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...
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...
Geostrategy
Business
SoftBank lifts OpenAI stake to 11% with $41bln investment
Tokyo, Japan -- Japanese tech investor SoftBank said Wednesday that its stake in OpenAI is now around 11 percent after...
- Having made colossal profits as well as losses on previous investments, flamboyant founder Masayoshi Son has pivoted SoftBank towards artificial intelligence (AI).
- SoftBank had announced in April its planned investment of up to $40 billion in Open AI, and on Wednesday it said that the second tranche of $22.5 billion was completed.
Business
TSMC says started mass production of ‘most advanced’ 2nm chips
Taipei, Taiwan -- Taiwanese tech titan TSMC has started mass producing its cutting-edge 2-nanometre semiconductor chips, the company said in...
- TSMC is the world's largest contract maker of chips, used in everything from smartphones to missiles, and counts Nvidia and Apple among its clients.
- The chips will be the "most advanced technology in the semiconductor industry in terms of both density and energy efficiency", the company said.
Geostrategy
Israel to ban 37 organizations operating in Gaza, aid flow under threat
Apart from MSF, some of the 37 NGOs to be hit with the ban are the Norwegian Refugee Council, World...
- In a territory with 2.2 million inhabitants, "1.3 million people still require urgent shelter support," the ministers of Britain, Canada, Denmark and several other nations said.
- On Wednesday, the United Nations rights chief Volker Turk described Israel's decision as "outrageous", calling on states to urgently insist Israel shift course.
Economy
Syria reveals new post-Assad banknotes
Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa unveiled on Monday new banknotes replacing those showing ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad and his family, hoping...
- Since the start of Syria's civil war in 2011, the pound has plunged from 50 to around 11,000 against the greenback
- The removal of the zeros, which does not impact the currency's value, was done to make transactions easier
Geostrategy
“Hell to pay”: Trump warns Hamas after Netanyahu talks, threatens Iran with fresh strikes
US President Donald Trump warned Iran of fresh strikes and said Hamas would have "hell to pay" if it fails...
- Speaking at a news conference with Netanyahu, Trump threatened to "eradicate" any attempt by Tehran to rebuild its nuclear program
- Trump also downplayed reports of tensions with Netanyahu over the Gaza ceasefire, saying Israel had "lived up" to its commitments
Business
Meta buys China-founded AI agent Manus
Singapore, Singapore -- Facebook owner Meta has agreed to acquire Manus, an artificial intelligence agent created by a company founded...
- However, analysts warned the deal could fall foul of regulators at a time of fierce technological rivalry between Washington and Beijing.
- Exceeding the capabilities of AI chatbots like ChatGPT, AI agents can autonomously perform complex tasks for users, and are seen as having huge potential.
Geostrategy
Saudi Arabia condemns ‘dangerous’ UAE moves in Yemen after striking shipment
Riyadh also backed a demand from Yemen's presidential council for Emirati forces to withdraw from the country within 24 hours,...
- In recent weeks, separatists backed by the UAE seeking to revive the formerly independent state of South Yemen have made sweeping territorial gains in a lightning offensive.
- The UAE said "the shipment in question did not contain any weapons, and the vehicles unloaded were not intended for any Yemeni party."
Geostrategy
Netanyahu to meet Trump in Florida for talks on Gaza peace plan, Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Donald Trump in Florida on Monday, with the US president pushing to move...
- Netanyahu is also expected to try to shift some focus onto Iran, amid reports he will call for more US strikes on the Islamic republic
- He will bring up the "danger Iran poses not only to the region of the Middle East, but the United States as well," Israeli spokeswoman said
Geostrategy
Somali president to visit Turkey after Israeli recognition of Somaliland
Somalia's president is to visit close ally Turkey on Tuesday following Israel's recognition of the breakaway territory of Somaliland, Turkey's...
- Turkey denounced Israel's recognition of Somaliland, a self-proclaimed republic, calling it "overt interference in Somalia's domestic affairs"
- Ankara, a close ally of Somalia, provides military and economic assistance to the country that has been devastated by civil war
Economy
China says to launch digital currency action plan
Beijing, China -- China will on January 1 launch an "action plan" for boosting management and operations of its digital...
- The "action plan" will see banks pay interest on balances held by clients in digital yuan -- a move to incentivize broader adoption of the currency.
- The plan also includes a proposal to establish an international digital yuan operations centre in the eastern financial hub of Shanghai, the report said.
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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
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...
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.
Oil prices gain, as equities extend record run higher
Oil prices have experienced choppy trading since the surprise US raid Saturday on Caracas that saw Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro...
Business
US operation in Venezuela undermined international law: UN
"States must not threaten or use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state," Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman...
Geostrategy
Venezuela’s interim leader names commission to handle Maduro’s release
Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez on Sunday created a commission to seek the release of president Nicolas Maduro and his...
Geostrategy
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Business
Volatility grips oil market as nervous investors assess Venezuela
Having spiked in an initial reaction to the military operation to apprehend Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, oil prices quickly dropped...
- But then oil recovered again as investors realized that Venezuela is in no position to make a meaningful impact on oil supply in the short run.
- Trump's promise to rebuild Venezuela's crude production capacity with the help of American companies meanwhile sent stocks in oil majors soaring.
Business
‘Tuna King’ pays record $3.2 mn for bluefin at Tokyo auction
Tokyo, Japan -- A Japanese sushi entrepreneur paid a record $3.2 million for a giant bluefin tuna Monday at an...
- The 510.3 million yen price at the new year's auction was the highest since comparable data started being collected in 1999.
- The previous high was 333.6 million yen for a 278-kilogram bluefin in 2019, after the fish market moved from its traditional Tsukiji area in central Tokyo to a more modern facility
Geostrategy
US to work with current Venezuela leaders if they make ‘right decision:’ Rubio
The United States is ready to work with Venezuela's remaining leaders if they make "the right decision," Secretary of State...
- "We're going to judge everything by what they do, and we're going to see what they do," Rubio told CBS News' "Face the Nation."
- US commandos snatched Maduro from a compound in Caracas on Saturday in a risky operation involving jets, helicopters, warships and ground troops