Trial opens in Klarna’s $8.3 billion lawsuit against Google
Stockholm, Sweden -- A Swedish court began hearing arguments Monday in a lawsuit brought by Swedish price comparison site Pricerunner,...
Geostrategy
Publishers fight back against US book bans
Frankfurt, Germany -- Escalating attempts to remove works featuring themes such as LGBTQ lifestyles and race relations from US bookshelves...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Recognizing Palestine state not a taboo for France, says Macron
"The recognition of a Palestinian state is not a taboo for France," he said at a joint press conference in...
- His comments come after Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a plan for international recognition of such a state, following reports of such an initiative in The Washington Post.
- Macron also repeated a warning against Israel attacking the city of Rafah, the southernmost point in the besieged and bombarded Palestinian territory of Gaza.
Geostrategy
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny dies in prison
Western governments immediately attacked the Kremlin over the death of the most outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin. Navalny lost...
- The 47-year-old was Russia's most prominent opposition leader and won a huge following with his criticism of corruption in Vladimir Putin's Russia.
- Navalny's exposes, posted on his YouTube channel racked up millions of views and brought tens of thousands of Russians to the streets, despite Russia's harsh anti-protests laws..
Geostrategy
5 die in Israeli-raided hospital after oxygen cut: Gaza ministry
Palestinian Territories -- The health ministry in Gaza said five patients died Friday due to lack of oxygen at one...
- A witness, who declined to be named out of fear for their safety, said army snipers shot "at anyone who moved inside the hospital".
- Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Thursday that shelling of the hospital had forced its staff to flee, leaving patients behind.
Business
NatWest profit soars 32%
The British bank's net profit jumped to US$5.5bn in 2023.
- The bank said that Paul Thwaite would become permanent chief executive in the wake of boardroom turmoil
- Thwaite takes over from Alison Rose, who resigned as CEO in July after admitting a "serious error of judgment"
Big firms with $7trn exit climate investment pressure group
Launched in 2017, Climate Action 100+ aims to work with companies to halve their greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, through...
- JPMorgan Asset Management, which manages $3.1 trillion in assets, has not renewed its membership in Climate Action 100+
- BlackRock, the world's biggest asset manager, is also scaling back its work with the group, a spokesperson confirmed
Geostrategy
A royal decree dissolves Kuwait parliament as political wrangling persists
Kuwait City, Kuwait--Kuwait dissolved parliament on Thursday after a protracted stalemate between cabinet ministers and lawmakers dragged on despite the accession...
- According to KUNA, the official news agency, a "royal decree was issued to dissolve the national assembly" elected in June of 2023
- The royal decree came after ministers boycotted a parliamentary session on Wednesday, objecting to a speech delivered by a lawmaker
Geostrategy
In Egypt, Brazil’s president denounces Israel’s Gaza war
Speaking before an Arab League meeting in Cairo, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, on his second trip to Egypt...
- The Brazilian leader said in the speech "stop the collective punishment"
- Lula, in November, accused Israel of committing the "equivalent of terrorism" in Gaza
Geostrategy
Israel PM spurns global recognition of a Palestinian state
In a post in Hebrew on social media platform X, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Jewish country...
- His comments follow a similar rejection by far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir
- The Washington Post reported that the US and Arab diplomats were working on a plan for peace
Geostrategy
Record number of West Bank outposts set up in 2023, says Israel NGO
Jerusalem - Israeli settlers established a record number of wildcat outposts in the occupied West Bank in 2023, a watchdog...
- Twenty-six settlements not recognized by the Israeli government were established last year, including around 10 since the war in the Gaza Strip broke out.
- Peace Now said 2023 saw the highest number of wildcat outposts -- those established without the approval of the Israeli authorities -- since it began in 1996.
Geostrategy
Indian PM Modi seeks enhancing of ties in Qatar visit
Doha, Qatar - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday committed to strengthening ties with Qatar during his first visit to...
- The visit follows the release earlier this month of eight Indian ex-navy personnel arrested by Qatar and sentenced to death, according to India's foreign ministry.
- The premier also thanked Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani for hosting the 800,000-strong Indian community in the tiny Gulf state.
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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
Trial opens in Klarna’s $8.3 billion lawsuit against Google
Stockholm, Sweden -- A Swedish court began hearing arguments Monday in a lawsuit brought by Swedish price comparison site Pricerunner,...
Geostrategy
Company News
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AI robots pluck weeds in California fields, make up for shortage of laborers
Los Banos, United States -- Oblivious to the punishing midday heat, a wheeled robot powered by the sun and infused...
Business
Turkey opens Spotify probe after ‘provocative playlist’ complaint
Istanbul, Turkey - Turkey's competition authority has launched an investigation into Spotify for anti-competitive practices as a deputy minister demanded...
Arts & Culture
Britain reestablishes full Syria ties as FM David Lammy visits Damascus
In 2011, Britain was among the first countries to acknowledge rebel groups as the official Syrian government after then-president Bashar...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
Israel minister says army will ‘ensure Iran cannot threaten’ country again
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the army must draw up a plan to prevent Iran from threatening Israel again...
- "The army must prepare on the intelligence and operational level to ensure that the air force maintains air superiority over Tehran, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said
- Israel launched a bombing campaign against Iran on June 13 following a decades-long shadow war, saying it aimed to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon
Geostrategy
Syria ready to work with US to return to 1974 disengagement deal with Israel
Syria said on Friday it was willing to cooperate with the United States to reimplement the 1974 disengagement agreement with...
- Washington has been driving diplomatic efforts towards a normalisation deal between Syria and Israel, with envoy Thomas Barrack saying last week that peace between the two was now
- Speaking to The New York Times, Barrack confirmed this week that Syria and Israel were engaging in "meaningful" US-brokered talks to end their conflict
Geostrategy
Settlers and Palestinians clash in West Bank village
Sinjil, Palestinian Territories - Dozens of Israeli settlers and Palestinians clashed Friday in the occupied West Bank village of Sinjil,...
- AFP journalists saw local residents and activists begin their march before locals reported that settlers had appeared on a hill belonging to the village
- Palestinian youths marched towards the hill to drive away the settlers, setting a fire at its base while the settlers threw rocks from the high ground