‘Curly is beautiful’: Tunisian women embrace natural hair
Tunis, Tunisia -- Tunisian mother Mouna Jebali had long used a flat iron to straighten her thick hair, but with...
Arts & Culture
Trump raises pressure on central bank, calls for Fed governor to resign
Washington, United States -- President Donald Trump ramped up pressure on the US central bank Wednesday, calling for Federal Reserve...
Geostrategy
Global equities wobble as US data raises recession fear
London rose but Frankfurt and Paris slipped in muted trade during a holiday-shortened week, while Asian indices slipped lower. "Markets...
- On Wall Street, the Dow eked out a modest gain but the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both fell as more data added to recession concerns
- Gold price, considered a safe bet in times of economic crisis, lingered above $2,000 level, not far from a record $2,075.47 set in August 2020
Science
This March sets a temperature record for second-warmest month ever
Paris, France--Earth had its second-warmest March on record with Antarctic sea ice shrinking to its second-lowest extent, the EU's climate...
- A report from the Copernicus Climate Change Service said temperatures were above average over southern and central Europe and below average over most of northern Europe
- Climate scientists have been warning that global warming is causing sea ice to decline and sea levels to rise, and that dangerous tipping points could be reached
UN chief to Taliban: Revoke ban on world body’s women staff
The Taliban authorities ordered all NGOs in December to stop employing Afghan women after receiving "serious complaints" that women employees...
- UN announced it had instructed all its Afghan staff, men and women, not to report to the office after the ban on its women staff was confirmed
- The Taliban authorities have imposed restrictions on Afghan women, including banning them from higher education and many government jobs
Geostrategy
French, EU leaders to push China for active role in Ukraine peace process
Beijing, China--French and EU leaders will on Thursday seek to make Europe's case for bringing an end to the conflict in...
- The visiting French President Emmanuel Macron said that China had a "major role" to play in finding a path to peace in Ukraine
- In a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Macron highlighted the importance of dialogue between China and France
Geostrategy
Iran, KSA agree to resume flights and bilateral visits
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan have pledged to reopen diplomatic representations within...
- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed steps towards reopening the embassies and consulates
- On March 10, Tehran and Riyadh announced the agreement to restore relations severed seven years ago when protesters in Iran attacked Saudi diplomatic missions
Geostrategy
Turkey denounces storming of Al-Aqsa, terming it ‘our red line’
Condemning the storming of Al-Aqsa mosque by Israeli forces and the beating of worshippers inside, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan...
- Turkey's foreign minister said the attacks have "exceeded the limit" and normalization with Israel cannot be at the expense of Palestinian cause
- Israeli police stormed into the mosque's prayer hall before dawn and forcibly removed worshippers who were engaged in prayer
Business
Young Libyans take to e-gaming in a big way as tech revolution sweeps the region
Tripoli's mushrooming arcades have driven rapid growth in Libya's nascent gaming community, Mattouss says. The increasingly organized community is "motivating...
- Unlike in other Arab states, "the gaming community was completely dead here" until recently, says Sofiane Mattouss, who runs the business set up in 2022
- Gaming industry experts say the Middle East and North Africa are high-growth regions, with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt among the largest markets
Business
Italy to investigate Meta over music copyright violations
Meta is accused of exploiting its dominant position in the market "by asking SIAE to accept an inadequate economic offer,...
- The Italian Competition Authority said it was probing Meta's "alleged abuse of economic dependence" of the Italian Society of Authors and Publishers.
- The alleged unfair practices could prevent musical artists from "reaching the ever-widening category of users who enjoy social platforms," it said.
Business
German anti-cartel watchdog puts Apple under surveillance
Products like the hugely successful iPhone meant Apple presided over a "wide-ranging digital ecosystem which is of great importance to...
- The Federal Cartel Office said it had determined Apple to be a company of "paramount significance for competition across markets'.
- Apple joins Amazon, Google parent Alphabet and Meta, the group behind Facebook, in falling under reinforced monitoring.
Economy
Fitch upgrades Saudi Arabia’s rating to A+ with Stable Outlook
Dubai, UAE -- Fitch Ratings has recently upgraded its Saudi Arabia’s rating to 'A+' with a Stable Outlook. The agency...
- The upgrade reflects the kingdom's strong fiscal and external balance sheets with large sovereign net foreign assets, Fitch said.
- The kingdom will continue to progress with fiscal, economic and governance reforms, the agency added.
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
‘Curly is beautiful’: Tunisian women embrace natural hair
Tunis, Tunisia -- Tunisian mother Mouna Jebali had long used a flat iron to straighten her thick hair, but with...
Arts & Culture
Company News
Emiratis battle to preserve dying art of embroidery
Arts & Culture
Latest News
Iran FM threatens ‘even stronger’ retaliation to any attack
"Our reaction to any attack by the Zionist regime is completely clear," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters in the...
Geostrategy
Trump says he thinks Israel should ‘hit’ Iran nuclear facilities
The former president, speaking at a campaign event in North Carolina, referred to a question posed to Democratic President Joe...
Geostrategy
Updates: Israel attacks 2,000 sites in Lebanon, kills over 40 rescuers, and destroys hospitals
Israel has intensified its attacks against Lebanon striking emergency services and professionals - a possible war crime. Several hospitals in...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
Israel’s hawkish Yoav Gallant driving war in Lebanon
Jerusalem, Undefined - Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, a former general who has shaped Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, is a...
- The hawkish politician, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's party has repeatedly stressed that Israel must take the fight to Lebanon
- Military action was "the only way to ensure the return of communities in northern Israel to their homes", Gallant told visiting US envoy Amos Hochstein last month
FIFA defers decision on Palestinian request to suspend Israel
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a statement: "The FIFA Council has implemented due diligence on this very sensitive matter...
- At FIFA's congress in Bangkok in May, the Palestinian Football Association called for its Israeli counterpart to be suspended and for Israeli teams to be banned from FIFA event
- FIFA was initially set to hold an extraordinary session of its ruling council before July 20 to review the independent legal analysis and decide how to proceed
Geostrategy
Libya’s eastern administration lifts oil production, export blockade
The Benghazi-based administration, which controls most of Libya's oilfields, said in a Facebook post it was "lifting the force majeure...
- Libya is struggling to recover from years of conflict after the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that overthrew Moamer Kadhafi
- It remains split between a United Nations-recognized government of Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah and the rival authority in the east backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar