Ceasefire called after new Pakistan-Afghanistan clashes kill dozens
A 48-hour ceasefire between Afghanistan and Pakistan took hold late Wednesday, officials on both sides said, after dozens of troops...
Geostrategy
US Treasury chief: Beijing’s rare earths control is ‘China versus the world’
Washington, United States -- US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent slammed Beijing's rare earth export curbs Wednesday as "China versus the...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Hamas head due in Cairo for truce discussions
As Qatari and Egyptian-led mediation efforts intensified, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was due in Cairo on Thursday to discuss a...
- Hamas was reviewing a proposal for a six-week truce in its war with Israel, a source told AFP, after mediators gathered in Paris
- A Hamas source told AFP the three-stage plan would start with an initial six-week halt to the fighting that would see more aid deliveries into the Gaza Strip
Geostrategy
Efforts to pause Israel-Palestine war gain pace amid fierce fighting
Palestinian Territories - International efforts towards a new pause in the devastating Gaza war gathered pace Wednesday, as Israel bombarded...
- Hamas was reviewing a proposal for a six-week truce in its war with Israel, a source told AFP, after mediators gathered in Paris
- While talks take place, the population of Gaza is starving to death due to constraints imposed on humanitarian aid
Geostrategy
Houthi rebels target commercial vessel with a missile
Maritime security firm Ambrey said that a merchant ship had been targeted with a missile in southwest of Aden, Yemen....
- The rebels have carried out some 30 attacks on commercial shipping and naval vessels
- US forces on Wednesday destroyed a missile belonging to the Houthi rebels
Geostrategy
UN says Israel-Hamas war leaves Gaza ‘uninhabitable’
Since the relentless Israeli aerial and ground assault, triggered by Hamas's deadly October 7 attacks inside Israel, the United Nations...
- UNCTAD said Gaza was in a dire state before the war erupted, with a 17-year blockade and repeated military operations leaving around 80% of the population dependent on aid.
- It would take seven decades for the territory to return to just its 2022 GDP level even the reconstruction was started immediately.
Arts & Culture
Saudi football chief brands Mancini penalty walkout ‘unacceptable’
Doha, Qatar - The president of Saudi Arabian football said Roberto Mancini's disappearing act before the end of the penalty shootout...
- The Italian did not stick around to see South Korea's Hwang Hee-chan eliminate his Saudi side in the last 16 in Doha with the decisive spot-kick
- Roberto Mancini, 59, apologized afterwards for walking down the tunnel before their fate was sealed, saying: "I thought it was finished."
Business
GSK profit in 2023 falls
The drug maker said revenues swelled 3 percent to $38.54bn.
- Profit after tax slid sharply to £4.9 billion ($6.2 billion) last year from £14.9 billion in 2022, when it received a massive gain from the Haleon demerger
- However, underlying adjusted operating profit, excluding exceptional items, jumped 12 percent to £8.8 billion last year to beat company guidance
Geostrategy
Norway warns of consequences over UNRWA funding cut
"We urge fellow donor countries to reflect on the wider consequences of cutting their funding to UNRWA," Norwegian Foreign Minister...
- Thirteen countries, including major donors such as the United States, Germany, Britain and Sweden, have suspended funding to the UN agency
- The funding is suspended over accusations that 12 on its staff members were involved in the October 7 attack by Hamas members against Israel
Geostrategy
UN court rejects most of Ukraine’s ‘terror’ case against Russia
Kyiv had accused Moscow of being a "terrorist state" whose support for pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine was a harbinger...
- But ICJ tossed out most of Ukraine's claims, ruling only that Russia was "failing to take measures to investigate facts... regarding persons who allegedly committed an offence".
- This case predates Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The ICJ will decide on Friday whether it has jurisdiction to rule in a separate case over that war.
Business
Global stock markets swing ahead of Fed’s latest rate decision
"Markets are eagerly anticipating today's meeting from the Federal Reserve with traders looking for signs over whether a March rate...
- London and Paris rose but Frankfurt fell near the half-way stage, after a mixed showing in Asia. The dollar edged higher against the euro and yen
- Investors are hoping the Fed will begin cutting rates soon after hiking them to their highest level in more than two decades to combat inflation
Geostrategy
IMF says Red Sea shipping down one-third due to Houthi attacks
"Container shipping... has declined by almost 30 percent," said Jihad Azour, director of the IMF's Middle East and Central Asia...
- The Iran-backed Houthis have launched more than 30 attacks on commercial shipping and naval vessels since November 19, the Pentagon said on Tuesday
- Houthi attacks have prompted some shipping companies to detour around southern Africa to avoid the Red Sea, a route that carries about 12 percent of global trade
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Ceasefire called after new Pakistan-Afghanistan clashes kill dozens
A 48-hour ceasefire between Afghanistan and Pakistan took hold late Wednesday, officials on both sides said, after dozens of troops...
Geostrategy
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Trump eyes Erdogan’s help to end Ukraine war
Geostrategy
UAE top court upholds life terms for 24 convicted in mass trial
Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- The UAE supreme court has jailed 24 people for life after upholding their convictions for...
Geostrategy
Iran says no plan for new US nuclear talks, plays down impact of strikes
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi shut down what he said was "speculation" that Tehran would come to the table and...
BBC launches US paid subscription to news website
London, United Kingdom - The BBC, Britain's public broadcaster that is struggling with strained finances, on Thursday launched a paid...
Business
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Geostrategy
Spain PM Sanchez says Gaza in ‘catastrophic situation of genocide’
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Thursday said Gaza was in a "catastrophic situation of genocide" and urged the European...
- The comments represent the strongest condemnation to date by the Socialist leader, an outspoken critic of the Israeli offensive in Gaza sparked by Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel
- Sanchez mentioned a recent human rights review by the bloc's diplomatic service which, he said, addressed "the catastrophic situation of genocide unfolding in Gaza".
Arts & Culture
Cristiano Ronaldo extends contract with Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr until 2027
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Cristiano Ronaldo inked a two-year extension with Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr, the club announced Thursday, following...
- Minutes before the official confirmation, the team posted a teaser video, with the 40-year-old Ronaldo walking along a beachfront and saying: "Al Nassr forever".
- The Portuguese superstar arrived in 2023 in the kingdom to play with the club, heralding a rush of players in the latter stages of their careers to the oil-rich country.
Business
Roblox’s Grow a Garden explodes online video game numbers
Paris, France -- A gardening game created by a teenager on online platform Roblox has attracted a record 21 million...
- More than 21 million players connected to Grow a Garden at the same time on June 21, buying seeds to cultivate a little patch of virtual land, harvesting crops.
- That shattered the record held by the adrenalin-packed Fortnite, which attracted 15 million concurrent users (CCUs) during an event in late 2020.