Macron warns any planned West Bank annexation a ‘red line,’ to provoke a European reaction
He spoke as Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas visited Paris one month into a fragile truce between Hamas and Israel, following...
Geostrategy
US mediator Kushner and Netanyahu hold talks on the second round of Gaza ceasefire
Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump who helped broker the ceasefire, met Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday as...
Geostrategy
Economy
Backed by its sovereign wealth fund, Saudi chases AI ambitions with homegrown firm pitched to global investors
The company, launched in May, is bankrolled by Saudi's powerful Public Investment Fund, which has played a key role in...
- The company, launched in May, is bankrolled by Saudi's powerful Public Investment Fund, which has played a key role in financing the kingdom's gigaprojects
- But Riyadh's ambitions to become a global AI hub face fierce competition from the neighbouring United Arab Emirates, which have invested in AI for years
Business
TotalEnergies net profit soars despite lower oil prices
Paris, France -- French oil and gas giant TotalEnergies reported on Thursday a sharp increase in third-quarter net profit despite...
- The company said net income grew around 61 percent to $3.7 billion compared to the same period last year, even as oil prices fell by more than $10 per barrel year-on-year.
- TotalEnergies shares were down 1.4 percent in afternoon trading while the Paris stock exchange's blue-chip CAC 40 index was 0.7 lower.
Geostrategy
Israel says received bodies of two Gaza hostages from Red Cross
Not including the latest two, Hamas have so far given back the remains of 15 of the 28 deceased hostages...
- Israel launched a wave of strikes on Gaza overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday after an attack that left an Israeli soldier dead in the south of the Palestinian territory.
- Hamas has said its fighters had "no connection to the shooting incident in Rafah" and reaffirmed its commitment to the truce.
Business
BYD Q3 profit down 33%
This was a 33% year-on-year decrease.
- The Shenzhen-based firm recorded revenue of 195 billion yuan over the same period, a slight decrease of 3 percent year-on-year.
- China's EV industry is world-leading but a cutthroat domestic market has weighed on companies' profitability.
Geostrategy
Israel hits another Gaza target after deadliest night since truce
Israel said it struck an arms dump in Gaza on Wednesday, hours after the deadliest night of bombing since the...
- The military announced it had carried out a strike on a site in the Beit Lahia area of northern Gaza where it said weapons were being stockpiled for "an imminent terror attack."
- Israeli troops, it said, would remain deployed in "accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat".
Business
Alphabet posts first $100 bn quarter
The growth was powered by cloud division buoyed by AI
- The tech giant's revenues jumped 16 percent year-on-year to $102.3 billion in the third quarter, beating analyst expectations
- "Alphabet had a terrific quarter, with double-digit growth across every major part of our business," CEO Sundar Pichai said
Geostrategy
Trade truce in balance as Trump meets ‘tough negotiator’ Xi: ‘We’ll have a great understanding’
The world's two top economies' trade tussle -- encompassing everything from rare earths to soybeans and port fees -- has rocked...
- Sitting opposite each other each leader was flanked by senior officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury chief Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick
- Xi's team, which arrived from Beijing shortly before - the US side was already in South Korea - included Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Commerce Minister Wang Wentao
Geostrategy
Israel hits dozens of targets as Gaza sees deadliest night since truce
Gaza's civil defense agency said more than 100 people were killed, including many children, but both US President Donald Trump...
- The Hamas-run territory's civil defense agency said at least 35 children were among the more than 100 killed.
- United Nations rights chief Volker Turk said the report of so many dead was appalling and urged all side not to let peace "slip from our grasp".
Business
AI chip giant Nvidia becomes world’s first $5 trillion company
New York, United States -- AI chip juggernaut Nvidia became the world's first $5 trillion company on Wednesday, as investors...
- By way of comparison, the level was greater than the GDP of France or Germany or higher than that of Tesla, Meta (Facebook), and Netflix combined.
- Microsoft and Apple, the two other largest global market capitalizations, only just exceed $4 trillion in valuation each.
Geostrategy
Syria attracted $28 bn in investment since Assad’s fall: president
Syria has begun the mammoth task of trying to rebuild its shattered economy, after over a decade of war saw...
- Earlier this month, the World Bank put a "conservative best estimate" of the cost of rebuilding Syria at $216 billion.
- In May, Syria signed a $7 billion energy deal with a consortium of Qatari, Turkish and US companies as it seeks to revive its crippled power sector.
Macron warns any planned West Bank annexation a ‘red line,’ to provoke a European reaction
He spoke as Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas visited Paris one month into a fragile truce between Hamas and Israel, following...
Geostrategy
Company News
Pfizer poised to buy Metsera
Business
Latest News
Kazakhstan to join Abraham Accords as Trump pushes Mideast peace
Washington, United States - Kazakhstan said Thursday it will join the Abraham Accords between Israel and mainly Muslim nations, in...
Geostrategy
UAE company inks $22 mn deal for stake in Latakia container terminal
Dubai, United Arab Emirates - AD Ports Group of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a $22 million agreement Thursday...
Economy
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Geostrategy
Embracing heritage, Mamdani marks watershed for South Asian Americans
Washington, United States - In a victory speech capping his meteoric rise, New York's mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani quoted at length...
- As he left the stage to a cheering cross-section of the metropolis, the song on the speaker was not one of the many well-worn tunes about New York but the beats from Bollywood
- Mamdani, winning a mandate with a left-wing agenda focused on making New York more affordable, has made history as the first South Asian to lead America's largest city
Economy
World has ‘the tools’ to unlock $1.3 trillion in climate finance: COP30 report
The 81-page report was released by the heads of last year's COP29 conference in Azerbaijan and the upcoming COP30 gathering...
- The 81-page report was released by the heads of last year's COP29 conference in Azerbaijan and the upcoming COP30 gathering in Belem, Brazil
- "This Roadmap aims to contribute as catalyst and foundation for the next phase of climate action," COP29 president Mukhtar Babayev and COP30 head Andre Correa do Lago said
Business
Ozempic maker lowers outlook
The company posted tepid Q3 results.
- It marked the latest bad news for the pharmaceutical giant, which has recently changed its CEO, announced plans to lay off 9,000 employees and replaced more than half of its board.
- The group now expects full-year sales in 2025 to grow by eight to 11 percent, versus the eight to 14 percent range it had expected previously, the company said.