TSMC says started mass production of ‘most advanced’ 2nm chips
Taipei, Taiwan -- Taiwanese tech titan TSMC has started mass producing its cutting-edge 2-nanometre semiconductor chips, the company said in...
Business
Geostrategy
Syrian, Israeli diplomats met in Paris to discuss ‘de-escalation’: report
Syria's foreign minister met with an Israeli diplomatic delegation in Paris on Tuesday to discuss "de-escalation and non-interference in Syria’s...
- Washington has been at work in recent weeks to try to resolve security issues in Syria and Lebanon, which its ally Israel says have prompted it to take military action
- Despite a truce reached last November, Israel has continued to hit targets of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon, and it has occupied territory and hit targets in Syriay
Business
Google and Australia’s national newswire strike AI deal
Sydney, Australia - Australia's national newswire has agreed to provide content to Google's Gemini artificial intelligence to improve its responses,...
- The deal would help deliver real-time information to "enhance" responses in the Gemini app, said Nic Hopkins, Google's head of news partnerships for Australia and New Zealand
- Australian Associated Press, which was established 90 years ago, said its journalism would ensure timeliness and accuracy in the information Google's products provide
Geostrategy
Indian PM Modi to visit China, security chief says
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China later in August, his security chief said on Tuesday during talks with...
- Modi will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit opening on August 31 in Tianjin, his first visit to China since 2018, Ajit Doval said in public comments
- "History and reality prove once again that a healthy and stable China-India relationship serves the fundamental and long-term interests of both of our countries," Wang added
Geostrategy
Netanyahu slams Macron for fuelling ‘antisemitic fire’ by move to recognise Palestinian state
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upbraided President Emmanuel Macron in a letter seen by AFP on Tuesday, blaming the French...
- Late last month, Macron said France would formally recognise a Palestinian state during a UN meeting in September, drawing a swift rebuke from Israel
- By announcing the move, France was set to join a growing list of nations to have recognised statehood for the Palestinians since the start of the Gaza war nearly two years ago
Geostrategy
Ex-owner of world’s largest rhino farm arrested for trafficking
Johannesburg, South Africa -- South African police said they arrested Tuesday the former owner of the world's largest rhino conservation...
- Hume, in his mid 80s, owned the largest rhino farm in the world until 2023 when it was bought by the African Parks NGO.
- The 7,800-hectare (19,270-acre) "Platinum Rhino" site in the North West province is home to around 2,000 animals.
Economy
Stock markets cautious with eyes on Ukraine talks, US rates
Markets were also waiting for a key speech by the US Federal Reserve chief this week for clues on interest...
- Defense stocks fell sharply as chances grew for a breakthrough in Ukraine peace talks, with Germany's Rheinmetall dropping 4.7 percent and France's Thales down 4.1 percent.
- Traders hope Powell will provide more clues about a widely expected interest-rate cut at the Fed's September meeting, after data last week provided a mixed picture about inflation.
Geostrategy
Israel demands release of all hostages after Hamas backs new truce offer
Mediators are awaiting an official Israeli response to the plan, a day after Hamas signaled its readiness for a fresh...
- Mediator Qatar expressed guarded optimism for the new proposal, noting that it was "almost identical" to an earlier version agreed to by Israel.
- Egypt said Monday that it and Qatar had sent the new proposal to Israel, adding "the ball is now in its court".
Geostrategy
Syria commission says more than 300,000 may have gone missing since 1970s
The head of Syria's commission for missing persons said Monday the number of people who went missing during decades of...
- Mohammed Reda Jalkhi, head of the commission created in May, said the body's mandate ranged from 1970, the year Hafez al-Assad took power
- "Our estimates of the number of missing range between 120,000 and 300,000 people, and it could be more," he told state news agency SANA
Geostrategy
Under Rubio, US has revoked visas of 6,000 students deemed to counter US interests
Rubio, to the delight of President Donald Trump's right-wing base, has proudly moved against students using an obscure law that...
- The State Department did not break down the visas by nationality, even though Rubio has vowed to be aggressive in targeting students from China.
- The top US diplomat in March told reporters that he was revoking visas daily, saying of activist students: "Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas."
Geostrategy
Putin and Zelensky set for peace summit after Trump’s talks with him, alongside European leaders
Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday but the talks failed to yield any breakthrough on a...
- Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday but the talks failed to yield any breakthrough on a ceasefire
- Though White House envoy Steve Witkoff said both leaders had agreed to provide "robust security guarantees" to Ukraine
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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
Company News
BYD Q3 profit down 33%
Business
Latest News
Google announces $40 billion Texas investment to expand AI infrastructure
Google announced Friday a major $40 billion investment in Texas through 2027 to build new cloud computing and artificial intelligence...
Business
EU approves ADNOC’s purchase of Germany’s Covestro
Brussels, Belgium -- The European Commission on Friday greenlit the takeover of German chemical firm Covestro by UAE state oil...
Business
Saudi prince, eyeing defense pledge, to meet Trump after long US absence
Saudi Arabia is unlikely to agree to normalization with Israel at this stage, with Prince Mohammed's priority set for firmer...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
Rubio says US ‘optimistic’ for UN resolution on Gaza, backing an international force
US Secretary of State said the United States was speaking with different countries on ways to "balance their interests here,...
- Rubio said the United States was speaking with different countries on ways to "balance their interests here, and how that's structured beyond just the security force."
- The United States last week started circulating the draft resolution that would follow up on a ceasefire in the two-year war championed by President Donald Trump
Geostrategy
Google denies removing W.Sahara border for Morocco users
The dotted lines illustrating the border between Western Sahara and Morocco, indicating the former's disputed territory status, have never been...
- Western Sahara is a vast mineral-rich former Spanish colony that is largely controlled by Morocco but has been claimed for decades by the pro-independence Polisario Front
- The United Nations Security Council had previously urged Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria and Mauritania to resume talks to reach a broad agreement
Geostrategy
Macron warns any planned West Bank annexation a ‘red line,’ to provoke a European reaction
He spoke as Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas visited Paris one month into a fragile truce between Hamas and Israel, following...
- He spoke as Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas visited Paris one month into a fragile truce between Hamas and Israel, following two years of war
- Macron and Abbas announced the creation of a joint committee "for the consolidation of the state of Palestine", the French leader said