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
13 killed in Gaza as Hamas says Israel devising pretexts to resume attacks
Izzat Al-Rishq, a member of Hamas's political bureau, reaffirmed the group's commitment to the ceasefire and said Israel "continues to...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Hizbollah commander among 10 dead in Israeli strike on Lebanon
BEIRUT, LEBANON - A Hizbollah commander, two other fighters and seven civilians were killed in an Israeli strike in south Lebanon,...
- The same Hizbollah commander had previously been targeted and wounded in an Israeli strike in the southern Lebanon town of Nabatiyeh a week earlier.
- Ali al-Debs and the other two fighters were killed Wednesday night by an IDF aircraft on a Hizbollah military structure in Nabat, the Israeli military said.
Geostrategy
Tunisia gets new central bank chief amid economic crisis
TUNIS, TUNISIA - President Kais Saied on Thursday appointed a new governor of the central bank of Tunisia, a north African...
- Fethi Zouhair Nouri, a 69-year-old member of the central bank's board, will succeed 64-year-old Marouane Abassi.
- Tunisia has grappled with a growing economic crisis following the COVID-19 pandemic, political tensions.
Geostrategy
Israel sends troops into besieged Nasser hospital in Gaza’s Khan Yunis
The raid came after days of intense fighting between troops and Hamas around the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis --...
- It has called the situation at Nasser "catastrophic", with staff unable to move bodies to the morgue because of the risks involved.
- The World Health Organization has described Nasser hospital as a critical facility "for all of Gaza", where only a minority of hospitals are even partly operational.
Business
Google AI research hub in Paris to host 300 experts
The new hub part of a trend for big tech firms to base teams in European centers.
- In recent years, Google has poured investment into its engineering facility in Zurich, which also houses AI-focused teams from Meta, Apple and Microsoft.
- The French capital has long pushed to be regarded as a cutting-edge hub for tech firms, and Meta established an AI research team there in 2015
Business
Commerzbank net profit $2.4bn
This is the bank's biggest net profit in 15 years.
- The lender said it had "benefited from strong customer business and persistently high interest rates".
- Like other European lenders, Commerzbank was boosted by the European Central Bank's unprecedented streak of rate hikes last year, aimed at taming red-hot inflation
Geostrategy
99 journalists killed in 2023, 72 in Israel-Hamas war alone
"The immense loss suffered by Palestinian journalists in this war will have long-term impacts for journalism not just in the...
- The 72 journalists killed in the Israel-Hamas conflict also include three Lebanese and two Israeli victims, the organization said
- Killings of reporters would have dropped globally year-on-year had it not been for the deaths in Gaza, Israel and Lebanon, the CPJ said
Business
IEA warns on plummeting oil stocks as growth in demand ebbs
"As the IEA celebrates its 50th anniversary this week, oil supply security remains as critical as ever," said the agency...
- The agency forecast that "the pace of expansion is set to decelerate further to 1.2 mbd in 2024, compared with 2.3 mbd last year".
- The reasons it gave for that were economic woes but also progress towards greater energy efficiency and the growing global market share of electric vehicles.
Geostrategy
Six crew members missing after cargo ship sinks in Marmara sea
The transport ministry said an empty life boat was found during the search. "The rescue operation continues to find six...
- The Batuhan A, which was bringing dry cargo from Balıkesir's Marmara Island to Bursa, sank off Imrali island, south of Istanbul
- Bursa governor Mahmut Demirtas said authorities received an "emergency" signal from the vessel but then lost contact
US allies warn Israel against ‘catastrophic’ Rafah operation
The leaders of Australia, Canada and New Zealand on Thursday warned Israel against a potentially "catastrophic" ground offensive in the...
- In the face of mounting international pressure and a death toll that Gaza authorities say has now topped 28,000, Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead
- Netanyahu has promised Israeli forces will soon conduct a "powerful" operation in Rafah -- a city filled with countless Gazans displaced by fighting elsewhere in the territory
Starlink satellites approved for use in Israel and Gaza
Access to reliable, high-speed internet will "enable potentially life-saving medical consultations via real-time video calling," UAE Foreign Ministry spokesperson Afra...
- Under the deal, Starlink will support internet access at an Emirati-run field hospital in Rafah, with further expansion in the besieged territory subject to Israeli approval
- Starlink low latency high speed connections will enable video conferencing with other hospitals and real-time remote diagnostics," Israeli Minister of Communications said
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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
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
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Hamas says ready to start Gaza ceasefire talks ‘immediately’ on US-sponsored proposal
"The movement is ready to engage immediately and seriously in a cycle of negotiations on the mechanism to put in...
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...
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...
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Geostrategy
Russia brushes off talks after largest ever drone and missile barrage on Ukraine
Russia on Friday said that it sees no immediate diplomatic way out of the war in Ukraine, hours after pummelling...
- The hours-long bombardments sent Ukrainians scurrying for shelters across the country and came after a call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin
- Trump also said he had made no progress in discussions with Putin on ending more than three years of bitter fighting since the Kremlin ordered its troops into neighbouring Ukraine
Geostrategy
Trump to sign ‘big, beautiful’ bill on US Independence Day
Trump pushed Republican lawmakers to get his unpopular "One Big Beautiful Bill" through a reluctant Congress in time for him...
- The bill, which includes massive new funding for Trump's migrant deportation drive, is the latest in a series of big political wins at home and abroad for the 79-year-old tycoon.
- Trump forced through the bill despite deep misgivings in the Republican Party -- and the vocal opposition of his billionaire former ally, Elon Musk.
Geostrategy
Over 500 killed around US and Israel-backed aid distributions in Gaza: UN
The United Nations and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation over concerns it was designed...
- An officially private effort, the GHF began operations on May 26 after Israel halted supplies into the Gaza Strip for more than two months, sparking famine warnings.
- GHF operations have been marred by chaotic scenes and near-daily reports of Israeli forces firing on people waiting to collect rations in the Palestinian territory.