Putin speaks to Israel, Iran leaders to help ‘de-escalate’ the situation: Kremlin
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday held calls with the leaders of Israel and Iran, the Kremlin said, offering mediation amid...
Geostrategy
World Bank lifts 2026 growth forecast, warns of softer demand
The bank expects world GDP growth of 2.6 percent this year, according to its latest global economic prospects report. The...
Economy
Arts & Culture
After delays, Egypt set for lavish opening of grand museum
Cairo, Egypt - With much pomp and circumstance, Cairo is due to inaugurate on Saturday the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum,...
- With a panoramic view of the Giza pyramids plateau, the GEM houses thousands of artefacts spanning more than 5,000 years of Egyptian antiquity at a whopping cost of over $1 billion
- More than two decades in the making, the ultra-modern museum anticipates five million visitors annually, with never-before-seen relics on display
Economy
Backed by its sovereign wealth fund, Saudi chases AI ambitions with homegrown firm pitched to global investors
The company, launched in May, is bankrolled by Saudi's powerful Public Investment Fund, which has played a key role in...
- The company, launched in May, is bankrolled by Saudi's powerful Public Investment Fund, which has played a key role in financing the kingdom's gigaprojects
- But Riyadh's ambitions to become a global AI hub face fierce competition from the neighbouring United Arab Emirates, which have invested in AI for years
Business
TotalEnergies net profit soars despite lower oil prices
Paris, France -- French oil and gas giant TotalEnergies reported on Thursday a sharp increase in third-quarter net profit despite...
- The company said net income grew around 61 percent to $3.7 billion compared to the same period last year, even as oil prices fell by more than $10 per barrel year-on-year.
- TotalEnergies shares were down 1.4 percent in afternoon trading while the Paris stock exchange's blue-chip CAC 40 index was 0.7 lower.
Geostrategy
Israel says received bodies of two Gaza hostages from Red Cross
Not including the latest two, Hamas have so far given back the remains of 15 of the 28 deceased hostages...
- Israel launched a wave of strikes on Gaza overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday after an attack that left an Israeli soldier dead in the south of the Palestinian territory.
- Hamas has said its fighters had "no connection to the shooting incident in Rafah" and reaffirmed its commitment to the truce.
Business
BYD Q3 profit down 33%
This was a 33% year-on-year decrease.
- The Shenzhen-based firm recorded revenue of 195 billion yuan over the same period, a slight decrease of 3 percent year-on-year.
- China's EV industry is world-leading but a cutthroat domestic market has weighed on companies' profitability.
Geostrategy
Israel hits another Gaza target after deadliest night since truce
Israel said it struck an arms dump in Gaza on Wednesday, hours after the deadliest night of bombing since the...
- The military announced it had carried out a strike on a site in the Beit Lahia area of northern Gaza where it said weapons were being stockpiled for "an imminent terror attack."
- Israeli troops, it said, would remain deployed in "accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat".
Business
Alphabet posts first $100 bn quarter
The growth was powered by cloud division buoyed by AI
- The tech giant's revenues jumped 16 percent year-on-year to $102.3 billion in the third quarter, beating analyst expectations
- "Alphabet had a terrific quarter, with double-digit growth across every major part of our business," CEO Sundar Pichai said
Geostrategy
Trade truce in balance as Trump meets ‘tough negotiator’ Xi: ‘We’ll have a great understanding’
The world's two top economies' trade tussle -- encompassing everything from rare earths to soybeans and port fees -- has rocked...
- Sitting opposite each other each leader was flanked by senior officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury chief Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick
- Xi's team, which arrived from Beijing shortly before - the US side was already in South Korea - included Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Commerce Minister Wang Wentao
Geostrategy
Israel hits dozens of targets as Gaza sees deadliest night since truce
Gaza's civil defense agency said more than 100 people were killed, including many children, but both US President Donald Trump...
- The Hamas-run territory's civil defense agency said at least 35 children were among the more than 100 killed.
- United Nations rights chief Volker Turk said the report of so many dead was appalling and urged all side not to let peace "slip from our grasp".
Business
AI chip giant Nvidia becomes world’s first $5 trillion company
New York, United States -- AI chip juggernaut Nvidia became the world's first $5 trillion company on Wednesday, as investors...
- By way of comparison, the level was greater than the GDP of France or Germany or higher than that of Tesla, Meta (Facebook), and Netflix combined.
- Microsoft and Apple, the two other largest global market capitalizations, only just exceed $4 trillion in valuation each.
Most Read
Revenue from Saudi cinema may exceed $1bn by 2030KSA, UAE play well as e-gaming trends across GCCExclusive: Middle East’s retail sector rides on AR and hybrid shopping to become $600bn digital economyTECOM Group profit soars 13%UAE startups eye Saudi Arabia for growth, expansionSaudi Arabia leads GCC AI healthcare raceDisparity remains as Saudis, Emiratis see wealth gains
Putin speaks to Israel, Iran leaders to help ‘de-escalate’ the situation: Kremlin
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday held calls with the leaders of Israel and Iran, the Kremlin said, offering mediation amid...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
Turkish authorities make further arrests in football betting scandal
The betting scandal in Turkish football deepened on Friday as 29 people, including 14 footballers, were arrested, the Istanbul public...
Economy
Zelensky to meet Trump in Florida on Sunday for talks on how to end the Russian invasion
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is to meet US President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday for talks on how to...
Geostrategy
China’s high-speed rail network passes 50,000km mark
Beijing, China -- China's sprawling high-speed rail network passed 50,000 kilometers (31,000 miles) in total operating distance with the opening...
Geostrategy
Most Read
Economy
Syria to start replacing currency from Jan 1: central bank chief
Syria's central bank chief said Thursday that the country's currency would start to be replaced with a revamped version from...
- Central bank chief Abdul Qadir al-Hasriya said that "January 1, 2026, is the start date for the replacement process" for the currency
- Hasriya said the move comes at a "pivotal national juncture that reflects the beginning of a new economic and monetary era"
Geostrategy
14 countries condemn Israel’s expansion of West Bank settlements, say actions ‘violate international law’
Fourteen countries, including France, Britain, and Germany, condemned on Wednesday Israel's recent approval of new Jewish settlements in the occupied...
- In their statement, the countries stressed such unilateral actions "violate international law" and risk undermining the ceasefire in Gaza
- They also reaffirmed their "unwavering commitment to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution."
Geostrategy
Saudi Arabia urges Yemen separatists to cede seized territory
The Kingdom said the military movements in the governorates of (Hadramawt and Al-Mahra), recently conducted by the Southern Transitional Council,...
- "These movements resulted in an unjustified escalation that harmed the interests of the Yemeni people with all of its segments," it added.
- The 11-year war in Yemen has pitted the Iran-backed rebels against the internationally-recognized government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition that includes the UAE.