“New Suez Canal on rails”: Egypt high-speed trains to connect Red Sea, Mediterranean
Workers have started laying tracks in the desert east of Cairo for Egypt's first high-speed train, which will link the...
Economy
Billionaire Ellison offers personal guarantee for son’s Warner Bros bid
Washington, United States -- Oracle tech tycoon Larry Ellison is offering a $40.4 billion personal guarantee to back Paramount's hostile...
Business
Economy
Abu Dhabi showdown – how the F1 title can be won
Paris, France - AFP Sport assesses how the 2025 Formula One drivers' title can be won at the season finale...
- "All" Norris has to do to claim his maiden title is finish on the podium at Yas Marina, irrespective of where his two title rivals finish.
- But on a cautionary note Norris has failed to make the top three in six races this year, including his disqualification from second in Las Vegas due to a technical infringement
Geostrategy
Trump says Putin wants to end war, US to hold new talks with Ukraine
Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner huddled into the early hours with Putin in the Kremlin but reached...
- Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner huddled into the early hours with Putin in the Kremlin but reached no breakthrough on halting Europe's worst conflict since World War II
- The Kremlin said afterward it found parts of the US plan to end the war unacceptable, even though the proposal includes Ukraine ceding parts of the eastern Donbas region
Business
In Data Center Alley, AI sows building boom, doubts
Ashburn, United States -- As planes make their final approach to Washington DC's Dulles Airport, just below lies Ashburn, a...
- In 2025, private companies are spending roughly $40 billion a month on data center construction in the United States.
- Data servers deploying ChatGPT-like technologies run very hot and require new-generation liquid cooling.
Geostrategy
US private sector lost 32,000 jobs last month in surprise drop
President Donald Trump has been touting the economy's health, and forecasts had incorrectly predicted the monthly data would show a...
- "Hiring has been choppy of late as employers weather cautious consumers and an uncertain macroeconomic environment," ADP chief economist Nela Richardson said.
- "While November's slowdown was broad-based, it was led by a pullback among small businesses."
Business
OpenAI declares ChatGPT ‘code red’ over stiff competition: report
Washington, United States -- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has declared a company-wide "code red" as its ChatGPT technology faces stiff...
- Altman told employees that the company was "at a critical time for ChatGPT," and that resources must be devoted to fending off the new competition to its chatbot.
- Altman said that other projects would now be delayed, including a plan to introduce advertising to the chatbot.
Business
Amazon unveils new AI chip in battle against Nvidia
San Francisco, United States -- Amazon Web Services launched its in-house-built Trainium3 AI chip on Tuesday, marking a significant push...
- The move intensifies competition in the AI chip market, where Nvidia currently dominates with an estimated 80- to 90-percent market share.
- AWS also announced it is already developing Trainium4, expected to deliver at least three times the performance of Trainium3 for standard AI workloads.
Economy
Saudi powers forward with deficit spending to fund reforms
The Arab world's largest economy is overseeing a major push to slash its dependence on oil revenues, with officials pouring...
- The state's general budget for 2026 would have total expenditures of 1.313 trillion riyals (350.1 billion dollars).
- The projected deficit amounts to 3.3 percent of GDP, which is lower than the deficit of 245 billion riyals estimated for 2025.
Economy
Saudi powers forward with deficit spending to fund diversification of its oil-dependent economy
Saudi Arabia greenlit its 2026 budget Tuesday, projecting a deficit of 165 billion riyals ($44 billion) as the kingdom presses...
- The Arab world's largest economy is overseeing a major push to slash its dependence on oil revenues, with officials pouring billions into projects to attract investment and tourism
- The budget figures will be keenly watched by energy industry experts, with the hopes of gleaning insights into where Saudi Arabia expects oil revenues to head in the near future
Geostrategy
If Europe wants war with Russia, ‘we are ready,’ says Putin as he meets US envoys over Ukraine deal
Washington has presented a 28-point draft to end the conflict, later amended after criticism from Kyiv and Europe, which viewed...
- The comments came as US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner were in Moscow for high-stakes talks on ending the nearly four-year war
- "They have no peaceful agenda, they are on the side of war," he added, repeating his claim that European leaders were hindering US attempts to broker peace in Ukraine
Business
Amazon tests ‘ultra-fast’ deliveries in two US cities
San Francisco, United States - Amazon on Monday began testing "ultra-fast" deliveries in two US cities, giving some shoppers the...
- Amazon is piloting its new “Amazon Now” feature in select neighbourhoods, offering items ranging from groceries to electronics
- Delivery fees for the ultra-fast service start at $3.99 for Prime members and $13.99 for non-members
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“New Suez Canal on rails”: Egypt high-speed trains to connect Red Sea, Mediterranean
Workers have started laying tracks in the desert east of Cairo for Egypt's first high-speed train, which will link the...
Economy
Company News
Latest News
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...
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...
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,...
Geostrategy
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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