -- Italian defense group Leonardo said Wednesday it had agreed to launch a joint venture next year with...
- Details of the sectors covered by the joint venture have yet to be announced.
- But it will cover a range of Leonardo's solutions "spanning sensors, system integration, and platforms", the Italian group said in a statement.
Business
Flydubai inks $13bn Boeing deal for 75 jets as city’s airlines build up
State-owned flydubai and its long-haul partner airline, Emirates, have been the chief deal-makers at this week's Dubai Airshow, the largest...
- Dubai, the UAE's commercial jewel, will soon start work on a new airport with capacity for a world-leading 150 million passengers a year, slated to open in 2032.
- Dubai's current international airport announced a record quarter of 24.2 million passengers. The facility has been the busiest for international passengers for the past 11 years.
Business
Nvidia, Microsoft invest $15 billion in AI startup Anthropic, creator of the Claude chatbot
Nvidia and Microsoft announced Tuesday investments totaling $15 billion in AI startup Anthropic, creator of the Claude chatbot, amid frenzied...
- AI chip powerhouse Nvidia committed up to $10 billion while Microsoft—which owns 27 percent of Anthropic rival OpenAI—pledged up to $5 billion to the maker of Claude AI models
- The deal was part of an agreement that saw Anthropic commit to buying $30 billion in Microsoft's cloud computing capacity and adopt the latest versions of Nvidia's chip technology
Geostrategy
UN Security Council votes for international force for Gaza, path to a future Palestinian state
Trump posted on social media that the vote "acknowledging and endorsing the BOARD OF PEACE, which will be chaired by...
- There were 13 votes in favor of the text, which US President Trump claimed would lead to "further Peace all over the World," with only Russia and China abstaining -- but no vetoes
- But Hamas, which is excluded by the resolution from any governance role in Gaza, said the resolution did not meet Palestinians' "political and humanitarian demands and rights."
Science
Turkey seeks to host next COP as co-presidency plans with Australia falter
Turkey wants to host next year's UN climate change talks and is ready to organise the event alone if there...
- Australia and Turkey are locked in a stalemate over who should host the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in 2026
- The host is selected by consensus, so unless Australia or Turkey withdraws or the countries agree to share the conference, both will miss out
Science
Cervical cancer vaccine push has saved 1.4 million lives: Gavi
Geneva, Switzerland - A three-year campaign to bring vaccines against human papillomavirus (HPV) to low-income countries has prevented 1.4 million...
- Cancer caused by HPV disproportionately affects low-income countries, which often lack screening services and access to treatment
- These countries accounted for 90 percent of the 350,000 cervical cancer deaths recorded in 2022, according to Gavi
Geostrategy
UN Security Council set to vote on Trump’s Gaza plan, deployment of international force
The draft, which has been revised several times as a result of high-stakes negotiations, "endorses" the plan, which allowed for...
- The draft, which has been revised several times as a result of high-stakes negotiations, "endorses" the plan, which allowed for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to take hold
- The latest version of the text authorizes the creation of an International Stabilization Force (ISF) that would work with Israel and Egypt and newly trained Palestinian police
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Trump launches ‘Board of Peace’ at Davos after Greenland u-turn
A group of leaders and senior officials from 19 countries -- including Trump allies from Argentina and Hungary -- gathered...
Geostrategy
Company News
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France’s screen siren Brigitte Bardot dies at 91
Arts & Culture
Somaliland denies it will host Palestinians, Israeli base
The breakaway region of Somaliland on Thursday denied allegations by the Somali president that it would take resettled Palestinians or...
Geostrategy
Yemen separatists say Saudi-backed forces to deploy in seized territories
A surprise STC offensive seizing resource-rich Hadramawt and Mahra has pushed the UAE and Saudi Arabia, officially allies in Yemen,...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
Israel’s Mossad tells Iranian protesters ‘we are with you’
Israel's Mossad spy agency issued a direct call urging Iranians to press on with protests, saying it was supporting them...
- Protests that began on Sunday with Tehran shopkeepers rallying against Iran's worsening economy have spread to other cities
- The Iranian rial has dropped against the US dollar and other world currencies, forcing up import prices and hurting retail traders
Business
SoftBank lifts OpenAI stake to 11% with $41bln investment
Tokyo, Japan -- Japanese tech investor SoftBank said Wednesday that its stake in OpenAI is now around 11 percent after...
- Having made colossal profits as well as losses on previous investments, flamboyant founder Masayoshi Son has pivoted SoftBank towards artificial intelligence (AI).
- SoftBank had announced in April its planned investment of up to $40 billion in Open AI, and on Wednesday it said that the second tranche of $22.5 billion was completed.
Business
TSMC says started mass production of ‘most advanced’ 2nm chips
Taipei, Taiwan -- Taiwanese tech titan TSMC has started mass producing its cutting-edge 2-nanometre semiconductor chips, the company said in...
- TSMC is the world's largest contract maker of chips, used in everything from smartphones to missiles, and counts Nvidia and Apple among its clients.
- The chips will be the "most advanced technology in the semiconductor industry in terms of both density and energy efficiency", the company said.