Deja vu? Trump accused of economic denial and physical decline
Washington, United States -- An aging president faces poor poll numbers and suspicions about his health but insists that America...
Economy
Trump vows revenge after troops in Syria killed in alleged IS ambush
The deadly attack had been "an ambush by a lone ISIS gunman," who was "engaged and killed," US Central Command...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
US private sector lost 32,000 jobs last month in surprise drop
President Donald Trump has been touting the economy's health, and forecasts had incorrectly predicted the monthly data would show a...
- "Hiring has been choppy of late as employers weather cautious consumers and an uncertain macroeconomic environment," ADP chief economist Nela Richardson said.
- "While November's slowdown was broad-based, it was led by a pullback among small businesses."
Business
OpenAI declares ChatGPT ‘code red’ over stiff competition: report
Washington, United States -- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has declared a company-wide "code red" as its ChatGPT technology faces stiff...
- Altman told employees that the company was "at a critical time for ChatGPT," and that resources must be devoted to fending off the new competition to its chatbot.
- Altman said that other projects would now be delayed, including a plan to introduce advertising to the chatbot.
Business
Amazon unveils new AI chip in battle against Nvidia
San Francisco, United States -- Amazon Web Services launched its in-house-built Trainium3 AI chip on Tuesday, marking a significant push...
- The move intensifies competition in the AI chip market, where Nvidia currently dominates with an estimated 80- to 90-percent market share.
- AWS also announced it is already developing Trainium4, expected to deliver at least three times the performance of Trainium3 for standard AI workloads.
Economy
Saudi powers forward with deficit spending to fund reforms
The Arab world's largest economy is overseeing a major push to slash its dependence on oil revenues, with officials pouring...
- The state's general budget for 2026 would have total expenditures of 1.313 trillion riyals (350.1 billion dollars).
- The projected deficit amounts to 3.3 percent of GDP, which is lower than the deficit of 245 billion riyals estimated for 2025.
Economy
Saudi powers forward with deficit spending to fund diversification of its oil-dependent economy
Saudi Arabia greenlit its 2026 budget Tuesday, projecting a deficit of 165 billion riyals ($44 billion) as the kingdom presses...
- The Arab world's largest economy is overseeing a major push to slash its dependence on oil revenues, with officials pouring billions into projects to attract investment and tourism
- The budget figures will be keenly watched by energy industry experts, with the hopes of gleaning insights into where Saudi Arabia expects oil revenues to head in the near future
Geostrategy
If Europe wants war with Russia, ‘we are ready,’ says Putin as he meets US envoys over Ukraine deal
Washington has presented a 28-point draft to end the conflict, later amended after criticism from Kyiv and Europe, which viewed...
- The comments came as US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner were in Moscow for high-stakes talks on ending the nearly four-year war
- "They have no peaceful agenda, they are on the side of war," he added, repeating his claim that European leaders were hindering US attempts to broker peace in Ukraine
Business
Amazon tests ‘ultra-fast’ deliveries in two US cities
San Francisco, United States - Amazon on Monday began testing "ultra-fast" deliveries in two US cities, giving some shoppers the...
- Amazon is piloting its new “Amazon Now” feature in select neighbourhoods, offering items ranging from groceries to electronics
- Delivery fees for the ultra-fast service start at $3.99 for Prime members and $13.99 for non-members
Business
Bid by Netflix for Warner Bros Discovery signals streaming giant’s ambition to dominate global content production
Streaming giant Netflix has made a mostly cash offer to buy TV and film group Warner Bros Discovery as the...
- Netflix joined Paramount Skydance and Comcast, the owner of NBCUniversal, in a second round of an auction that was being negotiated throughout the US Thanksgiving holiday
- The parent company of HBO, CNN and the Warner Bros film studio officially put itself up for sale in October after receiving multiple unsolicited offers
Geostrategy
Trump warns Israel not to ‘interfere’ in Syria, days after deadly operation killed 13 people
"It is very important that Israel maintain a strong and true dialogue with Syria, and that nothing takes place that...
- "It is very important that Israel maintain a strong and true dialogue with Syria, and that nothing takes place that will interfere with Syria's evolution into a prosperous State,"
- Trump spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and invited him for another White House visit, Netanyahu's office said shortly after Trump issued the warning
Geostrategy
Trump says US freeze on asylum decisions will last ‘a long time’
US President Donald Trump said Sunday his administration intends to maintain a pause on asylum decisions for "a long time"...
- "We don't want those people," Trump said. "You know why we don't want them? Because many have been no good, and they shouldn't be in our country."
- The Trump administration issued the pause in the aftermath of the shooting in Washington on November 26, that left 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom dead and another guardsman wounded
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
Deja vu? Trump accused of economic denial and physical decline
Washington, United States -- An aging president faces poor poll numbers and suspicions about his health but insists that America...
Economy
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...
UNRWA chief denounces Israeli police’s seizure of agency’s Jerusalem assets
The compound in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem has been empty of UNRWA staff since January, when the law banning its operations...
Geostrategy
AI tools help choose best embryos, increase success rate for IVF
Paris, France -- Artificial intelligence tools can now help choose the most promising embryos for in vitro fertilisation (IVF), although...
Science
Saudi Arabia, Qatar sign high-speed rail deal to link capitals
The train would reach speeds exceeding 300 kilometers per hour and the trip would take roughly two hours between Riyadh...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
US-Israel-Qatar meeting seeks to salvage Gaza peace deal amid strain over Israeli strike on Doha
Axios also reported White House envoy Steve Witkoff hosted the meeting, with Mossad spy chief David Barnea representing Israel and...
- Two sources told US news outlet Axios it was "the highest level meeting between the countries since the deal to end the war in Gaza, for which Qatar served as a key mediator."
- Axios also reported White House envoy Steve Witkoff hosted the meeting, with Mossad spy chief David Barnea representing Israel and an unnamed senior Qatari official in attendance
Geostrategy
Mediators Qatar and Egypt call for next steps in fragile Gaza truce
"Now we are at the critical moment... A ceasefire cannot be completed unless there is a full withdrawal of the...
- Hamas said on Saturday that it was ready to hand over its weapons in the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian authority on the condition that the Israeli army's occupation ends.
- Qatar, alongside Egypt and the United States, helped secure the long-elusive truce, which remains delicate as Israel and Hamas accuse each other of breaching its terms.
Economy
Divided US Fed set for contentious interest rate meeting
When the Fed last met in October, Chair Jerome Powell asserted that another rate cut in December was "not a...
- Minutes from the Fed's most recent meeting showed many officials expect a further uptick in underlying goods inflation as President Donald Trump's tariffs bite.
- But recent comments from leading Fed officials also reflected support for cutting again because of a weakening labor market, even though inflation is still above Fed's 2% target.