Trump issues stark warning to Israel over annexing West Bank as Rubio begins visit
"It won't happen," Trump said when asked about calls in Israel to annex the Palestinian West Bank which has been...
Geostrategy
Celebrities, AI giants urge end to quest for superintelligence capable of outsmarting humans
Signatories include the "Godfather of AI" and 2024 winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics Geoffrey Hinton; Computer Sciences Professor...
Science
Asia’s richest man takes global rich to the zoo
The three-day gala -- which saw "Umbrella" singer Rihanna perform on Friday for the first time since last year's Superbowl...
- Pop icon Rihanna and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg are among the rich and famous guests who jetted in for a three-day celebration hosted by Mukesh Ambani
- Indian media reports said the Ambani family will on Saturday host a "Walk on the Wildside", an event held outdoors in the Anant Ambani's animal rescue center
Biden announces US aid air drops in Gaza
Biden had been planning air drops for some time but Thursday's incident "certainly underscored for the president" the need to...
- US president said that he would "insist" that Israel let in more aid trucks, while it would also look at a possible "marine corridor" to deliver large amounts of aid into Gaza
- Biden said later he was "hoping" for a deal on a six-week ceasefire by the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which will start on March 10 or 11, depending on the lunar calendar
WTO talks end with no major win, throwing trade body into ‘crisis’
Speaking at the closing press conference, the Emirati chair of the so-called MC13 gathering, Thani Al Zeyoudi, acknowledged the shortcomings. "Despite...
- The outcomes of the WTO's 13th ministerial conference in Abu Dhabi highlighted the sharp divisions between the body´s 164 members amid geopolitical tensions and economic headwinds
- For her part, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said the talks came up "against an international backdrop marked by greater uncertainty than at any time I can remember."
Business
EU queries Meta about ad-free subscriptions, shadow banning
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - The EU on Friday used new regulatory powers to query Meta about ad-free subscriptions to Facebook and Instagram as...
- The European Commission made a request for information under the mammoth content moderation law known as the Digital Services Act (DSA).
- The EU has launched probes under the DSA to quiz platforms on how they are addressing concerns from consumer protection to children's activity online.
Geostrategy
Hamas says Israeli military action kills 7 hostages in Gaza
Hamas said that seven more hostages seized during its unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7 had died because...
- Hamas seized around 250 Israelis and foreigners during the October 7 attack on southern Israel.
- A spokesman for the UN agency OCHA told reporters that "if something doesn't change, a famine is almost inevitable" in Gaza.
Arts & Culture
Saudi Arabia formally launches bid for 2034 World Cup
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia formally launched its bid to host the 2034 World Cup on Friday, nearly four months...
- The bid comes two years after neighboring Qatar hosted the first World Cup in the Middle East.
- The campaign is under the slogan "Growing. Together", the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) revealed its bid logo, website, as well as a short bid film.
Geostrategy
Leftist Galloway wins MP seat in UK amid anti-Semitism allegations
London, UK- Controversial left-wing firebrand George Galloway was elected to the UK parliament on Friday after tapping into anger over the...
- Galloway, 69, first became an MP in 1987 and will return to the House of Commons for the first time since 2015 after winning the seat of Rochdale.
- Galloway put the Gaza conflict front and center of his campaign in Rochdale, north of England, which has a 30 percent Muslim population.
Business
Elon Musk files lawsuit against OpenAI over mission ‘betrayal’
Paris, France - Elon Musk has launched a legal case against OpenAI, the AI firm he helped to set up in...
- The tycoon, who left OpenAI in 2018, argued in documents filed in a San Francisco court late on Thursday that the firm was always intended as a non-profit entity
- But he said recent boardroom changes meant OpenAI was now effectively a subsidiary of software giant Microsoft, arguing that this was breach of contract
Geostrategy
UN warns famine in Gaza almost inevitable unless war changes
The UN and other humanitarian actors have not yet declared a state of famine in Gaza, despite worsening conditions in...
- "We have to look at what more and more voices, more and more loudly, are saying about the food security situation across the Gaza Strip, in particular in the north," said Laerke.
- Laerke cited the near-total closure of commercial food imports, the "trickle of trucks" coming in with food aid, and the "massive access constraints" to moving around inside Gaza.
Business
VW’s 2023 operating profit $24.4bn
An increase in sales in North America and Europe lifted the profits.
- In all, Volkswagen delivered some 9.2 million cars to customers in 2023, an improvement of 12 percent.
- The auto giant's units sold rose by 20 percent in Europe and in the North America region by 18 percent.
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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
Trump issues stark warning to Israel over annexing West Bank as Rubio begins visit
"It won't happen," Trump said when asked about calls in Israel to annex the Palestinian West Bank which has been...
Geostrategy
Company News
Morocco set for sheepless Eid as drought persists
Arts & Culture
Trump bans visas for new foreign students at Harvard
Arts & Culture
Muslim pilgrims pray at Mount Arafat in hajj apex
Arts & Culture
Latest News
Million-plus pilgrims to begin hajj under blazing sun
Arts & Culture
Drone attack shuts Iraq oil field run by US company
Arbil, Iraq -- A drone strike forced a US company to suspend operations at an oil field in Iraq's autonomous...
Geostrategy
Lavrov meets Xi in Beijing: Russian foreign ministry
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with China's leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Tuesday, Moscow said, as the top Russian...
Geostrategy
Egypt grand museum delay puts tourism hopes on hold
Cairo, Egypt - In the shadow of the Grand Egyptian Museum, souvenir shop owner Mona has been readying for the...
Arts & Culture
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Geostrategy
Trump gives Russia 50 days to make Ukraine deal or face new economic sanctions
US President Donald Trump told Russia on Monday to end its Ukraine war within 50 days or face massive new...
- Trump said he was "very, very unhappy" with Vladimir Putin, underlining his insistence that his patience had finally snapped with the Russian leader's refusal to end war
- "We're going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don't have a deal in 50 days, tariffs at about 100 percent," Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary General
Geostrategy
Japan’s World Barber Classic tries to bring back business
Tokyo, Japan -- Hundreds of rowdy spectators, many heavily tattooed, roared Monday at a Tokyo arena usually reserved for boxing...
- A dozen Japanese and foreign contestants were taking part in the World Barber Classic, showing off their hairdressing skills surrounded by national flags.
- The event is part of a bid by Japan's struggling barber industry to attract young male clients lost in recent years to hair salons, which are popular for their high-quality service
Geostrategy
Mediators working to bridge gaps in faltering Gaza truce talks
The indirect negotiations in Qatar appear deadlocked after both sides blamed the other for blocking a deal for the release...
- "Discussions are currently focused on the proposed maps for the deployment of Israeli forces within Gaza," said an official with knowledge of the talks.
- "Mediators are actively exploring innovative mechanisms to bridge the remaining gaps and maintain momentum in the negotiations," the source added on condition of anonymity.