Palantir, the AI giant that preaches US dominance
Palo Alto, United States - Palantir, an American data analysis and artificial intelligence company, has emerged as Silicon Valley's latest...
Business
Tunisia plastic collectors spread as economic, migration woes deepen
Tunis, Tunisia - A towel draped over his head, Hamza Jabbari sets bags of plastic bottles onto a scale. He...
Economy
Business
Lisbon Web Summit begins Tuesday, crypto specialists take prime spots
The conference attempts to bring together start-ups, investors, business leaders and agenda-broadening speakers –- linguist Noam Chomsky and heavyweight boxing...
- More than 100,000 people are expected to gather in Lisbon for the four-day Web Summit, the first full-scale edition since 2019 following the disruption of the pandemic.
- Conference organizer Paddy Cosgrave said there were "a lot of questions to be answered" about crypto, describing it as "largely smoke and mirrors".
Economy
Middle East stares at mass displacement due to climate change
The World Bank estimates that by 2050, if nothing is done to prevent it, there will be 216 million people...
- Agriculture in Egypt has grown even less profitable because of new climate-linked hazards such as "the appearance of new parasites"
- In 2021, natural disasters forced "nearly three million people" to leave their homes in Africa and the Middle East
Geostrategy
Iran trial begins for five facing death penalty over protests
Signalling its tough approach toward protestors, Iran has put on trial five people charged with offenses that can carry capital...
- The judiciary said on Wednesday that charges have been filed against more than 1,000 individuals in provinces across Iran in connection to the protests
- Mizan reported that an individual identified as Mohammad Ghobadlou was charged in Tehran with "corruption on earth", an offence punishable by death
Geostrategy
Gas tanker explosion kills at least nine people in Baghdad
At least nine people were killed and many wounded when a gas tanker blew up in Baghdad on Saturday night...
- An AFP correspondent said the windows of nearby buildings were blown out and vehicles in the area were damaged
- Safety standards in both the transport and construction sector are frequently flouted in Iraq, and accidents are a common occurrence
Geostrategy
GCC condemns German minister’s remarks on Doha World Cup
The secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council condemned remarks by Germany's interior minister on the World Cup due to...
- GCC chief Nayef al-Hajraf expressed support for Qatar in a statement published on the council's website.
- The six-member Gulf bloc backs Doha in addressing any interference in its internal affairs, the GCC chief said.
Geostrategy
Russia suspends participation in Ukraine grain deal
Russia suspended its participation in a pact that allowed grain exports from Ukraine, blaming alleged drone attacks on Russian ships...
- The Turkey and UN-brokered deal to unlock grain exports signed between Russia and Ukraine in July is critical to easing the global food crisis caused by the conflict.
- Russia had recently criticized the deal, saying its own grain exports have suffered due to Western sanctions.
Arts & Culture
Excavators uncover artifacts at site of last Mayan stronghold in Guatemala
Ceramics, human burial grounds and bullets from Spanish guns are among artifacts found by archaeologists in Guatemala at Tayasal, the...
- The excavation project began in June 2021 in an effort to understand more about the Tayasal outpost where Mayan inhabitants first settled in 900 BC.
- Tayasal was the last Mayan city to fall to the Spanish conquest in 1697, a century after Europeans entered the western highlands of what is now Guatemala.
Geostrategy
‘EU froze Russian assets worth US$17bn since Ukraine war began’
The European Union has frozen Russian assets worth around $16.9 billion since Moscow invaded Ukraine, EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders...
- The figure has risen from the roughly US$13.7 billion from oligarchs and other entities that the EU had frozen and announced in July.
- So far, the assets of 90 people worth more than $16.9 billion in seven members, including $2.1 billion in Germany, have been frozen.
Business
Octopus Energy acquires Bulb
Firm said it was paying the government a nine-digit sum.
- Bulb, Britain's seventh-biggest supplier, collapsed in 2021 due to soaring wholesale prices
- The government will give financial support to buy energy for Bulb customers over this winter.
Business
Musk seeks to soothe critics with Twitter content panel
The deal drew contrasting reactions, with former US president Donald Trump cheering the change of leadership on a platform that...
- Musk's first policy act was to tweet that he will form a "content moderation council" embracing "widely diverse viewpoints."
- "No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes," he said
Most Read
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
Palantir, the AI giant that preaches US dominance
Palo Alto, United States - Palantir, an American data analysis and artificial intelligence company, has emerged as Silicon Valley's latest...
Business
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Hamas says delegation heading to Cairo for truce talks
The hawkish prime minister has insisted he will send ground troops into Rafah, despite strong concerns voiced by UN agencies...
EU pledges $1 bn for Lebanon, urges curbs against illegal migration
The EU Commission's spokesman said in Brussels the aid will be disbursed "in grants", with 736 million euros earmarked to...
Geostrategy
United Nations estimates rebuilding Gaza will cost $30bn to $40bn
"The scale of the destruction is huge and unprecedented... This is a mission that the global community has not dealt...
Geostrategy
Most Read
Economy
US Federal Reserve keeps interest rates at 23-year high
Washington, United States - The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday held interest rates steady for a sixth straight meeting, keeping the...
- After a two-day gathering, the central bank decided unanimously to keep the benchmark lending rate unchanged at 5.25-5.50 percent
- For months, the US central bank has held its benchmark lending rate at a high level to cool demand and rein in price increases
Geostrategy
Hamas official insists Gaza ceasefire must be permanent
Hamas is considering a plan for a 40-day ceasefire and the exchange of scores of hostages for larger numbers of...
- He said it was premature to say whether the Hamas envoys, who have returned from talks in Cairo to their base in Qatar, felt any progress was made.
- A source with knowledge of the negotiations said Qatari mediators expected a response from Hamas in one or two days.
Geostrategy
More war debris in Gaza than Ukraine: UN Mine Action Service
And the danger for clearance work is restricted not just to unexploded ordnance but includes possible exposure to toxic substances...
- "There's estimated to be over 800,000 tons of asbestos, for instance, alone in the Gaza rubble," said Mungo Birch, head of the UNMAS program in the Palestinian territories.
- Birch said he hoped UNMAS, which works to mitigate the threats posed by all types of explosive ordnance, would become the coordination body for mine action in Gaza.