US defense chief tells Israeli counterpart that Gaza toll is ‘too high’
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant that civilian casualties in Gaza are "too high". A...
Geostrategy
Passenger air traffic has reached pre-pandemic levels, says ICAO
MONTREAL, CANADA – In the first quarter of 2024, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) projected that passenger air traffic...
Business
Arts & Culture
Chinese President Xi Jinping declares biggest-ever Asian Games open
Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the 19th Asian Games in a colourful ceremony in Hangzhou, launching a two-week sporting extravaganza...
- In front of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and other visiting leaders, Xi officially opened the Games at the 80,000-capacity Hangzhou Olympic stadium.
- The theme of the ceremony was water and it also celebrated Hangzhou's ancient history and landscape.
Science
World must understand AI, curb its risk, says UK Deputy PM
NEW YORK, US - The United Kingdom will be holding a summit on artificial intelligence (AI) so that nations can...
- UK Deputy PM said that a summit, set for November, will aim to preempt the risks posed by frontier AI and explore how it can be used for public good.
- One of the concerns highlighted by the Deputy Prime Minister is the unprecedented speed at which AI is evolving having far-reaching implications.
Geostrategy
Iran criticizes US statement on islands dispute with UAE
Iran said it had called in the Swiss envoy to deliver a protest over a “provocative” US statement on its...
- The islands of Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunb lie near the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iran gained control of the islands under the rule of the Western-backed shah in 1971.
Business
Ajman’s exports rise 19 percent in H1 2023
AJMAN, UAE – The Ajman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has revealed that the volume of exports from the...
- Ajman’s total exports reached US$1.2 billion in H1 2023, compared to US$1.1 billion during the same period in 2022.
- Ships and boats topped the list of exported products, followed by mineral oils, fish and steel products.
Market Report
Stocks fall after Federal Reserve says it may hike interest rates
Global stocks sank after the US Federal Reserve hinted it could hike interest rates again this year to tame inflation...
- In a move dubbed a "hawkish hold" by analysts, the Fed held borrowing costs but indicated another hike is likely in 2023 to tackle US inflation.
- Sweden's Riksbank and Norway's Norges Bank each raised their key interest rates by a quarter-point.
Geostrategy
Biden pledges to extract ‘costs’ from Iran despite prisoner swap
NEW YORK, US- President Joe Biden said the United States would keep piling "costs" on Iran despite a prisoner swap deal...
- Biden confirmed that he was imposing new sanctions on Iran's intelligence ministry and former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
- His statement did not mention the granting of clemency to five Iranians jailed or awaiting trial for non-violent crimes.
Geostrategy
WHO tells China to provide ‘full access’ to Covid investigators
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - The head of the World Health Organization told the Financial Times he was ready to send a new...
- WHO chief said he had already written to China asking "to give us information " and for the organization to send a team "if they allow us to do so".
- He said WHO would not abandon its investigation and has called on China for transparency in sharing data and carrying out investigations.
Geostrategy
Saudi Arabia participates in global meet to bridge digital divide
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – The Kingdom’s Governor of the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) Dr. Mohammed Saud Al-Tamimi participated...
- The meeting aims to enhance the contribution of the communications, space and technology sectors for attaining sustainable development objectives.
- The meeting also aims to propose policies and recommendations to bridge the digital divide and promote and develop the digital economy.
Arts & Culture
Palestine’s pre-historic Tell al-Sultan site on world heritage list, says UNESCO
The United Nations' cultural organization inscribed the "pre-historic site of Tell al-Sultan" located near the occupied West Bank city of...
- The site was inscribed following a three-year candidacy “during which no state party raised any objections”, a UNESCO official said.
- Tell al-Sultan, which predates Egypt's pyramids, is an oval-shaped tell, or mound, located in the Jordan Valley.
Geostrategy
Israel accounts for 46 percent of global Jewish population
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL – The total global Jewish population rose to 15.7 million over the last year, while the number...
- Data showed that the global Jewish population grew by some 100,000 over the past year.
- The US has the second-largest Jewish population in the world, after Israel, - at 6.3 million.
US defense chief tells Israeli counterpart that Gaza toll is ‘too high’
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant that civilian casualties in Gaza are "too high". A...
Geostrategy
Company News
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Dutch court upholds $50bn payment award in Yukos case
THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS - A Dutch court quashed an appeal by Russia in a record $50-billion case on Tuesday, paving the...
Geostrategy
WHO registers eighty percent rise in measles case
Geneva, Switzerland - The World Health Organization voiced alarm on Tuesday at the rapid spread of measles, with more than 306,000...
Geostrategy
Global operation smashes ‘most harmful cyber crime group’
LONDON, UK - An international operation led by UK and US law enforcement has severely disrupted "the world's most harmful cybercrime...
Geostrategy
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Business
KEZAD Group, Al Ghurair Group’s APT ink lease pact to set up manufacturing facility
ABU DHABI, UAE – Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD Group) and Al Ghurair Group subsidiary Automotive Precision Technology (APT)...
- The 30,000 square meters advanced manufacturing facility for APT in KEZAD will be located adjacent to Emirates Global Aluminum.
- The facility will be one of the largest manufacturers of aluminum in the world and will be operational by early 2025.
Business
Passenger traffic could exceed earlier figures, says Dubai Airports’ CEO
DUBAI, UAE – The airport here has "every chance" of breaking its record for passenger traffic this year after surpassing pre-pandemic...
- Dubai International, the world's busiest airport for international passengers for nearly a decade, hit 87 million visits in 2023.
- Dubai Airports' official forecast for 2024 stands at 88.8 million passengers, despite the Israel- Hamas war which began in October.
Geostrategy
West Bank situation an obstacle between Israel-Palestine peace, says EU
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the situation in the Israel-occupied West Bank posed a major obstacle to finding...
- Around 490,000 Israelis live in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, in dozens of settlements that are deemed illegal under international law.
- The settlers live alongside around three million Palestinians in the territory.