Let the ‘Showgirl’ era begin: Taylor Swift’s new album is almost here
New York, United States - Swifties, the wait is nearly over. Taylor Swift's hotly anticipated "The Life of a Showgirl"...
Arts & Culture
Elon Musk halfway to becoming world’s first trillionaire: report
Billionaire Elon Musk, the world's richest person, is nearly halfway to becoming the planet's first trillionaire, Forbes magazine reported Wednesday.
Business
Business
Shell eyes $6bn in Nigeria
The investment opportunities are being explored in offshore gas projects.
- Nigeria, the continent's top economy and major oil producer, is seeking to attract more foreign investment since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came to office in May.
- OPEC member Nigeria has seen its oil output on the decline in recent years due to widespread theft from pipelines and attacks and high operating costs deterring on-shore investors.
COP28 UAE
Azerbaijan clears key hurdle to host UN climate summit in 2024
Dubai, UAE -- Petro-state Azerbaijan has cleared a key hurdle to host next year's UN climate summit despite the controversy over...
- Bulgaria, which had also sought to host COP29 but was opposed by Russia, also formally ended its bid and backed Azerbaijan.
- COP, or the Conference of the Parties under the UN climate body, takes place each year in a different region, with Asia choosing Dubai.
Business
US’ first high-speed train to run between LA and Las Vegas in 2028
Washington, United States -- The United States will have its first high-speed train -- between Los Angeles and Las Vegas --...
- This project called Brightline West, from the name of the Florida-based company that will build and operate it, will receive up to $3 billion in financing, the administration said
- While high-speed rail is the norm in much of Europe and Asia, particularly in China and Japan, the United States has long lagged behind.
Meta encrypting Messenger and Facebook chats
Ramped up defenses against snooping that include disappearing messages come as the US company defends against lawsuits accusing it of...
- End-to-end encryption will be on by default and come with the ability to edit messages or have them disappear 24 hours after being sent, said Messenger head
- People will still be able to report inappropriate messages to Meta, and the tech firm will notify users it if detects someone takes a screenshot of a disappearing message
Palestinian poet Refaat Alareer killed in Gaza strike
Alareer, a professor of English literature at the Islamic University of Gaza, where he taught Shakespeare among other subjects, was...
- Alareer had said a few days after Israel began its ground offensive in October that he refused to leave northern Gaza, the epicenter of the fighting at the time
- In November, Alareer published a poem on X entitled "If I must die" that was shared tens of thousands of times. It concludes with the words: "If I must die, let it bring hope"
Geostrategy
UN Security Council to consider urging Gaza ceasefire
In a letter to the council on Wednesday, Guterres took the extraordinary step of invoking the UN charter's Article 99,...
- Even though the civilian death toll in the Palestinian territory is mounting amid Israel's bombardment, the outcome of the session is up in the air
- The bloodiest ever war between Israel and Hamas is now in its third month, with the death toll in Gaza soaring above 17,000
Israeli TV shows footage of stripped detainees in Gaza
Israel declared war on the Palestinian fighter group Hamas after its attack on October 7 in southern Israel, which killed...
- In the viral video filmed in Beit Lahia, a group of blindfolded men are seen sitting with their hands tied behind their backs
- One clip showed the arm of a soldier in the foreground, suggesting it was filmed by a member of the military
No surprises in store as Egypt heads to polls
From Sunday through Tuesday, Egyptians aged 18 and above will be able to cast their ballots for one of four...
- Preparations for elections in the Arab world's most populous country are massive in scale
- Sisi received over 96 percent of the vote in both the 2014 and 2018 elections.
Business
KPMG to merge UK, Swiss ops
The UK unit employs about 17,000 staff and the Swiss over 2,600.
- KPMG UK said it is in discussion with Swiss firm to explore ways to bring greater benefits
- KPMG rival EY recently failed in a bid to split its audit and consulting units, causing its boss Carmine Di Sibio to retire a year early
Geostrategy
Fighting rages in Gaza as war enters third month
Heavy urban combat raged in and around Gaza's biggest cities as the bloodiest-ever war between Israel and Hamas entered its...
- Israeli forces have encircled major urban centres as they seek to destroy Hamas over its unprecedented attack in October.
- Backed by air power, tanks and armored bulldozers, Israeli troops were fighting Thursday in Khan Yunis, the biggest city in southern Gaza.
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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
Let the ‘Showgirl’ era begin: Taylor Swift’s new album is almost here
New York, United States - Swifties, the wait is nearly over. Taylor Swift's hotly anticipated "The Life of a Showgirl"...
Arts & Culture
Company News
Latest News
Stitching change: Moroccan women weave livelihoods through Art
Sidi Rbat, Morocco - In a small village on the coast of southern Morocco, women gather in a house to...
Arts & Culture
Macron says abandoning Gaza ‘will kill’ West’s credibility
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that abandoning war-torn Gaza to its fate and giving Israel a "free pass"...
Geostrategy
UN declares Gaza the hungriest place on earth, says entire population risks famine
Negotiations to end nearly 20 months of war have so far failed to achieve a breakthrough, with Israel resuming operations...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to make rare West Bank visit
Prince Faisal will head a delegation to Ramallah, the first such trip since Israel first occupied the Palestinian territory in...
- Prince Faisal's trip was announced as Israel vowed to build a "Jewish Israeli state" in the West Bank, after doubling down on plans to expand settlements there.
- Saudi Arabia sent a lower-level delegation to Ramallah in September 2023, its first since 1967, not long before Hamas's October 7 attack triggered the Gaza war.
Arts & Culture
New metro cuts through Saudi social divisions
With its eye-watering oil riches, intricate tribal networks and large numbers of foreign workers, Saudi society has long been divided...
Geostrategy
No permit, no hajj: Saudi intensifies crackdown after heat deaths
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia is ramping up a crackdown on unregistered worshippers at next week's hajj pilgrimage, a...
- Regular raids, drone surveillance and a barrage of text alerts are aimed at rooting out unauthorized visitors hoping to mingle among the crowds in and around Makkah.
- The simple message, "No hajj without a permit", is being blared out in a relentless campaign promoted nationwide at shopping centers, on billboards and across media platforms.