Trump says to move homeless people ‘far’ from Washington
President Donald Trump said Sunday that homeless people must be moved "far" from Washington, after days of musing about taking...
Economy
Syria inks infrastructure and real-estate deals worth $14 billion
Since the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, Syria's new authorities have worked to attract investment for the...
Economy
Economy
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...
- The 40-something-year-old said he starts the day off at dawn, hunching over bins and hunting for plastic before the rubbish trucks and other plastic collectors come
- "It's the most accessible work in Tunisia when there are no job offers," Jabbari said, weighing a day's haul in Bhar Lazreg, a working-class neighbourhood north of Tunis
Economy
GCC countries record $587.8 billion in nominal GDP by end of Q4 2024
Muscat, Oman -- The nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries reached US$587.8 billion by...
- The contribution of non-oil activities to the GCC's nominal GDP reached 77.9 percent by the end of the fourth quarter of 2024,
- The manufacturing sector contributed 12.5 percent to the GDP, while wholesale and retail trade accounted for 9.9 percent.
Economy
US says tariff deadline of Aug 1 is firm, no extensions
Washington, United States -- The US deadline of August 1 for imposing tariffs on its trading partners is firm and...
- After the levies kick in, President Donald Trump -- who was negotiating with European Union officials -- is still willing to keep talking, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said
- Britain, Vietnam, Indonesia the Philippines, and Japan have struck deals with the Trump administration ahead of the Friday deadline.
Economy
US Fed poised to hold off on rate cuts, defying Trump pressure
Policymakers at the independent Federal Reserve have kept the benchmark lending rate steady since the start of the year as...
- With Trump's on-again, off-again tariff approach, Fed officials want to see economic data from this summer to gauge how prices are being affected.
- When mulling changes to interest rates, the central bank, seeks a balance between reining in inflation and the health of the jobs market.
Geostrategy
Urgent need for ‘global approach’ on AI regulation: UN tech chief
Geneva, Switzerland -- The world urgently needs to find a global approach on regulating artificial intelligence, the United Nations' top...
- Doreen Bogdan-Martin, head of the UN's International Telecommunications Union (ITU), said regulation was key as concerns rise over fast-moving technology.
- Bogdan-Martin, the first woman to serve as ITU secretary-general in the organization's nearly 160-year history, also stressed the need to get more women into the digital space.
Economy
China says balance between AI development, security ‘urgently requires consensus’
China's Premier Li Qiang warned Saturday that artificial intelligence development must be weighed against the security risks, saying global consensus...
- This week US President Donald Trump unveiled an aggressive low-regulation strategy aimed at cementing US dominance in the AI field
- Opening the World AI Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai on Saturday, Li emphasised the need for governance and open-source development
Economy
Why every company now needs a Chief Geopolitical Officer
When both governments and international institutions are explicitly warning businesses about geopolitical risks, traditional corporate approaches to navigating international relations...
- With rising geopolitical tensions, trade wars, and regulatory divergence, businesses must anticipate and respond to risks that can disrupt operations, and supply chains
- From sanctions and cyberattacks to forced market exits, geopolitical events are now causing multi-billion-dollar losses and lasting brand damage — risks too big to ignore
Geostrategy
UK starts online checks to stop children accessing harmful content
London, United Kingdom -- New UK age verification measures to prevent children accessing harmful online content came into force on...
- Around 6,000 pornography sites have agreed to implement the curbs, according to Melanie Dawes, chief executive of British regulator Ofcom.
- Around 500,000 youngsters aged eight to 14 encountered pornography online last month, according to Ofcom.
Economy
China’s premier tells EU leaders ‘we can’t afford’ massive industrial subsidies
Chinese Premier Li Qiang dismissed EU fears over Beijing's allegedly excessive subsidies to its industry, telling the bloc's leaders "we...
- Speaking during a roundtable with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday, Li insisted that "China is by no means doing what some call a subsidies policy or fiscal subsidies."
- "We would not be stupid enough to use the fiscal funds accumulated through the government and the hard work of our people to sell our products to foreign consumers," Li added
Geostrategy
Trump admin unveils AI strategy to maintain US dominance
The 25-page "America's AI Action Plan" outlines three aims: accelerating innovation, building infrastructure, and leading internationally on AI. Overall, the...
- According to US media reports, Trump was also to announce a series of executive orders to give key components of the plan additional legal weight.
- AI "challenges America to build vastly greater energy generation than we have today," the plan said.
Trump says to move homeless people ‘far’ from Washington
President Donald Trump said Sunday that homeless people must be moved "far" from Washington, after days of musing about taking...
Economy
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Trump’s global trade policy faces test, hours from tariff deadline
The last-gasp scramble to strike bilateral accords came as an appeals court in Washington considered the legality behind Trump's strategy...
Economy
Saudi Arabia’s real GDP up by 3.9 percent in Q2 2025: GASTAT
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.9 percent in the second quarter of...
Business
Microsoft valuation surges above $4 trillion as AI lifts stocks
Shares of Microsoft vaulted 5.3 percent after it reported $27.2 billion in quarterly profits as it touted massive investments in...
Business
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Economy
IMF lifts 2025 global growth forecast on ‘fragile’ easing in trade tensions
Looking ahead, the IMF expects the world economy to expand 3.1 percent next year, an improvement from the 3.0 percent...
- Despite the upward revisions, "there are reasons to be very cautious," IMF chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas told AFP.
- "Businesses were trying to frontload, move stuff around, before the tariffs were imposed, and so that's supporting economic activity," he said.
Economy
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...
- The 40-something-year-old said he starts the day off at dawn, hunching over bins and hunting for plastic before the rubbish trucks and other plastic collectors come
- "It's the most accessible work in Tunisia when there are no job offers," Jabbari said, weighing a day's haul in Bhar Lazreg, a working-class neighbourhood north of Tunis
Economy
GCC countries record $587.8 billion in nominal GDP by end of Q4 2024
Muscat, Oman -- The nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries reached US$587.8 billion by...
- The contribution of non-oil activities to the GCC's nominal GDP reached 77.9 percent by the end of the fourth quarter of 2024,
- The manufacturing sector contributed 12.5 percent to the GDP, while wholesale and retail trade accounted for 9.9 percent.