Norway closes in on objective of 100 percent electric car sales
Oslo, Norway -- Norway came close to its objective of selling only zero-emission cars in 2025, with electric vehicles accounting...
Geostrategy
Drones dive into aviation’s deepest enigma as MH370 hunt restarts
Washington, United States - Nearly 12 years after Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 vanished with 239 people on board, the search...
Investigation
Geostrategy
Lebanese, Israeli officials discuss Hezbollah disarmament, security in border areas: PM office
Israel said a Friday meeting involving civilian and military representatives from both Lebanon and Israel was part of broader efforts...
- Earlier this month, Lebanon and Israel agreed to send civilian representatives to the committee's meetings
- It was the second time civilian representatives from both countries had taken part in a meeting as part of the committee
Geostrategy
Netanyahu says to visit New York despite Mamdani arrest threat in compliance with ICC warrant
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday he still planned to visit New York despite incoming mayor Zohran Mamdani's threats...
- Mamdani has vowed to send the NYPD to enforce arrest warrants against leaders wanted by the ICC, including Netanyahu
- Despite Mamdani's statements, an arrest of Netanyahu is considered unlikely, and it is debatable if the mayor-elect has the authority
Geostrategy
Egypt says $35 billion Israel gas deal ‘commercial’, not ‘political’
Under the agreement, Israel will increase the total volume of gas supplied to Egypt to 130 billion cubic meters, according...
- Egypt has struggled with energy supplies in recent years, having sought to both meet its domestic needs and position itself as a regional energy hub.
- Egypt was the first country in the region to sign a peace deal with Israel in 1979, and the two countries have since had decades of close security collaboration.
Geostrategy
US, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt to hold talks on next phase of Gaza truce in Miami
Under the second stage, Israel is supposed to withdraw from its positions in Gaza, an interim authority is to govern...
- But progress has so far been slow in moving to the following phase of October's agreement between Israel and Hamas.
- Turkey said Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan would attend the talks.
Geostrategy
Putin says Russia will ‘certainly’ achieve its goals in Ukraine including seizing the territories
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday Moscow would "certainly" achieve its goals in the offensive in Ukraine, including seizing...
- "The goals of the special military operation will certainly be achieved," Putin told a meeting with defence ministry officials in Moscow
- His hawkish comments come as Ukraine on Monday hailed "progress" made on the question of future security guarantees for Kyiv
Geostrategy
Trump imposes full travel bans on seven more countries, Palestinians
Other countries newly subjected to the full travel ban came from some of Africa's poorest countries -- Burkina Faso, Mali,...
- The Trump administration has promised to let in athletes for football's signature competition, but has made no such promises for fans of blacklisted countries.
- Global Refuge, a Christian-based group that supports refugees, warned that the travel ban would push vulnerable people further into harm's way.
Geostrategy
Global coal demand expected to hit record in 2025: IEA
In its annual report on the coal industry, the International Energy Agency said demand was on course to rise by...
- China and India are usually the main drivers of growth in coal consumption as the two emerging economies race to meet rising demand for electricity.
- The IEA sees demand in China, the top coal consuming nation, decreasing somewhat over the next five years.
Science
Ancient cures and AI: WHO seeks evidence for traditional medicine
New Delhi, India -- The World Health Organization opens a major conference on traditional medicine on Wednesday, arguing that new...
- The meeting in New Delhi will examine how governments can regulate traditional medicine while using emerging scientific tools to validate safe and effective treatments.
- The UN body hopes this push will help make ancestral practices more compatible with modern healthcare systems.
Business
Famed Jerusalem stone still sells despite West Bank economic woes
Sair, Palestinian Territories - Despite the catastrophic state of the Palestinian economy, Faraj al-Atrash, operator of a quarry in the...
- The war in Gaza, triggered by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, dealt a severe blow to a Palestinian economy that was already in poor shape
- Israel, which has occupied the West Bank since 1967, has recently set up hundreds of new checkpoints across the territory, paralysing commercial transport
Business
Netflix boss promises Warner Bros films would still be seen in cinemas
Netflix will continue to distribute Warner Bros. films in cinemas if its takeover bid for the storied studio is successful,...
- "We're going to continue to operate Warner Bros. studios independently and release the movies traditionally in cinema," chief executive Ted Sarandos said
- In early December, Netflix announced that it had reached an agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) to acquire most of the group for $83 billion
Most Read
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
Norway closes in on objective of 100 percent electric car sales
Oslo, Norway -- Norway came close to its objective of selling only zero-emission cars in 2025, with electric vehicles accounting...
Geostrategy
Company News
France’s screen siren Brigitte Bardot dies at 91
Arts & Culture
Latest News
Israel’s recognition of Somaliland ‘threat’ to regional stability: Somali president
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has for decades pushed for international recognition. A self-proclaimed republic, it enjoys...
Geostrategy
A saint, a monk, a rock: Bulgaria’s euro coin designs
Sofia, Bulgaria -- Ancient rock art, a patron saint and a monk will be emblazoned on euro coins from Thursday,...
Geostrategy
Iraqis cover soil with clay to curb sandstorms
Samawah, Iraq -- Deep in Iraq’s southern desert, bulldozers and earthmovers spread layers of moist clay over sand dunes as...
Geostrategy
Most Read
Economy
Turkish authorities make further arrests in football betting scandal
The betting scandal in Turkish football deepened on Friday as 29 people, including 14 footballers, were arrested, the Istanbul public...
- Their arrests follow the incarceration of six referees and the president of top tier club Eyupspor at the beginning of November
- Amongst those arrested were a former president of Turkish giants Galatasaray, Erden Timur, the vice-president of Eyuspor
Geostrategy
Zelensky to meet Trump in Florida on Sunday for talks on how to end the Russian invasion
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is to meet US President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday for talks on how to...
- The meeting to discuss new peace proposals comes amidst Trump's intensified efforts to broker an agreement to end the conflict
- The latest plan is a 20-point proposal that would freeze the front line but open the door for Ukraine to pull back troops from the east
Geostrategy
China’s high-speed rail network passes 50,000km mark
Beijing, China -- China's sprawling high-speed rail network passed 50,000 kilometers (31,000 miles) in total operating distance with the opening...
- The country has the world's largest rail network -- one-fifth longer than the circumference of the earth.
- China's rail network has expanded by around 32 percent compared to 2020, state-owned China Railway added Friday in a statement.