AWS outage in Gulf raises reliability concerns as services remain disrupted over a week after strikes
Cloud services operated by Amazon Web Services (AWS) in the Gulf region continue to face disruptions more than a week...
Economy
MEA market decision-making cycle is fast but risk-averse: Ralph MelisÂ
The Middle East and Africa (MEA) markets are characterized by rapid growth, high owner influence, diverse operator models, and a...
Interview
Geostrategy
Pope again condemns ‘cruelty’ of Israeli strikes on Gaza
"And with pain I think of Gaza, of so much cruelty, of the children being machine-gunned, of the bombings of...
- The mounting criticisms of Israel appear to mark a change in the pope's tone in recent weeks. He has consistently called for peace since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war
- At the end of September, the Pope also criticized Israel's "immoral" use of force in Gaza and in Lebanon
Geostrategy
Tunisia women herb harvesters struggle with drought and heat
In Tunisia's highlands, women harvest wild herbs to earn a living, but drought is making their work harder, shrinking incomes...
- Tunisia produces around 10,000 tons of aromatic and medicinal herbs each year, according to official figures.
- Rosemary accounts for more than 40 percent of essential oil exports, mainly destined for French and American markets.
Business
AD Ports Group secures $2.125 billion refinancing deal
The move aims to optimize financing costs.
- The deal is also aimed at extending the facility’s maturity to 2028, with an option to extend further until 2030.
- The increased facility, which was oversubscribed 2.5 times, will be used to support the Group’s short and medium-term growth objectives.
Geostrategy
UAE says will not arm Sudan paramilitary RSF: White House
Washington, United States -- The United Arab Emirates has informed the United States that it will not arm paramilitaries in Sudan's...
- Two US lawmakers said the UAE pledged to address their concerns and that, as a result, they would drop their attempt to block $1.2 billion in arms sales.
- The UAE has long denied arming the RSF, with which it has fought Yemen's Houthi rebels. Trump has shown a greater willingness to sell weapons to the UAE
Geostrategy
Biden cancels $4.28 bn more in student debt before leaving office
Washington, United States -- US President Joe Biden said Friday he was canceling student loans for an additional 55,000 Americans, which...
- The beneficiaries include teachers, nurses, service members, law enforcement officials, and other public service workers who have given back to their communities.
- In the United States, colleges can often cost anywhere between $10,000 and $70,000 a year, leaving some graduates with crushing debt as they enter the workforce.
Business
Honda and Nissan in merger talks as electric vehicle competition intensifies
Tokyo, Japan --Japanese auto giant Honda and its struggling rival Nissan will reportedly begin talks on a merger to boost their...
- At the same time, Taiwanese electronics behemoth Foxconn has approached France's Renault to buy its large stake in Nissan.
- A merger between Honda and Nissan would not be a marriage of equals. Honda's market capitalization is around $41.2 billion, while Nissan's is around $10.5 billion.
Geostrategy
Turkey, Iran leaders at Cairo summit urge action to address Gaza, Syria crises
Cairo, Egypt -- The leaders of Turkey and Iran were in Egypt on Thursday for a summit of eight Muslim-majority countries,...
- The gathering of the D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation, also known as the Developing-8, was being held against a backdrop of regional turmoil.
- The organization includes Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia besides Turkey, which historically backed the opposition to Assad, while Iran supported him.
Business
Turkey’s Pegasus Airlines says to buy 200 Boeing 737 aircraft
Istanbul, Turkey -- Turkey's Pegasus Airlines said Thursday it would buy 200 Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft in its largest-ever order...
- "The first 100 aircraft, for which we have placed firm orders, will begin joining our fleet starting in 2028," said Pegasus CEO Guliz Ozturk.
- Established in 1990, Pegasus Airlines operates 109 international routes to 53 countries as well as flying to 35 destinations within Turkey, its website says.
Business
Saudi tourism sector employee number rises by 5.1 percent in second quarter
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – The number of employees in tourism-related activities in Saudi Arabia increased by 5.1 percent in the...
- GASTAT's Tourism Establishments Statistics bulletin for the second quarter of 2024 said that of these employees, Saudi nationals accounted for 25.6 percent (245,905 employees.
- Male employees dominated the sector, representing 86.6 percent of the workforce (831,076 employees), with women comprising 13.4 percent (128,099 employees).
Geostrategy
Coal use at record high in 2024, the world’s hottest year: IEA
Paris, France -- World coal use is set to reach an all-time high in 2024, the International Energy Agency said Wednesday,...
- China drives global coal demand to new heights, consuming 4.9B tons in 2024—over 30% more than the rest of the world.
- The IEA's "Coal 2024" report predicts the world will hit peak coal in 2027 after topping 8.77 billion tons this year.
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AWS outage in Gulf raises reliability concerns as services remain disrupted over a week after strikes
Cloud services operated by Amazon Web Services (AWS) in the Gulf region continue to face disruptions more than a week...
Economy
Company News
Latest News
Gazans fear renewed displacement after Israeli strikes
Residents say the strikes have targeted neighborhoods east of the so-called Yellow Line -- a demarcation established under the truce...
Geostrategy
US unemployment rises further, hovering at highest since 2021
A deteriorating jobs market could nudge the central bank to lower rates further to boost the economy, despite some policymakers'...
Economy
First European Union airline flight in 35 years lands in Baghdad
Baghdad, Iraq -- Iraq's transport ministry said Tuesday that a flight operated by Greece's Aegean Airlines had been the first...
Geostrategy
Most Read
Geostrategy
Hamas says weapons are ‘legitimate right’, open to proposals that preserve it
"Resistance and its weapons are a legitimate right guaranteed by international law and are linked to the establishment of a...
- "We are open to studying any proposals that preserve this right while guaranteeing the establishment of a Palestinian state."
- The US-sponsored ceasefire, in effect since October 10, remains fragile as Israel and Hamas accuse each other almost daily of violations.
Geostrategy
China’s smaller manufacturers look to catch the automation wave
Yancheng, China -- In a light-filled workshop in eastern China, a robotic arm moved a partially assembled autonomous vehicle as workers...
- China is already the world's largest market for industrial robots.
- The first essentially humanless factories are already in operation.
Geostrategy
Trump vows revenge after troops in Syria killed in alleged IS ambush
The deadly attack had been "an ambush by a lone ISIS gunman," who was "engaged and killed," US Central Command...
- Trump called it "an ISIS attack against the US, and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by them."
- The incident is the first of its kind reported since Islamist-led forces overthrew longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in December last year