UN experts call for Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to be dismantled
"The GHF ... is an utterly disturbing example of how humanitarian relief can be exploited for covert military and geopolitical...
Geostrategy
Gaza war deepens Israel’s divides, sets friends, families against one another
Hostage families and peace activists want Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to secure a ceasefire with Hamas and free the...
Geostrategy
Business
European Union to end two Amazon inquiries after agreement
Amazon, and its software, will be forbidden from analyzing non-public third-party seller data, and will treat all sellers equally when deciding...
- EU vice-president Margrethe Vestager announced Amazon's commitments and hailed them as a victory for smaller retailers selling products on Amazon's online marketplace.
- An Amazon spokesperson said the firm, which operates the world's biggest online store, was pleased to have responded to the European Commission's concerns.
Geostrategy
Allow Iraq to choose path not dictated by foreign powers: Macron
The "Baghdad II" meeting in Jordan, which alongside regional powers also includes officials from France and the European Union, follows...
- Iraq has been caught for years in a delicate balancing act between its two main allies, the United States and Iran.
- It has endured nearly two decades of turmoil since the US-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.
Business
Antibiotics shortages hit nations as surging illnesses spur demand
Hospitals in many countries have come under pressure from a rising number of illnesses including what has been dubbed a...
- But ramping up production of antibiotics has proved difficult for drug makers, particularly for cheap generic medicines that offer a slender profit margin.
- Pharmaceutical companies who had cut back production because of the previously falling demand are now scrambling to meet skyrocketing orders, causing delays.
Economy
US lawmakers release $1.7 trillion spending bill to avert shutdown
WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES - US lawmakers early Tuesday released the text of a US$1.7 trillion funding bill which Congress hopes to...
- The bill includes $858 billion in defense funding and will also provide $44.9 billion in emergency assistance for Ukraine.
- It also includes $772.5 billion for non-defense discretionary programs, including $118.7 billion for Veterans Affairs medical care.
Arts & Culture
Off a highway, Israel Bedouins rejoice in horse racing
More than 260,000 Bedouins in Israel are part of the country's Arab minority, which is roughly a fifth of its...
- Bedouins consistently rank as Israel's poorest group and, like other Arab people, complain of marginalization.
- A long-standing source of friction is that many Bedouin villages are not recognised as official municipalities by Israel and lack basic utilities.
Geostrategy
Iran, EU diplomatic heads meet at Jordan summit
SWEIMEH, JORDAN - Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met Tuesday with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on the sidelines of...
- The meeting comes at a time when negotiations in Vienna aimed at reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal are stalled.
- EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell tweeted that the meeting was "necessary... amidst deteriorating Iran-EU relations".
Twitter users vote to oust Elon Musk as CEO
Analysts have also pointed out that the stock price of Tesla has slumped by one-third since Musk's Twitter takeover. The...
- A total of 57.5 percent of more than 17 million accounts voted for him to step down
- Musk has fully owned Twitter since October 27 and has repeatedly courted controversy as CEO
Economy
World Bank cuts China growth forecasts on Covid woes, property crisis
In a statement, the World Bank slashed its forecast to 2.7 percent from 4.3 percent predicted in June. It also...
- After years of sudden lockdowns, mass testing, long quarantines and travel restrictions, China this month abruptly abandoned its zero-Covid policy
- Beijing has sought to mitigate low growth with a series of easing measures to provide support, slashing key interest rates and pumping cash into the banking system
London Arabic bookshop to shut after 45 years
The announcement on December 5 that the bookshop will close at the end of this month prompted an avalanche of...
- Al Saqi Books is another victim of the pandemic, and the economic upheaval in the UK and Lebanon
- For more than 40 years, many writers have come to the London bookshop to present their works, including Syrian poet Adonis
Economy
Months after deadly quake, Afghan survivors get new homes
In Afghanistan, hundreds of earthquake-resilient concrete homes, many built by local laborers with the support of the United Nations refugee...
- More than 1,000 people were killed and tens of thousands made homeless after the 5.9-magnitude quake struck the impoverished province of Paktika on June 22
- Even before the earthquake, Afghanistan was in the grip of a humanitarian disaster made worse by the Taliban takeover in August 2021
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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
UN experts call for Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to be dismantled
"The GHF ... is an utterly disturbing example of how humanitarian relief can be exploited for covert military and geopolitical...
Geostrategy
Company News
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Israel-Hezbollah tensions drive fears of widening Gaza war
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah's group and Israeli forces have exchanged near-daily fire since Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel...
Geostrategy
Hizbollah threatens Israel after military says Lebanon offensive ready
Hassan Nasrallah - whose powerful Iran-backed group has exchanged near-daily fire with Israel since its ally Hamas's October 7 attack...
Geostrategy
From fighting boys to Saudi Olympic history for female taekwondo star
Abha, Saudi Arabia - Saudi taekwondo standout Donia Abu Taleb had an unusual introduction to the sport: for years she trained...
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Diplomats say at least 550 pilgrims died during hajj, mostly Egyptians
"All of them (the Egyptians) died because of heat" except for one who sustained fatal injuries during a minor crowd...
- At least 323 of those who died were Egyptians, most of them succumbing to heat-related illnesses, two Arab diplomats coordinating their countries' responses told AFP
- Earlier on Tuesday, Egypt's foreign ministry said Cairo was collaborating with Saudi authorities on search operations for Egyptians who had gone missing during the hajj
Geostrategy
Gaza rescuers report deadly strikes although clashes slow on Eid
Witnesses reported gunfire and artillery shelling near Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, where the civil defence agency said at...
- United Nations rights chief Volker Turk told the UN Human Rights Council he was "appalled by the disregard for international human rights" and "unconscionable death and suffering".
- The UN has said aid access to Gaza has been severely hindered by factors including insecurity, the closing of crossing points to the territory, and Israeli procedural delays.
Arts & Culture
Unveiling Tunis: mural celebrates ‘invisible’ talents
Tunis, Tunisia - In the old medina of Tunis, a wall installation titled "1001 Bricks" showcases the talents of "invisible" creators,...
- Led by Swiss artist Anne Francey, the project took shape over a year through workshops that culminated in a large bas-relief made of carved and painted clay bricks
- The initiative follows Francey's 2019 project "1001 Hands", inspired by the "One Thousand and One Nights" fairytale, emphasising stories that intersect endlessly