OpenAI announces Broadcom deal as spending spree continues
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, announced Monday it is teaming up with chip giant Broadcom to design and build its...
Business
AI or inequality tipped for economics Nobel
Stockholm, Sweden - The Nobel economics prize wraps up the 2025 season when it is announced on Monday, as experts...
Economy
Geostrategy
Two dead in US strikes against Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq
The US strikes come against an already explosive regional backdrop, fueled by the war in Gaza between Washington's ally Israel...
- The strikes came just days after US troops in western Iraq were targeted with ballistic missiles and rockets in an attack the Pentagon blamed on militants supported by Tehran
- According to Iraqi sources, US strikes targeted Ketaeb Hizbollah in the Jurf al-Sakhr area south of the capital Baghdad, as well as in the Al-Qaim region on the border with Syria
Iran’s Raisi flies to Turkey for delayed Gaza talks
Planned talks in Ankara in early January were called off when twin blasts claimed by IS group jihadists killed 89...
- Raisi's visit to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan comes with the war in Gaza starting to enflame tensions and escalate fighting across the Middle East
- The Turkish presidency said the two leaders would appear at a press conference after holdings talks and chairing a meeting of their top ministers during the one-day visit
Business
ASML profit soars to US$8.5bn
It has shrugged off geopolitical tensions to post high profits.
- Its CEO Peter Wennink said in a statement that the semiconductor industry continues to work through the bottom of the cycle
- It is one of the top manufacturers of equipment to make state-of-the-art semiconductor chips, which power mobile phones and cars
Geostrategy
US strikes two Houthi missiles in Yemen: military
US and Britain have carried out two rounds of joint strikes aimed at reducing the Houthis' ability to target shipping,...
- CENTCOM said the missiles were aimed into the Southern Red Sea and ready to be fired
- Houthis began striking Red Sea shipping in November in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza
Trump closes in on Biden rematch after New Hampshire win
Despite now adding New Hampshire to his previous easy victory in Iowa, Trump kept to his hard-right messaging, with no...
- With votes around 60 percent counted, Trump's winning margin hovered at around 11 percentage points, but his sole remaining challenger Nikki Haley vowed to fight on
- In a rambling victory speech Trump, 77, attacked Haley and said that when the primary contest reaches her home state of South Carolina, "we're going to win easily."
Geostrategy
UN chief terms Israeli rejection of two-state solution ‘unacceptable’
In a speech to the Security Council, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres demanded that "Israel's occupation must end." Guterres warned...
- Guterres warned that it would exacerbate polarization and embolden extremists everywhere
- He called for the recognition of the "right of the Palestinian people" to build their own state
Business
Mocktail mania in Saudi, where dry January lasts all year
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The concept was controversial: a pop-up bar offering bellinis and spritzes that, while non-alcoholic, were served in...
- Saudis say the trend is consistent with a broader push by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to transform his oil-dependent nation into a foreigner-friendly business
- King Abdulaziz enacted Saudi Arabia's alcohol ban in the early 1950s, not long after an incident in which one of his sons got drunk and, in a rage, shot dead a British diplomat
Geostrategy
Houthis order all US, British UN staff to leave Yemen within a month
The expulsion followed joint strikes by the United States and Britain against the Houthis aimed at ending the group's attacks...
- Last week, Washington redesignated the Houthis a "global terrorist group", having lifted it in 2021 to ease aid delivery to the impoverished country.
- The Houthis have fought a nearly decade-long civil war against government forces, who are backed by Saudi Arabia.
Business
European Union probes Lufthansa’s proposed ITA Airways stake
The European Commission said it had "preliminary concerns that the transaction may reduce competition in the market for passenger air...
- Lufthansa, one of Europe's biggest carriers, last year agreed to pay 325 million euros ($350 million) for a 41 percent stake in ITA
- The deal provided the German company various options to increase its stake or acquire ITA Airways outright at a later date
Geostrategy
Iranian President Raisi to discuss Gaza war during Turkey visit
Raisi will meet Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the capital Ankara, making a visit that was postponed twice --...
- Raisi will meet Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, making a visit that was postponed twice -- once in November and once earlier this month
- The visit comes amid growing fears about the regional repercussion of the war in Gaza, which Israel launched in reprisal for October 7 attacks
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OpenAI announces Broadcom deal as spending spree continues
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, announced Monday it is teaming up with chip giant Broadcom to design and build its...
Business
Company News
Latest News
Iran threatens US bases in response to strikes on nuclear sites
Iran on Sunday threatened US bases in the Middle East after massive air strikes that Washington said had destroyed Tehran's...
Geostrategy
UN’s Syria envoy outraged by Damascus church attack
The United Nations special envoy for Syria denounced Sunday's attack on a church in Damascus that killed at least 20...
Geostrategy
Japan’s high-tech sunscreens tap into skincare craze
Tokyo, Japan -- When YouTuber Hannah Price set out to compare Japanese and Australian sunscreen, she wasn't expecting her deep...
Business
Most Read
Geostrategy
Risk of wider conflict flare up as US claims strikes ‘devastated’ Iran’s nuclear program
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters in Istanbul the United States and Israel had "crossed a very big red...
- People gathered in the center of Tehran to protest against US and Israeli attacks, waving flags and chanting slogans, state TV showed.
- The European Union called on all sides "to step back," while stressing Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.
Geostrategy
Arab states erupt in condemnation after US strikes on Iran
Iran's former arch-rival in the region, Saudi Arabia, which has been engaged in a Chinese-brokered détente with Tehran since 2023,...
- Many of the oil-rich countries host major US assets and bases and fear that a spillover from the war could threaten their security and economy.
- Qatar, host of the biggest US military base in the Middle East, said it feared "catastrophic consequences" for the region and the entire world.
Geostrategy
Saudi says ‘no radioactive effects’ detected, more US embassy staff leaves Iraq
"No radioactive effects were detected on the environment of the Kingdom and the Arab Gulf states as a result of...
- Kuwait's National Guard also posted on X that "radiation levels in Kuwait's airspace and waters are stable and the situation is normal".
- More personnel from the United States diplomatic mission departed Iraq over the weekend as part of ongoing efforts to reduce embassy staffing due to "regional tensions".