Israel escalates bombing in Lebanon as Hezbollah fires projectiles; UN warns of Gaza famine
Israel escalated strikes on Hezbollah in Beirut and Tyre, targeting strongholds, while Hezbollah launched retaliatory attacks on Haifa, hitting a...
HRW accuses Israel of ‘war crime’ with ‘forcible transfer’ in Gaza
Human Rights Watch said in a report released Thursday that Israel's repeated evacuation orders in Gaza amount to the "war...
Economy
China manufacturing contracts for fourth straight month
While some sectors have largely regained their strength -- including tourism and the auto industry -- others are struggling, particularly...
- China is facing a crisis in its vast real estate sector as well as lackluster confidence among households and businesses, which is hindering consumption
- In August, the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) - a key barometer of industrial output - stood at 49.1 points, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced
UN draft on climate finance highlights deep divisions ahead of COP29
Paris, France - The UN has published a draft on climate financing due to be presented at the COP29 in November,...
- The document is the basis for negotiating an accord that is due to be reached at COP29 in Baku under Azerbaijan's presidency
- Arab countries say developed countries should commit at least $441 billion a year in grants between 2025-2029 to mobilise loans and private financing
Geostrategy
Yemen’s Houthis blew up stranded oil tanker: video
Rebel chief Abdul Malik al-Houthi on Thursday said his forces had "stormed" the tanker earlier this week. He added in...
- The group's leader said the operation took place earlier this week. Since then, the rebels have agreed to allow rescue teams to access the ship
- A video shared on the rebels' media outlets showed masked men planting explosives on the vessel and then detonating them, causing several fires on board
Business
Apple in talks to invest in OpenAI, creator of ChatGPT: report
Washington, United States - iPhone juggernaut Apple is in talks to invest in OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT and the biggest...
- The company founded by Steve Jobs is at the funding table as OpenAI raises more money to help meet the heavy costs of building new technology
- Reports said that OpenAI is in talks to reach a valuation of $100 billion in the funding round led by venture capital firm Thrive Capital, which will pump in one billion dollars
Geostrategy
Telegram boss Durov free but charged and held in France
Paris, France -- Telegram chief Pavel Durov was spending Thursday out on bail after four days of detention in France, banned...
- Durov, 39, was charged on several counts of failing to curb extremist and illegal content on the popular messaging app which now has over 900 million followers.
- He was granted conditional release on a bail of five million euros and on the condition he must report to a police station twice a week as well as remaining in France.
Geostrategy
Israel agrees ‘humanitarian pauses’ in Gaza to allow polio vaccinations
"The way we discussed and agreed, the campaign will start on the first of September, in central Gaza, for three...
- The vaccination rollout will also cover southern and northern Gaza, which will each get their own three-day pauses, Peeperkorn told reporters.
- UN agencies have said they plan to provide oral vaccines against type-2 poliovirus (cVDPV2) to more than 640,000 children in the territory.
Business
Durov: Father of 100 children is a mysterious and controversial Telegram founder
Paris, France - Russian-born tech entrepreneur Pavel Durov has founded wildly popular social networks, cryptocurrencies, amassed a multi-billion-dollar fortune and locked...
- Durov, 39, who preaches the virtues of ice baths for health and has fathered 100 children through sperm donations, is a controversial as well as enigmatic figure
- A self-avowed libertarian, Durov has championed confidentiality on the internet and freedom of speech, defiantly refusing to allow the moderation of messages on Telegram
Geostrategy
Yemen’s Houthis agree to temporary truce to secure stranded oil tanker
The vessel had departed from Iraq and was destined for a port near Athens, carrying 150,000 metric tons of crude...
- The Greek-owned Sounion was hit by the Tehran-backed group off the coast of Hodeida last week, sparking fires and the evacuation of its crew
- In a statement, the Houthis previously said the Sounion "belongs to a company that has ties with the Israeli enemy" and was "accurately and directly hit" with drones and missiles
Business
Investors hold breath as Nvidia earnings loom, stock markets subdued
Paris, France -- US shares fell marginally and European stock markets mostly inched higher Wednesday as investors cautiously awaited the latest...
- Traders are also waiting for key US economic data later this week that could provide clues about the size of an expected interest-rate cut next month.
- In New York, the main indexes were all down slightly shortly after opening. In Europe, London's FTSE 100 Index was lower, while Paris and Frankfurt were higher.
Geostrategy
SpaceX postpones historic mission featuring first private spacewalk
United States -- SpaceX postponed once more its attempt at launching a daring orbital expedition featuring an all-civilian crew that...
- SpaceX announced late Tuesday it was pushing back the launch plans "due to unfavorable weather forecasted in Dragon's splashdown areas off the coast of Florida".
- SpaceX Dragon capsule is set to reach a peak altitude of 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) -- higher than any crewed mission in more than half a century, since the Apollo era.
Israel escalates bombing in Lebanon as Hezbollah fires projectiles; UN warns of Gaza famine
Israel escalated strikes on Hezbollah in Beirut and Tyre, targeting strongholds, while Hezbollah launched retaliatory attacks on Haifa, hitting a...
Company News
Latest News
Beirut’s suburbs ravaged by Israeli air raids as Blinken urges de-escalation with Iran
Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah's southern Beirut stronghold destroyed six buildings in the deadliest assault since the war began, despite U.S....
Geostrategy
Troubled Boeing faces investors and awaits strike vote
Boeing, the beleaguered aviation giant announces what is expected to be its biggest quarterly loss in four years, and striking...
Business
Updates: Israel confirms killing of Hezbollah leader’s successor as Blinken presses for Gaza truce
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israel to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, while Israeli airstrikes continued targeting Hezbollah's...
Most Read
Geostrategy
Is Musk’s million-dollar US voter lottery legal?
Donald Trump surrogate Elon Musk's offer of a million dollars to one registered voter in a swing state every day...
- "I think it's something that law enforcement should look at."- Democratic Governor of Pennsylvania
- Musk defends his move by saying it is a simple get-out-and-vote effort
Wealthy Israelis offer rewards for release of Gaza hostages
Jerusalem, Undefined - Frustrated with the dwindling prospect of reaching a ceasefire deal in the year-long Gaza war, some Israeli entrepreneurs...
- Former SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum said he received about 100 calls after offering $100,000 in cash or bitcoin for the safe delivery of a living Israeli prisoner from Gaza
- Birnbaum said most of the calls are pranks, threats or curses, but "10 to 20 could be legitimate" and were transferred to Israeli authorities for further verification
Science
Microsoft unveils autonomous AI agents for business tasks
San Francisco, United States - Microsoft on Monday said it was enhancing its AI offerings with new autonomous agent capabilities as...
- AI agents are specialized programs designed to perform routine tasks autonomously, such as sifting through sales leads or handling customer service inquiries
- The AI agent has become the newest buzzword for major software companies that are investing billions in powerful AI models, which they believe will shape the future of computing