Who has been invited to be on Trump’s Gaza boards?
The White House said there would be a main board, chaired by Trump himself, a Palestinian committee of technocrats meant...
Geostrategy
GCC’s quest for AI dominance has several hurdles to surmount
For governments and corporates across the Gulf, the immediate task is pragmatic: marry sovereign ambition with sustainable skills programs and...
Business
Geostrategy
Telegram boss Durov free but charged and held in France
Paris, France -- Telegram chief Pavel Durov was spending Thursday out on bail after four days of detention in France, banned...
- Durov, 39, was charged on several counts of failing to curb extremist and illegal content on the popular messaging app which now has over 900 million followers.
- He was granted conditional release on a bail of five million euros and on the condition he must report to a police station twice a week as well as remaining in France.
Geostrategy
Israel agrees ‘humanitarian pauses’ in Gaza to allow polio vaccinations
"The way we discussed and agreed, the campaign will start on the first of September, in central Gaza, for three...
- The vaccination rollout will also cover southern and northern Gaza, which will each get their own three-day pauses, Peeperkorn told reporters.
- UN agencies have said they plan to provide oral vaccines against type-2 poliovirus (cVDPV2) to more than 640,000 children in the territory.
Business
Investors hold breath as Nvidia earnings loom, stock markets subdued
Paris, France -- US shares fell marginally and European stock markets mostly inched higher Wednesday as investors cautiously awaited the latest...
- Traders are also waiting for key US economic data later this week that could provide clues about the size of an expected interest-rate cut next month.
- In New York, the main indexes were all down slightly shortly after opening. In Europe, London's FTSE 100 Index was lower, while Paris and Frankfurt were higher.
Geostrategy
SpaceX postpones historic mission featuring first private spacewalk
United States -- SpaceX postponed once more its attempt at launching a daring orbital expedition featuring an all-civilian crew that...
- SpaceX announced late Tuesday it was pushing back the launch plans "due to unfavorable weather forecasted in Dragon's splashdown areas off the coast of Florida".
- SpaceX Dragon capsule is set to reach a peak altitude of 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) -- higher than any crewed mission in more than half a century, since the Apollo era.
Geostrategy
UAE seeks consular services for arrested Telegram boss
"The UAE is closely following the case of its citizen Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, who was arrested by the...
- He is accused of failing to curb the spread of illegal content on Telegram, which has more than 900 million users. The company has rejected the accusations.
- Durov set up Telegram after leaving Russia a decade ago, and Forbes magazine estimates his current fortune at $15.5 billion.
Geostrategy
Iraq issues arrest warrants against two persons for ‘heist of the century’
Baghdad, Iraq -- An Iraqi criminal court on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for a businessman and a former government official wanted...
- The scandal, dubbed the "heist of the century", sparked widespread anger in Iraq, which is ravaged by rampant corruption, unemployment and decaying infrastructure.
- The criminal court issued the warrants for businessman Nour Zuhair and Haitham al-Juburi, a former adviser to then prime minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi.
Geostrategy
Egypt says will not accept Israeli force on its Gaza border
Cairo, a key mediator in efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, "reiterated to all parties...
- "Egypt is managing the mediation" between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas "in accordance with its national security", the source told Al-Qahera News.
- The negotiations, also mediated by Qatar and the United States, have yielded little hope for a ceasefire, though Washington said Friday that some progress had been made.
Business
UAE national carriers fly to 606 destinations as travel demand rebounds
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- UAE national carriers continued to expand their destinations for passengers, supported by the UAE's leading position...
- The carriers reached about 586 destinations at the end of last year 2023. The national carriers' destinations currently include more than 144 Emirates destinations.
- flydubai flies to 125 destinations in 58 countries across Africa, Central Asia, Central and Southeast Europe, the GCC, the Middle East.
Business
Alibaba to upgrade Hong Kong listing amid profit drop
Hong Kong, China -- Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba said Friday it would upgrade its Hong Kong-listed shares to primary status, opening...
- The decision by shareholders during its annual general meeting Thursday will provide a much-needed boost to the firm, which has underperformed the market in recent years.
- Alibaba has been primarily traded in New York since 2014 and remained dual-listed after its notable return to Hong Kong through a second listing in 2019.
Geostrategy
In rare move, UAE accepts Taliban government ambassador
It became just the second country after China to do so. The UAE said it was committed to "building bridges"...
- The UAE's growing ties with the Taliban government include the management of Afghan airports by an Emirati firm, GAAC, following the withdrawal of US forces and Taliban's return.
- "The world recognizes the challenges faced by Afghanistan over the past few years," an Emirati official said in a statement.
Most Read
Revenue from Saudi cinema may exceed $1bn by 2030KSA, UAE play well as e-gaming trends across GCCExclusive: Middle East’s retail sector rides on AR and hybrid shopping to become $600bn digital economyTECOM Group profit soars 13%UAE startups eye Saudi Arabia for growth, expansionSaudi Arabia leads GCC AI healthcare raceDisparity remains as Saudis, Emiratis see wealth gains
Who has been invited to be on Trump’s Gaza boards?
The White House said there would be a main board, chaired by Trump himself, a Palestinian committee of technocrats meant...
Geostrategy
Company News
PIF acquires stake in Saudi Re
Business
Latest News
ADNOC Gas awards contracts
Business
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...
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".
Arts & Culture
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...
Science
Most Read
Geostrategy
US announces new sanctions against Iran amid talks
The United States announced new sanctions Monday against Iran over its nuclear program, despite ongoing negotiations between the two countries...
- The latest sanctions target three Iranian citizens and an Iranian entity with links to Tehran's Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research,
- The discussions began last month and aim to seal a new accord that would prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon. Tehran denies seeking to build one
India and Pakistan rivalry boils after Kashmir attack
India took a raft of punitive diplomatic measures against arch-rival Pakistan on Wednesday, accusing Islamabad of supporting "cross-border terrorism" after...
- India's measures, including the suspension of a key water-sharing treating and closure of the main land border crossing
- The killings have shocked New Delhi, as they marked a dramatic shift targeting civilians and the area's vital tourism industry
Geostrategy
Israel security chief accuses PM of demanding personal loyalty
Israel's internal security chief, whom the government is trying to sack, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday of demanding personal...
- Ronen Bar's accusations, in a sworn statement to the Supreme Court, are the latest twist in a legal and political saga pitting him against Netanyahu
- Bar's dismissal, announced by the government last month but frozen by the court, triggered mass protests