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
Social media fooled by AI video of ‘sky stadium’ for Saudi 2034 World Cup
Paris, France - An AI-generated video claiming to show one of the football stadiums for the 2034 FIFA World Cup...
Economy
Heavy storms soak Gulf as Oman toll rises to 18
Flooding hit many areas of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital, and cut off major roads, snarling traffic and...
- Flights were cancelled in Dubai, the region's financial hub, while schools were shut in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain
- Flooding hit many areas of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital, and cut off major roads, snarling traffic and leaving cars stranded
Economy
Equities sink, oil rallies on fears of Iran-Israel conflict
Stock markets fell and oil prices climbed Tuesday on growing fears of a wider war in the Middle East after...
- The selling came after Wall Street's three main indexes tanked
- Investors appeared to ignore figures showing China's economy grew 5.3 percent in Q1, 2024
Geostrategy
‘Bad for business’: Gulf states scramble to avert wider war
Gulf states are grappling with the widening Middle East conflict as hostilities between Iran and Israel threaten their security and...
- Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have both faced previous attacks on oil facilities
- The conflict is increasingly creating a new regional balance of power
Geostrategy
Iran closed nuclear facilities in wake of Israel attack: IAEA chief
Tehran, Iran Iran temporarily closed its nuclear facilities over "security considerations" in the wake of its massive missile and drone...
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi: "All (Iranian) nuclear facilities that we are inspecting every day would remain closed
- Israel has carried out operations against nuclear sites in the region before
Geostrategy
Palestinian officials say Israeli settlers kill two in West Bank
The West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has seen a surge in violence since early last year, particularly...
- The Palestinian health ministry named the victims of the attack near Nablus as Abdulrahman Maher Bani Fadel, 30, and Mohammed Ashraf Bani Jame, 21
- The mayor of Aqraba, Salah Bani Jaber, told AFP "dozens of settlers attacked" the nearby hamlet of Khirbet al-Tawil late on Monday
Geostrategy
Hezbollah claims attack on Israeli troops who had crossed border
It was the first time Hezbollah claimed such an attack in six months of near-daily cross-border clashes between the Iran-backed...
- Israel's army said four soldiers were wounded overnight in an explosion "in the area of the northern border"
- One of the soldiers was "severely injured" it said
Geostrategy
Kremlin, the world, urge restraint following Iranian strikes on Israel
The Kremlin on Monday called for a de-escalation in the Middle East after Iran's unprecedented weekend attack on Israel. "We...
- Israel struck war-battered Gaza overnight
- Tehran on Monday called on Western nations to "appreciate Iran's restraint" towards Israel
Business
OpenAI comes to Asia
The ChatGPT creator opens first Asian office in Tokyo.
- The Japan office is the latest part of the Microsoft-backed firm's international push, having already set up bases in London and Dublin.
- OpenAI, reportedly valued at $80 billion or more earlier this year, is the latest major tech firm to invest in Japan.
Geostrategy
Stocks hit by Iran-Israel fears, containment hopes stem losses
Saturday's bombardment of more than 300 ballistic and cruise missiles and attack drones -- which were mostly repelled by air...
- Asian markets mostly fell Monday, though they pared their initial big losses. Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Sydney, Wellington, Singapore, Mumbai, Taipei and Manila were all in the red
- With worries about an escalation subsiding for now, oil prices dipped, though observers warned they could spike back above $100 if the crisis worsens.
Geostrategy
Israel urges Iran sanctions as world warns against escalation
Iran's UN envoy, Amir Saeid Iravani, retorted that the Islamic republic was exercising its "inherent right to self-defence" and "had...
- Iran launched the attack, its first ever to directly target Israeli territory, in retaliation for a deadly air strike widely blamed on Israel on Tehran's consular building in Syria
- The strikes raised Middle East tensions to a dangerous new level six months into a deadly conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza
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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
Company News
Latest News
Syria inks infrastructure and real-estate deals worth $14 billion
Since the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, Syria's new authorities have worked to attract investment for the...
Economy
“We are facing a global crisis”: Plastic pollution treaty talks open with ‘global crisis’ warning
Plastic pollution is so ubiquitous that microplastics have been found on the highest mountain peaks, in the deepest ocean trench...
Economy
Netanyahu says Israel must complete defeat of Hamas to free hostages, secure Israel
Israeli media said the premier was considering ordering the total occupation of the Palestinian territory, with public broadcaster Kan reporting...
Geostrategy
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Business
IHC H1 net profit $2.94 billion
The company posted 31% increase in revenue.
- The second quarter of 2025 delivered one of the Group’s strongest quarterly performances, with revenue rising 22.5 percent year-on-year to AED27.5 billion.
- Revenue growth was supported by solid contributions from core operating segments, it said.
Geostrategy
Meta says working to thwart WhatsApp scammers
San Francisco, United States -- Meta on Tuesday said it shut nearly seven million WhatsApp accounts linked to scammers in...
- Meta on Tuesday said it shut nearly seven million WhatsApp accounts linked to scammers in the first half of this year.
- Meta on Tuesday began prompting WhatsApp users to be wary when added to unfamiliar chat groups by people they don't know.
Geostrategy
UN starts new bid to forge plastics treaty amid ‘global crisis’
Geneva, Switzerland -- Nations must resolve the global plastics crisis, the head of UN talks told negotiators from 180 countries...
- Three years of negotiations hit the wall in Busan, South Korea in December when oil-producing states blocked a consensus.
- Key figures steering the negotiations at this new attempt said they were not expecting an easy ride this time, but insisted a deal remained within reach.