Yemen separatists announce two-year transition towards independence in south
Yemen's UAE-backed separatists on Friday announced the start of a two-year transitional period towards declaring an independent state after their...
Geostrategy
Yemen separatists say Saudi-backed forces to deploy in seized territories
A surprise STC offensive seizing resource-rich Hadramawt and Mahra has pushed the UAE and Saudi Arabia, officially allies in Yemen,...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Israel ups pressure on famine-struck Gaza City as Trump talks post-war plan
On the ground, Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least 38 people on Wednesday, including...
- Israel is under mounting pressure both at home and abroad to end its almost two-year campaign in Gaza, where the United Nations has declared a famine
- On the ground, Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least 38 people on Wednesday, including 16 in Gaza City
Geostrategy
Erdogan jubilant as ‘Steel Dome’ air defence system delivered to military, hails it a milestone
Last August, Turkey, a member of NATO, unveiled plans to build a multi-layered air defence system to protect its airspace,...
- "Today we are providing our army with the Dome system, consisting of 47 vehicles worth $460 million, which will inspire confidence in friends and fear in enemies," Erdogan said
- "This system will make the world of difference for Turkey's air defence. This is a turning point for Turkey," he said at a ceremony at the hqrs of Turkish defence giant Aselsan
Geostrategy
Mediator Qatar says ‘still waiting’ for Israeli response to Gaza truce proposal
Qatar and Egypt, along with the United States, have been mediating indirect ceasefire negotiations throughout the Gaza war, but despite...
- The latest proposal put forward by mediators involves an initial 60-day truce and staggered exchanges of hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
- But Israel has appeared reluctant to budge from its demand that all the hostages being held at Gaza be freed at once.
Economy
25 countries suspend postal services to United States over tariffs: UN
The Trump administration said late last month that it will abolish a tax exemption on small packages entering the United...
- The move has sparked a flurry of announcements from postal services, including in France, Britain, Germany, Italy, India, Australia and Japan.
- The United Nations' Universal Postal Union said he suspensions will remain in place until there is more clarity on how US authorities plan to implement the announced measures.
Geostrategy
Amnesty urges war crimes probe into Israeli destruction in Lebanon
Amnesty International said Tuesday that the Israeli army's extensive destruction of civilian property in south Lebanon, including after a ceasefire...
- The November 27 truce largely ended more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah that culminated in two months of open war
- The rights group's Erika Guevara Rosas said in the statement that the destruction had "rendered entire areas uninhabitable and ruined countless lives".
Geostrategy
Hezbollah chief rejects disarmament ahead of government talks with visiting US officials
Hezbollah's chief on Monday doubled down on his refusal to give up the group's weapons ahead of talks between Lebanese...
- Hezbollah was the only faction that kept its weapons after Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, doing so in the name of "resistance" against Israel, and has always rejected the decision
- The move came after the balance of power in Lebanon shifted following more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah that left the group badly weakened
Geostrategy
Israeli rights group accuses general of war crimes in West Bank
A leading Israeli rights organisation said Monday that it had requested a military investigation into a senior commander over suspected...
- The request comes days after Major General Avi Bluth, head of the Israeli military in the West Bank, appeared in a video in which he called for encirclement of Palestinian villages
- In a letter to the military advocate-general, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) urged an inquiry into Bluth, citing his comments and actions
Geostrategy
Syrian religious leader demands ‘separate’ region for Druze
A prominent Druze leader in southern Syria demanded on Monday the creation of a separate region for his minority community,...
- The week of bloodshed in Sweida province began on July 13 with clashes between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin, but rapidly escalated
- Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, one of three prominent Syrian Druze spiritual leaders, said Monday that the violence "sought to eliminate us as a Druze sect".
Research
Electric cars are more eco-friendly even in US, study finds
Paris, France -- Electric vehicles are less harmful to the environment than their petrol-guzzling counterparts even in the United States,...
- The research concluded the CO2 generated by producing an electric vehicle was largely balanced out during the rest of its lifetime.
- On average, an electric vehicle with a range of 300 miles (480 kilometers) will cause 30 percent less emissions over its life cycle than a plug-in hybrid car.
Science
Human ancestor Lucy gets first European showing in Prague
Prague, Czech Republic --The 3.18-million-year-old bone fragments of human ancestor Lucy, which rarely leave Ethiopia, went on display in Prague...
- The ancient remains of the Australopithecus afarensis were discovered in Ethiopia in 1974.
- The find was, at the time, the most complete ever made and revolutionized the understanding of humanity's ancestors.
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
Yemen separatists announce two-year transition towards independence in south
Yemen's UAE-backed separatists on Friday announced the start of a two-year transitional period towards declaring an independent state after their...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
OPEC+ looks set to further hike oil output
Geostrategy
Israeli strikes kill 27 in Gaza in spite of fragile truce, follows attacks targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon
The strikes were among the deadliest in Gaza since the truce entered into force last month, and came as Israel...
Geostrategy
COP30 dragged into clash over gender language
Negotiators say the effort -- by Paraguay, Argentina, Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia as well as the Holy See -- seeks to...
Geostrategy
Italy’s Leonardo launches joint venture with UAE defence firm
Milan, Italy -- Italian defense group Leonardo said Wednesday it had agreed to launch a joint venture next year with...
Business
Most Read
Business
Nvidia, Microsoft invest $15 billion in AI startup Anthropic, creator of the Claude chatbot
Nvidia and Microsoft announced Tuesday investments totaling $15 billion in AI startup Anthropic, creator of the Claude chatbot, amid frenzied...
- AI chip powerhouse Nvidia committed up to $10 billion while Microsoft—which owns 27 percent of Anthropic rival OpenAI—pledged up to $5 billion to the maker of Claude AI models
- The deal was part of an agreement that saw Anthropic commit to buying $30 billion in Microsoft's cloud computing capacity and adopt the latest versions of Nvidia's chip technology
Geostrategy
UN Security Council votes for international force for Gaza, path to a future Palestinian state
Trump posted on social media that the vote "acknowledging and endorsing the BOARD OF PEACE, which will be chaired by...
- There were 13 votes in favor of the text, which US President Trump claimed would lead to "further Peace all over the World," with only Russia and China abstaining -- but no vetoes
- But Hamas, which is excluded by the resolution from any governance role in Gaza, said the resolution did not meet Palestinians' "political and humanitarian demands and rights."
Science
Turkey seeks to host next COP as co-presidency plans with Australia falter
Turkey wants to host next year's UN climate change talks and is ready to organise the event alone if there...
- Australia and Turkey are locked in a stalemate over who should host the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in 2026
- The host is selected by consensus, so unless Australia or Turkey withdraws or the countries agree to share the conference, both will miss out