US says Iran Hormuz deal could come within days as oil prices tumble
Washington said mediation efforts were advancing despite Tehran denying direct negotiations, while fresh maritime attacks underscored persistent security risks across...
Geostrategy
Dubai population rises 7.5 percent to 4.58 million in 2025
Dubai's population grew 7.5 percent to more than 4.58 million by the end of 2025, fuelled by economic expansion and...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Macron says abandoning Gaza ‘will kill’ West’s credibility
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that abandoning war-torn Gaza to its fate and giving Israel a "free pass"...
- "If we abandon Gaza, if we consider there is a free pass for Israel, even if we do condemn terrorist attacks, we will kill our credibility," Macron told defence forum in Singapore
- European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday denounced attacks in the past days on civilian infrastructure in Gaza as "abhorrent" and "disproportionate."
Geostrategy
UN declares Gaza the hungriest place on earth, says entire population risks famine
Negotiations to end nearly 20 months of war have so far failed to achieve a breakthrough, with Israel resuming operations...
- Negotiations to end nearly 20 months of war have so far failed to achieve a breakthrough, with Israel resuming operations in Gaza in March, ending a six-week truce
- Thousands of Palestinians rushed into a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation centre on Tuesday, as Israel implemented a new distribution system that bypasses the UN
Geostrategy
Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to make rare West Bank visit
Prince Faisal will head a delegation to Ramallah, the first such trip since Israel first occupied the Palestinian territory in...
- Prince Faisal's trip was announced as Israel vowed to build a "Jewish Israeli state" in the West Bank, after doubling down on plans to expand settlements there.
- Saudi Arabia sent a lower-level delegation to Ramallah in September 2023, its first since 1967, not long before Hamas's October 7 attack triggered the Gaza war.
Geostrategy
No permit, no hajj: Saudi intensifies crackdown after heat deaths
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia is ramping up a crackdown on unregistered worshippers at next week's hajj pilgrimage, a...
- Regular raids, drone surveillance and a barrage of text alerts are aimed at rooting out unauthorized visitors hoping to mingle among the crowds in and around Makkah.
- The simple message, "No hajj without a permit", is being blared out in a relentless campaign promoted nationwide at shopping centers, on billboards and across media platforms.
Geostrategy
UAE orders all companies to monitor emissions in new climate law
Under the new law, companies are required to report and reduce their emissions of the greenhouse gases that are responsible...
- "By institutionalizing emissions monitoring and climate adaptation, the UAE is setting a compelling example for countries across the region," she said.
- Public and private companies now have to regularly monitor emissions and take steps to reduce them, or risk fines of up to two million dirhams ($545,000).
Geostrategy
Turkey says Ukraine, Russia want ceasefire ahead of possible talks
NATO member Turkey, which has strove to maintain relations with both Kyiv and Moscow, has become a key mediator amid...
- NATO member Turkey, which has strove to maintain relations with both Kyiv and Moscow, has become a key mediator amid US President Donald Trump's push for a deal
- At negotiations in Istanbul on May 16, Ukraine said Russia threatened to accelerate its ground offensive into new regions and made a host of hardline demands
Geostrategy
Islamic State claims first attack on new Syria forces since Assad fall: monitors
The Islamic State (IS) group on Thursday claimed its first attack on Syria's new government forces since the fall of...
- In a statement picked up by SITE Intelligence Group, IS said it had planted an "explosive device" on a Syrian forces' vehicle in the southern province of Sweida.
- Reported attacks by the group in areas controlled by the Islamist-led government, which took power after Assad's ouster in December, have been scarce
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.
Geostrategy
With AI and more shade, Saudi Arabia set for a searing hajj
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- With artificial intelligence, more shade and misting machines, Saudi authorities are preparing to welcome more than...
- Saudi Arabia's hajj minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah told AFP on Thursday that efforts to mitigate the searing desert heat remained a top focus among authorities.
- This year, Rabiah said authorities have mobilized more than 40 government agencies and 250,000 officials and doubled their efforts to mitigate heat-related risks.
Economy
Global economic outlook worsens, AI emerges as both catalyst and risk
Geneva, Switzerland – The global economic outlook has worsened since the start of the year, as rising economic nationalism and...
- Nearly all the chief economists (97 percent) place trade policy among the areas of highest uncertainty, followed by monetary policy (49 percent) and fiscal policy (35 percent).
- This uncertainty is expected to weigh on key economic indicators, including trade volumes (70 percent), GDP growth (68 percent) and foreign direct investment (62 percent).
US says Iran Hormuz deal could come within days as oil prices tumble
Washington said mediation efforts were advancing despite Tehran denying direct negotiations, while fresh maritime attacks underscored persistent security risks across...
Geostrategy
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The armed groups clashing with Hamas in Gaza
Geostrategy
Israel to invest $110 billion over the next decade to develop its own independent arms industry
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel would invest $110 billion over the next decade to develop its own...
Geostrategy
Libyans united in grief for army chief killed in plane crash
General Mohammed al-Haddad and his four aides died on Tuesday after a visit to Ankara, with Turkish officials saying an...
Geostrategy
Palestinian Authority says Israel tightening control over West Bank with new settlements
The Palestinian Authority condemned on Tuesday Israel's recent approval of 19 settlements in the occupied West Bank, accusing it of...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
As diplomats gather in Miami, Kremlin denies three-way US-Ukraine-Russia talks in preparation
The Kremlin on Sunday denied that three-way talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States were on the cards, as...
- Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev arrived in Miami, where Ukrainian and European teams have also been gathering for the negotiations
- The top Kremlin aide also told Russian journalists Sunday that he had "not seen" the revised US proposal to end the conflict
Geostrategy
Israel’s security cabinet approves 19 new settlements in West Bank, a move to scuttle ‘a Palestinian state’
The decision brings the total number of settlements approved over the past three years to 69, according to a statement...
- The latest approvals come days after the UN said the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank had reached its highest level since at least 2017.
- Excluding east Jerusalem, which was occupied and annexed by Israel in 1967, more than 500,000 Israelis live in the West Bank.
Geostrategy
Macron meets UAE leaders to deepen strategic partnership, discuss defense, AI, trade and drug trafficking
Macron is due to meet with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss "strengthening the strategic partnership" between...
- The French president traditionally celebrates the end-of-year holidays with troops deployed abroad, of whom there are more than 900 in the UAE.
- France cooperates with the UAE on areas including artificial intelligence and trade, and now wants to secure the Gulf state's support in its war on drug trafficking.