US slaps fresh sanctions on China-linked firms over Iran missile program
The United States on Friday announced a fresh round of sanctions targeting people and companies in China, Hong Kong, Belarus,...
Geostrategy
Khamenei signals Iran control over Strait of Hormuz, rejects US role
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has issued a strong statement asserting that the United States should have no role...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Palestinian sources say Hamas, mediators in new talks to revive Gaza truce, hostage release deal
Negotiations between Hamas and Israel, mediated by Egypt along with Qatar and the United States, have been deadlocked for weeks...
- Talks are focusing on the possibility of implementing a truce during the Eid al-Fitr and Jewish Passover holidays
- A Palestinian source close to Hamas said that despite the discussions, "no breakthrough" had been achieved so far
Science
Firms and researchers at odds over superhuman AI
The belief that human-or-better intelligence -- often called "artificial general intelligence" (AGI) -- will emerge from current machine-learning techniques fuels...
- "Systems that start to point to AGI are coming into view," OpenAI chief Sam Altman wrote in a blog post last month.
- Such predictions help justify the hundreds of billions of dollars being poured into computing hardware and the energy supplies to run it.
Geostrategy
From cars to champagne: Trump’s expanding tariffs trigger trade war fears
Paris, France -- From champagne to steel and now cars: it is getting harder to keep up with US President...
- In early March, Trump imposed a 20 percent tariff on products from China, which has a huge trade surplus with the United States and was already his top target during his first term
- Trump announced earlier he would slap 25-percent tariffs on imports from countries buying oil and gas from Venezuela, a punitive measure that could hit China and India.
Geostrategy
Israel PM threatens to seize parts of Gaza over fate of hostages
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened Wednesday to seize parts of Gaza if Hamas did not release hostages, while the militant...
- Israel's resumption of intense bombardment and ground operations across Gaza shattered weeks of relative calm brought by a fragile ceasefire
- According to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, 830 people have been killed in the territory since Israel restarted its strikes on March 18
Geostrategy
Macron hosts European leaders to discuss Ukraine’s security amid ceasefire talks with Russia
The meeting is seeking to set out what security guarantees Europe can offer Ukraine once a ceasefire deal is agreed,...
- Speaking alongside Zelensky in Paris on Wednesday ahead of the talks, Macron said this was now a "decisive phase to put an end to the war of aggression"
- Macron also announced a new French two billion euro ($2.2 billion) military aid package for Ukraine, with Paris ready to rapidly ship existing hardware from its stocks
Geostrategy
Over a billion pounds of Coke plastic waste to enter waterways: study
Washington, United States -- By 2030, Coca-Cola products will account for an estimated 1.33 billion pounds (602,000 metric tons) of...
- Coca-Cola ranks as the world's top branded plastic polluter, followed by PepsiCo, Nestle, Danone, and Altria, according to a 2024 study published in Science Advances.
- Oceana's estimate is based on Coca-Cola's publicly reported packaging data from 2018 to 2023, combined with sales growth forecasts to create a "business-as-usual" scenario.
Arts & Culture
Japan’s Masaki Kashiwara wins Abel Prize for mathematics
Oslo, Norway -- The prestigious Abel Prize for mathematics was on Wednesday awarded to Japanese mathematician Masaki Kashiwara a specialist...
- The 78-year-old mathematician was honored for "his fundamental contributions to algebraic analysis and representation theory.
- D-modules provided a "new basis for studying systems of linear differential equations", according to the jury.
Geostrategy
Turkey protesters defiant despite nearly 1,500 arrests
The protests erupted on March 19 after the arrest of Istanbul opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as part of a graft...
- Those detained include AFP journalist Yasin Akgul, who the Paris-based agency says was doing his job covering the protests.
- President Recep Erdogan, who has repeatedly denounced the protests as "street terror", stepped up his attacks on the opposition.
Geostrategy
Russia, Ukraine agree to halt Black Sea strikes in US-brokered talks in Saudi Arabia
With President Donald Trump pushing for a rapid end to the war that has killed tens of thousands of people,...
- The United States said it would also look for ways to enforce a ban on strikes on energy infrastructure in the two countries
- Zelensky told a news conference in Kyiv that the talks also discussed bringing in third parties to oversee a future truce
Geostrategy
Syria slams ‘flagrant’ Israeli violation after deadly bombardment
Syria slammed Israeli attacks as a "flagrant violation" of its sovereignty after deadly bombardment Tuesday in the country's south, where...
- The violence near the UN-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights followed Israeli air strikes in central Syria, the latest in a string of attacks on military sites
- Israel has launched hundreds of strikes on military sites since Assad's fall in December, saying it wants to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of jihadists
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US slaps fresh sanctions on China-linked firms over Iran missile program
The United States on Friday announced a fresh round of sanctions targeting people and companies in China, Hong Kong, Belarus,...
Geostrategy
Company News
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Geothermal, desalination: Top 10 solutions for planetary health
Dubai, UAE--Ten transformative technology solutions could change the way the world powers homes, grows food and secures freshwater, according to...
Geostrategy
Trump says ‘will disarm’ Hamas: ‘It will happen quickly and perhaps violently’
Trump's comments came the day after he swung through the Middle East to celebrate the Gaza ceasefire deal, with questions...
Geostrategy
WEF’s Dubai Summit tackles existential digital risks
DUBAI, UAE – A powerful confluence of more than 500 experts and 150 cybersecurity leaders has converged in Dubai for...
Business
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Geostrategy
Trump says may warn Putin Ukraine could get Tomahawks if Russia doesn’t end invasion
US President Donald Trump said Sunday he may warn Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that Ukraine could get Tomahawk cruise missiles...
- Trump has been mulling potential supplies of the long-range missiles to Kyiv via European allies since his meeting with Putin in Alaska in August failed to produce a peace deal
- The US leader said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had asked for Tomahawks when they were discussing a fresh supply of weapons for Kyiv in a call on Saturday
Geostrategy
As Trump heads to the region for peace summit, Hamas, Israel set for hostage and prisoner exchanges
Trump's lightning visit to Israel and Egypt aims to celebrate his role in brokering last week's ceasefire and hostage release...
- Trump's lightning visit to Israel and Egypt aims to celebrate his role in brokering last week's ceasefire and hostage release deal
- Speaking to reporters on Air Force One at the start of the "very special" visit, Trump brushed off concerns about whether the ceasefire would endure
Geostrategy
China accuses US of ‘double standards’ over new tariffs threat
Beijing, China -- China accused the United States of "double standards" on Sunday, after President Donald Trump threatened an additional...
- China said on Friday that it would impose "special port fees" on ships operated by and built in the US, calling it a "defensive action."
- The US leader also threatened to pull out of a mooted meeting with Xi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea.