Greater data access and control for users as EU modifies digital policy

• Negotiators from the European Council, which represents the 27 member states, and the European Parliament struck a deal late on Tuesday on the data act.
• The new rules also include safeguards against unlawful data transfer by cloud service providers and make it easier to switch providers of data processing services.

Wagner chief heads into Belarus exile, NATO vows to protect allies

• As the fallout unfolded from Prigozhin's brief mutiny, Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to shore up his authority by thanking regular troops for averting a civil war
• The feud between Wagner and the army had escalated for months, with Prigozhin making increasingly scathing statements against the generals' handling of the offensive in Ukraine

Saudi Gamers8 with a $45m prize pool brings Razer back as gaming gear partner

• Razer will provide premium hardware from their range of gaming peripherals for VIPs and influencers during the esports festival
• Gamers8 has a prize pool of $45 million and the festival concludes with the Next World Forum, a gaming and esports forum

OPEC chief anticipates a 23% rise in global oil demand by 2045

• The CEO of Saudi oil company (Aramco) Amin Nasser predicted that the fundamentals of the global oil market will remain sound for the rest of this year
• Although China is facing some economic headwinds, the transport and petrochemical sectors are still showing signs of demand growth, Nasser noted

‘Domestic violence is overlooked in custody rulings’

• Reem Alsalem, a UN human rights expert, uncovers substantial gender bias in family courts, frequently ignoring past domestic violence incidents in custody rulings
• Violence persistently threatens women and children, causing significant hardship. For minority women, stereotypes and justice hurdles further exacerbate challenges, she adds

IsDB, AFD to finance $4bn projects in developing countries

• The MoU was signed by the president of the Islamic Development Bank, Dr. Mohammed Al-Jasser in Vienna.
• Al-Jasser said last year that one out of every three member states of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) is living in poverty.

Global summit seeks to overhaul climate finance, eyes bigger progress

• With trust in short supply over broken climate financing promises from richer countries, developing nations are looking for tangible progress
• France backs international tax on carbon emissions from shipping, with hopes for a breakthrough at a meeting of the International Maritime Organization in July

All five on Titanic sub dead after ‘catastrophic’ implosion

• The somber announcement ended a multinational search-and-rescue operation that captivated the world since the tiny tourist craft went missing in the North Atlantic four days ago
• Marine scientist David Mearns, who specializes in deep water search and recovery operations, said earlier the debris discovery indicated a rapid breakup of the submersible

Iran foreign minister rounds out Gulf tour with UAE visit

• Gulf Arab countries are seeking to ease tensions with Iran, fuelled in recent years by the conflicts in Yemen and Syria.
• In a dramatic shift, China brokered an agreement in March between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties after a years-long rupture.

Rate hikes, tech, government support boost GCC banks