US offers security guarantees to Qatar after Israel strikes: White House
Washington, United States -- The United States will regard "any armed attack" on Qatari territory as a threat to Washington...
Geostrategy
US sanctions on key Indian project in Iran take effect
US sanctions went into effect Monday on a major Indian port project in Iran, as President Donald Trump again showed...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Suspect identified in UN personnel’s killing in Yemen, says official
DUBAI, UAE - Authorities in Yemen have identified a suspect in the killing of a World Food Program official in the...
- Moayad Hameidi, the head of the UN food agency's office in Taez, was killed in a shooting on Friday in the nearby city of Turbah.
- Taez is controlled by the government but is surrounded and blockaded by areas under Houthi control.
Economy
Nations look to sign deep sea mining rules by 2025
The member nations of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) agreed on a two-year roadmap for the adoption of deep sea...
- The ISA Assembly and its 167 member states next week will discuss a "precautionary pause" in mining, supported by about 20 countries
- Scientists believe deep sea mining can destroy habitats and species that may still be unknown but are potentially vital to ecosystems
Geostrategy
Bahrain and US assert commitment to freedom of maritime navigation
Dubai, UAE-- Bahrain and the US have reaffirmed their commitment to freedom of navigation in international waters. They reiterated the...
- Both the countries noted the importance of safe passage for commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and denounced acts putting freedom of navigation at risk
- They also pledged to combat climate change through the deployment of clean energy sources and innovations such as carbon-capture technologies
Economy
Gulf economies pivot towards China: Multi-billion dollar investments strengthen relations
Economic ties between China and the Gulf region's largest economies, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have surged since President Xi...
- The value of Gulf companies' acquisitions and investments in China this year increased by more than 1,000 percent yearly to $5.3 billion
- Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund, the "Mubadala Investment Company," is expanding its operations in China to attract investments
Geostrategy
Quran burning: Iraqis, Iranians rally as Swedish diplomats leave Baghdad
Baghdad, Iraq -- Demonstrators marched in the Iraqi and Iranian capitals Friday to denounce Sweden's permission for protests that desecrate the...
- Sweden on Friday cited security concerns in a decision to relocate embassy staff after protesters stormed its embassy compound in a pre-dawn attack this week.
- In Lebanon, the leader of the pro-Iran Hezbollah movement Hassan Nasrallah called for expulsion of the Swedish envoy there and the recall of Lebanon's ambassador to Sweden.
Geostrategy
Dutch museum exhibit on Egypt causes anger in North African country
LEIDEN, NETHERLANDS - In a Dutch museum the sound of hip-hop blares out next to sarcophagi and statues, in what curators...
- Egypt's antiquities service said the museum is "falsifying history" with its "Afrocentric" approach, which seeks to appropriate Egyptian culture.
- The museum said there had been a "commotion about this exhibition, because it shows Egyptian culture through the eyes of artists with African roots."
Israel’s Netanyahu to visit Turkey days after Palestinian leader
Netanyahu's office confirmed the visit, the first by an Israeli prime minister since Ehud Olmert in 2008. Turkey's diplomatic drive...
- Benjamin Netanyahu will be received a few days after Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who is expected on July 25, the Turkish presidency said
- The leaders will discuss Turkey-Palestine relations and the latest developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as other topical international issues
Geostrategy
Security, trust: Tech titans promise watermarks on AI creations
Representatives from Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Inflection, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI were to join US President Joe Biden later Friday to...
- Worry that imagery or audio created by AI will be used for fraud and misinformation has ramped up as the technology improves and the 2024 US presidential election gets closer.
- Commitments by the companies include independent testing of AI systems for risks when it comes to biosecurity, cybersecurity, or "societal effects," according to the White House.
Geostrategy
Tunisia battles forest blaze on Algeria border
TABARKA, TUNISIA - Firefighters in Tunisia are battling a major blaze that has raged for two days in a pine forest...
- Around a dozen families had been evacuated from the affected area near the Mediterranean resort of Tabarka east of the frontier.
- The Malloula border crossing had been "closed temporarily" because of thick smoke from the fire causing visibility problems on the road to Algeria.
Geostrategy
US, Arab League discuss Middle East, Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The US-Arab Strategic Dialogue discussed Middle East peace and the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, among other issues. The dialogue concluded successfully...
- US-Arab League discussed reducing tensions in regional conflicts, climate change and health security.
- The US condemned the attack on the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad and urged the Iraqi government to protect foreign missions.
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US offers security guarantees to Qatar after Israel strikes: White House
Washington, United States -- The United States will regard "any armed attack" on Qatari territory as a threat to Washington...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
Arab leaders meet to hash out Gaza plan as Hamas urges against displacement under Trump plan
A draft version of the Egyptian plan seen by AFP lays out a five-year roadmap with a price tag of...
Geostrategy
The future is already here
Humanity is on a tech-fueled trajectory. Data and informed predictions are inspiring, showing how AI is reshaping economies, smart cities...
Analysis
Trump orders pause to Ukraine aid: White House official
President Donald Trump suspended military aid to Ukraine on Monday, a US official told AFP, sharply escalating pressure on Kyiv...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
Future of Humanity – TRENDS’ yearly Special Issue now online
Dubai, UAE -- TRENDS’ yearly Special Issue is out. This year’s edition, titled Future of Humanity, explores key global shifts...
- The edition delves into transformative themes such as GCC’s leadership in urbanization, smart cities, and logistics, as well as the role of AI in reshaping healthcare and finance.
- It also highlights cultural diplomacy, the evolving digital economy, and the power of travel in shaping the human experience.
Geostrategy
Netanyahu thanks Trump for weapons to ‘finish the job’ against Iran axis
Jerusalem, Undefined - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday thanked US President Donald Trump for sending munitions held up...
- Netanyahu has long expressed his opposition to Iran, its nuclear programme and its proxies, which include Palestinian militant group Hamas
- The Israeli leader made similar remarks last month, at a news conference with visiting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saying Israel would "finish the job" against Iran
Geostrategy
Israel blocks humanitarian aid to Gaza as ceasefire’s first phase ends, sparking global outrage
Truce mediators Egypt and Qatar accused Israel of blatantly violating the ceasefire deal by halting the aid, a move left trucks...
- Early on Sunday Israel had announced a truce extension until mid-April that it said United States Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff had proposed
- But Hamas has repeatedly rejected an extension, instead favouring a transition to the truce deal's second phase that could bring a permanent end to the war.