EU imports US$120.5bn worth of energy products in Q4 2023
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – In the fourth quarter of 2023, the EU imported US$120.5 billion (€111.3 billion) worth of energy products...
Business
US, Israel hold talks as Gaza truce plan fails at UN
Israel plans to send troops into Gaza's Rafah even without US support, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Antony Blinken, as...
Geostrategy
Arts & Culture
Saudi football club silent on Messi as fans awaits signing
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - Al-Hilal president Fahd Bin Nafel refused to comment on the possibility of signing Lionel Messi, insisting his...
- "Don't ask me about Messi," Al-Hilal President Bin Nafel told reporters when asked after club's victory in the King's Cup final in Jeddah.
- After two years at Paris Saint-Germain, Saudi Arabia offers an "enormous" financial opportunity for the 35-year-old Messi, a source said.
Geostrategy
Clashes in Gaza continue despite truce efforts
Israeli air strikes battered Gaza and militants fired rockets again as deadly fighting resumed after a night of relative calm,...
- Witnesses in Gaza reported that air strikes pounded uninhabited areas of the crowded enclave, while air raid sirens wailed in neighboring parts of Israel.
- The Fatah movement of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said the two men killed in the raid were members of its armed wing,
Business
Advertising executive Linda Yaccarino is new CEO of Twitter
Elon Musk has chosen top ad executive Linda Yaccarino to take the day-to-day reins of Twitter as he fights to...
- Elon Musk said he would remain in charge of design and technology at Twitter while Yaccarino would focus primarily on business operations
- Linda Yaccarino will face an uphill battle trying to attract major companies to come back to the platform.
Geostrategy
US to bolster presence in Gulf after Iran threat, says White House
The United States said it was sending reinforcements to the Gulf after what it called increasing harassment by Iran of...
- US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Iran has "harassed, attacked or interfered" with 15 internationally flagged merchant vessels over the past 15 years.
- "The United States will not allow foreign or regional powers to jeopardize freedom of navigation through the Middle East waterways including the Strait of Hormuz, he said.
Economy
US default would have serious repercussions, says IMF
The International Monetary Fund warned of severe consequences if the US defaults on its debt, ahead of a rapidly-approaching deadline...
- Democrats have been calling for a "clean" increase of the borrowing limit, accusing Republicans of using extreme tactics to push their political agenda.
- The lifting of the debt ceiling has historically been seen as a routine affair, given that it involves raising money to pay for spending commitments.
Science
Masdar, IRENA ink pact on tripling global renewable energy capacity by 2030
ABU DHABI, UAE - Masdar has signed an agreement with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to cooperate on a...
- The main objective of the project is to establish a global baseline for renewable energy.
- The project will also highlight the challenges faced by different regions in meeting their renewable energy ambitions.
Business
e&, Vodafone form relationship
As per pact, e& is a cornerstone shareholder of Vodafone.
- e& and Vodafone will explore offering joint cross-border digital services to multi-national customers and public sector organizations.
- Services will include fixed and mobile connectivity, Mobile Private Networks, IoT, cybersecurity, and cloud-based services.
Geostrategy
Global warming raises risk of heat-related deaths among workers
The Occupational Heat Stress conference in Qatar, which focused on climate change and how rising temperatures threaten workers' health, heard...
- There is no international standard for temperatures for outdoor working, but climate change has forced new scrutiny.
- Last year's World Cup in Qatar drew attention to workers toiling in temperatures that can top 50 degrees, prompting Qatar to ban outdoor working from 10am to 3.30pm.
Business
Global tourism industry is on track to reach pre-pandemic levels
MADRID, SPAIN - The World Tourism Barometer published its second report of the year, which showed that international tourism is...
- During Q1 2023, twice as many people traveled internationally than in the same period of 2022, with 235 million estimated tourists.
- The report revealed that international arrivals have reached 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter of 2023.
Geostrategy
Japan, South Korea eye detente as North Korea threat looms
Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said his "heart aches" for Koreans who suffered under colonialism, as Seoul and Tokyo seek...
- Tokyo and Seoul have long been at odds over historic issues linked to Japan's brutal 1910 to 1945 colonial occupation of the Korean peninsula.
- Bilateral ties were torpedoed in 2018, when South Korea's Supreme Court ordered Japanese firms to compensate the wartime victims of forced labor.
EU imports US$120.5bn worth of energy products in Q4 2023
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – In the fourth quarter of 2023, the EU imported US$120.5 billion (€111.3 billion) worth of energy products...
Business
Company News
Latest News
Healthcare industry globally faces data hacking threat
DUBAI, UAE - In an age where data is a cornerstone of modern healthcare, the industry faces an escalating threat...
Business
In Davos, AI excitement persists but fears over managing risks
A recent IMF report said AI would affect nearly 40 percent of jobs around the world, and some 60 percent...
World Economic Forum
Complaint against Israeli President received: Swiss prosecutors
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has been targeted with a criminal complaint during a visit to Switzerland, Swiss prosecutors said, amid...
Geostrategy

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Geostrategy
WTO hopes to finalize fishing agreement
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - The head of the World Trade Organization's fisheries talks voiced optimism on Tuesday about striking an agreement on...
- The 164 WTO members kicked off a month of negotiations this week at the global trade body's headquarters in Geneva.
- The draft text is intended to help members reach agreement on a so-called "clean text" for submission to ministers in Abu Dhabi.
Geostrategy
Shell halts Red Sea shipments over attack fears, say report
WASHINGTON, US - British oil giant Shell has paused transit through the key Red Sea shipping route indefinitely, over fears of...
- The worries of escalation grew after United States and United Kingdom strikes on scores of sites in rebel-held Yemen.
- The Houthis have been targeting what they deemed Israeli-linked vessels, but after the strikes, they declared US and British interests "legitimate targets."
Business
Emirates to recruit 5,000 crew members in 2024
DUBAI, UAE – Emirates will hire 5,000 people as it awaits the arrival of its fleet of Airbus A350s. The airline...
- The airline is inviting fresh graduates with internships or part-time jobs on their résumés.
- It is inviting individuals keen to embark on an exciting career travelling the globe. .

