Desert truffles: Saudi Arabia’s buried treasure
The 10-day Qassim Truffle Festival, currently in its fourth year, features 18 booths showcasing truffles, a dedicated auction area and...
Business
Geostrategy
Eight Israeli soldiers killed as fighting rages in Gaza
The military said the soldiers were killed when the Namer armored vehicle they were travelling in exploded near Gaza's far-southern...
- Saturday's losses were among the heaviest for the military since it began its ground offensive in Gaza on October 27 and took its overall losses since then to 306.
- The United Nations says about one million people have fled Rafah since early May, when Israel began ground operations in the city in pursuit of Hamas.
Geostrategy
Hezbollah fires new barrage at Israel, which vows to hit back
Beirut, Lebanon -- Hezbollah said it fired a new wave of rockets and drones at the Israeli army on Thursday, after...
- It was Hezbollah's largest simultaneous attack in near-daily cross-border fire between it and the Israeli army since its ally Hamas's Oct 7 attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war.
- One of the targets included an Israeli base that Hezbollah said housed an intelligence headquarters "responsible for the assassinations".
Geostrategy
Former Twitter, now X, makes ‘likes’ private ‘to protect users’
With the change, which includes the removal of the "Likes" tab on a profile page, users will no longer be...
- "We are making Likes private for everyone to better protect your privacy," the platform said. "Liking more posts will make your 'For You' feed better," X added.
- The "For You" feed is a personalized list of videos or posts recommended for each individual user based on their interests and past engagement.
Geostrategy
Fire kills 49 in Kuwait building housing foreign workers
Kuwait City, Kuwait -- A fire killed 49 people in Kuwait when it ripped through a building housing nearly 200 foreign...
- The blaze, which broke out in the six-story building south of Kuwait City at around dawn, also left dozens of people injured, the health ministry said.
- The health ministry had previously announced 43 injured in the blaze in the Mangaf area, which is heavily populated with migrant laborers.
Business
IEA sees ‘major’ oil supply surplus emerging by 2030
Paris, France -- The world is likely to have a "major surplus" of oil by 2030 as production is ramped up...
- Global demand is expected to "level off" at 106 million barrels per day (bpd) toward the end of this decade while overall supply capacity could reach 114 million bpd.
- The forecast comes days after the OPEC+ group of major crude producers signaled they would start to unwind output cuts this autumn.
Business
Virgin Galactic completes final spaceflight before two-year pause
Washington, United States -- Virgin Galactic on Saturday successfully completed its last spaceflight before heading into a two-year pause on commercial...
- One of the private astronauts was Tuva Atasever, a Turkish space agency astronaut whose seat was contracted through another space company, Axiom.
- During the flight, Atasever wore custom headgear with brain activity monitoring sensors to collect physiological data.
Geostrategy
UN Security Council to vote on US Gaza ceasefire resolution
The text of the resolution "welcomes" the truce and hostage release proposal announced on May 31 by President Joe Biden,...
- The United States, a staunch ally of Israel, has been widely criticized for having blocked several UN draft resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
- Under the proposal, Israel would withdraw from Gaza population centers and Hamas would free hostages. The ceasefire would last an initial six weeks.
Business
EU targets UAE telecoms firm in new anti-subsidy probe
Telecoms group e&, whose majority stakeholder is the UAE government, signed a $2.3-billion agreement in August 2023 to purchase Czech...
- The alleged subsidies "notably take the form of an unlimited guarantee from the UAE and a loan from UAE-controlled banks directly facilitating the transaction", it added.
- The commission said it will investigate whether the subsidies lead to "actual or potential negative effects" on the bid's process or the EU's internal market.
Geostrategy
COP29 climate hosts say they’ll keep expanding fossil fuels
Bonn, Germany -- The incoming president of the COP29 UN climate summit in Azerbaijan told AFP on Friday that his country...
- the COP29 organizers said they would also call for a "COP truce" and ask nations to observe a conflict ceasefire during the marathon negotiations in Baku in November.
- It is estimated that emerging markets and developing countries, excluding China, will need more than $2 trillion a year by 2030 to meet their climate and development needs.
Geostrategy
Unemployment rate nearly 80 percent in Gaza, says United Nations
Geneva, Switzerland -- The war in Gaza has seen the unemployment rate in the besieged Palestinian territory surge to nearly 80...
- The UN's labor agency said the war between Hamas and Israel had "caused loss of jobs and livelihoods on a massive scale".
- The average unemployment rate across the West Bank and Gaza combined stood at 50.8 percent, it said.
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Arts & Culture
US vetoes Gaza ceasefire call at UN
Geostrategy
France, Saudi Arabia to co-chair June meet on creating Palestinian state: Macron
The French president said they want to involve both European and non-European allies who are ready to move in this...
Geostrategy
Tech firms aiming for smaller, leaner AI models
Smaller AI models save energy, reduce costs, and enhance data security but work alongside large models for advanced solutions.
Business
Macron attends PIF-hosted Riyadh One Planet Sovereign Wealth Funds meet
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- French President Emmanuel Macron and over 100 CEOs besides members of OPSWF, asset managers, and private...
Geostrategy
Most Read
How Eco-Conscious Practices Are Shaping the Future of Luxury Spas?
In recent years, ‘wellness’ has come to mean many things for hotel operators. The term encompasses guest-centric experiences, environmental initiatives...
- The region boasts a unique combination of cutting-edge technologies and world-class spa facilities.
- Today’s consumers are looking for more than lavish amenities; they want brands that stand for something and align with their values.
QatarEnergy inks gas supply deal for China with Shell
Doha, Qatar - Qatar has agreed to supply three million tonnes of gas a year to China in a deal...
- The liquefied natural gas deliveries would begin in January as part of a "new long-term sale and purchase agreement."
- Qatar is one of the world's top gas producers alongside the United States, Australia and Russia
Business
Aramco-Horse Powertrain deal completed
An agreement for the purchase of 10% equity stake was signed in June 2024.
- Aramco said it bought the stake through its directly and wholly owned subsidiary, Aramco Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd.
- The transaction builds on Aramco's efforts to develop new mobility solutions with the potential to reduce transport emissions.