Red Cross warns against evacuation of Gaza City as Israel tightens siege
The Red Cross warned on Saturday that any Israeli efforts to evacuate Gaza City would put residents at risk, as...
Geostrategy
Israel army says Gaza City now ‘a dangerous combat zone’
The Israeli military, however, is gearing up to expand the fighting and seize Gaza City, with its Arabic-language spokesman saying:...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
US to bolster presence in Gulf after Iran threat, says White House
The United States said it was sending reinforcements to the Gulf after what it called increasing harassment by Iran of...
- US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Iran has "harassed, attacked or interfered" with 15 internationally flagged merchant vessels over the past 15 years.
- "The United States will not allow foreign or regional powers to jeopardize freedom of navigation through the Middle East waterways including the Strait of Hormuz, he said.
Geostrategy
Iran releases two French citizens from prison, says Paris
Iran released two French citizens jailed in separate cases, France said, urging Tehran to release several others still detained in...
- The pair were among some two dozen foreigners jailed in Iran who campaigners see as hostages held in a deliberate strategy by Tehran.
- Four more French citizens, described previously as "hostages" by the French foreign ministry, are still being held in prison by Iran.
Business
Europe charges up car battery drive with new plants in Germany, France
The continent has been racing to produce more electric vehicles as part of its green transition, with the clock ticking...
- Sweden's Northvolt will build a multi-billion-euro plant in northern Germany, which will supply around one million electric vehicles with batteries a year.
- In France meanwhile, Taiwanese battery maker ProLogium announced it will invest 5.2 billion euros ($5.7 billion) in building a new factory in Dunkirk.
Science
‘Super-sized’ cosmic explosion dwarfs solar system
Astronomers have observed a fireball 100 times the size of our solar system that suddenly began blazing in the distant...
- The explosion is not the brightest flash ever observed in the universe and that record is still held by a gamma-ray burst in October that was nicknamed BOAT
- The only somewhat comparable bright cosmic event is a quasar, when supermassive black holes swallow huge amounts of gas in the centre of galaxies
Business
Allianz Q1 posts net profit $2.2bn
Firm said the profit was driven by higher prices for policies.
- The unit's strong performance helped offset lower revenues at its life and health division and its asset management arm.
- Allianz confirmed that full-year operating profits remained stable at US$15.4 billion, "plus or minus US$1.08 billion".
Business
Toshiba profit down 35%
Operating profit dropped 30.4% to 110.55 billion yen.
- For the year that ended March, the engineering giant booked a 126.57 billion yen ($940 million) net profit, down 35 percent on-year, on sales of 3.36 trillion yen, up 0.7%
- For the current financial year to March 2024, it forecasts a 110 billion yen operating profit, down 0.5 percent from the previous year, on sales of 3.2 trillion yen, down 4.8%
Geostrategy
Turkey says Ukraine grain deal nearing agreement
The Black Sea Grain Initiative, in place since July after diplomacy by the United Nations and Turkey, allows Ukraine grain...
- NATO member Turkey, which has good ties with Russia and Ukraine, has pushed both countries to resume peace talks after negotiations broke down last year
- Ankara helped the United Nations broker the grain deal last July, helping ease a spike in global food prices caused by Russia's invasion
Cash-strapped Lebanese soldiers moonlight as mechanics, waiters
On average, a soldier used to earn about $800 a month before the crisis, but the value of the Lebanese...
- Soldiers in Lebanon have seen their salaries diminish to around an eighth of their value in dollar terms since the country's economy began tanking in 2019
- The devastating economic crisis - which the World Bank says is one of the planet's worst in modern times - has plunged over 80% of the population into poverty
Twitter has new boss, says Elon Musk, to take over in six weeks
If Musk follows through on the announcement, he will be belatedly fulfilling the promise he made to honor the results...
- Twitter users in December voted to oust owner Musk as CEO in an unscientific poll he organized and promised to honor, just weeks after he took charge of the Twitter
- NBCUniversal head of global advertising and partnerships, Linda Yaccarino, was a potential candidate for the Twitter chief job, according to a Wall Street Journal report
Geostrategy
Saudi Arabia, US leading diplomatic drive for Sudan truce, end to fighting
fighting and looting raged most of Thursday in the capital Khartoum and US diplomats were frank about the obstacles in...
- Sudan's warring military factions signed a commitment to respect humanitarian principles in their spiralling conflict late Thursday but they did not reach a ceasefire
- The agreement commits both sides in general terms to let in badly needed humanitarian assistance after looting and attacks targeting aid in the impoverished country
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Red Cross warns against evacuation of Gaza City as Israel tightens siege
The Red Cross warned on Saturday that any Israeli efforts to evacuate Gaza City would put residents at risk, as...
Geostrategy
Company News
Aramco Q1 profit down 14.5%
Business
Latest News
Hamas negotiators ‘not in Doha’ but political office not closed: Qatar
Qatar, along with the United States and Egypt, had led months of fruitless negotiations for a truce in the Gaza...
Geostrategy
US envoy in Beirut says ‘real opportunity’ to end Israel-Hezbollah war
US special envoy said he was in Beirut because he saw "real opportunity" to end the Israel-Hezbollah war
Geostrategy
Iran slams new EU, UK sanctions as unjustified: foreign ministry
ran's foreign ministry Tuesday slammed as unjustified the new sanctions by the European Union and Britain against Tehran over its...
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Geostrategy
UN climate chief at deadlocked COP29: ‘Cut the theatrics’
As the UN climate talks limp into a second week in Azerbaijan, the world is no closer to a finance...
- Nations have until Friday to break the impasse over how to raise $1 trillion a year for developing countries to cope with global warming.
- Climate-vulnerable countries want developed nations to commit to substantially raising their existing pledge of $100 billion a year.
G20 leaders to grapple with climate, taxes, Trump comeback
G20 leaders gather in Brazil on Monday to discuss fighting poverty, boosting climate financing and other multilateral initiatives that could...
- The main star of the show is expected to be Chinese President Xi Jinping
- Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East would be kept off the summit agenda to focus on the poor.
Economy
Egypt’s middle class cuts costs as IMF-backed reforms take hold
Cairo, Egypt -- Egypt's economy has been in crisis for years, but as the latest round of International Monetary Fund-backed reforms...
- The world lender has long backed measures in Egypt including a liberal currency exchange market and weaning the public away from subsidies.
- Foreign debt quadrupled since 2015 to register $160.6 billion in the first quarter of 2024. Much of the debt is the result of financing for large-scale projects.