Amid Israeli strikes, Lebanon debates disarming Hezbollah under ceasefire deal, risking political turmoil and mass protests.
The Lebanese government is set to discuss on Friday an army plan to disarm Hezbollah, which the Iran-backed group opposes, accusing the cabinet of playing into the hands of Israel and the United States.
Qatar to expand scheme to boost Syria power supply
Qatar is to expand its scheme to boost the power supply in Syria by paying for deliveries of Azerbaijani gas through Turkey, the Gulf state's development fund announced on Thursday.Israel’s Druze organise aid for violence-hit Syria community
In the quiet Galilee village of Julis, Israeli Druze volunteers are busy collecting food donations and gathering information to support members of the minority community in Syria reeling from deadly sectarian violenceIran rejects Western accusations of overseas plots as ‘baseless’
In a statement, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei described the claims as "baseless", calling them "an attempt to divert public attention from the most pressing issue of the day, the genocide in occupied Palestine".Trump orders deployment of nuclear submarines in response to ‘provocative’ Russian comments
The United States and Russia control the vast majority of the world's nuclear weaponry, and Washington keeps nuclear-armed submarines on patrol as part of its so-called nuclear triad of land, sea and air-launched weapons.Israeli writer Grossman denounces Gaza ‘genocide’
Rome, Italy -- Award-winning Israeli author David Grossman called his country's campaign in Gaza "genocide" and said he was using the term with a "broken heart". This came days after a major Israeli rights group also used the same term, amid growing global alarm over starvation in the besieged territory....Alpha Dhabi H1 profit $1.79bn
Adjusted EBITDA rises to $2.36bn.US promises Gaza food plan after envoy visit
The visit by Steve Witkoff came as a report from global advocacy group Human Rights Watch accused Israeli forces of presiding over "regular bloodbaths" close to US-backed aid pointsWorld economies reel from Trump’s tariffs
The tariffs are a demonstration of raw economic power that Trump sees putting US exporters in a stronger position while encouraging domestic manufacturing by keeping out foreign imports.Sweden jihadist jailed for life over Jordan pilot burned alive
Stockholm, Sweden - A Stockholm court on Thursday handed down a life term to Swedish jihadist Osama Krayem over the 2015 murder of a Jordanian pilot burned alive by the Islamic State group in Syria. The Swedish court was the first to try a person over the killing that sparked...Trump’s ‘displeasure’ at prospect of allies recognizing Palestinian state
President Donald Trump has expressed displeasure with leaders of France, the United Kingdom and Canada for saying they plan to recognize a Palestinian state in September, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday.Israel says struck Hezbollah missile factory in Lebanon
Israel said it carried out strikes on Thursday on sites used by Hezbollah to manufacture and store missiles in Lebanon, where Israel has launched multiple attacks despite a November ceasefire.Trump’s envoy Witkoff holds talks in Israel on ceasefire as Gaza criticism mounts
Witkoff has been the top US representative in indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas but the discussions broke down last week when Israel and the United States recalled their delegations from DohaBorouge Q2 net profit $193m
The H1 revenue stood at $2.72 billion.Trump’s global trade policy faces test, hours from tariff deadline
The last-gasp scramble to strike bilateral accords came as an appeals court in Washington considered the legality behind Trump's strategy of invoking emergency economic powers to declare sweeping duties on imports.Saudi Arabia’s real GDP up by 3.9 percent in Q2 2025: GASTAT
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.9 percent in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), flash estimates of GDP for Q2 2025, released today by the General Authority for Statistics...Microsoft valuation surges above $4 trillion as AI lifts stocks
Shares of Microsoft vaulted 5.3 percent after it reported $27.2 billion in quarterly profits as it touted massive investments in AI. Microsoft became the second company to surpass $4 trillion following another AI star, Nvidia.‘Gaza, ours forever’: Settlers push to reclaim land amid devastation and political shifts
Within sight of Gaza, the devastated Palestinian enclave ravaged by nearly 22 months of war, hundreds of Israeli settlers marched Wednesday to stake their claim to the battered territory.Syrian, Israeli ministers to hold meeting in Baku on Thursday: diplomat
A Syrian-Israeli ministerial meeting is set to take place Thursday in Baku to discuss security matters in southern Syria, a diplomat told AFP.Trump hits India with 25% tariff and ‘penalty’ over Russia ties
