US envoy Witkoff felt ‘betrayed’ by Israeli attack on Hamas in Qatar
Washington, United States - US envoy Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's chief negotiator on the Middle East, has said that...
Geostrategy
Trump says to meet Putin in Budapest after ‘great’ call, questions Ukraine’s push for Tomahawk missiles
In his latest abrupt pivot on Russia's 2022 invasion, Trump said he expected to meet Putin in Budapest within the...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Israel bombs Rafah crowded with 1 million Palestinians
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken left Israel without securing a pause in fighting, wrapping up his fifth crisis tour...
- UN rights chief Volker Turk charged that Israel was committing a "war crime" with its reported destruction of buildings to create a "buffer zone" along the border inside Gaza.
- Hundreds of thousands of people's lives are at risk in north and central Gaza because of a lack of food, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees warned.
Disney profit beats forecasts
The company is looking to tap into the passion for video games.
- During the earnings announcement, Disney chief Robert Iger also revealed that the entertainment giant is acquiring a "small equity stake" in Fortnite-maker Epic Games
- Disney is looking to tap into the passion for video games in general and "Fortnite" in particular with a $1.5 billion stake in Epic, according to Iger
Unilever annual profit drops 15%
Group revenue dipped 0.8 percent to 59.6 billion euros.
- Chief executive Hein Schumacher said in the earnings statement that "competitiveness remains disappointing and overall performance needs to improve" at the group
- Schumacher, the former head of Dutch dairy and nutrition firm Royal FrieslandCampina, launched in October an action plan to grow Unilever
Gucci owner says profit fell 17%
Sales retreated 4 percent to 19.57 billion euros.
- Kerin reported a 17 percent drop in net profit to $3.2 billion
- Sales of the Gucci owner retreated four percent to 19.57 billion euros
Shipping giant Maersk’s profit sinks
The company warned of "uncertainty" due to Houthi attacks.
- Maersk said its net profit reached $3.8 billion last year, slightly more than forecast by analysts but down sharply from the $29.2 billion logged in 2022
- The group lowered its 2024 forecast for its core profit -- earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization -- to a range of between $1 billion and $6 billion
Pakistanis vote with Khan in jail, Sharif tipped to win
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is expected to win the most seats in Thursday's vote, with analysts saying its 74-year-old...
- Adding to the concerns about the integrity of the vote, authorities announced just before polls opened that they had suspended mobile telephone services across the country
- Pollsters had predicted a low turnout from the country's 128 million eligible voters following a lacklustre campaign overshadowed by the jailing of former prime minister Imran Khan
Geostrategy
Civilians among 11 dead in Israel strikes on Syria: monitor
Four students and a woman and her son were among the dead along with an unidentified civilian, the Observatory said,...
- Eleven people including seven civilians" and two Hizbollah fighters were killed in "Israeli bombardment" of a building in the Hamra neighborhood of Homs
- The strikes completely levelled the building in one of the city's most affluent districts, and also hit other targets linked to Iran-backed groups
Uber posts first annual net profit
The company reported $37.3 billion in sales in 2023.
- Uber booked a net profit of $1.9 billion in 2023, compared with a loss of $9.1 billion in 2022, according to a statement
- The company's shares were down slightly in trading on Wednesday, but they have doubled in value in the past year
Geostrategy
Israel PM dismisses Hamas demand for ceasefire, sets sights on Rafah
In Beirut, a senior Hamas official responded, saying Netanyahu's "insistence on continuing the aggression totally confirms that the goal... is...
- Netanyahu has ordered troops to prepare to move on the city of Rafah in Gaza's far south, where more than one million Palestinians have sought refuge
- An official from mediator Egypt told AFP that "a new round of negotiations" would start on Thursday in Cairo aimed at achieving "calm in the Gaza Strip".
Geostrategy
Iranian President Raisi accuses US of disrupting Middle East security
"The presence of US forces in our region has no justification," Raisi said in a Tehran ceremony ahead of the...
- Raisi said the US presence "in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and the region is in no way creating security. It disrupts the security in the region"
- Raisi's remarks to foreign diplomats came while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was on a regional tour for talks on the Gaza ceasefire deal
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US envoy Witkoff felt ‘betrayed’ by Israeli attack on Hamas in Qatar
Washington, United States - US envoy Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's chief negotiator on the Middle East, has said that...
Geostrategy
Company News
Trump hails Air Force One ‘gift’ from Qatar
Geostrategy
Latest News
Meta’s AI talent war raises questions about strategy
New York, United States -- Mark Zuckerberg and Meta are spending billions to recruit top artificial intelligence talent, triggering debates...
Business
Saudi Arabia to host Italian Super Cup in December
Rome, Italy -- Next season's Italian Super Cup will be played for the fourth time in Saudi Arabia but in...
Arts & Culture
Trump administration threatens new Harvard cuts over Jewish rights
New York, United States - The Trump administration on Monday accused Harvard of violating the civil rights of its Jewish...
Arts & Culture
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Arts & Culture
‘In our blood’: Egyptian women reclaim belly dance from stigma
As belly dancing gains popularity internationally, young Egyptian performers are working to restore its reputation at home, pushing back against...
- Once iconic figures of Egypt's cinematic golden age, belly dancers have watched their prestige wane, their art increasingly confined to nightclubs and wedding halls
- "No woman can be a belly dancer today and feel she's truly respected," said Safy Akef, an instructor and great-niece of dance legend Naima Akef
Geostrategy
Gaza rescuers say Israeli forces kill 48 as ceasefire calls mount
The swift resolution of Israel's 12-day war with Iran has revived hopes for a halt to the fighting in Gaza,...
- The swift resolution of Israel's 12-day war with Iran has revived hopes for a halt to the fighting in Gaza, where over 20 months of combat have created dire humanitarian conditions
- US President Trump has recently urged Israel to "make the deal in Gaza", while key mediator Qatar said that "momentum" had been created by the truce with Iran last week
Geostrategy
Iran decries ‘destructive’ conduct by IAEA chief
"The action taken by parliament members... is a natural response to the unjustified, unconstructive, and destructive conduct of the Director...
- On Wednesday, Iranian lawmakers voted in favor of a bill to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, citing Israel's June 13 attack on the Islamic republic and later strikes by the US.
- Iran has also criticized the watchdog for passing a resolution on June 12 accusing it of non-compliance with its nuclear obligations.