Iran says no longer bound by ‘restrictions’ on its nuclear programme
Iran said on Saturday that it was no longer bound by restrictions on its nuclear programme as a landmark 10-year...
Geostrategy
OpenAI halts MLK videos as deepfakes spark outrage
Washington, United States -- OpenAI has suspended its Sora 2 artificial intelligence tool from creating videos of civil rights icon...
Geostrategy
Arts & Culture
UAE edge closer to World Cup after beating Oman
Doha, Qatar -- The United Arab Emirates moved to within a match of their second World Cup appearance with a...
- The Emiratis, who last appeared at a World Cup in 1990, were made to work for their win, when late goals from Meloni and Lucas sealed the three points at Jassim Bin Hamad stadium.
- The UAE now sit top of Group A heading into the final round of matches on Tuesday, when victory against at Qatar would secure a first World Cup appearance in three decades.
Geostrategy
Hamas says Israeli hostages to be freed before Trump peace summit
As part of the deal's first phase, Hama will free the captives, 20 of whom Israel believes are still alive,...
- Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will then chair a summit of more than 20 countries in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday afternoon.
- The meeting will aim "to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security and stability
Geostrategy
Morocco’s GenZ 212 says suspending protests temporarily
The weekend pause was "a strategic step to strengthen organisation and coordination, so the next phase of the movement is...
- GenZ 212 said its demands were unchanged, citing "accountability for the corrupt" and government responsibility for worsening social and economic conditions
- Formed in late September, GenZ 212 has built a large online following, with more than 200,000 members on the Discord platform
Geostrategy
Relief and scepticism at London Pro-Palestinian protest
Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched in London on Saturday, expressing scepticism and cautious hope as a ceasefire between...
- A sea or red and green, the colours of the Palestinian flag, formed along the embankment of the River Thames in central London, where the largely peaceful march began
- Protesters donned black-and-white keffiyeh scarves, carrying signs of "Stop Starving Gaza" and "Stop the genocide" and chanting "Free Palestine."
Geostrategy
Major win for Trump on Gaza, but will it stand test of time?
Washington, United States - US President Donald Trump has undeniably scored a diplomatic victory by helping to broker a truce...
- The Israeli army said its troops had ceased fire at 0900 GMT Friday in the Gaza Strip, in anticipation of the release of all Israeli hostages, dead and alive, in the 72 hours
- Observers agree that Trump deftly used a mix of carrot and stick -- publicly and privately, and especially with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- to get the deal done
Geostrategy
US announces deal for Qatar air force facility in Idaho housing F-15 fighter jets, pilots
The announcement comes soon after President Donald Trump signed an executive order vowing to defend the Gulf Arab state against...
- The announcement comes soon after President Donald Trump signed an executive order vowing to defend the Gulf Arab state against attacks
- Hegseth also thanked Qatar for its "substantial role" as a mediator in the talks that led to a truce and hostage-prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hamas
Economy
Trump says no reason to meet Xi, threatens ‘massive’ China tariffs
US President Donald Trump said Friday he no longer feels the need for a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping...
- In a lengthy and unexpected Truth Social post, Trump railed against China imposing export controls on rare earth minerals -- a critical component in modern technology
- "Some very strange things are happening in China! They are becoming very hostile," Trump said in the post, which he sent as he headed for medical check-up at a military hospital
Geostrategy
Lebanon, Syria seek reset on ties as FM visits Beirut
Lebanon and Syria on Friday committed to turning a new page on ties as Damascus's foreign minister visited Beirut, with...
- The family of Bashar al-Assad, ousted in December, exercised control over Lebanese affairs for decades and was accused of assassinating numerous officials in Lebanon
- "Today we have opened a bright new page in relations between Syria and Lebanon," said Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, the first senior Syrian official to visit Lebanon
Geostrategy
Israel declares ceasefire, begins troops pullback and Gazans start returning home
After two years of brutal war, the families of Israel's remaining hostages in the territory were also hoping the truce...
- The US Pentagon confirmed Israel had completed the first phase of a pullback laid out in Trump's peace plan.
- The withdrawal set the clock running on a 72-hour deadline for Hamas to release the remaining hostages held in Gaza.
Geostrategy
Nobel Peace Prize winner Machado dedicates award to Trump
Caracas, Venezuela -- Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado dedicated her Nobel Peace Prize on Friday to the people of...
- Machado has been in hiding in Venezuela for the past year since elections that authoritarian leftist President Nicolas Maduro is accused of stealing.
- Machado, who was barred from contesting the election, campaigned instead for her stand-in, ex-diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.
Iran says no longer bound by ‘restrictions’ on its nuclear programme
Iran said on Saturday that it was no longer bound by restrictions on its nuclear programme as a landmark 10-year...
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.
Spotify, Netflix sign deal to stream video podcasts
Stockholm, Sweden -- Music and video streaming giants Spotify and Netflix have penned a deal to bring several video podcasts...
Business
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
Asian markets rally as Fed cut hopes trump trade war fears
Stocks jumped Wednesday as trade war fears were overshadowed by comments from Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell that suggested the...
Economy
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Arts & Culture
Wed by app: Abu Dhabi launches virtual marriage for all
Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- Couples from anywhere in the world can now get married using the Abu Dhabi government's...
- The idea of online marriage is still in its infancy, with Ukraine launching a service last year allowing couples separated by war to tie the knot using its government app.
- The United Arab Emirates experimented with allowing online ceremonies for people living in the country during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Geostrategy
Hamas back on Gaza streets, acts against gangs and armed clans
For many Palestinians rebuilding their homes and lives amid Gaza's rubble, the sight of the Hamas forces was reassuring. Many...
- When bus loads of prisoners freed from Israeli jails arrived in Gaza on Monday, fighters from Hamas's Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades provided crowd control.
- Hamas accused Israel of breaking the truce by opening fire during the clashes. The military said it had only fired when unidentified Palestinians approached the Yellow Line.
Economy
IMF lifts 2025 global growth forecast, warns of ongoing trade ‘uncertainty’
In its flagship World Economic Outlook (WEO) report -- compiled before the most recent US-China tariff spat -- the IMF...
- The global inflation rate is expected to remain elevated at 4.2 percent this year, and 3.7 percent in 2026.
- The IMF raised its prospects for economic growth for the United States, the world's largest economy, by 0.1 percent this year and next, to 2.0 percent in 2025.