Death becomes a growing business in ageing, lonely South Korea
Busan, South Korea -- Rows of coffins line a university classroom in the South Korean port city of Busan, ready...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Blinken presses for Gaza aid on Jordan visit
Blinken, on his latest tour of the region since the Gaza war erupted in October, observed Jordan's efforts to bring...
- Blinken observed Jordan's efforts to bring in food and supplies and praised the "extraordinary work" led by the United Nations
- Blinken met separately with King Abdullah II and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi both on aid and on diplomacy for a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas
Geostrategy
Blinken demands ‘no more delays’ by Hamas on truce deal
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken demanded Tuesday that Hamas accept a proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and release of...
- "Now it's on Hamas. No more delays, no more excuses. The time to act is now," Blinken said
- "We want to see in the coming days this agreement coming together," he said
Business
McDonald’s profits up 7%
The quarterly profits increased despite weak Middle East sales.
- "The continued impact of the war in the Middle East more than offset positive comparable sales in Japan, Latin America and Europe," McDonald's said of the division.
- Earlier this month, McDonald's agreed to acquire Alonyal, which owns 225 McDonald's restaurants in Israel which have been hit by calls for a boycott over Gaza onslaught.
Geostrategy
Activists occupy Columbia building as US campus protests flare
Demonstrators vowed to remain at the hall until their demands are met, including that Columbia divest all financial holdings linked...
- Protests have swept through US higher education institutions, with many erecting tent encampments on campus grounds after around 100 protesters were first arrested at Columbia.
- UN human rights chief Volker Turk voiced concern at the heavy-handed steps taken to disperse the campus protests.
Geostrategy
Hopes rise for possible truce deal between Israel and Hamas
Jerusalem, Undefined - Hopes rose on Monday for a long-sought-after truce and hostage release deal after almost seven months of war...
- Washington's top diplomat said he was "hopeful" Hamas would accept the offer, which his British counterpart said could see the release of thousands of Palestinian captives
- For months, meditators Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been trying to broker a new agreement between the combatants
Geostrategy
European, Arab ministers meet in Saudi to jump-start two-state solution
Earlier on Monday, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters he would encourage Arab leaders to put forward...
- The meeting took place on the sidelines of a two-day World Economic Forum special meeting in Riyadh that was largely devoted to the grinding war in the Gaza Strip
- Israel's offensive has killed at least 34,488 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory
Business
QatarEnergy signs $6 billion deal with China shipbuilder
The China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) is set to deliver eight Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) vessels in 2028 and 2029,...
- Last month, QatarEnergy announced it had signed deals for a total of 104 smaller, conventional-size vessels.
- Qatar is one of the world's top LNG producers alongside the United States, Australia and Russia.
Geostrategy
Blinken promotes Gulf Arab defence in sign to Israel and Iran
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Monday for tighter defence integration among Gulf Arabs in response to Iran, part...
- Blinken said the United States would hold defense talks in the coming weeks with the six-nation bloc
- Blinken: 'US-Saudi security pact for Israel normalization nears 'completion'.
Arts & Culture
Palestinian prisoner in Israel wins top fiction prize
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Palestinian writer Basim Khandaqji, jailed 20 years ago in Israel, won a prestigious prize for...
- The award of the 2024 International Prize for Arabic Fiction was announced at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi
- The prize was accepted on Khandaqji's behalf by Rana Idriss, owner of Dar al-Adab, the book's Lebanon-based publisher
Geostrategy
Hamas says no ‘major’ issues, as Gaza truce effort builds
Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been trying to mediate a new truce ever since a one-week halt to...
- A delegation from the Islamist movement will arrive in Egypt on Monday to deliver the group's response to Israel's counterproposal, a senior Hamas official told AFP
- Israel's government has come under intense pressure from global allies to reach a ceasefire in the war that humanitarians say has brought Gaza to the brink of famine
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Business
Netanyahu’s Gaza plan: Hamas accuses Israel PM of sacrificing hostages for personal interest
"Netanyahu's plans to escalate the aggression confirm beyond any doubt his desire to get rid of the captives and sacrifice...
Geostrategy
Trump to host Armenia, Azerbaijan for historic ‘Peace Signing’ Friday
US President Donald Trump announced he will host the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan on Friday for what he called...
Geostrategy
Most Read
Geostrategy
Turkey, Senegal discuss defence industry, security cooperation
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he discussed defence and security cooperation with Senegal's visiting prime minister Ousmane Sonko on...
- "Today we discussed joint steps that we can take in the areas of security, the defence industry and the fight against terrorism," Erdogan told a televised press conference
- "We are pleased with the growing interest of our African brothers in Turkish defence products. We look forward to further strengthening our solidarity," he said.
Geostrategy
Israel seeks full control of Gaza, won’t keep or govern it: Netanyahu
"We want to hand it over to Arab forces that will govern it properly without threatening us and giving Gazans...
- Fox News said the interview occurred just before Netanyahu was to attend a security cabinet meeting on Gaza war plans.
- Netanyahu is expected to seek approval at the meeting for an expansion of military operations, including in densely populated areas where hostages are believed to be held.
Economy
Trump announces 100% chip tariff, pressuring Asian producers
The US president unveiled the levy at the White House on Wednesday ahead of the imposition of sweeping tariffs on...
- shares in Taiwan's TSMC -- world's largest contract maker of chips -- soared nearly 5% after the government said the company will not be affected.
- Trump has previously accused Taiwan of having stolen the US chip industry, and earlier this year, TSMC unveiled a plan to invest an extra $100 billion in the United States.