Trump's lightning visit to Israel and Egypt aims to celebrate his role in brokering last week's ceasefire and hostage release deal -- but comes at a precarious time as Israel and Hamas negotiate what comes next.

Doha, Qatar -- A Hamas source close to the group's negotiating committee told AFP on Sunday that it will not participate in post-war Gaza governance, as world leaders prepare to converge on Egypt for a Gaza peace summit. The source's comments come days after an Israel-Hamas ceasefire came into effect,...

Beijing, China -- China accused the United States of "double standards" on Sunday, after President Donald Trump threatened an additional 100 percent tariff on the world's second-largest economy. Trump reignited his trade war with China on Friday, accusing Beijing of imposing "extraordinarily aggressive" new export curbs relating to rare earths....

Tunis, Tunisia -- Activists in Tunisia on Sunday called for the closure of facilities at a chemical factory in Gabes, in the country's south, amid protests by local residents over dozens of cases of poisoning linked to the site. In a petition over the fertilizer plant, 25 associations, including the...

Sydney, Australia -- Australian airline Qantas said Sunday that data from 5.7 million customers stolen in a major cyberattack in July had been leaked online. "Qantas is one of a number of companies globally that has had data released by cyber criminals following the airline's cyber incident in early July,...

Doha, Qatar -- The United Arab Emirates moved to within a match of their second World Cup appearance with a comeback 2-1 victory against Oman in Doha on Saturday. The Emiratis, who last appeared at a World Cup in 1990, were made to work for their win, when late goals...

As part of the deal's first phase, Hama will free the captives, 20 of whom Israel believes are still alive, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinians held by Israel in its jails.

The weekend pause was "a strategic step to strengthen organisation and coordination, so the next phase of the movement is more effective and influential", the group said in a statement.

Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched in London on Saturday, expressing scepticism and cautious hope as a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza entered its second day.

Washington, United States - US President Donald Trump has undeniably scored a diplomatic victory by helping to broker a truce for Gaza, but the path to the lasting peace he says he wants for the Middle East is littered with obstacles. And it remains to be seen whether the 79-year-old...

The announcement comes soon after President Donald Trump signed an executive order vowing to defend the Gulf Arab state against attacks, following Israeli air strikes targeting Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital Doha.

US President Donald Trump said Friday he no longer feels the need for a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping this month, slamming Beijing for hostile trade practices and threatening "massive" tariffs.

Lebanon and Syria on Friday committed to turning a new page on ties as Damascus's foreign minister visited Beirut, with Lebanon seeking information on political assassinations under the Assad dynasty.

After two years of brutal war, the families of Israel's remaining hostages in the territory were also hoping the truce -- pushed by US President Donald Trump -- would hold.

Caracas, Venezuela -- Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado dedicated her Nobel Peace Prize on Friday to the people of Venezuela -- and US President Donald Trump, for his "decisive support" for her country's pro-democracy movement. "I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump...

Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- Abu Dhabi, the capital of leading oil producer the United Arab Emirates, said Friday it had awarded a contract for a mega solar power plant to French group Engie in partnership with a local firm. The 1.5-gigawatt Khazna Solar PV plant, expected to have nearly...

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates -- The world's top conservation body kicked off its world congress Thursday in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi, where it will unveil its updated "red list" of threatened species a day later. Hundreds of participants were meeting at the venue where the International Union for...

Stockholm, Sweden -- The Nobel Prize for Literature was on Thursday awarded to Laszlo Krasznahorkai considered by many as Hungary's most important living author, whose works explore themes of postmodern dystopia and melancholy. The Swedish Academy honored him "for his compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic...

Stock markets, meanwhile, were mixed as traders weighed a slew of issues: massive AI investments, corporate results, US interest rates, the US government shutdown, political turmoil in France and a Gaza ceasefire deal.

New York, United States - Gold topped $4,000 an ounce for the first time Wednesday as investors flocked to the safe haven metal on worries over the US government shutdown, France's political crisis and other global economic uncertainties. US and European stock markets rose while Asian equities fell as investors...

The study, the most detailed look so far at child hunger in Gaza, analysed data on more than 200,000 children under five examined between January 2024 and August 2025 at UNRWA facilities.

In a dramatic moment, AFP journalists saw US Secretary of State Marco Rubio interrupt an event at the White House and hand Trump an urgent note about the progress of the negotiations in Egypt.

Both sides have responded positively to Trump's plan, which calls for a ceasefire, the release of all the hostages held in Gaza, Hamas's disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the territory.

US and European stock markets mostly rose while Asian equities fell as investors also kept tabs on the AI investment boom and the prospect of further US interest rate cuts this year.

Multiply Group will hold 60.8% of ISEM.

Abu Dhabi, UAE – G42, the Abu Dhabi-based technology group, Wednesday announced its participation at GITEX Global 2025 with the launch of the G42 District, a new experience space centered on the company’s vision for AI Native Societies--communities where intelligence is embedded across public services, national infrastructure, and daily life....

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Turkey's intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, Trump's special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are all due to attend the talks.

