14 countries condemn Israel’s expansion of West Bank settlements, say actions ‘violate international law’
Fourteen countries, including France, Britain, and Germany, condemned on Wednesday Israel's recent approval of new Jewish settlements in the occupied...
Geostrategy
Libyans united in grief for army chief killed in plane crash
General Mohammed al-Haddad and his four aides died on Tuesday after a visit to Ankara, with Turkish officials saying an...
Geostrategy
Science
AI tools help choose best embryos, increase success rate for IVF
Paris, France -- Artificial intelligence tools can now help choose the most promising embryos for in vitro fertilisation (IVF), although...
- The facility in the French capital carries out more than 2,300 IVF procedures every year.
- Tools using AI such as machine learning have been shown to help doctors select the embryos that have the best chance of being successfully implanted or frozen for later.
Geostrategy
Saudi Arabia, Qatar sign high-speed rail deal to link capitals
The train would reach speeds exceeding 300 kilometers per hour and the trip would take roughly two hours between Riyadh...
- A direct flight between the cities clocks in at around 90 minutes.
- The project, set to be completed in six years, expects to serve 10 million passengers per year, the statement said.
Economy
Palestine, Syria celebrate reaching Arab Cup quarter-finals
Celebrations erupted on the pitch and in the stands in Doha on Sunday when both Palestine and Syria made it...
- For both sides, reaching the knockout stage in the regional tournament hosted by Qatar was magnified by the all-too recent memory of conflict in their homelands
- For both sides, reaching the knockout stage in the regional tournament hosted by Qatar was magnified by the all-too recent memory of conflict in their homelands
Geostrategy
US-Israel-Qatar meeting seeks to salvage Gaza peace deal amid strain over Israeli strike on Doha
Axios also reported White House envoy Steve Witkoff hosted the meeting, with Mossad spy chief David Barnea representing Israel and...
- Two sources told US news outlet Axios it was "the highest level meeting between the countries since the deal to end the war in Gaza, for which Qatar served as a key mediator."
- Axios also reported White House envoy Steve Witkoff hosted the meeting, with Mossad spy chief David Barnea representing Israel and an unnamed senior Qatari official in attendance
Geostrategy
Mediators Qatar and Egypt call for next steps in fragile Gaza truce
"Now we are at the critical moment... A ceasefire cannot be completed unless there is a full withdrawal of the...
- Hamas said on Saturday that it was ready to hand over its weapons in the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian authority on the condition that the Israeli army's occupation ends.
- Qatar, alongside Egypt and the United States, helped secure the long-elusive truce, which remains delicate as Israel and Hamas accuse each other of breaching its terms.
Economy
Divided US Fed set for contentious interest rate meeting
When the Fed last met in October, Chair Jerome Powell asserted that another rate cut in December was "not a...
- Minutes from the Fed's most recent meeting showed many officials expect a further uptick in underlying goods inflation as President Donald Trump's tariffs bite.
- But recent comments from leading Fed officials also reflected support for cutting again because of a weakening labor market, even though inflation is still above Fed's 2% target.
Geostrategy
Mediators Egypt, Qatar, others ‘concerned’ about Israel opening one-way Gaza exit
The countries voiced "their absolute rejection of any attempts to expel the Palestinian people from their land" and said they...
- On Wednesday, Israel said it would open the Rafah crossing from Gaza to Egypt exclusively to allow residents to exit the Palestinian territory "in the coming days".
- Reopening the Rafah crossing is a part of Trump's peace plan for the Palestinian territory, as well as something UN agencies and other humanitarian actors have long called for
Business
Netflix’s $83 billion takeover of Warner Bros reshapes Hollywood as regulators prepare intense antitrust scrutiny
Streaming giant Netflix said Friday it will buy film and television studio Warner Bros. Discovery for nearly $83 billion, the...
- The acquisition, which will face regulatory scrutiny by the Trump administration and is opposed by top names in Hollywood, gives Netflix access to a vast film catalog
- It does not include cable channels such as CNN, TNT, TBS and Discovery, which are being spun off by Warner Bros. Discovery before the deal is due to close.
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
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14 countries condemn Israel’s expansion of West Bank settlements, say actions ‘violate international law’
Fourteen countries, including France, Britain, and Germany, condemned on Wednesday Israel's recent approval of new Jewish settlements in the occupied...
Geostrategy
Company News
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Gazans mourn six killed in Israeli shelling on shelter
Gaza's civil defence agency, which operates as a rescue force under Hamas authority, initially said on Friday that the Israeli...
Geostrategy
German wheelchair user flies into space, a first
Houston, United States -- A German woman engineer on Saturday became the first wheelchair user to blast into space, taking...
Geostrategy
Zelensky says US mooted direct Ukraine-Russia talks on ending war in Miami
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Washington had proposed the first face-to-face negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
Hamas official says Miami talks must end Israel’s truce violations in Palestinian territory
A top Hamas official said Friday that talks in Miami to advance the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire must...
- The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said that at least 395 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire came into effect
- Israel also accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire, with the Israeli military reporting three soldiers killed since the truce entered into force
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