China’s high-speed rail network passes 50,000km mark
Beijing, China -- China's sprawling high-speed rail network passed 50,000 kilometers (31,000 miles) in total operating distance with the opening...
Geostrategy
Israel to invest $110 billion over the next decade to develop its own independent arms industry
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel would invest $110 billion over the next decade to develop its own...
Geostrategy
Business
$5.8bn worth deals signed in first four days of Dubai Airshow 2023
DUBAI, UAE – Tawazun Council signed 16 deals, worth US$1.3 billion (AED 4.87 billion), with local and international companies on...
- The first day saw announcement of contracts worth US$1.2 billion and the second day US$1.8 billion
- The total value of contracts announced on third day stood at US$1.3 billion
Sudan armed conflict expanding to other regions, warns UN
Despite the difficulties, some 4.1 million people have received humanitarian aid in the last seven months -- but that amounts...
- The deadly unrest in Sudan includes outbreaks of interethnic violence and attacks against women, according to the global body
- UN assistant secretary-general for Africa expressed alarm over the deteriorating crisis in a Security Council meeting
US concerned over hospital strikes after Jordan’s Gaza facility hit
Washington, which provides significant military aid to Israel, has given unwavering support to its top Middle East ally since the...
- Blinken spoke by telephone with Jordanian Foreign Minister "to share his deep concern for the Jordanian medical personnel injured outside Jordanian field hospital in Gaza"
- Antony Blinken, who was attending an Asia-Pacific summit in San Francisco, "reiterated that civilians and medical personnel at hospitals must be protected," a statement said
Opinion
Gaza and Ukraine: Two sides of the Western bias
The US President Joe Biden's recent statements on the ongoing Gaza conflict, especially his assertions about Hamas' headquarters and the...
- US President Joe Biden's recent press conference highlights differing narratives on conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, writes Shakir Husain.
- Western support for Israel's actions in Gaza underscores a shift from observers to participants in Middle Eastern conflicts, he adds.
Israel strikes hit near Damascus: Syrian state media
Israel has targeted Syria several times in the past weeks as regional tensions simmer over the Israel-Hamas war in the...
- Syrian Observatory for Human Rights group said the strikes targeted sites belonging to the powerful Lebanese Hezbollah group
- Israeli strikes last month put Syria's two main airports in Damascus and Aleppo out of service several times over two weeks
Geostrategy
UN chiefs reject unilateral proposals to create ‘safe zones’ in Gaza
Geneva, Switzerland - The heads of numerous United Nations agencies and other humanitarian organizations said on Thursday they would not take...
- The officials said they "will not participate in the establishment of any 'safe zone' in Gaza that is set up without the agreement of all the parties".
- They added that proposals to unilaterally create 'safe zones' in Gaza risk creating harm for civilians, including large-scale loss of life.
Business
UAE defense ministry orders 100 REACH-S unmanned aircraft from EDGE
DUBAI, UAE - EDGE, one of the world's leading advanced technology and defense groups, announced its first major order from...
- ADASI, an EDGE entity which designs and develops autonomous systems, will oversee the production and deliver the contract to the UAE Armed Forces.
- The REACH-S will provide the UAE Armed Forces with a cost-effective, 24-hour intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability.
Geostrategy
EU chief asks Israel not to be consumed by rage in Gaza
Kibbutz Beeri, Israel - EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Thursday called for Gaza hostages to be immediately freed, but...
- Speaking at Kibbutz Beeri, whose leaders reported around 85 people killed and around 30 taken prisoner by Hamas, Borrell said "Israel has to be defended".
- Israel has bombarded targets in Gaza and sent in ground troops against Hamas, killing more than 11,500 people, local Hamas government said
The AI of war: computers and autonomous killing
Observers say Beijing is massively investing in AI, to the point where it may soon be able to change the...
- Ahead of a summit between China's Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden, there had been suggestions that the two men would agree to ban lethal autonomous weapons
- The meeting appeared to produce no such accord, but experts say it's a vital topic that is already altering armed conflict -- and switching up the competition for global supremacy
Geostrategy
UN official calls for probe over human rights violations in Israel-Hamas war
Geneva, Switzerland - The UN human rights chief on Thursday decried serious allegations of international law violations in the Israel-Hamas war...
- Turk was speaking after a visit last week to the Middle East, where he warned that both sides were committing war crimes in the deadly conflict.
- He added his most important recommendation was that all parties had to acknowledge that all human lives have equal value.
China’s high-speed rail network passes 50,000km mark
Beijing, China -- China's sprawling high-speed rail network passed 50,000 kilometers (31,000 miles) in total operating distance with the opening...
Geostrategy
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Khamenei vows Iran will never surrender, warns US of ‘irreparable damage’
Khamenei's speech came six days into the conflict, with US president Donald Trump saying he may or may not intervene...
Geostrategy
Gulf states on Iran’s doorstep scramble for end of war
Doha, Qatar -- As Iran and Israel trade strikes and the US weighs joining in, wealthy Gulf states on the...
Geostrategy
MENA Brief | June 18: Oil calms after Trump’s threat rattles markets; UAE-Iran calls, Riyadh Air signs big Rolls-Royce deal
Oil prices steadied Wednesday after Trump’s demand for Iran’s ‘unconditional surrender’ roiled markets and revived supply fears, as regional diplomacy...
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Geostrategy
Iran says hypersonic missiles fired at Israel as Trump demands ‘unconditional surrender’
Despite international alarm, neither side has backed off from the long-range blitz that began Friday, when Israel launched an unprecedented...
- The US president insists Washington has played no part in ally Israel's bombing campaign, but also warned Iran his patience is wearing thin as the conflict enters a sixth day
- Israeli warplanes targeted the Iranian capital before dawn Wednesday after the military issued a warning on social media for civilians in an area known as District 18 to evacuate
Geostrategy
Israeli army kills 53 Palestinians and injures 200 others near Gaza aid site
"Israeli drones fired at the citizens. Some minutes later, Israeli tanks fired several shells at the citizens, which led to...
- Bassal said that four additional people were killed by Israeli fire Tuesday near the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
- In early March, Israel imposed a total aid blockade on the Gaza Strip amid an impasse in truce negotiations, only partially easing restrictions in late May.
Geostrategy
Trump says wants ‘real end’ to Israel-Iran conflict, not ceasefire
Trump said that he wanted a "complete give-up" by Iran in return for peace, without elaborating on the outcome he...
- On Tuesday, long queues stretched outside bakeries and petrol stations as the remaining residents rushed to stock up on fuel and basic supplies.
- Security checkpoints have been set up across Tehran, adding to the atmosphere of tension as authorities monitor movement in and out of key districts.