Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue amid new round of talks in US
The meeting in Washington follows U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement that he had received commitments from both sides aimed at...
Geostrategy
UAE organizations strengthen governance to scale AI cybersecurity: Report
Governance, accountability and validation processes emerge as critical requirements for translating growing AI investment into measurable operational and security outcomes,...
Geostrategy
Iran says Israel’s Netanyahu dragging US into ‘disaster’ in region
Tehran, Iran - Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to drag...
- Araghchi also accused Netanyahu of "attempting to brazenly DICTATE what President Trump can and cannot do in his diplomacy with Iran."
- Iran's top diplomat cited US support for Israel in its war in Gaza against Palestinian group Hamas since the unprecedented October 2023 attack by the militants
Geostrategy
Pakistan conducts second missile test, India readies civil defence drills
Islamabad, Pakistan - Pakistan conducted a second missile test and India ordered civil defence drills in an escalating stand-off over...
- New Delhi blames Islamabad for backing an attack on tourists last month - the deadliest against civilians on the Indian-administered side of the Himalayan territory for years
- Pakistan rejects the accusations, and the two sides have exchanged nightly gunfire since April 24 along the de facto border in Kashmir, the militarised Line of Control
Geostrategy
Damascus club shooting sparks fears of restriction on freedoms
A deadly shooting Monday at a Damascus club, days after another attack on the capital's nightlife, has sparked fears, adding...
- Since the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, the international community has been pressing the new authorities to respect personal freedoms
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said gunmen attacked Karawan "with automatic weapons and opened fire, killing a woman and wounding others."
Iran unveils new ballistic missile with 1,200 km range
Iran on Sunday unveiled a new solid-fuel ballistic missile with a range of 1,200 kilometres (745 miles), state television reported,...
- Western nations have raised concerns about Tehran's missile capabilities, accusing it of destabilising the Middle East
- Iran supports the "axis of resistance" network of militant groups opposed to Israel, including Yemen's Huthi rebels
Huthis report U.S. strikes after missile hits Israel airport, Netanyahu vows revenge and future retaliation
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu warned of future retaliation, saying Israel had acted against Iran-backed Huthis before and “will act in...
- The Huthi-run Saba news agency said the strikes included two targeting Arbaeen street in the capital as well as one on the airport road, blaming them on "American aggression."
- The Huthis, who control swathes of Yemen, have launched missiles and drones targeting Israel and Red Sea shipping throughout the Gaza war, acting in solidarity with Palestinians
Economy
US Fed expected to pause cuts again and wait for clarity on tariffs
Washington, United States -- The US Federal Reserve is widely expected to extend a recent pause in rate cuts this...
- Most economists expect the tariffs introduced since January to push up prices and cool economic growth, at least in the short run.
- Financial markets overwhelmingly expect the Fed to announce another rate cut pause on Wednesday, according to data from CME Group.
Business
Trump’s solar tariffs could drive Asia transition boom
Bangkok, Thailand -- Massive planned US duties on solar panels made in Southeast Asia could be a chance for the...
- Earlier this month, Washington announced plans for hefty duties on solar panels made in Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia.
- Southeast Asia accounted for nearly 80 percent of US solar panel imports in 2024.
Geostrategy
UAE says citizens can again travel to Lebanon
The announcement comes after Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun met with his UAE counterpart Mohamed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi on...
- UAE imposed the travel ban and withdrew diplomats from Beirut in solidarity with Saudi Arabia, after a Lebanese minister criticized the Riyadh-led military intervention in Yemen.
- Lebanese citizens were not banned from travelling to the UAE, although some experienced difficulties obtaining visas.
Geostrategy
Global rice output in 2024/25 likely to expand by 1.5%: FAO
Rome, Italy -- The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) released a new Cereal Supply and Demand...
- FAO’s latest forecast for 2025 wheat production is pegged at 795 million tons, on par with the previous year.
- FAO’s new forecast for world cereal utilization in 2024/25 stands at 2 870 million tons, a 1.0 percent increase over the 2023/24 level.
Geostrategy
Hamas armed wing releases video of apparently injured Israeli hostage
The armed wing of Hamas, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, released a video Saturday showing an Israeli-Russian hostage who appeared to have...
- In the undated four-minute video, the hostage, wearing bandages on his head and left arm spoke in Hebrew, implying he had been wounded in a recent Israeli bombardment
- AFP and Israeli media identified the hostage as Russian-Israeli Maxim Herkin, who turns 37 a the end of May. His family urged media not to disseminate the video
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Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue amid new round of talks in US
The meeting in Washington follows U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement that he had received commitments from both sides aimed at...
Geostrategy
Company News
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TotalEnergies approves restart of $20-bn Mozambique gas project
Paris, France -- France's TotalEnergies said Saturday the consortium it leads to build a $20-billion liquified natural gas project in...
Geostrategy
Mamdani in touching distance of becoming NY mayor
New York, United States -- An unknown local lawmaker just a few months ago, leftist Zohran Mamdani has burst onto...
Geostrategy
US Fed will likely cut again despite economic murkiness from shutdown
The central bank's second-to-last rate meeting of the year is taking place against the backdrop of a weeks-long standoff between...
Economy
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Geostrategy
Afghanistan, Pakistan seek to firm up truce in Istanbul talks
Afghan and Pakistani negotiators were locked in talks to hammer out a lasting ceasefire Saturday, with Islamabad warning that if...
- Two weeks ago, the Taliban government launched a border offensive following explosions in Kabul which it blamed on its Pakistani neighbour
- Vowing a strong response, Islamabad then carried out "precision strikes" against armed groups on Afghan soil which are at the heart of the dispute
Geostrategy
Trump heads for Asia and Xi trade talks
US President Donald Trump left on Friday for Asia and high-stakes trade talks with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping -- adding...
- Trump is set to meet Xi in South Korea on the last day of his regional swing in a bid to seal a deal to end the bruising trade war between the world's two biggest economies
- He will also visit Malaysia and Japan on his first trip to Asia since he returned to the White House in January in a blaze of tariffs and international dealmaking
Economy
China vows massive high-tech sector development in next decade
Beijing, China -- China will develop its high-tech sector on a massive scale in the next decade, top officials vowed...
- The country has poured support and investment into developing its science and technology sectors, part of ongoing efforts to present itself as a world leader in those areas.
- Domestically, China has been beset by sluggish spending, a protracted property sector crisis and a demographic crunch as its population starts to decline.