Honda and Nissan in merger talks as electric vehicle competition intensifies
Tokyo, Japan --Japanese auto giant Honda and its struggling rival Nissan will reportedly begin talks on a merger to boost their...
Business
UN envoy warns Syria conflict not over yet
United Nations' special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, referring to fighting between the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and...
Geostrategy
Bashar Al Assad of Syria seeks support from allies as extremist rebels take over key city of Aleppo
Extremist-dominated rebel alliance, including ISIS supporters, runs over Syrian city of Aleppo allegedly backed by Turkey. Russia and Iran push...
- Extremist rebels' offensive saw Syrian government forces lose control of Aleppo for the first time since the start of the country's civil war
Geostrategy
Gulf summit in Kuwait urges ‘immediate ceasefire’ for Gaza
Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah called on the international community to implement "an immediate ceasefire, providing international protection for...
- Sheikh Meshal hit out at what he characterized as the "double standards in the application of relevant international laws, charters and resolutions."
- The Kuwaiti ruler spoke in support of Saudi Arabia's work to form a global body pushing for an independent Palestinian state.
Geostrategy
Trump threatens 100% tariff on BRICS countries over currency plans
Washington, United States -- President-elect Donald Trump on Monday threatened to impose a 100 percent tariff on the BRICS group nations...
- The statement comes after a BRICS summit held last month in Kazan, Russia, where the countries discussed boosting non-dollar transactions and strengthening local currencies.
- The BRICS group has expanded significantly since its inception in 2009, and now includes countries such as Iran, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates
Business
Elon Musk asks US court to block OpenAi’s for-profit conversion
Washington, United States -- Elon Musk has again asked a US court to stop ChatGPT-maker OpenAI from converting into a for-profit...
- The move is the latest development in a business feud between OpenAI and Musk, who co-founded the group in 2015 but has since left.
- OpenAI has seen its profile skyrocket over recent years as it has become a star player in the growing field of artificial intelligence.
Turkish-backed jihadists breach Aleppo, displacing thousands and cutting vital highway to Damascus
By Friday, the jihadists and their allies had taken more than 50 towns and villages in the north and entered...
- The fighters took control of "half of the city of Aleppo" as regime forces withdrew, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
- The offensive began on Wednesday, the same day that a fragile ceasefire took effect in neighbouring Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah
Trump threatens 100% tariff on BRICS countries over currency plans
Washington, United States - President-elect Donald Trump on Monday threatened to impose a 100 percent tariff on the BRICS group nations...
- The statement comes after a BRICS summit held last month in Kazan, Russia, where the countries discussed boosting non-dollar transactions and strengthening local currencies
- The BRICS group has expanded significantly since its inception in 2009, and now includes countries such as Iran, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates
Geostrategy
Iran-Europe nuclear talks on as global tensions escalate ahead of Trump’s return
The stakes were laid bare in a warning from Britain's foreign intelligence chief that Iran's nuclear ambitions posed a major...
- Following the talks in Geneva, shrouded in an unusual level of secrecy, the parties to social media to say the discussions had focused on Iran's nuclear program and sanctions
- The sides had "agreed to continue diplomatic dialogue in the near future", the German foreign ministry and the high-level diplomats representing France, Britain and Iran said
Geostrategy
Okonjo-Iweala’s second term: Trump’s disdain for WTO biggest challenge
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the first woman and the first African to head the WTO, is the only candidate in the race,...
- Her term ends in August 2025, and the appointment process expected to lead to her next term had initially been scheduled to take months.
- During Trump's first term, the WTO also faced relentless attacks from his administration, which crippled the organization's dispute settlement appeal system.
Arts & Culture
Crypto boss Justin Sun eats banana art he bought for $6.2 million
Hong Kong, China -- Crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun on Friday fulfilled a promise he made after spending $6.2 million on an...
- Titled "Comedian", the conceptual work created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan was sold at a Sotheby's auction in New York last week, with Sun among seven bidders.
- Sun this week also became an advisor to World Liberty Financial, a crypto initiative backed by US president-elect Donald Trump, following a $30 million investment.
Saudi Arabia hosts UN talks on drought, desertification
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia will host the COP16 UN conference on land degradation and desertification next week as the...
- The subject of desertification is close to home for the Gulf kingdom, which has one of the biggest deserts on the planet
- Land degradation disrupts ecosystems and makes land less productive for agriculture, leading to food shortages and spurring migration
Honda and Nissan in merger talks as electric vehicle competition intensifies
Tokyo, Japan --Japanese auto giant Honda and its struggling rival Nissan will reportedly begin talks on a merger to boost their...
Business
Company News
Latest News
54 journalists killed in 2024, a third by Israel: media group
Fifty-four journalists were killed worldwide while carrying out their work or because of their profession in 2024, a third of...
Transition in Syria: New PM says will ‘guarantee’ rights of all religious groups
With Assad's overthrow plunging Syria into the unknown, its new rulers have sought to assure religious minorities that they will...
Geostrategy
Google unveils its most advanced Artificial Intelligence model, Gemini 2.0
San Francisco, United States -- Google on Wednesday announced the launch of Gemini 2.0, its most advanced artificial intelligence model to...
Business
Most Read
South Korean police raid president’s office
#South #Korean police raided President #Yoon Suk #Yeol's office as part of the investigation into his declaration of #martial law....
- The deeply unpopular Yoon is already under a travel ban
- Yoon survived an impeachment motion in parliament on Saturday
New Syrian rulers pledge stability, accountability, and reconstruction after Assad’s ouster
Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the Islamist leader who headed the rebel offensive, had previously announced talks on a transfer of power...
- The rebels appointed Mohammad al-Bashir as the transitional head of government to run the country until March 1, a statement said
- Assad fled Syria as an Islamist-led opposition alliance swept into the capital Damascus over the weekend, bringing to an end five decades of brutal rule by his clan
Business
Air passenger numbers to top five billion for the first time in 2025: IATA
Geneva, Switzerland -- Air passenger numbers are forecast to top five billion for the first time next year and the sector's...
- Total industry revenues are forecast at $1.007 trillion, helped by falling oil and fuel prices, "the first time that industry revenues top the $1 trillion mark," IATA said.
- Airlines have been hit by rising fuel costs since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 but IATA said it expected this factor to ease next year.