Damascus, Syria - Syria announced a comprehensive ceasefire with Kurdish forces after a meeting Tuesday between Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi that followed deadly clashes in the northern city of Aleppo. Syria's authorities, who took power last year after the ouster of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad,...

London, United Kingdom - Thousands of students protested in London and other UK cities on Tuesday, defying a plea from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to skip demonstrations on the second anniversary of Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel. Chanting "Free Palestine", students from several London universities walked out of...

On the second anniversary of the Hamas October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, Antonio Guterres decried a "humanitarian catastrophe on a scale that defies comprehension".

The WTO raised its forecast for trade volume growth in 2025 to 2.4 percent -- up from 0.9 percent in August -- and slashed its 2026 outlook from 1.8 percent to 0.5 percent.

Ajman, UAE -- Real estate transactions in Ajman reached AED 2.97 billion in September, achieving a remarkable growth of 53 percent compared to the same period in 2024, according to real estate report issued by the Department of Land and Real Estate Regulation. Omar bin Omair Al Muhairi, Director-General of...

Dubai, UAE: With capabilities of AI advancing every year, its potential to address challenges once thought unsolvable is rapidly expanding, from the possibility of curing genetic diseases to transforming urban mobility or enabling green data centers. With the global AI market set to reach $4.8 trillion by 2033 (UNCTAD), the...

San Francisco, United States - OpenAI on Monday unveiled a new feature for ChatGPT, the leading generative AI model with 800 million weekly users, enabling it to interact with everyday apps like Spotify and Booking.com. Chief Executive Sam Altman announced the new tool to a crowd of enthusiastic developers gathered...

Cairo, Egypt - A limestone tablet dating back more than 4,000 years has disappeared from Egypt's Saqqara necropolis, authorities said Monday, weeks after a gold bracelet was stolen from the national museum. In a statement, the antiquities ministry announced "the disappearance of an ancient tablet from the tomb of Khenti...

OpenAI signed a multi-year partnership Monday with chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices as the ChatGPT-maker continues an investment spree to secure massive amounts of computing power for rolling out generative artificial intelligence.

New York, United States -- OpenAI signed a multi-year partnership Monday with chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices as the ChatGPT-maker continues an investment spree to secure massive amounts of computing power for rolling out generative artificial intelligence. The companies announced the plan to develop AI data centers that the chipmaker said...

Behind closed doors and under tight security, negotiators will speak through mediators shuttling back and forth, only weeks after Israel tried to kill Hamas's lead negotiators in a strike on Qatar.

Paris, France -- The Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded on Monday to three scientists for discovering how a particular kind of cell can stop the body's immune system from attacking itself. The discovery of these "regulatory T-cells" has raised hopes of finding new ways to fight autoimmune diseases and...

Beijing, China - China's push to develop top-end artificial intelligence microchips is gaining momentum, but analysts say it will struggle to match the technical might of US powerhouse Nvidia within the current decade. Ramping up its chip industry is a way for Beijing to beat restrictions imposed by Washington on...

Istanbul, Turkey - Turkish authorities have banned a Robbie Williams concert scheduled for October 7 in Istanbul over "safety concerns" following several calls for protest, a source from the city governor's office told AFP Sunday. The concert would have occurred on the anniversary of the devastating Hamas-led attacks in Israel...

Iran's top diplomat said Sunday that cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog was no longer relevant following the reimposition of international sanctions on the Islamic republic.

Hanoi, Vietnam -- Vietnam recorded economic growth of 8.2 percent in the third quarter, among the highest increases in more than a decade, the government said Sunday, despite fresh US tariffs taking effect. Finance Minister Nguyen Van Thang said the figure -- excluding the surge in 2022 driven by a...

Foreign ministers of several countries, including Egypt, said the talks were a "real opportunity" to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire.

Dhaka, Bangladesh -- Bangladesh's defense force said it has deployed warships and patrol aircraft as part of a special surveillance operation to protect a prized fish from illegal fishing during its spawning season. The herring-like hilsa, Bangladesh's national fish and a much-loved delicacy in West Bengal in neighboring India, return...

Tokyo, Japan -- Bitcoin reached a new record high on Sunday, rising above the $125,000 mark. The cryptocurrency reached $125,689, shooting above its previous August record of around $124,500. Bitcoin has enjoyed a strong upward momentum with investors cautious about the US government shutdown. Gains in US shares have also...

Damascus, Syria -- Syria will select members of its first post-Assad parliament on Sunday in a process criticized as undemocratic, with a third of the members appointed by interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. The assembly's formation is set to consolidate the power of Sharaa, whose Islamist forces led a coalition that...

The increase was less than many analysts expected, with the cartel seeking to avoid pressuring prices amid weak demand. OPEC+ expects global oil demand to increase by 1.3 million barrels a day in 2025.

Huge numbers turned out at pro-Palestinian rallies in Europe on Saturday, calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and the release of activists on board a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to the territory.

Jerusalem, Undefined - Israel said on Saturday that it had deported 137 more activists who were detained while taking part in an aid flotilla bound for Gaza. The Israeli foreign ministry said those deported were citizens of the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Jordan and several other countries....