Larry Fink, André Hoffmann take interim helm at WEF, pledge renewed push for global cooperation
The World Economic Forum has named BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Swiss entrepreneur André Hoffmann as interim co-chairs, with both...
Business
Hezbollah chief thanks Iran for ongoing support to face Israel
Beirut, Lebanon - Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem has thanked a senior Iranian official for his country's ongoing support in confronting...
Geostrategy
Science
UN moves towards real-time tracking of greenhouse gases
The UN announced that it had taken a significant step towards trying to fill a key gap in the fight...
- The three major greenhouses gases are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.
- Of those, CO2 accounts for around 66 percent of the warming effect on the climate.
UNESCO chief in Iraq to visit war-battered cultural sites
UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay was to visit reconstruction projects and meet top officials including Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and...
- Audrey Azoulay will on Monday tour Iraq's national museum and the historic centre of Baghdad, including Al-Mutanabi streets, home to generations of booksellers
- On Wednesday, he will head to Arbil, capital of the autonomous region of Kurdistan and home to an ancient citadel that is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Geostrategy
Israeli Air Force reservists protest over legal reforms
Dozens of Israeli Air Force pilots have said they will boycott military training in protest at government legal reforms that...
- Judicial reform is a cornerstone of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's extreme-right administration.
- Netanyahu presents the overhaul as key to restoring balance between the branches of government in a system.
Geostrategy
Afghan universities reopen after winter break, but women still barred
The university ban is one of several restrictions imposed on women since the Taliban stormed back to power in August...
- The Taliban government imposed the ban after accusing women students of ignoring a strict dress code
- Many officials say the ban on women's education is temporary but, despite promises, they have failed to reopen secondary schools for girls
Seoul to compensate Japan wartime forced labour victims
Japan and the United States immediately welcomed the announcement, but victims' groups said it fell far short of their demand...
- Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi welcomed the plan, telling reporters it would help to restore "healthy" ties
- Seoul and Tokyo have ramped up security cooperation in the face of growing threats from Kim Jong Un's North Korea
Business
Iran: Paris-trained Pastry chef stays back to improve women’s lives
Tehran, Iran - She could have left Iran, as many of her contemporaries did, but Paris-trained pastry chef Shahrzad Shokouhivand...
- Shokouhivand hopes to see the lifting of the severe, mostly US, sanctions over Tehran's nuclear policy that are squeezing the country
- Because of the sanctions, she says, "it is very difficult to find quality chocolate, good butter and vanilla" among other essential baking ingredients
Geostrategy
Egypt jails activists for years on ‘terrorism’: rights groups
Egypt regularly uses accusations of support or financing of "terrorism" to hold activists and opposition figures as long as possible...
- Egypt regularly uses accusations of support or financing of “terrorism” to hold activists and opposition figures as long as possible in pre-trial detention
- The two-year time limit on such detention is regularly exceeded, say rights groups who count around 60,000 political prisoners in the country
Geostrategy
Syria denounces US top general’s visit to Kurdish-held northeast
The United States' top military officer Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley made a surprise visit to...
- Syrian foreign ministry termed Milley's visit as a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of Syrian territory
- According to Dave Butler, Milley's spokesperson. the US general "visited northeast Syria Saturday... to meet with commanders and troops"
Economy
Poor nations’ leaders unleash anger and despair at UN summit
The opening day of general debate at the once-in-a-decade summit saw no major announcement of desperately needed cash - apart...
- Many made pointed calls for the developed powers to come good with billions of dollars of promised aid to help them escape poverty and battle climate change
- Central African Republic's president told the UN Least Developed Countries meeting in Doha that his resource-rich but impoverished nation was being "looted" by "Western powers."
Business
Saudi EXIM, SINOSURE ink MoU
Pact is likely to help enhance Kingdom's non-oil exports.
- The agreement was signed during a ceremony held at the Saudi EXIM Bank headquarters in Riyadh
- It aims at knowledge exchange, finance and investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia and China
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Larry Fink, André Hoffmann take interim helm at WEF, pledge renewed push for global cooperation
The World Economic Forum has named BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Swiss entrepreneur André Hoffmann as interim co-chairs, with both...
Business
Company News
Latest News
China’s Xi promises US$50 billion for Africa over next three years
China, the world's number two economy, is Africa's largest trading partner
Business
Israeli airstrike kills five Palestinians in West Bank
Palestinian medics said an air strike targeting a car in the occupied West Bank killed five people on Thursday, while...
German foreign minister heads to Middle East in Gaza truce push
The talks will focus on "the dramatic situation in the region", and especially to discuss the issue of coordinating humanitarian...
Geostrategy
Most Read
Arts & Culture
In the heart of Beirut, one family upholds a unique dessert tradition
Beirut, Lebanon - At a shop nestled in a busy, crowded Beirut district, Hasan El-Makary is weighing out containers of warm,...
- Makary, 73, said he used to sell other sweets but as demand grew for mufataka, he abandoned the rest and now just makes the yellow pudding
- The rice must be soaked overnight, and Makary said he comes to the shop at 5:00 am to make the dish, which takes around four hours
Geostrategy
Two ships hit off rebel-held Yemeni region: maritime agencies
The Houthis said in a statement they had targeted the Blue Lagoon with "missiles and drones, and it was directly...
- One attack was claimed by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels who have targeted ships they say are linked to Israel
- The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) said the first vessel, identified as Panama-flagged tanker Blue Lagoon I, was hit by two ballistic missiles
Geostrategy
Biden, unions pile pressure on Netanyahu for hostage release deal
Jerusalem -- Pressure mounted Monday on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a major strike was held and US President...
- A strike announced by the main trade union seeking a deal to secure the remaining captives' release had brought parts of the country to a standstill.
- Alongside the surging domestic anger, diplomatic pressure has also grown, with the US president on Monday delivering some of his strongest criticism of Netanyahu.