Cash-strapped Gazans left disappointed as first banks reopen
Deir el-Balah, Palestinian Territories -- The Palestinians trying to rebuild their lives in the ruins of Gaza are short of...
Geostrategy
Israel receives bodies of two more hostages returned by Hamas
The issue of hostage bodies still in Gaza has become a sticking point in the ceasefire implementation, with Israel linking...
Geostrategy
Arts & Culture
Riyadh to host Saudi’s first snooker event in 2024
London, UK - Saudi Arabia will stage its first ranking snooker event in 2024, with a prize pool of more than...
- The inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters will trail only the World Championship in terms of prize money
- A 10-year deal has been agreed for the event, which will take place from August 31 to September 7 in Riyadh
Geostrategy
Iran fires first ship-based long-range ballistic missiles
TEHRAN, IRAN - Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Tuesday it has launched long-range ballistic missiles from a warship...
- The Iranian military exercises come at a time of regional tensions since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7.
- Iran does not recognize Israel and has long fought a shadow war of killings and sabotage against it.
Geostrategy
Israel faces growing pressure over Gaza ceasefire as toll hits 28,473
CIA director William Burns met with Mossad chief David Barnea in Cairo for a new round of talks on a...
- The Cairo meeting came after the United States and the United Nations warned Israel against a ground offensive into Rafah without a plan to protect civilians.
- Other countries cautioned Israel against a Rafah ground assault, including China, Germany and Norway, while Italy said Israel's bombing in Gaza had been "disproportionate".
Business
EU adopts fallow land exemption after farmer protests
Brussels, Belgium - The European Commission on Tuesday officially extended an exemption from contested rules to leave a share of agricultural...
- The EU acknowledged that a combination of geopolitics and extreme weather meant farmers were struggling to meet the fallow land rule
- The fallow land rule was imposed as part of the bloc's common agricultural policy to promote biodiversity
Geostrategy
Global conflicts herald ‘dangerous decade’, says military think-tank
"The current military-security situation heralds what is likely to be a more dangerous decade, characterized by the brazen application by...
- The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said in its annual "Military Balance" report that the world has entered "a highly volatile security environment",
- Elsewhere, the annual report said that Iran's supply of missiles to Houthi rebels in Yemen and drones to Russia highlighted Tehran's growing influence in conflict zones
Business
Bitcoin crosses $50,000 for first time since 2021
The cryptocurrency has enjoyed a strong run-in recent month, fueled by expectations US lawmakers would allow the creation of exchange-traded...
- After dropping in reaction to last month's green light by Washington, bitcoin has rallied about 25%
- That advance saw it hit as much as $50,328, according to Bloomberg data, its highest level since late 2021
Business
Michelin posts record operating profits
Sales at the French firm dipped last year to US$30.5bn.
- Sales by volume dropped by 4.7 percent but Michelin said this reflected its strategy of prioritizing markets and business segments
- Sales of premium and big tyres, in particular for SUVs, helped improve the company's performance, as did a drop in costs for raw materials
Economy
COP hosts UAE, Azerbaijan, Brazil announce climate ‘troika’
The UAE hosted last year's COP28 conference in Dubai, while Azerbaijan will host this year's summit followed by Brazil in...
- The UAE, Brazil and Azerbaijan were mandated by 198 signatories to the Dubai agreement to work together on a roadmap to limit global warming to 1.5 C
- The 1.5-degree Celsius limit will probably be reached between 2030 and 2035, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Geostrategy
Israeli air strike wounds Hizbollah official in Lebanon
Hizbollah and Israeli army have traded near-daily fire since war broke out on October 7 between Israel and the Palestinian...
- Hizbollah also said four of its fighters were killed in an Israeli strike
- Cross-border fire since the start of the Israel-Hamas war has killed at least 238 people in Lebanon
Geostrategy
UN ‘won’t be party’ to forced displacement in Gaza: spokesman
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered his military to prepare for an offensive in the southern Gaza city, where...
- Israeli prime minister pledged to provide "safe passage" for civilians out of Rafah
- Guterres' spokesman said that people can't go back to areas littered with unexploded ordnance
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Cash-strapped Gazans left disappointed as first banks reopen
Deir el-Balah, Palestinian Territories -- The Palestinians trying to rebuild their lives in the ruins of Gaza are short of...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
Iran announces opening of its airspace after war: state media
Iran announced Thursday that it has reopened its airspace, including over Tehran, after closing it on June 13 due to...
Geostrategy
Russia becomes first country to recognise Taliban
Afghanistan's government said on Thursday that Russia had become the first country to officially recognise its rule, calling it a...
Geostrategy
Trump says ‘didn’t make any progress’ with Putin on ending Ukraine war
US President Donald Trump said he made no progress with Vladimir Putin on ending the Ukraine war in a call...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
Arab Parliament condemns Israeli West Bank annexation statements
Cairo, Egypt -- Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Yamahi, President of the Arab Parliament, has strongly condemned and rejected the dangerous...
- Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Yamahi, President of the Arab Parliament, called these statements a violation of international law.
- Al Yamahi stressed that these statements reflect the colonial expansionist approach pursued by the Israeli government.
Geostrategy
Japan plans ‘world first’ deep-sea mineral extraction from Jan
Tokyo, Japan -- Japan will from January attempt to extract rare earth minerals from the ocean floor in the deepest...
- Earlier this week the country pledged to work with the United States, India and Australia to ensure a stable supply of critical minerals.
- Rare earths -- 17 metals difficult to extract from the Earth's crust -- are used in everything from electric vehicles to hard drives, wind turbines and missiles.
Geostrategy
Israeli forces kill 69 Palestinians in Gaza, including those sheltering in a school
They included 38 people waiting for humanitarian aid at three separate locations in central and southern Gaza and a child...
- Another 15 people, "the majority of them children and women", were killed and several others wounded in an Israeli air strike on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City.
- Israel has recently expanded its military operations in Gaza, creating dire humanitarian conditions and displaced nearly all of the territory's population of 2 million.