Saudi-Pakistan mutual defence pact will not include Turkey: sources
The Pakistan-Saudi pact was signed just months after Pakistan and India fought an intense four-day conflict in May that killed...
Geostrategy
Hamas tells AFP ready to transfer Gaza governance to Palestinian committee
"Protocols are prepared, files are complete, and committees are in place to oversee the handover, ensuring a complete transfer of...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Iran president says ‘rioters’ must not disrupt society
Pezeshkian accused the United States and Israel of "trying to escalate this unrest with regard to the economic discussion and...
- Protests in Iran initially sparked by anger over the rising cost of living have lasted two weeks, becoming a movement against the theocratic system in place since the 1979.
- State TV has aired images of buildings, including a mosque on fire, with authorities saying members of the security forces have been killed.
Arts & Culture
Novel concept: China’s spellbinding bookstores draw selfie snappers
Tianjin, China -- Towering accordion steps and a fantastical spiral staircase greet visitors to a massive bookstore in northern China's...
- Sales of hard-copy books across the country have failed to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels, data shows, despite authorities' efforts to boost domestic consumption.
- Yet in recent years the number of physical bookshops has "maintained steady growth", the head of a publishing industry group said last January.
Geostrategy
Yemen presidential council says Saudi coalition to lead all southern forces
The announcement comes a few days after Yemeni forces supported by Saudi Arabia recaptured large swathes of territory from the...
- The oil-rich neighbors formed the backbone of the coalition fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who overran the capital Sanaa in 2014 and still control much of the country
- But Riyadh and Abu Dhabi now find themselves backing competing factions within the Presidential Council, which is recognized by the international community.
Business
AI toys look for bright side after troubled start
Las Vegas, United States -- Toy makers at the Consumer Electronics Show were adamant about being careful to ensure that...
- The rapid advancement of generative AI since ChatGPT's arrival has paved the way for a new generation of smart toys.
- Among the four devices tested by PIRG was Curio's Grok, a four-legged stuffed toy inspired by a rocket that has been on the market since 2024.
Geostrategy
Palestinian VP meets diplomat expected to serve on Trump’s Gaza peace board
Palestinian vice president Hussein al-Sheikh met on Friday with former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov, who is expected to...
- The meeting in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah comes a day after Mladenov held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu
- Bulgarian diplomat Mladenov served as the UN envoy for the Middle East peace process from early 2015 until the end of 2020
Geostrategy
Russia joins Chinese, Iran warships for military drills off South Africa
A Russian warship arrived off South Africa's main naval base Friday to join Chinese and Iranian vessels for military exercises that...
- A Chinese destroyer and replenishment ship, as well as an Iranian forward base vessel, sailed into South African waters earlier this week
- The UAE was also expected to send ships, South Africa's Deputy Defence Minister Bantu Holomisa told Newzroom Afrika television
Geostrategy
Defiant Khamenei insists ‘won’t back down’ in face of growing Iran protests
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday insisted the Islamic republic would "not back down" in the face of...
- The demonstrations represent one of the biggest challenges yet to the Islamic republic in its over four-and-a-half decades of existence
- But Khamenei struck a defiant tone in his first comments on the escalating protests since January 3, calling the demonstrators "vandals"
Geostrategy
Israel president meets diplomat expected to serve on Trump’s Gaza peace board
Israel's President Isaac Herzog on Thursday met with former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov, whom media reports say is...
- A spokesman from Herzog's office said the president met with Mladenov on Thursday, without providing further details
- The Times of Israel reported that Mladenov was expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later on Thursday
Geostrategy
US could run Venezuela, tap its oil for years, Trump says less than a week after toppling Maduro
The United States could run Venezuela and tap into its oil reserves for years, President Donald Trump said in an...
- Venezuela's state oil firm PDVSA said it was discussing oil sales with the United States for the "sale of volumes of oil"
- Trump and his advisors are considering a plan for the US to exert control over PDVSA, the Wall Street Journal reported
Research
Some food preservatives linked to higher cancer, diabetes risk
Paris, France -- Eating some common food preservatives is linked to a slightly higher risk of eventually developing cancer and...
- The preservatives included nitrites and nitrates, which are often used to cure ham, bacon and sausages.
- The second study, published in Nature Communications, also found a link between eating some food additives and developing type 2 diabetes.
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
Saudi-Pakistan mutual defence pact will not include Turkey: sources
The Pakistan-Saudi pact was signed just months after Pakistan and India fought an intense four-day conflict in May that killed...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
10 killed in Aleppo building collapse: Syria state media
The five-story building collapsed in the Ferdaws neighbourhood of Aleppo. Civil defence and local authorities evacuated residents from nearby buildings...
Sudanese journalists form union to safeguard press freedom
The journalists' syndicate held elections on Saturday, the first since ousted president Omar al-Bashir dissolved independent unions after rising to...
Morocco bus crash leaves 23 dead, scores injured
An average of 3,500 deaths and 12,000 injuries have been recorded annually in Morocco, according to the National Road Safety...
Tunisia train accident leaves nearly 100 passengers injured
A head-on collision between two passenger trains injured 95 people on Monday morning in the south of the Tunisian capital,...
Iranian jet fighter crashes, three killed, reports state TV
Jet fighter crashed in a residential area of the northwestern city of Tabriz.
Saudi’s Humain secures $1.2 bn to expand AI, digital infrastructure
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's Humain artificial intelligence company has secured up to $1.2 billion in financing to expand...
Business
Trump launches ‘Board of Peace’ at Davos after Greenland u-turn
A group of leaders and senior officials from 19 countries -- including Trump allies from Argentina and Hungary -- gathered...
Geostrategy
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, six others accept Trump ‘Board of Peace’ invite: statement
Saudi Arabia and seven Muslim-majority countries including Gaza mediators Qatar and Turkey have agreed to join US President Donald Trump's "Board...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
European leaders vow ‘unflinching’ response to Trump’s plans to annex Greenland
The US president, who will address the annual gathering of global elites on Wednesday, has put the transatlantic alliance to...
- Leaders at the World Economic Forum (WEF) closed ranks against Trump's increasingly aggressive America First agenda
- Trump has pressed on with his Greenland campaign on Truth Social, writing that he had a "very good" call with NATO secretary-general
Geostrategy
Putin invited to Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ aimed at resolving conflicts globally: Kremlin
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to join US President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace" aimed at resolving conflicts...
- "President Putin also received an invitation to join this Board of Peace," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, including AFP
- Russia was seeking to "clarify all the nuances" of the offer with Washington, he said, without adding if Putin was inclined to join
Geostrategy
Iraq announces complete withdrawal of US-led coalition from federal territory
Iraq said on Sunday US-led coalition forces had finished withdrawing from bases within the country's federal territory, which excludes the...
- The vast majority of coalition troops withdrew from Iraq over previous stages, with only advisers remaining in the country
- IS attacks in Iraq have massively declined in recent years, but the group maintains a presence in the country's mountainous areas