AI needs to be smaller, reduce energy footprint: UNESCO study
Paris, France -- The potential of artificial intelligence is immense -- but its equally vast energy consumption needs curbing, with...
Geostrategy
Use of eco-friendly rice bricks surges in water-scarce Kyrgyzstan
Rice blocks require less cement, which is responsible for approximately eight percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, according to 2023...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Arab leaders propose Gaza reconstruction under Palestinian Authority, reject Trump’s takeover plan
The prospect of the Palestinian Authority (PA) governing Gaza remains far from certain, however, with Israel having ruled out any...
- Tuesday's Arab League summit in Cairo offered an alternative with the adoption of a "comprehensive Arab plan."
- It announced the establishment of a trust fund to pay for the territory's reconstruction, and urged the international community to back it
Opinion
New-Age Growth Comes Home to the GCC
The region, fueled by ambition and massive investment, is rapidly advancing in technology and infrastructure, aiming to secure a leading...
- The GCC’s ongoing “giga” projects, economic diversification, focus on the digital economy, and emerging technologies all signal a promising future.
- With over US$2 trillion invested in capital-intensive projects, the GCC’s future looks increasingly secure, despite persistent negative portrayals in parts of the Western media.
Geostrategy
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...
- Trump triggered global outrage when he first floated his idea for the United States to "take over" the Gaza Strip and turn it into the "Riviera of the Middle East"
- Trump has recently appeared to soften his stance, saying he was "not forcing" the plan, which experts have said could violate international law
Analysis
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...
- The global travel and tourism industry is projected to contribute over $15 trillion annually to the world economy by 2030.
- By 2035, 60% of the city traffic and emissions can be reduced thanks to shared autonomous electric vehicles.
Geostrategy
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...
- The move comes just days after a stunning public clash at the White House between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump
- We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution, said a White House official
Geostrategy
Gazans face food shortages, price hikes as Israel blocks aid amid ceasefire negotiations stalemate
Despite ceasefire negotiations, Gaza’s humanitarian situation remains critical, with markets facing inflation, displaced residents lacking proper shelter, and aid workers...
- Humanitarian groups warn that the aid suspension is worsening an already dire crisis in Gaza.
- Hamas official claims Israel allowed only 15 out of 65,000 promised mobile homes into Gaza
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.
PKK declares ceasefire with Turkey after 40 years of armed struggle
Istanbul, Turkey - Outlawed Kurdish militants on Saturday declared a ceasefire with Turkey following a landmark call by jailed PKK...
- The PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, has waged an insurgency since 1984 with the aim of carving out a homeland for Kurds
- Turkey's vice president Cevdet Yilmaz said "a new phase" began toward achieving the goal of a "terror-free Turkey", without making any mention of the PKK statement
AI needs to be smaller, reduce energy footprint: UNESCO study
Paris, France -- The potential of artificial intelligence is immense -- but its equally vast energy consumption needs curbing, with...
Geostrategy
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Iran tells mediators it won’t negotiate ‘while under attack’: official
Mediators Qatar and Oman were told by Iran that Tehran "will not negotiate while under attack", an official briefed on...
Geostrategy
Trump due in Canada as G7 confronts Israel-Iran crisis, may consider joint stance
Trump has praised Israel's strikes, noting it used US weapons, even though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defied his public calls...
Geostrategy
Israel pounds Iran from west to east in deepest strikes yet, Tehran police headquarters hit
Israel's military said its air force hit Mashhad airport in Iran's far east, making it the longest-range strike of the...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
‘Nothing left’: Israelis grapple with damage from Iran strike
Bat Yam, Israel -- A shocked Julia Zilbergoltz said she had never experienced anything like the Iranian missile strike that...
- In Israel's north, four people were killed earlier when a strike hit the town of Tamra, taking to 13 the death toll in the country since the start of the attacks began on Friday.
- Israeli television channels broadcast footage of devastation from four sites where missiles struck in the early hours of Sunday.
Geostrategy
Tens of thousands dressed in red rally in Dutch protest for Gaza
Rights groups such as Amnesty International and Oxfam organized the demonstration through the city to the International Court of Justice,...
- "More than 150,000 people here dressed in red just want concrete sanctions to stop the genocide in Gaza," said Michiel Servaes, director of Oxfam Novib.
- A previous protest in The Hague on May 18 drew more than 100,000 people, according to organizers, who described it as the country's largest demonstration in 20 years.
Geostrategy
MENA brief Jun 15: Erdogan warns of ‘devastating war’, Gaza internet restored
Iran announced it will scale back cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), expressing deep dissatisfaction over what it...
- With strategic ties to both Iran and the United States, Baghdad is engaging both capitals in a bid to maintain its neutral stance.
- The UAE's Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan has engaged in telephone diplomacy with several counterparts, focusing on regional de-escalation.