UN chief blasts ‘lack of compassion’ for Palestinians in Gaza
United Nations, United States -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday slammed the international community for turning a blind eye...
Geostrategy
International Court of Justice court paves way for climate reparations
The court said climate change was an "urgent and existential threat" and countries had a legal duty to prevent harm...
Geostrategy
Economy
War and energy crisis push US LNG industry to expand
US suppliers have exported 1,574 billion cubic feet (44.6 billion cubic meters) of LNG to Europe so far in 2022,...
- US has become the world's largest exporter of LNG, an industry centered around the energy-rich Gulf of Mexico, with its infrastructure and strategic location
- In June, an explosion caused the temporary closure of the Freeport LNG terminal further south, reminding residents of the immediate risks posed by the plants
Geostrategy
Israel launches manhunt for east Jerusalem checkpoint attacker
Hours after two Palestinian teenagers were shot dead in an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank, Israeli troops were...
- Police cordoned off the area near the checkpoint and dozens of officers had been deployed at the entrance and exit of east Jerusalem
- Two reporters were wounded Wednesday while covering a military operation near the West Bank city of Nablus, in which one Palestinian was killed
Economy
German coastal state goes to polls amid acute energy crisis
Frankfurt, Germany— Germans in the coastal state of Lower Saxony vote in a closely-watched regional election Sunday, seen as a key...
- Anxiety about soaring energy bills has dominated the race in the northwestern region on the North Sea, providing a snapshot of the national mood
- One major bone of contention between the leading candidates has been the fate of Lower Saxony's Emsland nuclear power plant, one of only three still operational in Germany
Business
Iran extends temporary prison release of US citizen
Siamak's brother, Babak Namazi, said in a statement Saturday that Iranian authorities had granted his sibling a further three-day furlough...
- Former UNICEF official Baquer Namazi has been held in Iran for years along with his elderly father under convictions for espionage, allegations they both deny
- The younger Namazi was granted release from prison after his father, who was serving his sentence under house arrest, was allowed to travel to Abu Dhabi for medical treatment
Business
Pink diamond sells for nearly $58m in Hong Kong
The winning bid, by an undisclosed buyer from Boca Raton, Florida, was more than twice the estimated $21 million sale...
- The stone was the second-largest pink diamond to be sold at auction. Pink diamonds are the rarest of the precious gems and the most in-demand on the global market.
- The world record for a pink diamond was set in 2017, when a stone known as the CTF Pink Star was sold in Hong Kong for $71.2 million.
Geostrategy
Tunisia coastguard struggles to rein in migrant boats
Tunis--As dawn breaks over the Mediterranean, Tunisian coastguards intercept a flimsy craft packed with migrants, bringing their dream of reaching...
- The North African country, just 130km from Italy's Lampedusa island, has long been a launchpad for people fleeing violence and poverty across the continent.
- The demand has created one of the few thriving new industries in Tunisia: clandestine boat manufacture.
Economy
Iraq economic growth hampered in absence of government, budget
It remains without not only a new government but a budget too, obstructing much-needed reforms and infrastructure projects in the...
- The government can't invest that money without an annual state budget, which Mustafa al-Kadhemi is not authorised to submit to parliament in his capacity as caretaker PM.
- Former finance minister Ali Allawi, who had prepared a reform plan that never materialised, blamed the "political framework" for obstructing progress.
Economy
US job gains slow, but not enough to ease inflation worries
President Joe Biden, who has seen his approval erode in the face of surging prices, cheered the data as a...
- The economy added 263,000 jobs last month, showing a steady slowdown from the blistering pace in 2020 and 2021
- Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 5.0 percent, still high but a slowing from the pace seen over the past year
Economy
IMF to provide Ukraine with $1.3 billion emergency aid
The package will help meet Ukraine's "urgent balance of payment needs... while playing a catalytic role for future financial support...
- The IMF also said Ukrainian authorities deserve considerable credit for having maintained an important degree of macro-financial stability
- IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said that key policies have been geared toward safeguarding priority expenditures and preserving financial stability
Business
Google seeks to enhance smartphone credentials with Pixel 7
The device was unveiled this week in Brooklyn, where representatives from the Mountain View, California giant highlighted top-flight features that...
- Priced at $599 in the United States, the Pixel 7 is being positioned as relatively affordable as the latest versions of the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy are both around $800
- The upgraded system also can translate language in real-time, including idioms, and transmit more nuanced photos of different skin tones
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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 chief blasts ‘lack of compassion’ for Palestinians in Gaza
United Nations, United States -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday slammed the international community for turning a blind eye...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
After long peace, Big Tech faces US antitrust reckoning
Launched under both the Trump and Biden administrations, five major cases from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department...
Business
Thousands gather in Iran in show of support for attack on Israel
Iran's attack came in retaliation for an April 1 strike that levelled the five-storey consular annexe of the Iranian embassy...
Geostrategy
Call for restraint grows as Iran warns of ‘stronger response’ if attacked
As expected, Iran retaliated early Sunday by firing more than 200 drones and missiles toward Israel in response to Israel's...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
IMF confirms Kristalina Georgieva for second five-year term
It means that Georgieva, who was the sole candidate in the running to lead the International Monetary Fund, will continue...
- Georgieva, a 70-year-old Bulgarian, has run the IMF since 2019, and told AFP last month that she was making herself "available to serve, if people want me to serve."
- Under a controversial, decades-old agreement between Europe and the United States, the International Monetary Fund has historically been led by a European.
Geostrategy
Israel pounds Gaza as Iran attack threat puts region on edge
The latest bombardments in Gaza came after Israel said it had strengthened air defences and paused leave for combat units,...
- US President Joe Biden said he expected Iran to attempt to strike Israel soon but warned it against attacking the US ally in retaliation for the April 1 strike
- Authorities in Hamas-ruled Gaza reported dozens of new air strikes in the central region where most Israeli troops have regrouped in recent days
Geostrategy
Defence minister says Israel ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with US on Iran
"Our enemies think that they can pull apart Israel and the United States, but the opposite is true -- they...
- "Our enemies think that they can pull apart Israel and the United States, but they are bringing us together and strengthening our ties", Gallant said
- Fears that Iran could soon launch a retaliatory attack spurred France to recommend on Friday that its citizens avoid travelling to the region