Iran will have ‘no choice’ but to acquire nuclear weapons if attacked, Khamenei adviser to UNSC
The message was sent to the UN Security Council in a letter by Iran's UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani which...
Geostrategy
Vanke reports annual loss of $6.8 bn
The property giant attributes loss to falling sales and shrinking profit.
Business
Economy
Trump cuts to US-funded media put reporters at risk: RSF
President Donald Trump's dismantling of US-funded international media outlets such as Voice of America could put their journalists at risk,...
- The Trump administration began mass layoffs Sunday at Voice of America and other US-funded media
- Trump signed an executive order gutting VOA's parent, the US Agency for Global Media
Science
Webb telescope directly observes exoplanet CO2 for first time
The gas giants are not capable of hosting extraterrestrial life, but do offer clues in a lingering mystery about how...
- The HR 8799 system, 130 light years from Earth, is only 30 million years old -- just a baby compared to our solar system's 4.6 billion years.
- A US-led team of researchers used Webb to directly detect carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of all four of the system's known planets, according to the study.
Economy
OECD lowers global growth projections over tariffs, uncertainty
"We are navigating troubled waters," said the OECD's chief economist Alvaro Santos Pereira as he summed up the world's economic...
- While global economic activity remained "resilient" in 2024 with a 3.2 percent increase in GDP, the OECD trimmed back its 2025 projection from 3.3 percent growth to 3.1 percent.
- That was due to "higher trade barriers in several G20 economies and increased geopolitical and policy uncertainty weighing on investment and household spending".
Geostrategy
Mediators push for Gaza ceasefire as Israel, Hamas remain stuck on hostage, withdrawal demands
Hamas has consistently demanded negotiations for the second phase, which would include a permanent end to the war, a complete...
- During the first phase of the truce agreement, Hamas released 33 hostages, including 8 deceased, and Israel released 1,800 Palestinians
- Since then, Hamas has consistently demanded negotiations for the second phase, which would include a permanent end to the war
Geostrategy
Trump, Putin to discuss Ukraine ceasefire this week
US President Donald Trump and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are expected to speak this week, officials said on Sunday, as...
- The United States this week proposed a halt in fighting in the war after talks in Saudi Arabia, with Kyiv accepting the proposal
- Putin however has given no clear answer, instead listing a string of conditions and raising "serious questions" over the proposition
Economy
US Fed likely to keep rates steady as uncertainty over Trump’s economic policies looms
Since January, Trump has imposed levies on major trading partners Canada, Mexico and China, and on steel and aluminum imports,...
- The Trump administration has also embarked on unprecedented cost-cutting efforts that target staff and spending, while the president has promised tax reductions and deregulation.
- But Fed Chair Jerome Powell emphasized this month that it is the "net effect" of policy changes that will matter for both the economy and monetary policy.
Business
China’s Baidu releases new, free AI model to compete with DeepSeek
Baidu announced in a WeChat post that its latest X1 reasoning model -- which the company claims performs similarly to...
- Baidu also made the models free to use, more than two weeks ahead of schedule. Previously, users had to pay a monthly subscription to access the company's latest AI models.
- Technology companies in China have been scrambling to release improved AI platforms since start-up DeepSeek shocked its rivals with its open source and highly cost-efficient model
Geostrategy
Putin tells Ukraine troops in Russian region to ‘surrender’, amid efforts for a ceasefire
Russia has mounted a rapid counteroffensive in the western border region of Kursk over the past week, recapturing much of...
- US President Donald Trump urged Putin to spare the lives of the Ukrainian troops as he said his envoy had held "productive" talks with Russia's leader
- Defeat in Kursk would be a major blow to Ukraine's plans to use its hold on the region as a bargaining chip in peace talks
Economy
Gold tops $3,000 for first time on Trump tariff threats
Gold surpassed $3,000 for the first time Friday as US President Donald Trump's trade wars boost the safe-haven asset, while...
- Gold, a safe haven in times of uncertainty, rose as much as $3,004 an ounce before paring back gains later in the day to trade under $3,000
- Trump said he would not row back on the metals duties, nor plans for sweeping tariffs on countries worldwide due to kick on April 2
Geostrategy
Hamas says ready to free Israeli-US hostage, remains of 4 others
During the initial six-week phase of the ceasefire, Hamas released 33 hostages, including eight who were deceased, in exchange for...
- Israel has said it wants to extend the first phase of the ceasefire but Hamas has insisted on talks for the second phase of the deal which the US, Qatar and Egypt had mediated.
- Israel halted aid flows into Gaza 13 days ago over the truce impasse. At the weekend, it also cut off the electricity supply, which largely halted water desalination in Gaza.
Iran will have ‘no choice’ but to acquire nuclear weapons if attacked, Khamenei adviser to UNSC
The message was sent to the UN Security Council in a letter by Iran's UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani which...
Geostrategy
Company News
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Palestinian sources say Hamas, mediators in new talks to revive Gaza truce, hostage release deal
Negotiations between Hamas and Israel, mediated by Egypt along with Qatar and the United States, have been deadlocked for weeks...
Geostrategy
Firms and researchers at odds over superhuman AI
The belief that human-or-better intelligence -- often called "artificial general intelligence" (AGI) -- will emerge from current machine-learning techniques fuels...
Science
Automakers lead market losses after Trump tariffs on imported vehicles
Wall Street's main indexes opened in the red, with General Motors sinking more than nine percent in early trading while...
Business
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Geostrategy
Lebanon cabinet appoints Karim Souaid central bank governor
Born in 1964, Souaid officially takes over after embattled former chief Riad Salameh's term expired in July 2023 with no...
- First vice-governor Wassim Manssouri had been acting head of the bank, a post that is traditionally reserved for a Maronite Christian in Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system.
- Souaid is the founder and managing partner at Gulf-based Growthgate, according to his biography on the private investment firm's website.
Geostrategy
Israel PM threatens to seize parts of Gaza over fate of hostages
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened Wednesday to seize parts of Gaza if Hamas did not release hostages, while the militant...
- Israel's resumption of intense bombardment and ground operations across Gaza shattered weeks of relative calm brought by a fragile ceasefire
- According to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, 830 people have been killed in the territory since Israel restarted its strikes on March 18
Business
AI’s impact on jobs, technology’s touchy topic sparks unease
New York, United States - "Stop Hiring Humans" read a provocative sign at an AI conference in Las Vegas, where...
- AI agents, which are supposed to make decisions that are usually made by humans, have become the latest buzzword of the AI story
- There is little doubt that some kind of upheaval of the workplace is underway, but its precise impact remains uncertain