Rubio says US ‘optimistic’ for UN resolution on Gaza, backing an international force
US Secretary of State said the United States was speaking with different countries on ways to "balance their interests here,...
Geostrategy
Demand for air con set to triple by 2050, warns UN
Geneva, Switzerland -- Global demand for air conditioning could more than triple by 2050, the United Nations warned on Tuesday,...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Israel agrees ‘humanitarian pauses’ in Gaza to allow polio vaccinations
"The way we discussed and agreed, the campaign will start on the first of September, in central Gaza, for three...
- The vaccination rollout will also cover southern and northern Gaza, which will each get their own three-day pauses, Peeperkorn told reporters.
- UN agencies have said they plan to provide oral vaccines against type-2 poliovirus (cVDPV2) to more than 640,000 children in the territory.
Business
Durov: Father of 100 children is a mysterious and controversial Telegram founder
Paris, France - Russian-born tech entrepreneur Pavel Durov has founded wildly popular social networks, cryptocurrencies, amassed a multi-billion-dollar fortune and locked...
- Durov, 39, who preaches the virtues of ice baths for health and has fathered 100 children through sperm donations, is a controversial as well as enigmatic figure
- A self-avowed libertarian, Durov has championed confidentiality on the internet and freedom of speech, defiantly refusing to allow the moderation of messages on Telegram
Geostrategy
Yemen’s Houthis agree to temporary truce to secure stranded oil tanker
The vessel had departed from Iraq and was destined for a port near Athens, carrying 150,000 metric tons of crude...
- The Greek-owned Sounion was hit by the Tehran-backed group off the coast of Hodeida last week, sparking fires and the evacuation of its crew
- In a statement, the Houthis previously said the Sounion "belongs to a company that has ties with the Israeli enemy" and was "accurately and directly hit" with drones and missiles
Business
Investors hold breath as Nvidia earnings loom, stock markets subdued
Paris, France -- US shares fell marginally and European stock markets mostly inched higher Wednesday as investors cautiously awaited the latest...
- Traders are also waiting for key US economic data later this week that could provide clues about the size of an expected interest-rate cut next month.
- In New York, the main indexes were all down slightly shortly after opening. In Europe, London's FTSE 100 Index was lower, while Paris and Frankfurt were higher.
Geostrategy
SpaceX postpones historic mission featuring first private spacewalk
United States -- SpaceX postponed once more its attempt at launching a daring orbital expedition featuring an all-civilian crew that...
- SpaceX announced late Tuesday it was pushing back the launch plans "due to unfavorable weather forecasted in Dragon's splashdown areas off the coast of Florida".
- SpaceX Dragon capsule is set to reach a peak altitude of 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) -- higher than any crewed mission in more than half a century, since the Apollo era.
Geostrategy
Turkey, Azerbaijan hope for ‘lasting peace’ in South Caucasus
Years of diplomacy between the Caucasus rivals Azerbaijan and Armenia had failed to reach a breakthrough, but negotiations have resumed...
- Top diplomats from Turkey and Azerbaijan held talks in the capital Ankara on several sticking issues including ongoing peace negotiations between Baku and Yerevan
- The Caucasus rivals fought two wars -- in the 1990s and in 2020 -- over control of Nagorno-Karabakh, which had been predominantly populated by ethnic Armenians
Iran former top diplomat Zarif returns to VP post
"After the follow-ups and consultations conducted by the president and with his written order, I will continue to exercise my...
- Pezeshkian named Zarif as his vice president for strategic affairs on August 1, but the former top diplomat resigned less than two weeks later
- Conservatives in Iran have criticised Pezeshkian for choosing Zarif, who became known for his vital role in negotiating the landmark 2015 nuclear deal
Geostrategy
UAE seeks consular services for arrested Telegram boss
"The UAE is closely following the case of its citizen Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, who was arrested by the...
- He is accused of failing to curb the spread of illegal content on Telegram, which has more than 900 million users. The company has rejected the accusations.
- Durov set up Telegram after leaving Russia a decade ago, and Forbes magazine estimates his current fortune at $15.5 billion.
Geostrategy
Iraq issues arrest warrants against two persons for ‘heist of the century’
Baghdad, Iraq -- An Iraqi criminal court on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for a businessman and a former government official wanted...
- The scandal, dubbed the "heist of the century", sparked widespread anger in Iraq, which is ravaged by rampant corruption, unemployment and decaying infrastructure.
- The criminal court issued the warrants for businessman Nour Zuhair and Haitham al-Juburi, a former adviser to then prime minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi.
Geostrategy
Egypt says will not accept Israeli force on its Gaza border: state-linked media
Cairo, a key mediator in efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, "reiterated to all parties...
- A key sticking point in the ceasefire talks have been calls for Israel to withdraw its forces from the border area, including the Rafah crossing
- Israeli forces seized the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing in early May, a move that has cut off a crucial aid route and drawn repeated condemnation from Egypt
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Rubio says US ‘optimistic’ for UN resolution on Gaza, backing an international force
US Secretary of State said the United States was speaking with different countries on ways to "balance their interests here,...
Geostrategy
Company News
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Bird call contest boosts conservation awareness in Hong Kong’s concrete jungle
The competition brought nearly 100 people together, including a contestant who mimicked the critically endangered yellow-crested cockatoo.
Arts & Culture
India’s Modi dangles tax cuts as US tariffs loom
Mumbai, India -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push to slash consumption taxes on everyday goods could deliver billions of...
Economy
Musk’s megarocket faces crucial new test after failures
Washington, United States -- Elon Musk's SpaceX is gearing up for the next test of its Starship megarocket on Sunday,...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
Iran says killed six ‘terrorists’ linked to Israel in Sistan-Baluchistan province
Iranian forces have killed six militants in a raid in the restive southeast, state media reported Saturday, saying they were...
- "During an intense exchange of fire with terrorists in Sistan-Baluchistan province, six assailants were killed and two others arrested," official news agency IRNA said
- Sistan-Baluchistan, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, has long been a scene of clashes between security forces and armed groups, including drug traffickers and separatists
Geostrategy
Syria postpones selection of lawmakers from Druze, Kurdish-held areas
A Syrian official said Saturday that the selection process planned for a transitional parliament next month will be postponed in...
- Syria's new authorities, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, have dissolved the Assad-era parliament and adopted a temporary constitution for a five-year transition
- The interim charter has been criticised for concentrating power in Sharaa's hands after decades of autocracy under Assad and for failing to reflect Syria's ethnic diversity
Geostrategy
‘Far too late’: Clutching pots and buckets, Palestinians despair after UN declares famine in Gaza
"We have no home left, no food, no income... so we are forced to turn to charity kitchens, but they...
- AFP footage from Gaza's largest city showed women and young children among the chaotic jostle of dozens clamouring and shouting for for food
- The UN officially declared a famine in Gaza on Friday, blaming the "systematic obstruction" of aid by Israel during more than 22 months of war