‘Numb’ New Orleans grapples with horror of deadly truck attack
New Orleans, United States - The celebratory atmosphere of Bourbon Street in New Orleans, long an American byword for indulgence and...
UN experts demand Israel face consequences for alleged Gaza war crimes and genocide claims
The experts called for urgent, independent and thorough investigations into alleged serious violations of international law, saying Israel's continued impunity...
Geostrategy
Economy
Coal mine blast in Iran kills more than 50 mine workers
A blast caused by a gas leak at an Iranian coal mine has killed at least 51 people, state media...
- A leak of methane gas led to the blast in two blocks of the mine, which is owned by the private Iranian firm Madanjoo
- State TV broadcast footage of ambulances and helicopters arriving at Tabas in eastern Iran to transport the injured to hospital
Geostrategy
Top Hezbollah commander killed in Israeli strike on Beirut
The killing of Aqil was the second of a senior Hizbollah commander since the start of the war in Gaza,...
- Ibrahim Aqil, who was also wanted by the United States for involvement in the 1983 bombing of the US embassy in Beirut, headed the Iran-backed group's elite Radwan unit
- AFP journalists at the scene said the blast had left a massive crater and gutted the lower floors of a high-rise building in the Lebanese capital's southern suburbs
Geostrategy
Israel pounds Lebanon as Hezbollah vows revenge for device blasts
Israel said it struck hundreds of targets in Lebanon, hours after Hezbollah's leader vowed to retaliate for two "unprecedented" rounds...
- The explosion of thousands of Hezbollah pagers and radios killed 37 people and wounded nearly 3,000 over two days
- Lebanon filed a complaint against "Israel's cyber-terrorist aggression that amounts to a war crime
Geostrategy
Hizbollah chief admits ‘unprecedented’ blow in device blasts
Israel has not commented on the attacks in which Hizbollah operatives' pagers and walkie-talkies exploded in supermarkets, on streets and...
- In his first speech since the attacks, which killed 37 people and wounded nearly 3,000 across two days, Nasrallah struck a defiant tone, vowing that Israel would face retribution
- Describing the attacks as a "massacre" and as a possible "act of war", Nasrallah said Israel would face "tough retribution and a just punishment
World Bank boosts climate financing by 10 percent
Washington, United States - The World Bank announced Thursday that it delivered a record $42.6 billion in climate change financing in...
- In December, the Bank committed to raising the proportion of its annual financing that goes to climate change adaptation from 35 percent to 45 percent
- This figure included lending, along with other financial instruments such as grants and guarantees, a World Bank official told AFP by email
Geostrategy
Elon Musk’s Starlink internet launches in war-scarred Yemen
Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- Tech billionaire Elon Musk's satellite internet service Starlink has launched in Yemen, provoking the anger of...
- Starlink's network of low Earth orbit satellites can provide internet to remote locations or areas that have had normal communications infrastructure disabled.
- Houthi official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti condemned the Starlink launch, linking it to "the war waged by America on Yemen".
Geostrategy
Lebanon device blasts: what we know about deadly attacks
Hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded across Lebanon in unprecedented attacks this week, killing 37 people and...
- Hundreds of pagers carried by Hezbollah operatives exploded at almost the same time
- Exploding communication devices has killed 37 people and wounding more than 2,900 over two days
Geostrategy
Latest batch of device explosions in Lebanon stoking fears of a full-blown war with Israel
A second deadly wave of unprecedented explosions in the strongholds of Lebanon's Hezbollah left it in disarray on Thursday, hours...
- The latest batch of device explosions killed 20 people and wounded more than 450 others
- Hezbollah said Israel was "fully responsible for this criminal aggression" and vowed revenge
Geostrategy
Lebanon under attack. Fears of all-out war. 20 killed, 450 injured. Israel blamed and flayed.
A second wave of device explosions killed 20 people and wounded more than 450 in Lebanon on Wednesday, officials said,...
- Experts said Israeli operatives had likely planted explosives on the paging devices
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged governments "not to weaponize civilian objects"
Geostrategy
UN rights chief demands accountability for Lebanon pager blasts
The explosions that killed 12 people, including two children, and wounded up to 2,800 others
- United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights described the blasts as "shocking"
- Turk highlighted that the attack had come at an "extremely volatile time"
‘Numb’ New Orleans grapples with horror of deadly truck attack
New Orleans, United States - The celebratory atmosphere of Bourbon Street in New Orleans, long an American byword for indulgence and...
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Seoul stocks sink amid S. Korea drama as Asian markets struggle
South Korean stocks sank more than two percent Wednesday while the won rebounded from earlier losses after President Yoon Suk...
Iran says ready to study any Syrian request for troops
Tehran, Iran - Iran will consider any request from its Syrian ally for troops to help tackle a sweeping rebel offensive...
Qatar to invest 1 bn pounds in climate technologies with UK
London, United Kingdom - The British government said Wednesday that it has agreed to a partnership with Qatar that will see...
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Geostrategy
Macron attends PIF-hosted Riyadh One Planet Sovereign Wealth Funds meet
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- French President Emmanuel Macron and over 100 CEOs besides members of OPSWF, asset managers, and private...
- Discussions at the summit focused on the pivotal role of sovereign wealth funds as global investors in addressing climate challenges among others.
- Key action tracks were identified to enhance investment decision-making for climate action, boost efficiency and impact within the global financial system.
Economy
Developing countries paid $1.4 trillion to service their debts in 2024
The poorest countries paid out more than $96 billion to service their debts, the Bank announced in its latest report...
- The World Bank report noted that high interest rates have been a key driver of the rising cost of servicing foreign debt.
- Rates charged by private creditors were even worse, rising to a 15-year high of six percent -- an increase of more than one percentage point.
Economy
Non-oil sectors drive robust growth in GCC countries, says World Bank report
While developing countries paid a record US$1.4 trillion to service debts, the non-oil sectors in the GCC countries are fueling...
- "The [GCC] region has shown remarkable resilience in the face of global disruptions, moving steadily on their diversification agenda."
- Saudi Arabia's growth is expected to accelerate to an average of 4.7 percent in 2025-2026 as oil production increases.