Middle East conflict: Trade tensions rise as oil jumps and tariffs shake markets
Several ports suspended operations in the Middle East after drone strikes. DP World said operations at Jebel Ali port in...
Economy
Meta, YouTube face trial over children harm
Opening statements in the first trial began in Los Angeles County Superior Court, where Instagram parent company Meta and Google’s...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
New WEF report reveals how tech convergence will reshape industries
Geneva, Switzerland – The World Economic Forum today released a new report examining how emerging technology combinations are reshaping industries...
- AI is a key enabler, making many emerging tech synergies commercially viable across industries.
- Digital twins, enhanced by AI and sensors, are expanding efficiency in sectors from aerospace to healthcare.
Economy
Lebanon on bumpy road to public transport revival
Beirut, Lebanon - On Beirut's chaotic, car-choked streets, Lebanese student Fatima Fakih rides a shiny purple bus to university, one...
- Lebanon's public transport system never recovered from the devastating 1975–1990 civil war that left the country in ruins, and in the decades since, car culture has flourished
- Even before the economic crisis that began in 2019, the country was running on empty, grappling with crumbling power, water and road infrastructure
Business
Oil under $65 a boon for consumers, but a burden on producers
London, United Kingdom -- US President Donald Trump's tariffs, his call to "drill baby drill" and especially a decision by...
- The fall in oil prices has contributed to a global slowdown for inflation, while also boosting growth in countries reliant on importing crude, such as much of Europe.
- Cheaper crude "increases the level of disposable income" consumers have to be spending on "discretionary items" such as leisure and tourism, experts say.
Science
How social media can ‘trigger’ eating disorders in young people
Paris, France -- Social media can push vulnerable young people towards developing eating disorders by glorifying thinness and promoting fake,...
- Young women and girls are much more likely to suffer from illnesses such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder, though rates among men have been increasing.
- Research has shown the percentage of people worldwide who have had some kind of eating disorder during their lives rose from 3.5 percent in 2000 to 7.8 percent in 2018.
ADNOC expands its STEM Education Programme to empower UAE students in AI
Abu Dhabi, UAE – ADNOC has expanded its Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education programme to empower UAE students...
- Launched in January 2025, the Future of AI Schools Challenge received 14,500 applicants from 351 schools across the country
- During the final, ADNOC and AIQ showcased how ENERGYai, the world’s first agentic AI solution for the energy industry
Business
Google makes case for keeping Chrome browser in US court
Washington, United States - Google on Friday urged a US judge to reject the notion of making it spin off...
- US government attorneys have called for divesting Google of Chrome browser, contending that AI is poised to ramp up it's dominance
- They also want Google barred from agreements with partners such as Apple and Samsung to distribute its search tools
Interview
Generative AI’s most prominent skeptic doubles down
Vancouver, Canada -- Two and a half years since ChatGPT rocked the world, scientist and writer Gary Marcus still remains...
- Marcus's criticism centers on a fundamental belief: generative AI, the predictive technology that churns out seemingly human-level content, is too flawed to be transformative.
- The large language models (LLMs) that power these capabilities are inherently broken, he argues, and will never deliver on Silicon Valley's grand promises.
Economy
Chief Economists warn global growth under strain from trade policy shocks and AI disruption
The global economic outlook has worsened since the start of the year, as rising economic nationalism and tariff volatility fuel...
- The report reveals that 79% of surveyed economists view the current geoeconomic developments as signs of a significant structural shift for economy than a temporary disruption
- Nearly all the chief economists (97%) place trade policy among the areas of highest uncertainty, followed by monetary policy (49%) and fiscal policy (35%)
Economy
OPEC+ ministers, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, meet as oil output hike looms despite falling prices
The 22-nation group began a series of cuts in 2022 to prop up crude prices, but Saudi Arabia, Russia and...
- The 22-nation group began a series of cuts in 2022 to prop up crude prices, but Saudi Arabia, Russia and six other members surprised markets recently by sharply raising output
- The move has put pressure on prices, which have also fallen as investors worry that US President Donald Trump's tariff onslaught will cause an economic slump and weigh on demand
Economy
OPEC+ expected to open taps more despite price slump
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies - collectively known as OPEC+ - have justified their change...
- This follows pressure from US President Donald Trump and group leader Saudi Arabia's quest to penalise allies that breach the cartel's quotas
- In past months, Saudi Arabia, Russia and six other OPEC+ members have surprised markets by announcing a sharp increase in oil production
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Middle East conflict: Trade tensions rise as oil jumps and tariffs shake markets
Several ports suspended operations in the Middle East after drone strikes. DP World said operations at Jebel Ali port in...
Economy
Company News
Latest News
G20 summit opens in South Africa without Trump
The Johannesburg gathering is being attended by a host of world leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, Indian Prime Minister...
Geostrategy
China’s consumer prices rose in Oct, reversing stagnation
Beijing has struggled to maintain a strong economic recovery from the pandemic, as it fights a debt crisis in its...
Economy
UAE company inks $22 mn deal for stake in Latakia container terminal
Dubai, United Arab Emirates - AD Ports Group of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a $22 million agreement Thursday...
Economy
Most Read
Economy
Bahrain: Financial pioneer of the Gulf
In the post-digital world, Bahrain’s center of activity, the city of Manama, has stiff yet healthy competition from the GCC...
- Today, Bahrain is reinventing its economy through focusing heavily on Fintech Innovation, developing data centers with partners such as Amazon Web Services
- The pioneer of conventional banking in the region in 1970s has been robustly supporting Shariah-compliant financial instruments amid the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Economy
Qatar warns will cut gas supply to Europe over EU’s green rules
Qatar's energy minister on Monday warned the Gulf state would halt its supply of liquefied natural gas to Europe over...
- The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) requires large companies to fix the "adverse human rights and environmental impacts" of their supply chains worldwide
- The law was backed by a broad coalition of European politicians including the left and the greens as well as centrists, including some centre-right lawmakers
Business
OpenAI signs $38 bn infrastructure deal with cloud giant AWS
Under the seven-year agreement, OpenAI, which is partly owned by AWS's archrival Microsoft, will gain access to computing resources including...
- The deal will also give access to tens of millions of more conventional CPUs that will be used for the everyday deployment of so-called agentic AI.
- OpenAI will immediately begin utilizing AWS computing, with all capacity targeted to be used before the end of 2026, and the ability to expand further in the coming years.