US says ‘framework’ deal with China on TikTok ownership
Donald Trump said -- without directly naming the social media giant -- that a deal was reached with a "certain...
Business
Spain PM ‘proud’ of pro-Palestinian protests at Vuelta
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Sunday said pro-Palestinian protests that have rocked the Vuelta a Espana filled him with...
Geostrategy
From hotels to high fashion, Armani’s luxury empire
Arts & Culture
Business
Larry Fink, André Hoffmann take interim helm at WEF, pledge renewed push for global cooperation
The World Economic Forum has named BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Swiss entrepreneur André Hoffmann as interim co-chairs, with both...
- “We are honored to take on this leadership role on an interim basis at a pivotal time for the World Economic Forum,” Fink and Hoffmann said in a joint statement
- The two leaders stressed that the WEF is uniquely positioned to bridge divides a time when the world more fragmented and complex than ever
Geostrategy
World plastic pollution treaty talks collapse with no deal
Negotiators from 185 nations worked beyond Thursday's deadline and through the night in an ultimately futile search for common ground....
- The stalemate was a resounding failure for the environment and for international diplomacy at a time when its frailties are in the spotlight.
- Countries voiced anger and despair as the talks unraveled, but said they wanted future negotiations -- despite six rounds of talks over three years ending in a failure.
Geostrategy
‘Like hell’: Indoor heat overwhelms Saudi Arabia’s cooks, bakers
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Baker Eid Ahmed just can't get away from Saudi Arabia's notorious heat: he makes bread next...
- In arid Saudi Arabia, summer temperatures regularly reach 50C, leaving streets empty for much of the day.
- To protect laborers, the kingdom bans work under direct sunlight and outside during the hours of most intense heat from mid-June until mid-September.
Geostrategy
At least 1,760 killed while seeking aid in Gaza since late May: UN
"While 994 were killed in the vicinity of GHF (Gaza Humanitarian Foundation) sites, 766 were killed along the routes of...
- The update came as Gaza's civil defense agency said at least 23 people were killed by Israeli fire on Friday, including 12 who were waiting for humanitarian aid.
- The military intends to take control of Gaza City and nearby refugee camps, some of the most densely populated parts of the territory.
Economy
Trump says semiconductor tariffs coming soon
"I'll be setting tariffs next week and the week after, on steel and, I would say, chips. Chips and semiconductors,...
- Trump said the levy rate would be "lower at the beginning" but "very high after a certain period of time," as a way to encourage businesses to relocate operations to the US.
- On August 6, Trump announced a 100 percent tariff on semiconductors from firms that do not invest in the United States.
Geostrategy
Hezbollah chief thanks Iran for ongoing support to face Israel
Beirut, Lebanon - Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem has thanked a senior Iranian official for his country's ongoing support in confronting...
- Tehran has been the main backer of the Shiite Muslim group, which emerged badly weakened from last year's war with Israel
- Larijani's visit came after the Lebanese government tasked the army with drawing up a plan to disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year
Geostrategy
Israeli far-right minister backs contentious West Bank settlement plan
Israel's finance minister on Thursday backed plans to build 3,400 homes in a particularly contentious area of the occupied West...
- Israel has long had ambitions to build on the sensitive parcel of land east of Jerusalem known as E1, but the plan has been frozen for decades amid international opposition
- Israeli NGO Peace Now, which monitors settlement activity, denounced the E1 plan as "deadly for the future of Israel and for any chance of achieving a peaceful two state solution
Economy
Oil prices rise ahead of US-Russia summit as stocks digest inflation data
New York, United States - Wall Street stocks finished little changed Thursday as markets absorbed a disappointing inflation report, while...
- The producer price index rose 0.9 percent on a month-on-month basis, much greater than analysts expected following benign consumer pricing data earlier this week
- Among individual companies, Intel surged 7.4 percent following a Bloomberg News report that Trump is considering an investment in the beleaguered chip company
Geostrategy
Expectations high as Trump, Putin set to meet at Alaska: What each side wants
In a draft peace plan published in June, Russia called on Ukraine to withdraw its forces from the Kherson, Lugansk,...
- For Putin, who has faced years of isolation from the West since the invasion, the summit is an opportunity to press Russia's hardline demands for ending the conflict
- In addition to territory, Russia wants Ukraine to ensure the "rights and freedoms" of the Russian-speaking population and to prohibit what it calls the "glorification of Nazism".
Business
Stocks diverge as bitcoin hits record high
Bitcoin hit a new peak at $124,514.59 in Asian trading, before cooling to around $121,500. The world's biggest cryptocurrency is...
- Bitcoin is also winning investor support thanks to strong backing for the cryptocurrency sector from Trump.
- Most European equity indices climbed after major Asian peers ended lower.
US says ‘framework’ deal with China on TikTok ownership
Donald Trump said -- without directly naming the social media giant -- that a deal was reached with a "certain...
Business
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From hotels to high fashion, Armani’s luxury empire
Arts & Culture
UK publisher of Daily Express, Mirror tabloids announces job cuts
London, United Kingdom - The British media group which owns the Daily Express and Daily Mirror tabloids on Monday announced...
Business
UK’s Starmer to meet Palestinian leader Abbas
Prime Minister Keir Starmer was due to meet Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas Monday, as the UK government edges towards...
Geostrategy
UN rights chief denounces Israeli ‘genocidal rhetoric’ on Gaza
Volker Turk said "shocking and dehumanizing language" has been used by a number of high-level officials, stressing that "this is...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
Colman, Ruffalo among 1,500 film workers to boycott Israeli cinemas
The signatories included British actors Aimee Lou Wood, Josh O'Connor and Tilda Swinton, American actors Ayo Edebiri and Cynthia Nixon,...
- The letter, organized by the group Film Workers for Palestine, said it was inspired by notable filmmakers who had refused to screen their work in apartheid South Africa.
- The institutions to be boycotted would include any involved in "whitewashing or justifying genocide and apartheid", or those which partnered with the Israeli government.
Geostrategy
Iran will accept nuclear curbs and restrictions to uranium enrichment if sanctions lifted: report
Iran will accept limits on its nuclear programme and restrictions to uranium enrichment if international sanctions are lifted, its foreign...
- Iran "is ready to forge a lasting bargain that entails ironclad oversight and curbs on enrichment in exchange for the termination of sanctions", wrote Foreign Minister Araghchi
- The message was addressed to the so-called E3 group of nations -- France, Germany and the UK -- involved talks with Iran over its nuclear programme
Geostrategy
Trump issues ‘last warning’ to Hamas over hostages amid new proposal for ceasefire deal
"The Israelis have accepted my terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well. I have warned Hamas about...
- "The Israelis have accepted my terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well. I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting," Trump said on social media
- In a statement released shortly after, Hamas said it was ready to "immediately sit at the negotiating table" following what it described as "some ideas from the American side."