UN warns of manmade starvation in Gaza as food aid remains blocked by Israeli authorities
The World Food Programme says it has run out of food in Gaza, warning that hot meal kitchens—Gaza’s last major...
Geostrategy
IMF, World Bank welcome efforts for Syria to reintegrate globally
Washington, United States - The International Monetary Fund and World Bank's leaders said in a joint statement Thursday that they...
Economy
Geostrategy
Netanyahu visits Gaza as Hamas warns hostages may die amid continued Israeli offensive
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited northern Gaza Tuesday, his office announced, as the military kept up the offensive it...
- Hamas said on Monday it had received a new truce offer from Israel that foresees the release of 10 living hostages in exchange for a 45-day ceasefire
- Another Hamas official said Israel had also demanded that the Palestinian militants disarm to secure an end to the Gaza war, but said this crossed a "red line."
Business
Denmark’s Royal Unibrew adds AI colleagues into workforce
Fakse, Denmark -- They have names, faces and email addresses, but the five new colleagues at Denmark's Royal Unibrew only...
- Royal Unibrew in Denmark has introduced five virtual AI colleagues with names and backstories to assist human employees with routine tasks and information retrieval.
- The company reports increased engagement since adding photos to the AI agents, and employees interact with them through chats and emails for enhanced efficiency.
Business
Hermes overtakes LVMH as world’s most valuable luxury group
Paris, France -- French group Hermes overtook LVMH as the world's most valuable luxury company on Tuesday after shares in...
- The market capitalization of Hermes reached 248.6 billion euros ($280.5 billion) at the close of trading in Paris, topping LVMH's 244.4 billion euros.
- LVMH shares sank 7.8 percent a day after the group owned by Europe's wealthiest man, Bernard Arnault, reported a two percent drop in first-quarter sales to 20.3 billion euros.
Geostrategy
Trade war to cut global oil demand: International Energy Agency
Paris, France -- Global oil demand will be lower than previously forecast this year as rising trade tensions weigh on...
- It lowered its forecast for growth in oil demand by 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) -- down from just over one million bpd in its March report to 730,000.
- Trump imposed global tariffs of 10 percent this month but paused higher levies on scores of countries for 90 days.
Geostrategy
Syria, Lebanon leaders in Qatar for first official visits
Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in Doha. Qatar has been a key backer...
- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, accompanied by foreign minister Youssef Raggi, also touched down in Doha as delegations of two countries held talks.
- Beirut and Damascus have been seeking to improve relations since the overthrow of Assad, whose family dynasty exercised control over Lebanese affairs for decades.
Geostrategy
Disarming Lebanon’s Hezbollah no longer inconceivable: analysts
Beirut, Lebanon - The once unthinkable disarmament of Hezbollah could finally be within reach, as the United States pushes Lebanon...
- Hezbollah was left badly weakened by more than a year of hostilities with Israel, beginning with the group's campaign of rocket fire at its arch-foe in support of ally Hamas
- Israel was meant to withdraw its troops, but it still remains in five points it deems "strategic" and conducts regular strikes on what it says are mostly Hezbollah targets
Geostrategy
Iran’s top diplomat to visit Russia after US nuclear talks
Iran's foreign minister is to visit ally Russia this week to discuss nuclear negotiations with the United States, ahead of...
- On Saturday, Abbas Araghchi held talks with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff in Oman -- the highest-level discussions since the 2015 nuclear accord collapsed
- Russia, a close ally of Iran and party to the 2015 deal, and China have engaged with Tehran in recent weeks over its nuclear programme
Geostrategy
Trump envoy says Putin open to ‘permanent peace’ deal with Ukraine
US President Donald Trump's special envoy said Monday that Russian leader Vladimir Putin was open to a "permanent peace" deal...
- Trump has been pressing Moscow and Kyiv to agree to a ceasefire but has failed to extract any major concessions from the Kremlin
- Despite a flurry of diplomacy, there has been little meaningful progress on Trump's main aim of achieving a Ukraine ceasefire
Geostrategy
Israel offers 45-day ceasefire if Hamas releases half of remaining Gaza hostages
Hamas has informed the mediators that it is willing to agree to any proposal that includes a permanent ceasefire, a...
- A Hamas official told AFP that Israel had also demanded that the Palestinian militants disarm to secure an end to the Gaza war but that this crossed a "red line".
- "The proposal includes the disarmament of Hamas and all Palestinian armed factions in the Gaza Strip as a condition for a permanent end to the war," the official added
Geostrategy
Qatar plans direct investments worth $7.5 billion in Egypt
"The two sides emphasized the importance of strengthening economic cooperation... they agreed to work toward a package of direct Qatari...
- Egypt, the Arab world's most populous nation, has taken tentative steps to emerge from its worst-ever economic crisis with prices for consumer goods rising by the day.
- The two countries, which have also led mediation efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza, "emphasized the centrality of the Palestinian cause as the foremost Arab issue".
UN warns of manmade starvation in Gaza as food aid remains blocked by Israeli authorities
The World Food Programme says it has run out of food in Gaza, warning that hot meal kitchens—Gaza’s last major...
Geostrategy
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Trump tariffs have increased financial stability risks: IMF report
The IMF's Global Financial Stability Report (GFSR) was published as world financial leaders gather for meetings in Washington under the...
Economy
As world mourns, cardinals meeting to decide the date for Pope Francis’s funeral
Vatican City, Holy See - Cardinals will meet Tuesday to decide the date for Pope Francis's funeral, starting a process...
Arts & Culture
Saudi Aramco, BYD form alliance to develop low-carbon automotive innovations amid EV growth
Saudi Aramco, the world's largest producer of oil, "is exploring a number of ways to potentially optimize transport efficiency, from...
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Geostrategy
US envoy to Israel urges Hamas to sign deal so aid can enter Gaza
The new US ambassador to Israel on Monday called on Palestinian militant group Hamas to accept a deal that would...
- Huckabee's message comes after Hamas on Thursday signalled its rejection of Israel's latest truce proposal, which proposed a hostage-prisoner swap and the entry of aid
- The militants' chief negotiator said the group rejected any "partial" agreements and sought a comprehensive deal including "halting the war" and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza
Business
DHL to stop global shipments worth over $800 to US consumers
Washington, United States -- Global shipping giant DHL will "temporarily" suspend the shipping of parcels worth more than $800 from...
- President Trump has launched a wide-ranging trade war, threatening friend and foe alike with steep tariffs to address US trade deficits with individual countries.
- As part of those changes, the government has also lowered the threshold at which parcels to individuals require formal entry processing by US Customs -- down to $800 from $2,500.
Business
Gold hits record, dollar drops as tariff fears dampen sentiment
With several markets still closed for the Easter holiday, business was limited ahead of a week that will see the...
- The precious metal was also helped by a weaker dollar, which has also been hit by worries about Trump's standoff with Fed boss Jerome Powell.
- Stocks had a mixed start to the week, with Tokyo weighed by the stronger yen while Taipei, Jakarta and Bangkok were also in negative territory.