Middle East conflict slows global growth outlook, World Bank says
Most economies saw forecasts downgraded as rising energy costs, inflation and borrowing expenses create fresh challenges for growth and development...
Geostrategy
US strikes Iranian military sites after Apache helicopter downing
The latest confrontation around the Strait of Hormuz threatens regional shipping security and comes despite renewed diplomatic efforts to stabilize...
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Iran calls Israeli strikes ‘declaration of war’ amid international calls for restraint
Trump warns Tehran that the "next planned attacks" will be "even more brutal" and said Iran should cut a deal...
- Top brass killed included the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, and the chief of staff of its armed forces, Mohammad Bagheri.
- Trump said Israel fully informed him of its raids ahead of time, but insisted the United States was not involved.
Geostrategy
Nuclear states spent $100 billion on atomic arsenals in 2024, say ICAN
ICAN said Britain, China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia and the United States together spent nearly $10 billion...
- ICAN said Britain, China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia and the United States together spent nearly $10 billion more than in 2023
- The United States spent $56.8 billion in 2024, followed by China at $12.5 billion and Britain at $10.4 billion, ICAN said in its flagship annual report
Geostrategy
US still wants talks with Iran on Sunday: US official
Washington, United States - The United States still hopes to hold talks Sunday with Iran, even after Israel launched a...
- The official had no further information on whether Iran had agreed to the talks
- Oman had earlier planned talks Sunday involving Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's friend
Geostrategy
MENA brief Jun 13: Prince Salman to skip G7 meet, OpenAI in funds talks with PIF
In the financial sector, Fitch Ratings has projected a notable uptick in mergers and acquisitions within Saudi Arabia’s insurance industry....
- Qatar’s real estate sector recorded transactions exceeding QAR 1 billion in the first five days of June, driven by strong demand for residential and commercial assets.
- Morocco emerged as North Africa’s financial leader, with six of the region’s top 20 listed firms based in the country.
Geostrategy
Israel says Hamas ‘weaponising suffering in Gaza’ as aid workers killed
Israel charged on Thursday that Hamas was "weaponising suffering in Gaza" after a US and Israeli-backed charity accused the Palestinian...
- The distribution of food and basic supplies in the blockaded and war-ravaged Gaza has become increasingly fraught and perilous
- Asked to respond to the GHF accusation, the Hamas government media office in Gaza said GHF was a "filthy tool" of Israeli forces
Geostrategy
Israel strikes Iran’s nuclear sites, kills top generals; Tehran, Iraq shut airspace, casualties reported
Israel's operation struck at the "heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment programme", taking aim at the atomic facility in Natanz and...
- Israel's operation struck at the "heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment programme", taking aim at the atomic facility in Natanz and nuclear scientists
- Iranian state media said residential buildings in Tehran were also hit, killing a number of civilians including women and children
Geostrategy
Flames and smoke in aftermath of crashed India passenger jet
While officials initially said everyone aboard was feared dead, state health official Dhananjay Dwivedi told AFP later that one passenger...
- Air India's flight 171 -- a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London's Gatwick Airport -- crashed shortly after takeoff around 0810 GMT.
- The passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and a Canadian. Two pilots and 10 cabin crew were also aboard.
Geostrategy
UN to vote on calling for unconditional Gaza ceasefire
Like the text blocked by Washington to protect its Israeli allies, the draft resolution before the General Assembly calls for...
Geostrategy
The most eye-catching products at Vivatech fair
For humans, spotting the difference between a Lacoste polo shirt and a fake sporting the brand's crocodile logo can be...
- olumn-shaped robots from Hong Kong firm Robocore can serve as mobile ad billboards -- but for now are mostly deployed for medical purposes in hospitals and retirement homes.
- French startup Aemotion's four-wheeled electric vehicle is designed to weave through traffic, saving commuters time spent in jams.
Geostrategy
Israel urges Egypt to block Gaza-bound activist convoys
Israel's defence minister on Wednesday called on Egypt to block two pro-Palestinian activist convoys planning to head to Egypt's Rafah...
- Katz added that such actions "would endanger the safety of (Israeli) soldiers and will not be allowed."
- Egypt said on Wednesday that it backs efforts to put "pressure on Israel" to lift its blockade on Gaza
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Middle East conflict slows global growth outlook, World Bank says
Most economies saw forecasts downgraded as rising energy costs, inflation and borrowing expenses create fresh challenges for growth and development...
Geostrategy
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Israel says Gazans who landed in S. Africa unexpectedly had third-country approval
Israeli authorities said on Saturday that 153 Palestinians who turned up unexpectedly in South Africa, triggering questions from its president,...
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Saudi prince, eyeing defense pledge, to meet Trump after long US absence
Saudi Arabia is unlikely to agree to normalization with Israel at this stage, with Prince Mohammed's priority set for firmer...
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Rubio says US ‘optimistic’ for UN resolution on Gaza, backing an international force
US Secretary of State said the United States was speaking with different countries on ways to "balance their interests here,...
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Macron warns any planned West Bank annexation a ‘red line,’ to provoke a European reaction
He spoke as Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas visited Paris one month into a fragile truce between Hamas and Israel, following...
- He spoke as Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas visited Paris one month into a fragile truce between Hamas and Israel, following two years of war
- Macron and Abbas announced the creation of a joint committee "for the consolidation of the state of Palestine", the French leader said
Geostrategy
Demand for air con set to triple by 2050, warns UN
Geneva, Switzerland -- Global demand for air conditioning could more than triple by 2050, the United Nations warned on Tuesday,...
- The UN Environment Programme said demand could surge due to increases in population and wealth around the world, combined with more extreme heat.
- Rising demand for more polluting and inefficient cooling systems "would almost double cooling-related greenhouse gas emissions over 2022 levels", said UNEP.
Geostrategy
Sharaa’s US visit: Syria joins alliance against Islamic State after White House talks
Sharaa, whose rebel forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, was the first Syrian leader to visit the...
- Sharaa, whose rebel forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, was the first Syrian leader to visit the US since the country's independence in 1946
- According to the official, Syria will also be allowed to resume diplomatic relations with Washington "to further counterterrorism, security, and economic coordination."