At COP30, nations target the jet set with luxury flight tax
Rooted in the idea that a small elite of premium flyers should pay more for their outsized contribution to global...
Geostrategy
Embracing heritage, Mamdani marks watershed for South Asian Americans
Washington, United States - In a victory speech capping his meteoric rise, New York's mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani quoted at length...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Saudi official defends management of hajj after hundreds die
"The state did not fail, but there was a misjudgment on the part of people who did not appreciate the...
- He said the government had confirmed 577 deaths for the two busiest days of hajj: Saturday, when pilgrims gathered at Mount Arafat and Sunday in Mina for stoning ritual
- "This happened amid difficult weather conditions and a very harsh temperature," the official said, while acknowledging that the 577 figure was partial and did not cover all of hajj
Geostrategy
Hajj death toll tops 1,000 after extreme heat: AFP tally
The new deaths reported Thursday included 58 from Egypt, according to an Arab diplomat who provided a breakdown showing that...
- The national meteorological center reported a high of 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 Fahrenheit) this week at the Grand Mosque in Mecca.
- A Saudi study published last month said temperatures in the area are rising 0.4 degrees Celsius each decade.
Geostrategy
Israel-Hezbollah tensions drive fears of widening Gaza war
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah's group and Israeli forces have exchanged near-daily fire since Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel...
- Hezbollah said it fired dozens of rockets into northern Israel in retaliation for a deadly air strike in south Lebanon
- Experts are divided on the prospect of wider war
Geostrategy
Hizbollah threatens Israel after military says Lebanon offensive ready
Hassan Nasrallah - whose powerful Iran-backed group has exchanged near-daily fire with Israel since its ally Hamas's October 7 attack...
- Hizbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said "no place" in Israel would "be spared our rockets", in a televised address broadcast amid spiraling tensions across the Israel-Lebanon border
- Meanwhile, the war between Israel and Hamas raged in Gaza, with Israeli air strikes and clashes between troops and Palestinian fighters
From fighting boys to Saudi Olympic history for female taekwondo star
Abha, Saudi Arabia - Saudi taekwondo standout Donia Abu Taleb had an unusual introduction to the sport: for years she trained...
- Donia Abu Taleb has become the first Saudi woman to qualify for the Olympics and is dreaming of bringing home the Gulf kingdom's first gold medal when she competes in Paris
- Abu Taleb has taken advantage of the newfound state backing, bagging gold at the 2020 Arab Taekwondo Championship and bronze medals at the Asian and world championships in 2022
Geostrategy
Israel says Lebanon offensive plan ‘approved’ as tensions surge
Palestinian Territories - The Israeli army on Tuesday said plans for an offensive in Lebanon were "approved and validated" amid...
- The war in Gaza has heightened tensions across the region, with Israeli forces and Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, exchanging fire on a near-daily basis
- Al-Awda hospital said it received the bodies of "six martyrs and 15 wounded as a result of Israeli air strikes on various areas in the central and southern Gaza Strip."
Diplomats say at least 550 pilgrims died during hajj, mostly Egyptians
"All of them (the Egyptians) died because of heat" except for one who sustained fatal injuries during a minor crowd...
- At least 323 of those who died were Egyptians, most of them succumbing to heat-related illnesses, two Arab diplomats coordinating their countries' responses told AFP
- Earlier on Tuesday, Egypt's foreign ministry said Cairo was collaborating with Saudi authorities on search operations for Egyptians who had gone missing during the hajj
Geostrategy
Gaza rescuers report deadly strikes although clashes slow on Eid
Witnesses reported gunfire and artillery shelling near Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, where the civil defence agency said at...
- United Nations rights chief Volker Turk told the UN Human Rights Council he was "appalled by the disregard for international human rights" and "unconscionable death and suffering".
- The UN has said aid access to Gaza has been severely hindered by factors including insecurity, the closing of crossing points to the territory, and Israeli procedural delays.
Arts & Culture
Unveiling Tunis: mural celebrates ‘invisible’ talents
Tunis, Tunisia - In the old medina of Tunis, a wall installation titled "1001 Bricks" showcases the talents of "invisible" creators,...
- Led by Swiss artist Anne Francey, the project took shape over a year through workshops that culminated in a large bas-relief made of carved and painted clay bricks
- The initiative follows Francey's 2019 project "1001 Hands", inspired by the "One Thousand and One Nights" fairytale, emphasising stories that intersect endlessly
Hajj pilgrimage ends amid deadly Saudi heat spike
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Sunday that Saudi officials had committed "to provide everything that will serve those...
- One of the world's largest religious gatherings unfolded during the oven-like Saudi summer again this year
- Authorities recorded more than 2,700 cases of "heat exhaustion" on Sunday alone, the Saudi health ministry said
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At COP30, nations target the jet set with luxury flight tax
Rooted in the idea that a small elite of premium flyers should pay more for their outsized contribution to global...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
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...
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...
Geostrategy
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...
Economy
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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.
Geostrategy
Foreign NGOs say new Israeli rules keep them from delivering Gaza aid
According to the joint letter, whose signatories include Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders (MSF), at least 60 requests to bring...
- UK-based Oxfam said that $2.5 million worth of its supplies, including food, were barred from entering Gaza, while CARE said it had not been authorized to bring in aid since March.
- The aid groups complained that the new rules were leaving Gazans without life-saving assistance.
Economy
Bitcoin hits record high above $124,000 before retreating
Tokyo, Japan - Bitcoin hit a record high on Thursday during early Asian trading, surpassing $124,000, driven by favourable US...
- US stocks ended higher Wednesday, with the S&P 500 index and the tech-heavy Nasdaq reaching new heights this week, contributing to the cryptocurrency's rise
- Bitcoin's value has recently soared, fuelled by US regulatory changes under US President Donald Trump, a strong backer of the crypto sector