Lavrov and Rubio discuss Putin-Trump summit, Zelensky seeks invite to the meeting
Russia's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov and US counterpart Marco Rubio discussed preparations for an upcoming summit between Vladimir Putin and...
Geostrategy
US soliciting new bids for Moon mission amid SpaceX delays: NASA chief
The US space agency's Artemis program hopes to return humans to the Moon as China forges ahead with a rival...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Brazil summons Israeli ambassador as Gaza row escalates
The Brazilian foreign ministry said it has also recalled its own ambassador from Tel Aviv for consultations, after Israel summoned...
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Lula had "crossed a red line"
- The leftist leader has also faced backlash at home over his statements
Geostrategy
Israel says Brazil’s Lula ‘persona non grata’ for Holocaust remarks
Lula's remarks on Sunday sparked outcry in Israel after the Brazilian leader said the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip...
- Brazilian president on Sunday said the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip "isn't a war, it's a genocide" and compared it to "when Hitler decided to kill the Jews"
- "He's persona non grata in the state of Israel so long as he doesn't retract his remarks and apologize," Israeli foreign minister Katz said of Brazilian leader
Business
Saudi open banking market expected to hit $43bn by 2026: El-Kuwaiz
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's open banking market is expected to expand from $7 billion in 2018 to around...
- El-Kuwaiz announced this at the conclusion of the Open Banking Hackathon, held here between February 4 and 19.
- A study has anticipated rise in the market value of training from SAR788 million to approximately SAR1 billion by 2026, he added.
Geostrategy
‘160-year-old story’: Abraham Lincoln pardoned Joe Biden’s ancestor
The "slender sheaf of 22 well-preserved pages of his trial transcript, unobtrusively squeezed among many hundreds of other routine court-martial...
- A record detail the trial of Moses J. Robinette after a fight with fellow Union Army civilian employee John J. Alexander on March 21, 1864
- The two men scuffled, and Robinette drew his pocketknife, leaving Alexander with several cuts before others intervened, according to the documents
Geostrategy
Gaza war effect: Israel’s GDP shrinks by 20% in the last quarter of 2023
Overall, Israel's GDP grew by 2.0 percent in 2023, short of the 2.3 percent projection made by the Bank of...
- It was the single worst quarter for the Israeli economy in terms of GDP per capita since the opening quarter of the Covid pandemic in early 2020.
- The country has seen massive labor shortages and the collapse of the tourism industry since the outbreak of war.
Business
Passenger traffic could exceed earlier figures, says Dubai Airports’ CEO
DUBAI, UAE – The airport here has "every chance" of breaking its record for passenger traffic this year after surpassing pre-pandemic...
- Dubai International, the world's busiest airport for international passengers for nearly a decade, hit 87 million visits in 2023.
- Dubai Airports' official forecast for 2024 stands at 88.8 million passengers, despite the Israel- Hamas war which began in October.
Booed Israeli swimmer says she felt safe in Qatar
Israeli swimmer Anastasia Gorbenko faced crowd jeering at Qatar's World Acquatics Championships after winning a silver medal in the women's...
- Gorbenko took silver in the 400m freestyle but the crowd in Qatar whistled when she went up to collect her medal
- Israeli swimmer said she had no misgivings about going up to collect her medal, despite the hostile reception
Geostrategy
Palestinians accuse Israel of ‘apartheid’ at UN top court
"The Palestinians have endured colonialism and apartheid... There are those who are enraged by these words. They should be enraged...
- Nations including the United States, Russia, and China will address judges at the Peace Palace in The Hague, seat of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
- The minister urged the court to declare the occupation illegal and order it to stop "immediately, totally and unconditionally."
Geostrategy
Norway deal averts Palestinian financial collapse: govt
The portion of the revenues that Israel will transfer to Norway will remain in a Norwegian account until the parties...
- Under a 1994 agreement, the PA receives taxes that Israel collects on its behalf -- but Israel has withheld some of these since Hamas's attack
- The Palestinian Authority has refused to accept any transfers unless Israel changes its decision, an impasse that has lasted for several months
Geostrategy
Qatar minister urges Gaza ceasefire to end Red Sea insecurity
The Houthis, who control vast swathes of Yemen, have said the attacks, beginning in November, have targeted vessels linked to...
- Many companies have chosen to divert their vessels to avoid the Red Sea
- US and UK strikes on Houthi targets have failed to halt the rebel attacks
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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
Lavrov and Rubio discuss Putin-Trump summit, Zelensky seeks invite to the meeting
Russia's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov and US counterpart Marco Rubio discussed preparations for an upcoming summit between Vladimir Putin and...
Geostrategy
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Trump warns of 10% additional tariff for countries aligning with BRICS’ policies
BRICS leaders on Sunday described Trump's stop-start tariff wars as "indiscriminate", damaging, and illegal, drawing a quick rebuke from the...
Geostrategy
Pro-Kurdish MPs to meet Erdogan after Ocalan talks
Lawmakers from the pro-Kurdish DEM party were to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday for talks described by...
Geostrategy
Israel: Ultra-Orthodox conscription threatens Netanyahu’s coalition
Jerusalem, Undefined - The Israeli army announced Sunday that it would begin sending draft notices to 54,000 ultra-Orthodox Jewish men...
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Netanyahu says Trump meeting could ‘advance’ Gaza ceasefire deal ahead of Doha talks
Speaking before boarding Israel's state jet bound for Washington, Netanyahu said: "We are working to achieve this deal that we...
- Under mounting pressure to end the war, now approaching its 22nd month, the Israeli premier is scheduled to sit down on Monday with Trump
- Speaking before boarding Israel's state jet bound for Washington, Netanyahu said: "We are working to achieve this deal that we have discussed."
Geostrategy
BRICS call for ‘unconditional’ Gaza ceasefire, condemn air strikes on Iran
The BRICS also called for a "full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and all other parts of...
- The bloc's statement came as Gaza truce talks between Israel and Hamas resumed in Doha, and as pressure mounted to end the war.
- The BRICS gathering includes Israel's arch foe Iran, but also nations like Russia, which have close ties with the country.
Business
Eyeing early release, prison inmates produce Bulgaria’s coveted dairy products
Smolyan, Bulgaria -- At a prison nestled deep in Bulgaria's southern Rhodope mountains, Georgi Filyanov stirs a large tank of...
- From tending to herds of goats and cows, to making white cheese, prisoners are involved throughout the entire process.
- Coveted by cheese lovers and often sold out at specialty stores outside prison, production has not been able to keep up with demand.