Pakistan, Afghanistan officials to meet in Qatar after latest strikes
Islamabad, Pakistan - Pakistani and Afghan officials were due to meet in Qatar Saturday to seek a path back to...
Geostrategy
Turkish experts to help find bodies in Gaza, as Trump warns Hamas
Turkey has deployed dozens of disaster relief specialists to help search for bodies under the mountains of rubble in Gaza,...
Geostrategy
Business
Alibaba share buyback program up $25bn
Following the announcement, the firm's shares rise 5% in trading.
- In the quarter ending Mar 31, Alibaba posted sales of 260.3 billion yuan ($36.7 billion), up five percent year on year, the firm said -- but below analysts' forecasts.
- Based in eastern China's Hangzhou, Alibaba is a key player in the country's digital sector and is considered a barometer of consumer spending in the world's second-largest economy.
Business
Czech farmer cull 140,000 birds to halt spread of bird flu outbreak
Prague, Czech Republic - Czech farmers have killed about 140,000 birds since the start of the year in a bid to...
- The infected birds had the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu strain, which is potentially transmissible to humans
- The three commercial farms, all in central Czech Republic, have had to cull 50,000 ducks and 90,000 chicken
Geostrategy
Israeli strikes kill 10 including six civilians in Syrian city of Homs
"Ten people, including six civilians and two Hizbollah fighters, were killed in Israeli strikes on a building in the Hamra...
- Three students and a woman were among the dead, two of whom have yet to be identified, an official said
- Two Hizbollah fighters were also among the dead, a source to the Iran-backed Lebanese group confirmed to AFP
Geostrategy
Blinken in Israel voices hope for Gaza truce deal to free hostages
"There's a lot of work to be done, but we are very much focused on doing that work and hopefully...
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that if Israel presses into Gaza's far-southern Rafah, it "would exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare".
- AFPTV footage showed frantic scenes of Palestinians running for their lives, many screaming, as gunfire rang out from advancing Israeli forces in a Gaza City neighborhood.
Geostrategy
New round of Gaza negotiations to start in Cairo: Egypt source
Cairo, Egypt -- Egypt and Qatar are sponsoring a new round of negotiations to start Thursday in Cairo aimed at achieving...
- A Hamas source with knowledge of the matter confirmed the Palestinian group had agreed to the talks, with the goal of "a ceasefire, an end to the war and a prisoner exchange deal".
- The Egyptian official said Cairo was urging "both parties to show the necessary flexibility" to achieve a truce in Hamas-run Gaza.
Geostrategy
US lawmakers reject US$17.6 billion Israel aid bill
Republicans in the House of Representatives scheduled the vote after the Democratic-led Senate released a bipartisan bill Sunday pairing billions of dollars for...
- The standalone Israel bill would have provided $17.6bn in military aid for the country
- 167 Democrats voted no after Biden had threatened to wield his veto
Geostrategy
Canada announces sanctions against Hamas leaders
The move comes two weeks after Britain and the United States unveiled new coordinated asset freezes and travel bans on...
- The 11 individuals targeted by the Canadian measures include Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and its military chief Mohammed Deif
- All the sanctioned individuals were said in a statement to be "integral to the planning, funding and execution of the October 7 attacks
Business
Equinor reports 59% fall in net profit
Its earnings were US$36.2bn, half of what is was in 2022.
- The company's net profit slumped 59 percent last year to $11.9bn, dragged down by a decline in energy prices
- Anders Opedal, the company CEO, said that in 2023 the group "continued to contribute to energy security in Europe"
Business
TotalEnergies reports record annual profit
Net profit came in at $21.4 bn, an increase of 4% over 2022.
- Net profit came in at $21.4 billion, an increase of four percent over 2022, with the the energy giant proposing a 7.1 percent increase in its annual dividend
- After adjusting for non-recurring items, net profit stood at $23.2 billion, a fall of 36 percent from 2022 when the company withdrew from Russia
Arts & Culture
Iran’s long-lasting love for gemstones believed to have divine power
Common beliefs associated with gemstones are largely what motivates people to buy them, said Hassan Samimi, a lapidary at the...
- Iran's senior officials including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have often been spotted wearing rings with agate or turquoise stones
- Agate, especially from Yemen, is popular "because it is recommended by imams" who often claim it can boost livelihoods
Most Read
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
Pakistan, Afghanistan officials to meet in Qatar after latest strikes
Islamabad, Pakistan - Pakistani and Afghan officials were due to meet in Qatar Saturday to seek a path back to...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
British FM David Lammy in Turkey to bolster trade ties
Britain's top diplomat David Lammy held top-level talks in Ankara Monday that touched on developments in the Middle East and...
Geostrategy
‘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...
Arts & Culture
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,...
Geostrategy
Most Read
Business
TomTom cuts 300 jobs
The firm said it was realigning its organization as it embraces AI.
- The Amsterdam-based company was an early pioneer of digital navigation in cars, but has been struggling as people no longer use a separate device to move around..
- TomTom announced in a statement that it was "realigning its organization as it embraces artificial intelligence", resulting in "organizational changes".
Business
Meta spending big on AI talent but will it pay off?
New York, United States - Mark Zuckerberg and Meta are spending billions of dollars for top talent to make up...
- OpenAI boss Sam Altman recently lamented that Meta has offered $100 million bonuses to engineers who jump to Zuckerberg's ship, where hefty salaries await
- A few OpenAI employees have reportedly taken Meta up on the offer, joining Scale AI founder and former chief executive Alexandr Wang at the Menlo Park-based tech titan
Geostrategy
Iran-Israel war opens ‘new road’ for Mideast: US envoy to Turkey
The Iran-Israel war has opened the way to a "new road" for the Middle East in which Turkey will have...
- "The Middle East is ready to have a new dialogue, people are tired of the same old story," he said, saying it was essential for decades-long enmities to be reframed
- Barrack also said he believed there would be a ceasefire soon in the deadly Gaza war which would also speed up a shift in regional thinking