Banana taped to a wall sells for $6.2 million
The provocative work of conceptual art by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan debuted at the Art Basel show in Miami Beach...
Arts & Culture
Iraq holds its first census in nearly 40 years
The Iraqi census is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, and will provide sorely needed up-to-date demographic data for the country...
Geostrategy
Saudi-hosted summit says Mideast peace requires end to Israeli occupation
The summit's closing statement said that "a just and comprehensive peace in the region... cannot be achieved without ending the...
- The international community should "launch a plan with specific steps and timing under international sponsorship" to make a sovereign Palestinian state a reality, it added.
- The leaders also condemned "horrific and shocking crimes" by Israel's army, saying they occurred "in the context of the crime of genocide".
Business
Avia to buy 40 Boeing aircraft
The transaction for the purchase of 737 MAX 8 jets valued at $4.9bn.
- Avia's first firm order with the aviation giant comes with an option to add another 40 jets later, Boeing and Avia said in a statement.
- The purchase announcement came shortly after striking workers at Boeing last week approved a new contract proposal, ending a more than seven-week stoppage that cost it billions
Economy
World leaders meet for climate talks, but big names missing
Dozens of world leaders convene in Azerbaijan on Tuesday for COP29 but many big names are skipping the UN climate...
- Heads of some of the most powerful and polluting economies are not attending
- Top priority at COP29 is boosting funding for climate action in developing countries
World leaders meet for climate talks, but big names missing raising concerns over global climate commitment
The small group of developed countries that currently contributes the money wants the donor pool expanded to include other rich...
- More than 75 leaders are expected in Baku over two days but the heads of some of the most powerful and polluting economies are not attending this year's summit
- Just a handful of leaders from the G20 -- which accounts for nearly 80 percent of planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions -- are expected in Azerbaijani capital
Geostrategy
Donald Trump ramps up transition moves with key appointments
President-elect Donald Trump is tapping loyalists for several key posts after signaling his desire to have his cabinet confirmed without...
- Trump has promised to carry out the "biggest deportation operation in the history of our country"
- New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik got the nod for UN ambassador, while Stephen Miller might serve as deputy chief of staff
Geostrategy
Saudi Crown Prince says Israel must not attack Iran, expresses shock over war crimes in Gaza
Indicating improving ties between the two major powerhouses in the Middle East, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged international community...
- International community should oblige Israel "to respect the sovereignty of the sisterly Islamic Republic of Iran.."
- Riyadh and Tehran are warming their relationship, and this is a very different regional environment, says expert.
Geostrategy
Saudi crown prince demands Gaza, Lebanon ceasefires at Arab summit
Prince Salman also called on Israel not to attack Iran, highlighting improving ties between Saudi Arabia and its former regional...
- Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the international community must "immediately halt the Israeli actions against our brothers in Palestine and Lebanon".
- A draft resolution for the summit stresses "firm support" for "national rights" for the Palestinian people, "foremost among which is their right to freedom".
Economy
COP29 opens with Trump climate withdrawal looming
he COP29 climate talks open Monday in Azerbaijan, under the long shadow cast by Donald Trump's re-election. Trump has pledged...
- Fears of an imminent US departure from the landmark Paris Agreement
- US$100 billion-a-year target to help developing nations prepare for worsening climate impacts
Arts & Culture
Portraits of pain: smuggled Palestinian art shows trauma of Gaza
Smuggled art pieces from Gaza are on display in an exhibition in Amman showcasing pain, suffering and a strong resolve...
- The paintings document the brutality of war and massacres… carrying pain and sorrow and also a strong resolve and determination
- The exhibition in Jordan features 79 artworks crafted from improvised materials including medicine wrappers
Geostrategy
Saudi hosts Muslim nations to discuss war in the Middle East with Trump in the equation
Arab and Muslim leaders are gathering in Saudi capital city Riyadh to discuss Israeli war against Gaza and Lebanon in...
- Summit in Saudi Arabia is an opportunity for Muslim leaders to show signal what they want and expect from the incoming Trump administration
- Israeli strikes on Sunday killed dozens in Gaza and Lebanon as US deadline for Israel to improve aid delivery is on Wednesday
Banana taped to a wall sells for $6.2 million
The provocative work of conceptual art by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan debuted at the Art Basel show in Miami Beach...
Arts & Culture
Company News
Latest News
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...
Egypt’s middle class cuts costs as IMF-backed reforms take hold
Cairo, Egypt -- Egypt's economy has been in crisis for years, but as the latest round of International Monetary Fund-backed reforms...
Economy
Magritte’s ‘Empire of Light’ to fetch nearly $100m at New York auction
New York, United States -- With a Magritte painting estimated to sell for nearly $100 million, drawings by pop artist Keith...
Arts & Culture
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...
Most Read
Xi, Biden in Peru for APEC summit, pre-Trump face-to-face
uncertainty over Trump's next moves now clouds the APEC agenda -- as it does for the COP29 climate talks underway...
- President Vladimir Putin of APEC member Russia will not be present
- Trump has threatened tariffs of up to 60 percent on imports of Chinese goods
Business
TikTok makes AI driven ad tool available globally
San Francisco, United States - TikTok on Thursday began letting all marketers on its platform use an artificial intelligence-powered tool for...
- The news came with word that Getty Images will make its stockpile of pictures and video available to TikTok's AI‑powered video generation tool called Symphony Creative Studio
- Brands will be able to use Getty's licensed images and videos to create AI-generated ads, including marketing messages featuring characters resembling real people
Geostrategy
Lebanon economic losses top $5 billion in year of clashes: World Bank
Beirut, Lebanon -- More than a year of clashes that recently escalated into war have cost Lebanon more than $5 billion...
- The losses are "largely concentrated in the commerce and tourism and hospitality sectors... as well as in the agriculture sector", the Bank said in a report.
- "The final cost of damage and losses for Lebanon associated with the conflict is expected to significantly exceed those presented in this assessment," the report said.