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that imports from India will face 25 percent tariffs, while also announcing an unspecified "penalty" over New Delhi's purchases of Russian weapons and energy.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 to southern Gaza, according to multiple sources. Technical teams sent by the UAE have started transporting equipment needed for the project, the Emirati state news agency WAM reported on Wednesday....Thousands of carpets sunbathe at Turkish resort
From June-Sept, in harvested fields cleared of stubble, merchants bring their cargo to age in the sun, tempering the bright hues of their natural colors and ridding them of undesirable elements.ADNOC Drilling H1 revenue $2.37bn
The company posted a net profit of $692m.France, 14 other nations urge recognition of Palestinian state, Canada may do so in September
The foreign ministers of 15 countries issued a joint statement following a conference in New York, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, aimed at reviving a two-state solution between Israelis and the Palestinians.Gaza famine warning as Israel resists ceasefire calls, UNICEF says time running out
"We need to flood Gaza with large-scale food aid, immediately and without obstruction, and keep it flowing each and every day to prevent mass starvation," WFP executive director Cindy McCain said.Trump’s MAGA base defies conservative pro-Israel doctrine
Washington, United States - Unconditional support for Israel has long been an entry requirement in US Republican politics, but that orthodoxy is being challenged by Donald Trump's populist base -- where invocations of the "special relationship" are falling on deaf ears. Images of starvation and suffering in Gaza have given...Russia to face new US sanctions unless ends Ukraine war in 10 days: Trump
US President Donald Trump said his deadline for Russia to end the fighting in Ukraine or face new sanctions will be in 10 days from Tuesday.Saudi Arabia, UAE rank among top 20 nations globally for AI talent density
With the goal of becoming one of the world’s top 10 countries in AI research and application by 2030, Saudi government aims to attract USD 20 billion in AI investments while creating 200,000 high-tech jobsUN agencies warn Gaza slipping into famine as Israel resists ceasefire calls
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative, a coalition of monitors tasked by the UN to warn of impending crises, stopped short of declaring a state of famine, but made clear the situation is critical.Dubai International Airport logs record 46 million travelers in first half
Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- Dubai International Airport welcomed a record 46 million passengers in the first half of this year, authorities said on Tuesday, despite disruptions due to the Iran-Israel war The facility marked its busiest first half on record with a 2.3 percent year-on-year growth, Dubai Airports said...Portugal’s Felix joins Ronaldo at Al Nassr in Saudi
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Portuguese forward Joao Felix has signed a two-year deal with Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr, where he will join Cristiano Ronaldo, the club announced Tuesday. Felix, now 25, made a blockbuster move from Benfica to Atletico Madrid in 2019, but has since seen his fortunes decline. "I'm...IMF lifts 2025 global growth forecast on ‘fragile’ easing in trade tensions
Looking ahead, the IMF expects the world economy to expand 3.1 percent next year, an improvement from the 3.0 percent it earlier predicted.Trump warns of ‘real starvation’ in Gaza as aid deliveries pick up after Israeli “tactical pause”
Speaking in Scotland after meeting Britain's leader, Trump contradicted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had earlier dismissed fears of famine in Gaza as Hamas propaganda.Iran vows stronger response if attacked again by US, Israel
It remains unclear how much damage was caused by the US strikes on Tehran's nuclear facilities, which came after Israel launched a surprise bombing campaign that it said was aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining an atomic weapon.Palantir, the AI giant that preaches US dominance
Palo Alto, United States - Palantir, an American data analysis and artificial intelligence company, has emerged as Silicon Valley's latest tech darling -- one that makes no secret of its macho, America-first ethos now ascendant in Trump-era tech culture. The company's reach spans the global economy, with banks, hospitals, the...Putin stresses Syrian ‘territorial integrity’ in call with Netanyahu after Druze unrest
Russia, a close ally of Syria's former long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad, who reportedly fled to Moscow with his family, still has two military bases in the country, and is also close to Iran, having boosted military ties amid the Kremlin's offensive in Ukraine.Food arrives in Gaza after Israel pauses some fighting
