Meta ‘ignored’ teen safety warnings to boost Instagram profits
Lawyers for Tennessee said Meta researchers repeatedly warned company executives that some teenagers were using Instagram compulsively, contributing to eating...
Geostrategy
Houthis claim Saudi missile attack as Trump says ‘talking to Iran’
The Houthis said on Telegram that a "Yemeni missile strike" had sparked fires in Jizan. Saudi authorities did not immediately...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Israel plans ‘Hexagon Alliance’ in Mediterranean, Middle East to counter hostile regional blocs
Speaking ahead of the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu outlined a plan to establish what he called a “hexagon alliance system”...
- Netanyahu outlined a plan to form a “hexagon alliance” involving India, select Arab and African countries, Greece, the Greek Cypriot administration and unnamed Asian nations
- “In the vision I see before me, we will form a ‘hexagon alliance system’ around or within Middle East,” Netanyahu said, adding that further details would be shared in due course
Geostrategy
Arab Parliament, Muslim nations slam Huckabee’s Middle East remarks
Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Yamahi, Speaker of the Arab Parliament, stressed that any talk of control over the occupied Palestinian...
- The Palestinian Authority said on X that Huckabee's words "contradict US President Donald Trump's rejection of rejection of (Israel) annexing the West Bank".
- Saudi Arabia described the ambassador's words as "reckless" and "irresponsible", while Jordan said it was "an assault on the sovereignty of the countries of the region".
Geostrategy
No option but to continue resistance, says Hezbollah after deadly Israeli strikes
Mahmud Qamati, a Hezbollah official, described the strike in the Bekaa Valley as “a new massacre and a new aggression”...
- Lebanon’s health ministry reported 12 people killed — 10 in the east and two in the south — while Hezbollah confirmed eight of the dead were its members.
- Israel has continued strikes in Lebanon despite a November 2024 ceasefire intended to end more than a year of cross-border hostilities.
Geostrategy
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...
- Israel is intensifying emergency preparedness across its healthcare system, armed forces and civilian infrastructure as tensions with Iran escalate
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a blunt warning to Tehran, saying any attack would draw an “unimaginable” response
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...
- Five countries — Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania — have committed troops to a proposed International Stabilization Force (ISF) for Gaza.
- Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, has offered to send up to 8,000 troops and take a deputy commander role in the force.
Interview
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...
- Shared infrastructure, capital flows, and policy choices bind these ecosystems together more than they divide them.
- The critical question for Gulf ecosystems is not whether they have capital or talent, but whether both are organized toward genuinely global ambition.
Economy
Battle of the Tech Hubs
The GCC is competing to build world-class technology hubs, investing heavily in AI, infrastructure, and sovereign capital to drive digital...
- The GCC smart cities and digital transformation market reached $145.5 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $907 billion by 2032.
- Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala, for instance, was the largest sovereign-owned investor globally in 2024, deploying $29 billion across 52 deals, a 67 percent increase from the previous year.
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
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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
Meta ‘ignored’ teen safety warnings to boost Instagram profits
Lawyers for Tennessee said Meta researchers repeatedly warned company executives that some teenagers were using Instagram compulsively, contributing to eating...
Geostrategy
Company News
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US, Iran continue indirect contact in Doha as officials trade barbs over talks
The envoys' presence follows US President Donald Trump's announcement on Monday that Iran had requested a meeting in the Qatari...
Geostrategy
Iran demands MoU implementation before US talks in Doha
Trump said US envoys were travelling to Qatar for what he described as a "perhaps important, perhaps not" meeting, adding...
Geostrategy
GCC asset management reaches $2.7 trillion as retail growth outpaces institutions
Boston Consulting Group says regional asset managers must strengthen distribution capabilities and technology adoption as industry competition intensifies globally.
Business
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Geostrategy
US and Iran trade strikes again, threatening fragile ceasefire
US Central Command said American fighter jets struck 10 Iranian military sites in and near the Strait of Hormuz, while...
- Iran warned continued US attacks would collapse the Strait of Hormuz agreement and halt ongoing diplomatic negotiations immediately.
- Netanyahu, meanwhile, said Lebanon's framework deal allows Israel to maintain a southern security zone until Hezbollah is fully disarmed permanently.
Geostrategy
Iran claims retaliation against US as Hezbollah protests Israel-Lebanon agreement
Tehran warned of broader retaliation if attacked again as Washington defended its military action, while unrest spread to Beirut after...
- Hezbollah supporters blocked Beirut roads and burned tyres protesting the US-backed Israel-Lebanon framework agreement announced in Washington.
- Hezbollah was not involved in the negotiations and has previously rejected calls for nationwide disarmament.
Geostrategy
IAEA prepares to inspect Iran nuclear sites as US, Gulf states back Tehran accord
In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces would remain indefinitely in what they...
- Wall Street Journal reported that the Pentagon is reviewing its military posture in the Middle East following recent Iranian strikes on U.S. facilities in the Gulf.
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers reaffirmed their backing for the U.S.-Iran agreement following a meeting on Thursday.