Next wave of global competitive advantage lies in tech combinations: WEF
Eight technology domains, including AI, robotics, engineering biology and advanced materials are no longer advancing in isolation.
Geostrategy
Lebanon ceasefire begins, violations test fragile truce
The truce, brokered by the United States, is intended to halt cross-border fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. Scenes of...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Ex-Israeli PM accuses Netanyahu of ‘treason’ over alleged Qatar funding to his aides
Former Israeli premier Naftali Bennett, widely regarded as a leading contender in next year's legislative elections, called on Monday for...
- Bennet's remarks followed a report which purportedly revealed conversations between Netanyahu's advisers in connection with the case
- In April 2025, Netanyahu declared that Qatar was "not an enemy" of Israel, defending his two advisers who had been taken into custody
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.
Geostrategy
China’s rare earths El Dorado gives strategic edge
Ganzhou, China -- Buried in the reddish soil of southern China lies latent power: one of the largest clusters of...
- The hills of Jiangxi province are home to most of China's rare earth mines, with the materials used in a range of products, including smartphones and missile guidance technology.
- The flourishing industry is closely protected by Chinese authorities and media access is seldom granted.
Geostrategy
Gazans mourn six killed in Israeli shelling on shelter
Gaza's civil defence agency, which operates as a rescue force under Hamas authority, initially said on Friday that the Israeli...
- Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal updated the toll to six, including children, on Saturday, adding that two people were unaccounted for under the rubble.
- The director of Gaza City's Al-Shifa Hospital, Mohammed Abu Salmiya, told AFP the victims were a four-month old infant, a 14-year-old girl, two men and two women.
Geostrategy
German wheelchair user flies into space, a first
Houston, United States -- A German woman engineer on Saturday became the first wheelchair user to blast into space, taking...
- Benthaus suffered a spinal cord injury after a mountain biking accident and now uses a wheelchair.
- "After my accident, I really, really figured out how inaccessible our world still is" for people with disabilities, she said in a video released by the company.
Geostrategy
Zelensky says US mooted direct Ukraine-Russia talks on ending war in Miami
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Washington had proposed the first face-to-face negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in...
- The last time Ukrainian and Russian envoys held direct talks was in July in Istanbul, which led to prisoner swaps
- Russian and European involvement marks a step forward from when America held separate negotiations with each side
Geostrategy
US vows Hamas disarmament in talks on next Gaza phase as regional officials met
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday urged the disarmament of Hamas but voiced hope for headway on reaching...
- Hamas's Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya said on Sunday the militant group had a "legitimate right" to hold weapons
- Rubio acknowledged difficulties in achieving peace in Gaza, saying that the ceasefire amounted to a "miracle".
Geostrategy
Hamas official says Miami talks must end Israel’s truce violations in Palestinian territory
A top Hamas official said Friday that talks in Miami to advance the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire must...
- The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said that at least 395 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire came into effect
- Israel also accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire, with the Israeli military reporting three soldiers killed since the truce entered into force
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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
Next wave of global competitive advantage lies in tech combinations: WEF
Eight technology domains, including AI, robotics, engineering biology and advanced materials are no longer advancing in isolation.
Geostrategy
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Battle of the Tech Hubs
Economy
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US–Iran tensions escalate toward war as Gulf military buildup and Israeli preparations intensify
Indirect talks in Geneva have yielded what officials call “guiding principles” for a possible agreement, but the framework remains skeletal...
Geostrategy
Trump launches Gaza ‘Board of Peace’ with $10 billion pledge, outlines vague ambitions
Speaking in Washington before representatives from nearly 50 countries, Trump said nine member states had committed more than $7 billion...
Geostrategy
Gulf startup hubs: Converging strategies, diverging ambitions
Despite fierce branding as rivals, Gulf startup hubs share capital, policy, and talent structures that are quietly shaping distinct, globally...
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Geostrategy
Israeli strikes kill 12 Palestinians in Gaza amid measures to ‘annex’ more West Bank land
Palestinian officials described the Israeli parliament's decision related to West Bank land as a “serious escalation,” while armed groups and...
- Several governments have renewed warnings that unilateral annexation or settlement expansion would violate international law and risk further destabilizing the region.
- The latest Gaza killings also comes as indirect negotiations and mediation efforts have struggled to gain traction.
Geostrategy
Geneva talks loom as Trump backs regime change and redeploys second US carrier
The Pentagon confirmed that the USS Gerald R. Ford is being moved from the Caribbean toward the Middle East, a...
- The addition of a second carrier significantly expands US air power, surveillance capability and rapid strike options in the Gulf and surrounding waters.
- Gulf states, long wary of escalation between Washington and Tehran, have urged restraint while quietly bolstering their own security postures.
Geostrategy
Trump signals second carrier deployment as US-Iran prepare to resume talks
In interviews with Israeli media, Trump warned of consequences if negotiations fail. “Either we reach a deal or we'll have...
- In interviews with Israeli media, Trump warned of consequences if negotiations fail. “Either we reach a deal or we'll have to do something very tough.”
- ranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran will demand the lifting of financial sanctions and uphold its nuclear rights, including enrichment