Post-Assad Syria seeks peace; Erdogan pushes anti-terror agenda, US warns on Kurdish conflict
Barbara Leaf, Washington's top diplomat for the Middle East, told Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa of the "critical need to...
Geostrategy
Turkey’s Pegasus Airlines says to buy 200 Boeing 737 aircraft
Istanbul, Turkey -- Turkey's Pegasus Airlines said Thursday it would buy 200 Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft in its largest-ever order...
Business
Geostrategy
Transition in Syria: New PM says will ‘guarantee’ rights of all religious groups
With Assad's overthrow plunging Syria into the unknown, its new rulers have sought to assure religious minorities that they will...
- Assad fled Syria after a lightning offensive spearheaded by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and its allies, which ended five decades of rule by his clan
- Syrians across the country and around the world erupted in celebration, after enduring a stifling era during which anyone suspected of dissent could be thrown into jail or killed
Business
Google unveils its most advanced Artificial Intelligence model, Gemini 2.0
San Francisco, United States -- Google on Wednesday announced the launch of Gemini 2.0, its most advanced artificial intelligence model to...
- CEO Sundar Pichai said the new model would be marking what the company calls "a new agentic era" in AI development.
- Gemini 2.0 is initially being rolled out to developers and trusted testers, with plans for broader integration across Google's products.
Geostrategy
Crunch time for Saudi-hosted drought, desertification talks
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Landmark talks on desertification are set to conclude in Saudi Arabia this week amid doubts that pledged funds...
- The 12-day UNCCD COP16 meeting has announced billions in funding for drought response and land restoration.
- The UNCCD said 1.5 billion hectares (3.7 billion acres) of land must be restored by decade's end and that at least $2.6 trillion in global investments were needed.
South Korean police raid president’s office
#South #Korean police raided President #Yoon Suk #Yeol's office as part of the investigation into his declaration of #martial law....
- The deeply unpopular Yoon is already under a travel ban
- Yoon survived an impeachment motion in parliament on Saturday
New Syrian rulers pledge stability, accountability, and reconstruction after Assad’s ouster
Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the Islamist leader who headed the rebel offensive, had previously announced talks on a transfer of power...
- The rebels appointed Mohammad al-Bashir as the transitional head of government to run the country until March 1, a statement said
- Assad fled Syria as an Islamist-led opposition alliance swept into the capital Damascus over the weekend, bringing to an end five decades of brutal rule by his clan
Business
Air passenger numbers to top five billion for the first time in 2025: IATA
Geneva, Switzerland -- Air passenger numbers are forecast to top five billion for the first time next year and the sector's...
- Total industry revenues are forecast at $1.007 trillion, helped by falling oil and fuel prices, "the first time that industry revenues top the $1 trillion mark," IATA said.
- Airlines have been hit by rising fuel costs since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 but IATA said it expected this factor to ease next year.
Syria rebel leader vows to pursue former officials for torture, war crimes
Syria's Islamist rebel leader on Tuesday vowed to pursue former senior government officials responsible for torture and war crimes, a...
- Israel continued launched air strikes destroying the former government's military capabilities
- Baath party said it will support "a transitional phase in Syria aimed at defending the unity of the country."
Geostrategy
European countries suspend Syrian asylum decisions after Assad’s fall
While Berlin and other governments said they were watching the fast-moving developments in the war-ravaged nation, Vienna signaled it would...
- World leaders and Syrians abroad watched in disbelief at the weekend as Islamist-led rebels swept into Damascus
- The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees had imposed a freeze on decisions for ongoing asylum decisions
Business
UAE to introduce 15% tax rate on corporate profit from Jan 2025
Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- The United Arab Emirates, home to the regional headquarters of numerous multinational companies, said Monday it...
- The move will bring the UAE in line with efforts towards a global minimum corporate rate.
- The UAE, long considered a tax haven, last year began taxing the profits of companies worth more than 375,000 dirhams ($102,000) at nine percent.
Business
Oil prices higher on China boost, Syria uncertainty
Major stock markets diverged as investors reacted to political crises in South Korea and France, and tracked the perspectives for...
- Oil prices rose more than one percent as traders tracked developments in Syria after president Bashar al-Assad fled the country over the weekend as rebels swept into Damascus.
- China is battling sluggish domestic consumption, a persistent crisis in the property sector and soaring government debt -- all of which threaten Beijing's official growth target.
Post-Assad Syria seeks peace; Erdogan pushes anti-terror agenda, US warns on Kurdish conflict
Barbara Leaf, Washington's top diplomat for the Middle East, told Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa of the "critical need to...
Geostrategy
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Egypt ex-graft chief freed from prison, charged again: activist
A military court had found Geneina guilty in 2018 of "spreading information to harm the military", after he had said...
UN admits aid failure for Syria as quake toll hits 33,000
Supplies have been slow to arrive in Syria, where years of conflict have ravaged the healthcare system, and parts of...
At least 20 escape Syria prison holding IS inmates after quake
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said it could not verify whether prisoners had escaped, but confirmed...
Musk kicks Kanye West off Twitter for ‘incitement to violence’Â
West has made a series of anti-Semitic comments recently, as the one-time titan of fashion and music appears to have...
10 killed in Aleppo building collapse: Syria state media
The five-story building collapsed in the Ferdaws neighbourhood of Aleppo. Civil defence and local authorities evacuated residents from nearby buildings...
Nations step up outreach to Syria’s post-Assad rulers
Governments worldwide are stepping up efforts to engage with Syria's new interim rulers, just over a week after Islamist-led rebels...
Israel approves plan aiming to double annexed Golan population, Saudi calls it ‘sabotage’ of Syria
The occupied Golan is home to about 23,000 Druze Arabs, whose presence predates the occupation and most of whom retain...
Geostrategy
Key Libya oil refinery halts operations after clashes: state firm
Tripoli, Libya -- A key oil refinery in western Libya suspended operations after armed clashes erupted early on Sunday, causing fires...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
US contacts Syria’s HTS, Turkey reopens embassy, as Assad allies Iran and Russia face setbacks
The United States said Saturday it had made contact with Syria's victorious Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebels, despite previously designating the...
- US Secretary of State Blinken's comment on "direct contact" with the HTS rebels came despite the US having designated the group as terrorists
- While Blinken and other diplomats held talks on Syria in Aqaba, Jordan, Turkey reopened its embassy in Damascus
Business
Family-friendly ‘Astro Bot’ wins highest award at Oscars of video games
Los Angeles, United States -- Video game "Astro Bot" -- a family-friendly sci-fi adventure -- was named 2024's Game of the...
- It has sold more than 1.5 million copies according to Sony, which owns the 65-person Japanese studio Team Asobi responsible for the mega-hit.
- Onstage at the Peacock Theater, Team Asobi's French chief Nicolas Doucet praised the studio for designing a game that "put the user first".
Business
Boeing to boost 787 production
The firm will invest$1bn to ramp up production in South Carolina.
- The aim is to increase production of the 787 Dreamliner to 10 every month by 2026, Boeing said.
- In October, Boeing unveiled plans to reduce its global workforce by 10 percent over the coming months, without giving further details.