Gaza City, Palestinian Territories -- Truckloads of food reached hungry Gazans on Monday after Israel promised to open secure aid routes, but humanitarian agencies warned vast amounts more were needed to stave off starvation. With Gaza's population of more than two million facing famine and malnutrition, Israel bowed to international...DIFC records 25 percent rise in registered firms in H1 2025
Dubai, UAE -- Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading global financial center in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA), said Monday that it witnessed a saw a record number of new firms establishing operations in the center in the first half of 2026. The total number of...European Union probes UAE oil giant’s purchase of Germany’s Covestro
Brussels, Belgium -- The European Commission on Monday announced an investigation into the takeover of German chemical firm Covestro by UAE state oil giant ADNOC, citing competition fears. "The commission has preliminary concerns that foreign subsidies granted by the United Arab Emirates could distort the EU internal market," a statement...Major Israeli rights groups brand Gaza campaign ‘genocide’, a first for Israeli NGOs
Rights groups B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel have been frequent critics of Israeli government policies, but the language in their reports was their most stark yet.Tunisia plastic collectors spread as economic, migration woes deepen
Tunis, Tunisia - A towel draped over his head, Hamza Jabbari sets bags of plastic bottles onto a scale. He is among Tunisia's "barbechas", informal plastic recyclers whose increasing numbers reflect the country's economic -- and migratory -- woes. The 40-something-year-old said he starts the day off at dawn, hunching...Syria sets date for new transitional parliament, local bodies to elect two-thirds of lawmakers
Syrian autorities led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa -- dissolved the former longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad's rubber-stamp legislature and adopted a temporary constitutional declaration to cover a five-year transition period.The UN, the Palestinians, Israel and a stalled two-state solution
Ever since the partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states in 1947, the United Nations has been inextricably linked to the fate of Palestinians, with the organization meeting this week hoping to revive the two-state solution.Godzilla fans fete the monster as it turns 70
San Diego, United States - Godzilla has morphed over the years, but one constant is the devotion of its fans, who celebrated the Japanese monster's 70th anniversary at the pop culture convention Comic-Con. The Japanese studio Toho, which created Godzilla, maintains a calendar of events to celebrate the beast often...GCC countries record $587.8 billion in nominal GDP by end of Q4 2024
Muscat, Oman -- The nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries reached US$587.8 billion by the end of the fourth quarter of 2024, up from US$579 billion at the end of the fourth quarter of 2023, reflecting a growth rate of 1.5 percent. The latest...Food airdropped into Gaza as Israel says opening aid routes
UN's World Food Programme said a third of the population of Gaza had not eaten for days, and 470,000 people were "enduring famine-like conditions" that were already leading to deaths.Humanoid robots embodiment of China’s AI ambitions
Shanghai, China -- Serving craft beer, playing mahjong, stacking shelves and boxing, the dozens of humanoid robots at Shanghai's World AI Conference (WAIC) this weekend were embodiments of China's growing AI prowess and ambition. The annual event is primed at showcasing China's progress in the ever-evolving field of artificial intelligence,...US says tariff deadline of Aug 1 is firm, no extensions
Washington, United States -- The US deadline of August 1 for imposing tariffs on its trading partners is firm and there will be no extensions, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Sunday. "So no extensions, no more grace periods. August 1, the tariffs are set. They'll go into place. Customs will...Israel declares Gaza fighting pause amid deepening hunger crisis
Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza on March 2 after ceasefire talks broke down. In late May, it began allowing a small trickle of aid to resume, amid warnings of a wave of starvation.Iraqi women table tennis players chase Paralympic dreams
Diwaniyah, Iraq -- Iraqi table tennis player Nur al-Huda Sarmad adjusts her wheelchair before striking the ball into play, braving sweltering heat, social stigma and inadequate facilities as she dreams of taking her team to the Paralympics. Sarmad and seven other Iraqi women who live with disabilities train three times...US Fed poised to hold off on rate cuts, defying Trump pressure
Policymakers at the independent Federal Reserve have kept the benchmark lending rate steady since the start of the year as they monitor how Trump's sweeping tariffs are impacting the world's biggest economy.