Morocco’s AFCON star Achraf Hakimi: the pride of his mother’s home town
Ksar El Kebir, Morocco – Achraf Hakimi is an idol across Africa Cup of Nations host country Morocco, but there is...
Arts & Culture
Yemen presidential council says Saudi coalition to lead all southern forces
The announcement comes a few days after Yemeni forces supported by Saudi Arabia recaptured large swathes of territory from the...
Geostrategy
Business
Tech stocks lead Wall Street higher, gold hits fresh record
Tech firms also led the rally in Asia, with South Korea's Samsung Electronics, Taiwan's TSMC and Japan's Renesas among the...
- Gold, which benefits from expectations of lower US interest rates, hit a fresh record of $4,442.19, while silver also struck a new peak.
- The precious metals, which are go-to assets in times of crisis, also benefited from geopolitical worries as Washington steps up its oil blockade against Venezuela.
Business
Billionaire Ellison offers personal guarantee for son’s Warner Bros bid
Washington, United States -- Oracle tech tycoon Larry Ellison is offering a $40.4 billion personal guarantee to back Paramount's hostile...
- Netflix shocked the industry December 5 by announcing it had sealed an agreement to buy the film and television studio and HBO Max streaming business for nearly $83bn.
- Three days later, Paramount launched an all-cash tender offer valuing the entertainment giant at $108.4 billion.
Economy
Pressure on Morocco to deliver as Africa Cup of Nations kicks off
Morocco carry a huge weight of expectation into their opening game at the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday as...
- Senegal, Ivory Coast, Mohamed Salah's Egypt and a Nigeria side led by Victor Osimhen are the biggest rivals for Morocco at the AFCON
- Morocco, Africa's best team in the FIFA rankings in 11th place, kick off the tournament on Sunday against minnows Comoros
Geostrategy
As diplomats gather in Miami, Kremlin denies three-way US-Ukraine-Russia talks in preparation
The Kremlin on Sunday denied that three-way talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States were on the cards, as...
- Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev arrived in Miami, where Ukrainian and European teams have also been gathering for the negotiations
- The top Kremlin aide also told Russian journalists Sunday that he had "not seen" the revised US proposal to end the conflict
Geostrategy
Israel’s security cabinet approves 19 new settlements in West Bank, a move to scuttle ‘a Palestinian state’
The decision brings the total number of settlements approved over the past three years to 69, according to a statement...
- The latest approvals come days after the UN said the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank had reached its highest level since at least 2017.
- Excluding east Jerusalem, which was occupied and annexed by Israel in 1967, more than 500,000 Israelis live in the West Bank.
Geostrategy
Macron meets UAE leaders to deepen strategic partnership, discuss defense, AI, trade and drug trafficking
Macron is due to meet with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss "strengthening the strategic partnership" between...
- The French president traditionally celebrates the end-of-year holidays with troops deployed abroad, of whom there are more than 900 in the UAE.
- France cooperates with the UAE on areas including artificial intelligence and trade, and now wants to secure the Gulf state's support in its war on drug trafficking.
Geostrategy
China’s rare earths El Dorado gives strategic edge
Ganzhou, China -- Buried in the reddish soil of southern China lies latent power: one of the largest clusters of...
- The hills of Jiangxi province are home to most of China's rare earth mines, with the materials used in a range of products, including smartphones and missile guidance technology.
- The flourishing industry is closely protected by Chinese authorities and media access is seldom granted.
Geostrategy
Gazans mourn six killed in Israeli shelling on shelter
Gaza's civil defence agency, which operates as a rescue force under Hamas authority, initially said on Friday that the Israeli...
- Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal updated the toll to six, including children, on Saturday, adding that two people were unaccounted for under the rubble.
- The director of Gaza City's Al-Shifa Hospital, Mohammed Abu Salmiya, told AFP the victims were a four-month old infant, a 14-year-old girl, two men and two women.
Geostrategy
German wheelchair user flies into space, a first
Houston, United States -- A German woman engineer on Saturday became the first wheelchair user to blast into space, taking...
- Benthaus suffered a spinal cord injury after a mountain biking accident and now uses a wheelchair.
- "After my accident, I really, really figured out how inaccessible our world still is" for people with disabilities, she said in a video released by the company.
Geostrategy
Zelensky says US mooted direct Ukraine-Russia talks on ending war in Miami
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Washington had proposed the first face-to-face negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in...
- The last time Ukrainian and Russian envoys held direct talks was in July in Istanbul, which led to prisoner swaps
- Russian and European involvement marks a step forward from when America held separate negotiations with each side
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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
Morocco’s AFCON star Achraf Hakimi: the pride of his mother’s home town
Ksar El Kebir, Morocco – Achraf Hakimi is an idol across Africa Cup of Nations host country Morocco, but there is...
Arts & Culture
Company News
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‘Tuna King’ pays record $3.2 mn for bluefin at Tokyo auction
Tokyo, Japan -- A Japanese sushi entrepreneur paid a record $3.2 million for a giant bluefin tuna Monday at an...
Business
US to work with current Venezuela leaders if they make ‘right decision:’ Rubio
The United States is ready to work with Venezuela's remaining leaders if they make "the right decision," Secretary of State...
Geostrategy
The US and Venezuela’s vast oil reserves: key questions amid sanctions, geopolitics and energy
After a US military operation that seized Nicolas Maduro, President Donald Trump said he wants to allow American oil companies...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
Maduro now in New York jail as Trump says US to ‘run’ Venezuela
The US president's announcement followed a lightning pre-dawn attack in which commandos grabbed Maduro and his wife while air strikes...
- Trump said he was "designating people" from his cabinet to be in charge in Venezuela, but gave no further details.
- In another surprise, Trump indicated US troops could be deployed, saying Washington is "not afraid of boots on the ground."
Geostrategy
Bondi shooting responders honoured at Sydney Ashes Test
Sydney, Australia -- England and Australia's cricket teams honoured at the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney on Sunday emergency service...
- The on-field guard of honour ahead of the clash was accompanied by loud applause from the sold-out crowd.
- The biggest cheer came when hero Ahmed al Ahmed, who ran towards one of the attackers and wrestled the gun from him, walked out.
Geostrategy
Yemen separatists announce two-year transition towards independence in south
Yemen's UAE-backed separatists on Friday announced the start of a two-year transitional period towards declaring an independent state after their...
- The Southern Transitional Council (STC), whose forces came under fire from deadly Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on Friday, said the process would include dialogue and a referendum
- SCT forces seized large swathes of Yemen's south, run by a fractious government with competing agendas, in a lightning and largely unopposed offensive last month