Maduro now in New York jail as Trump says US to ‘run’ Venezuela
The US president's announcement followed a lightning pre-dawn attack in which commandos grabbed Maduro and his wife while air strikes...
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Somaliland denies it will host Palestinians, Israeli base
The breakaway region of Somaliland on Thursday denied allegations by the Somali president that it would take resettled Palestinians or...
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Asian countries score high in keenly watched PISA education survey
Paris, France - Asian countries dominated the top spots in a keenly watched survey of education capabilities published Tuesday, while levels...
- Singapore took top ranking in the latest assessment, which was carried out in 2022 and involved 690,000 students in 81 participating countries and economies
- Five other Asian education systems -- in Macao, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea -- came next in mathematics, and also scored near the top in reading and science
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Gaza situation approaching humanity’s ‘darkest hour’, says WHO
Richard Peeperkorn, the WHO's representative in the occupied Palestinian territories, said that since the start of the war, there had...
- Eighteen of the Gaza Strip's 36 hospitals are still functioning in any capacity: three are providing basic first aid only, while the rest are delivering partial services
- UNICEF spokesman James Elder said that with the population on the move, in two hours "there are 5,000 people where there was no-one previously".
COP28 UAE
COP28 draft agreement includes option to do nothing on fossil fuels
The fate of oil, gas and coal is the thorniest issue being thrashed out at the COP28 UN climate talks...
- The draft of global climate agreement forms the basis of negotiations that will unfold in coming days, with a final text expected in theory by December 12
- It is a formal response to the "global stocktake", a damning report card published in September that highlighted how little the world had done to confront the climate crisis
Geostrategy
US envoy to promote Yemen peace despite Houthi attacks
Since the Gaza war, the Houthi rebels have seized an Israeli-linked cargo vessel and fired ballistic missiles at various targets....
- Houthi rebels, who have ties to Iran and control much of Yemen, have targeted Israeli-linked vessels in avowed solidarity with Palestinians during the Gaza war
- State Department spokesman told reporters that the "provocative and dangerous attacks" by the rebels have "threatened almost two years of progress to end Yemen war
COP28 UAE
‘Unintended consequences’: friction at COP28 over green trade
Inside the negotiating rooms and on the sidelines of the COP28 climate talks, simmering tensions over wealthy countries' "green trade"...
- WTO has received about 18,000 complaints over green policies yet trade was still often overlooked by climate policymakers, director general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said
- Concerns have also been raised that these kind of climate policies may make it harder for another nation to sell their goods or access clean energy technology
COP28 UAE
Saudi Arabia spurns fossil fuel phaseout push at COP28
A tentative "phasedown/out" was included in a first draft of an agreement on climate action that delegates are haggling over...
- UN chief called for a total phaseout of fossil fuels, warning "complete disaster" awaits mankind
- Saudi Arabia has revamped its energy sources, invested in renewables and improved energy-efficiency
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Hamas refutes accusations of sexual violence in Israel attacks
Hamas statement comes days after UN Women said it was "alarmed by the numerous accounts of gender-based atrocities" during the...
- Israeli police say they have gathered evidence of sexual violence by Hamas fighters
- Hamas rejected claims by women and advocacy groups as part of "a series" of Israeli "lies"
Geostrategy
UN warns of ‘hellish scenario’ as aid to Gaza stalls
According to Lynn Hastings, UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, the conditions required to deliver aid to "the people...
- Expressing his regret, the UN official said "nowhere is safe in Gaza and there is nowhere left to go"
- Hastings rejected the idea of "safe zones" urged upon Israel by the US government
Geostrategy
Masdar City to construct region’s first net-zero energy mosque
Abu Dhabi, UAE - Masdar City, an Abu Dhabi, UAE-based sustainability and innovation hub dedicated to making all cities a...
- The mosque’s total energy requirements were reduced by 35 percent compared to international baselines using passive design
- Low-flow water fixtures, drought-resistant landscaping, and the use of recycled water for irrigation will reduce water use by 55 percent
Business
Saudi, Turkish firms ink 8 deals to boost Riyadh-Ankara business
Istanbul, Turkey - Saudi and Turkish companies, part of the Saudi-Turkish Business Council, signed eight trade agreements to strengthen trade...
- The firms discussed investment opportunities in the two countries, especially those envisaged in the Saudi Vision 2030 and Turkish economy.
- The volume of trade between Saudi Arabia and Türkiye reached SAR22 billion ($5,864,813,240) in 2022, recording a growth rate of 32.6 percent.
Maduro now in New York jail as Trump says US to ‘run’ Venezuela
The US president's announcement followed a lightning pre-dawn attack in which commandos grabbed Maduro and his wife while air strikes...
Geostrategy
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Putin says Russia, Ukraine peace proposals “absolute contradictory”
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Russia and Ukraine's demands for peace were "absolutely contradictory", after two rounds of...
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Doctors’ aid group slams US-backed Gaza relief scheme over deadly roll-out
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which began operating last month and has largely replaced established humanitarian organisations, "is degrading Palestinians by...
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Israel FM says world has ‘obligation’ to stop Iran getting nuclear bomb
Israel's foreign minister said Friday the world was obliged to stop Iran developing an atomic bomb, days after Israel claimed...
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Conflicts and related fatalities triple since 2000, fueling extreme poverty: WB
Washington, United States -- Conflicts and related fatalities have more than tripled since the early 2000s, fueling extreme poverty, the...
- This year, 421m people get by on less than $3 a day in places hit by conflict or instability -- a situation of extreme poverty -- and the number is poised to hit 435m by 2030.
- Global attention has been focused on conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East for the past three years, said World Bank Group chief economist Indermit Gill.
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US Supreme Court curbs power of individual judges to block Trump
In a 6-3 ruling stemming from Trump's bid to end birthright citizenship, the court said nationwide injunctions issued by district...
- But the broader decision on the scope of judicial rulings will remove a big roadblock to Trump's often highly controversial orders and reaffirm the White House's power.
- rump's birthright citizenship order has been deemed unconstitutional by courts in Maryland, Massachusetts and Washington state, leading him to make an emergency appeal to the SC.
Geostrategy
UAE top court upholds life terms for 24 convicted in mass trial
Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- The UAE supreme court has jailed 24 people for life after upholding their convictions for...
- The 24 were originally convicted in a mass trial of 84 people in July last year, most of whom had been behind bars since a similar mass trial of 94 people in 2013.
- "Following yesterday's ruling... the total number of convicted individuals in this case has risen to 83 out of 84 referred to trial," WAM said.