US offers security guarantees to Qatar after Israel strikes: White House
Washington, United States -- The United States will regard "any armed attack" on Qatari territory as a threat to Washington...
Geostrategy
Yemen’s Huthis take responsibility for attack on Dutch cargo ship
Sana, Yemen - Yemen's Huthi rebels claimed responsibility on Wednesday for an attack on a Dutch cargo ship this week...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
109 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes amid calls for truce extension
Both the United Nations chief and the White House called for the break in fighting to be restored, and UN...
- Despite the resumption of fighting, talks between Qatari and Egyptian mediators were "ongoing", a source briefed on the talks told AFP.
- During the seven-day truce, Hamas freed 80 Israeli hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinians held in various Israeli jails, and more aid entered Gaza.
COP28 puts spotlight on state oil giants
Western energy firms are the usual suspects when it comes to criticism about the sector's role in climate change, but...
- National oil companies, or NOCs, "account for more than half of global production and close to 60 percent of the world's oil and gas reserves," the IEA said
- NOCs and the oil majors - which include BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell and TotalEnergies - will all be "critical to efforts to achieve net zero" emissions by 2050
Israel resumes military operations in Gaza as truce expires
The resumption of fighting dashed hopes for an extension of a seven-day truce that had seen dozens of hostages freed...
- "Hamas violated the operational pause, and in addition, fired toward Israeli territory," the Israeli military said
- Inside Gaza, an AFP journalist said Israeli warplanes carried out a series of strikes, and reported artillery fire in Gaza City
Israel releases 30 Palestinian civilians in latest exchange
The truce agreement between Israel and Hamas stipulates that a minimum of 10 Israeli hostages should be released alive each...
- The civilians -- including 23 minors and seven women -- were released hours after eight Israeli hostages were freed by Hamas
- Since the truce came into force on November 24, the agreement has resulted in the freeing of 110 hostages, including 80 Israelis
COP28 UAE
Climate and Gaza crises share spotlight as world leaders attend COP28
The spotlight now turns to more than 140 kings, presidents and prime ministers who will address delegates at the sprawling...
- The COP28 conference kicked off on Thursday with an early victory as nations agreed to launch a "loss and damage" fund for vulnerable countries
- But delegates face two weeks of tough negotiations on an array of issues that have long bedevilled climate talks, starting with the future of fossil fuels
Geostrategy
Europe to splurge record $295bn on military in 2023, says official
Moscow's all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022 provided Europe with a wake-up call that it needed to pump more into...
- The European Defense Agency (EDA) said six countries had increased their spending by over 10 percent in 2022.
- "Our armed forces must be ready for a much more demanding era," said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
Business
Brazil to become OPEC+ member in 2024, says group
Vienna, Austria - Major producer Brazil will join OPEC+ from next year, the oil cartel announced on Thursday. Brazil is among...
- Brazil's crude production hit a record 3.7 million barrels per day in September, a near 17 percent increase from the same month last year
- OPEC+ was born in late 2016 when Russia and nine others joined forces with the Saudi-led OPEC to prop up falling prices
Business
Tech titan Microsoft wins observer seat at OpenAI
SAN FRANCISCO, US - Microsoft, the tech titan that has invested billions of dollars in ChatGPT creator OpenAI, has been given...
- The nomination was shared in a memo to OpenAI staff that was later posted to the company's blog.
- Microsoft will join former US Treasury Secretary and political power broker Larry Summers, who was added last week.
Economy
Saudi Arabia, Russia extend voluntary oil cuts until March 2024
Saudi Arabia will extend its voluntary cut of 1 million barrels per day. The latest Saudi cut is in addition...
- Russia meanwhile said on Thursday it would deepen its voluntary oil supply cut to 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) and extend it until the end of the first quarter of 2024.
- Along with its OPEC+ oil partners, Russia has been holding back its oil output and exports in a bid to boost global prices.
Geostrategy
EU agree draft rules to protect journalists from abusive lawsuits
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on X, formerly Twitter, that she welcomed the agreement to "protect those...
- The Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) are aimed at intimidating critics with burdensome legal action
- The new rules would allow a person targeted by a SLAPP lawsuit to request a rapid rejection by the courts
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US offers security guarantees to Qatar after Israel strikes: White House
Washington, United States -- The United States will regard "any armed attack" on Qatari territory as a threat to Washington...
Geostrategy
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US-backed group says it has begun aid distribution in Gaza
A controversial US-backed aid group for Gaza announced Monday that it had begun distributing food in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory,...
Geostrategy
Israel strikes Gaza, kills 53 people as Witkoff says Hamas didn’t accept 70-day temporary ceasefire
Hamas said Monday it had accepted a new ceasefire proposal by US envoy Steve Witkoff, presented by mediators, but a...
Filmmaker Panahi cheered on return to Iran after Cannes triumph
Paris, France - Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi was given a hero's welcome by supporters on his return to Tehran on...
Arts & Culture
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Geostrategy
Hamas accepts mediators’ latest Gaza ceasefire proposal
The outline of the new potential deal was revealed as Israel ramped up its offensive in the Palestinian territory, and...
- "Hamas has agreed to the new proposal by US envoy Steve Witkoff, which the movement received from mediators," the Hamas source told AFP.
- The deal included "a 70-day truce in exchange for the release of 10 hostages in two batches, and during the truce, negotiations would begin on a permanent ceasefire.
Geostrategy
Due to war, under 5 percent of Gaza cropland useable for farming: UN
Paris, France -- Under five percent of Gaza's farmland is useable due to war, further exacerbating the risk of famine...
- By the end of April, more than 80 percent of the farmland was damaged and 77.8 percent was no longer accessible, leaving barely 4.6 percent of potentially arable land.
- Some 688 hectares (1,700 acres) is all that remains for cultivation, according to the assessment.
Geostrategy
Trump slams ‘crazy’ Putin as Russia pummels Ukraine with massive drone attack
US President Donald Trump called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin "crazy" on Sunday after Moscow launched a deadly barrage of...
- At least 13 people were killed when Russia launched a record number of drones against Ukraine overnight to Sunday
- Those killed in the latest Russian strikes included victims aged eight, 12 and 17 in the northwestern region of Zhytomyr, officials said