Expectations high as Trump, Putin set to meet at Alaska: What each side wants
In a draft peace plan published in June, Russia called on Ukraine to withdraw its forces from the Kherson, Lugansk,...
Geostrategy
UAE begins pipeline project to ease Gaza water shortage
Jerusalem, Undefined -- The United Arab Emirates has begun construction on a major pipeline to carry desalinated water from Egypt...
Geostrategy
Business
China retaliates with 84 percent tariffs on US products
Beijing, China -- China will impose 84 percent tariffs on US imports, up from 34 percent, the finance ministry said...
- US President Donald Trump's latest salvo of tariffs came into effect on dozens of trading partners Wednesday, bringing duties on Chinese products up to 104 percent.
- Beijing has consistently opposed tariff rises and said Wednesday it would take "firm and forceful" steps to protect its interests.
Geostrategy
Gaza rescuers say 25 killed in Israeli strike on school-turned-shelter
Gaza civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP more than 100 others wounded in the strike on Dar al-Arqam School...
- The Israeli military has in recent days issued a number of evacuation orders to residents in northern neighborhoods of the Gaza Strip.
- On Monday, it told those living in all areas of the southern city of Rafah and parts of nearby Khan Yunis to leave.
Business
AI’s impact on jobs, technology’s touchy topic sparks unease
New York, United States - "Stop Hiring Humans" read a provocative sign at an AI conference in Las Vegas, where...
- AI agents, which are supposed to make decisions that are usually made by humans, have become the latest buzzword of the AI story
- There is little doubt that some kind of upheaval of the workplace is underway, but its precise impact remains uncertain
Geostrategy
Russia to hold talks with US in Riyadh Monday: Kremlin
Donald Trump spoke to both Russia's Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky this week and the US is also due...
- "From the Russian side, they will be attended by Grigory Karasin, chairman of the Senate's committee on international affairs, and Sergei Beseda, advisor to the head of FSB.
- Ushakov said he had confirmed this after talks with US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. Both agreed to send "expert groups" for the talks, he added.
Interview
AI to become the new internet: Kamel Al-Tawil on MENA’s tech evolution
Historically, the region was a key player in commerce through the Silk Road, and today, it has the potential to...
- Investments in scalable infrastructure, subsea networks, and neutral digital hubs are critical for advancing global connectivity.
- The region is also positioning itself as a major AI hub, supported by investments in AI models and sustainable energy.
Geostrategy
Ukraine to propose sky, sea truce at US talks in Saudi: official
The talks on Tuesday will be the first Ukraine-US meeting since a White House blow-up between Zelensky and US President...
- In Jeddah, the port city close to Islam's holiest sites in Makkah and Madinah, dozens of Ukrainian and Saudi flags flew on a main roundabout near the airport and on thoroughfares.
- US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington wanted to use the talks "to get down a framework for a peace agreement and an initial ceasefire as well".
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
Arts & Culture
West Bank eviction film ‘No Other Land’ wins best documentary Oscar
Jerusalem -- No Other Land, a documentary about Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, has won the best documentary award...
- Shot in Masafer Yatta near the West Bank city of Hebron, the documentary follows a young Palestinian struggling with forced displacement.
- After a long legal battle with Palestinian communities, an Israeli supreme court ruling in 2022 paved the way for the eviction of the area's more than 1,000 residents.
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.
Geostrategy
Iran ready to negotiate with US but not under ‘maximum pressure’: minister
In 2015, Iran struck a landmark deal with the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia to regulate its...
- In 2015, Iran struck a landmark deal with the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia to regulate its nuclear programme in return for the easing of international
- However, in 2018, during his first term, Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the agreement and reinstated heavy sanctions on Tehran, despite European opposition
Expectations high as Trump, Putin set to meet at Alaska: What each side wants
In a draft peace plan published in June, Russia called on Ukraine to withdraw its forces from the Kherson, Lugansk,...
Geostrategy
Company News
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Turkey to export 48 fighter jets to Indonesia, deal valued at 10 billion dollars
Turkey's defence sector, including the famous Bayraktar drones, accounts for a significant share of the country's export revenues.
Geostrategy
EU tells Israel to reverse move to cut off Palestinian banks
Brussels, Belgium -- The EU on Wednesday urged Israel to undo a move by a far-right minister that threatens to...
Geostrategy
UN says 70% chance that 2025-2029 average global warming will exceed 1.5C threshold
The planet is therefore expected to remain at historic levels of warming after the two hottest years ever recorded in...
Science
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Arts & Culture
Is Cristiano Ronaldo leaving Saudi Arabia? Cryptic post fuels speculation
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Questions swirled over Cristiano Ronaldo's future in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, hours after the superstar indicated...
- The 40-year-old Portuguese forward joined Al Nassr in 2022 from Manchester United and his contract with the Saudi club ends this summer.
- Ronaldo's potential exit from Saudi Arabia will likely raise fresh questions about how the Saudi Pro League would fare in his absence.
Arts & Culture
Iraq’s first ever director in Cannes wins best feature debut
Hasan Hadi won the top prize for his childhood adventure under economic sanctions in "The President's Cake".
- Also from the Middle East, Palestinian director Tawfeek Barhom received his award for his short film "I'm Glad You're Dead Now".
- Gazan twin brothers Arab and Tarzan Nasser on Friday received a directing award in the Certain Regard parallel section for "Once Upon A Time In Gaza".
Science
Microsoft strikes deal with Elon Musk to host Grok AI
Seattle, United States - Microsoft on Monday said its business cloud servers will now host technology from xAI, days after...
- Musk told an event hosted by Microsoft that his company's models "aspire to truth with minimal error," adding that "there's always going to be some mistakes that are made."
- The Grok models from xAI will be available on Microsoft's Azure AI Foundry, a platform that makes hundreds of models available for paying developers to build their own AI models