Buried for 14 hours after Israeli strike, Lebanese toddler makes recovery
The strike flattened an apartment complex and killed 15 people, many of them relatives
Geostrategy
Trump victory reflects Arab-American support, Netanyahu discusses Iran with him amid lingering regional conflict
In a unique campaign twist, Trump captured Muslim voters by pledging diplomacy, promising to end prolonged conflicts and promote stability,...
Geostrategy
Empty streets and ‘fear’ in Gaza’s Rafah since Israeli incursion
Rafah, Palestinian Territories - Displaced Gazan Marwan al-Masri, sheltering in Rafah, said on Wednesday "life has completely ceased" since Israeli tanks...
- More than 1.4 million people had crammed into Rafah, a city on the Gaza Strip's southern border with Egypt, as Israeli forces pushed their way southward
- Caught between Israeli shelling from the east, an Egyptian border to the south and the Mediterranean to the west, many fleeing Rafah went north
Geostrategy
South Gaza hospitals have only three days’ fuel left: WHO
Despite international objections, Israel sent tanks into the overcrowded southern city of Rafah on Tuesday and seized the nearby crossing...
- "The closure of the border crossing continues to prevent the UN from bringing fuel. Without fuel all humanitarian operations will stop," said WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus.
- Tedros said Al-Najjar, one of the three hospitals in Rafah, was no longer functioning due to the ongoing hostilities in the vicinity and the military operation in Rafah.
Business
Apple’s latest iPad signals the company’s AI-powered future
San Francisco, United States - Apple on Tuesday announced a line of new iPad tablets revamped with a powerful AI chip...
- The latest version of the iPad Pro uses a new chip called the M4, which is stronger than the one currently used for Apple's laptops
- The iPad Pro and ultralight iPad Air are the company's first iPad releases in two years, ending Apple's longest period without upgrades since it launched the tablet in 2010
Geostrategy
Israel seizes Rafah crossing as Gaza truce talks resume
Egypt's state-linked Al-Qahera News reported that mediators from Qatar, the United States and Egypt were meeting with a Hamas delegation.
- A senior Hamas official warned this would be Israel's "last chance" to free the estimated 128 captives still held in Gaza, including 36 officials who are dead
- Israel's offensive has killed at least 34,789 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry
Business
Aramco Q1 profit down 14.5%
Despite lower profit, it will pay $31bn in dividends to Saudi government.
- Net income was 102.27 billion riyals ($27.27 billion), down from 119.54 billion riyals ($31.88 billion) for the same period in 2023.
- Aramco is currently producing roughly nine million barrels per day (bpd), well below its capacity of 12 million bpd.
Pulitzer Prizes honor coverage of war in Gaza
New York, United States - The war in Gaza featured prominently in Monday's Pulitzer Prizes, which included a special citation for...
- The New York Times won a Pulitzer in international reporting for its "wide-ranging and revelatory coverage of Hamas's lethal attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7
- Reuters meanwhile won the award for breaking news photography for its "raw and urgent" coverage of the October 7 attack and Israeli response
Geostrategy
Hamas accepts Gaza truce proposal, Israel urges Rafah evacuation
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the proposal "is far from Israel's essential demands", but the government will send...
- The Hamas announcement brought cheering crowds onto the street amid tears of happiness, chants of "Allahu Akbar" ("God is greatest") and celebratory shooting in the air
- Israel's military meanwhile reiterated an earlier call for residents of east Rafah to evacuate as it prepares for a "ground operation" in the southern Gaza city
Geostrategy
Israel’s Rafah evacuation order heightens global alarm
The evacuation call followed disagreement between Israel and Hamas over the Palestinian group's demands to end the seven-month war, during...
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to send ground troops into Rafah regardless of any truce, defying international concerns.
- The foreign ministry in Cairo warned in a statement of "grave humanitarian risks" for more than one million Gazans sheltering there.
Business
Gaza truce talks resume in Egypt, without Israel for now
Mediators from Qatar, Egypt and the United States have been waiting for Hamas to respond to a proposal that, according...
- The WHO says 1.2 million people, half of Gaza's population, have sought refuge in Rafah, which has been repeatedly threatened by Israel with an invasion.
- US has reiterated its objections to a Rafah offensive, saying Israel has not presented a plan to protect the civilians sheltering there.
Hamas says delegation heading to Cairo for truce talks
The hawkish prime minister has insisted he will send ground troops into Rafah, despite strong concerns voiced by UN agencies...
- Foreign mediators have been waiting for a Hamas response to a proposal to halt the fighting for 40 days and exchange hostages for Palestinian captives
- A major stumbling block has been that, while Hamas has demanded a lasting ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue to fight
Buried for 14 hours after Israeli strike, Lebanese toddler makes recovery
The strike flattened an apartment complex and killed 15 people, many of them relatives
Geostrategy
Company News
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Israel defies ceasefire calls and vows to keep battling Hezbollah
"There will be no ceasefire in the north. We will continue to fight against the Hezbollah terrorist organization with all...
Geostrategy
US offers $20 mn for info on Iranian behind Bolton assassination plot
Washington, United States- The US State Department announced a $20 million reward on Thursday for information leading to the arrest of...
Geostrategy
US gives US$8.7 billion in military aid to Israel amid global push for a ceasefire
While international pressure on Israel for ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza intensifies, Netanyahu refuses to slow down military operations. Lebanese...
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Geostrategy
Ceasefire calls mount as Israeli troops on alert for Lebanon incursion
International calls for restraint mounted Wednesday after Israel's army chief told soldiers to prepare for a possible ground offensive against...
- Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed 72 people on Wednesday
- Biden met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the UN General Assembly to discuss ceasefire efforts
Business
OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati leaving company
San Francisco, United States - OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati on Wednesday said she is leaving the company behind ChatGPT,...
- Murati called her more than six years at the San Francisco-based company "an extraordinary privilege" and described her decision to leave as difficult in a post on X
- OpenAI chief Sam Altman replied to Murati's post with his thanks for what Murati has helped the company build, and promised details on a transition plan soon
Economy
OECD raises growth forecast, calls for higher property taxes
Paris, France -- The OECD on Wednesday slightly raised its world economic growth forecast for 2024 but called for higher property...
- The Paris-based organization said global gross domestic product would expand by 3.2 percent, compared to 3.1 percent in its previous forecast.
- While it raised the world GDP outlook, the OECD sounded the alarm on rising debt, urging governments to make "stronger efforts" to contain spending and raise revenue.