China’s Xi pushes Taiwan issue in call with Trump
Chinese leader Xi Jinping pressed the ever-sensitive issue of Taiwan in a phone call Monday with US President Donald Trump,...
Geostrategy
G20 grapples with splintering world order
"Too many countries are retreating into geopolitical blocs or the battlegrounds of protectionism," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters....
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
UN Security Council set to vote on Trump’s Gaza plan, deployment of international force
The draft, which has been revised several times as a result of high-stakes negotiations, "endorses" the plan, which allowed for...
- The draft, which has been revised several times as a result of high-stakes negotiations, "endorses" the plan, which allowed for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to take hold
- The latest version of the text authorizes the creation of an International Stabilization Force (ISF) that would work with Israel and Egypt and newly trained Palestinian police
Arts & Culture
Rory McIlroy wins seventh Race to Dubai title
Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- Rory McIlroy was on Sunday crowned the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai champion for...
- At the Earth course of Jumeirah Golf Estates on Sunday, Fitzpatrick (66) made a birdie on the 72nd hole of regulation play to set the mark at 18-under par.
- It is Fitzpatrick’s third DP World Tour Championship title (2016 and 2020) and a 10th DP World Tour victory in 195 starts.
Business
Samsung plans $310 bn investment to power AI expansion
Seoul, South Korea -- South Korean conglomerate Samsung unveiled on Sunday a plan to invest $310 billion over the next...
- The business group's flagship Samsung Electronics is already one of the world's top memory-chip makers, providing crucial components for the AI industry.
- South Korea is also home to SK hynix, another key player in the global semiconductor market.
Geostrategy
Israel says Gazans who landed in S. Africa unexpectedly had third-country approval
Israeli authorities said on Saturday that 153 Palestinians who turned up unexpectedly in South Africa, triggering questions from its president,...
- After landing in Johannesburg on Thursday, the Gazans were kept aboard their plane for 12 hours because they did not have departure stamps from Israel in their passports
- The home affairs ministry finally allowed the passengers to disembark when an NGO said it would provide them with accommodation
Business
Google announces $40 billion Texas investment to expand AI infrastructure
Google announced Friday a major $40 billion investment in Texas through 2027 to build new cloud computing and artificial intelligence...
- The investment will fund new data center campuses in northern Texas, adding to Google's presence in the Lone Star State that spans more than 15 years, the company said
- "Our latest investment in Texas is designed to not only support Texas' workforce, but to ensure the US retains the technical backbone to lead the world in AI," Google said
Business
EU approves ADNOC’s purchase of Germany’s Covestro
Brussels, Belgium -- The European Commission on Friday greenlit the takeover of German chemical firm Covestro by UAE state oil...
- Plastics maker Covestro accepted a bid from the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company in October, valuing the company at 12 billion euros ($14 billion).
- ADNOC has promised to inject around 1.2 billion euros into the chemicals firm through the issuance of new shares under the terms of the takeover.
Geostrategy
Saudi prince, eyeing defense pledge, to meet Trump after long US absence
Saudi Arabia is unlikely to agree to normalization with Israel at this stage, with Prince Mohammed's priority set for firmer...
- A US-Saudi investment forum spotlighting energy and artificial intelligence will take place in Washington during the prince's visit, the event's website says.
- As Riyadh embarks on ambitious tourist and entertainment projects to diversify its oil-reliant economy, it has sought to de-escalate regional tensions -- including with Iran.
Economy
Global CO2 emissions to hit record high in 2025, making 1.5°C target nearly impossible
Global fossil fuel emissions are set to hit a new high in 2025, according to research published Thursday that also...
- The annual Global Carbon Budget report looks at humanity's emissions of planet-heating CO2 from burning hydrocarbons, cement production and land use
- The failure to cut planet-heating emissions is overshadowing the COP30 in the rainforest city of Belem -- the conference taking place this week without the presence of the US
Geostrategy
Rubio says US ‘optimistic’ for UN resolution on Gaza, backing an international force
US Secretary of State said the United States was speaking with different countries on ways to "balance their interests here,...
- Rubio said the United States was speaking with different countries on ways to "balance their interests here, and how that's structured beyond just the security force."
- The United States last week started circulating the draft resolution that would follow up on a ceasefire in the two-year war championed by President Donald Trump
Geostrategy
Google denies removing W.Sahara border for Morocco users
The dotted lines illustrating the border between Western Sahara and Morocco, indicating the former's disputed territory status, have never been...
- Western Sahara is a vast mineral-rich former Spanish colony that is largely controlled by Morocco but has been claimed for decades by the pro-independence Polisario Front
- The United Nations Security Council had previously urged Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria and Mauritania to resume talks to reach a broad agreement
China’s Xi pushes Taiwan issue in call with Trump
Chinese leader Xi Jinping pressed the ever-sensitive issue of Taiwan in a phone call Monday with US President Donald Trump,...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
Biden demands assault-weapons ban after 8 killed in Texas mall rampage
Responders, distressed witnesses and police described scenes of panic and horror in Allen, where video footage shared online showed the...
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’
West has made a series of anti-Semitic comments recently, as the one-time titan of fashion and music appears to have...
Iran says no access to bombed nuclear sites without IAEA deal
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the UN's nuclear watchdog would not be given access to Iranian nuclear sites...
Geostrategy
Qatar fears collapse of Israel-Hamas ceasefire after new Gaza strikes leave five Palestinians dead
The new strikes came the morning after one of the deadliest days in the Gaza Strip since the truce began...
Geostrategy
AMD, Cisco, and HUMAIN partner to build 1 GW AI infrastructure in Saudi
Washington, DC., US – AMD, Cisco, and HUMAIN, a PIF-backed company delivering full-stack AI solutions, have announced plans to establish...
Business
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Geostrategy
Israeli strikes kill 27 in Gaza in spite of fragile truce, follows attacks targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon
The strikes were among the deadliest in Gaza since the truce entered into force last month, and came as Israel...
- Fourteen people were killed Wednesday in Gaza City in the north and 13 in the Khan Yunis area in the south, according to the territory's civil defence agency
- The highest daily toll registered since the truce took effect was on October 29, when more than 100 people were killed in Israeli strikes, according to civil defence figures
Geostrategy
COP30 dragged into clash over gender language
Negotiators say the effort -- by Paraguay, Argentina, Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia as well as the Holy See -- seeks to...
- The issue has become so sensitive that COP30's Brazilian presidency has elevated it from technical negotiations to a higher political level.
- At stake is a revamped Gender Action Plan (GAP) meant to guide work for the next decade, including efforts to mainstream gender across climate programs.
Business
Italy’s Leonardo launches joint venture with UAE defence firm
Milan, Italy -- Italian defense group Leonardo said Wednesday it had agreed to launch a joint venture next year with...
- Details of the sectors covered by the joint venture have yet to be announced.
- But it will cover a range of Leonardo's solutions "spanning sensors, system integration, and platforms", the Italian group said in a statement.