New York, United States - Intel is halting the expansion of a major factory project in Israel, which was going to pump an extra $15 billion towards a chip plant. The chip giant in December said it was going to expand an ongoing $10 billion plan at the Kiryat Gat site,...

The Israeli military said it shot at a group of four people who attempted to flee in a vehicle and tried to "run over forces" when Israeli police went to Kfar Naima to arrest a suspect. One Israeli officer was lightly hurt, an army statement said.

Washington, United States -- Virgin Galactic on Saturday successfully completed its last spaceflight before heading into a two-year pause on commercial operations to upgrade its fleet, as the space tourism company seeks to finally turn a profit. "Galactic07 is back on terra firma, now as astronauts!" the company said on X...

The text of the resolution "welcomes" the truce and hostage release proposal announced on May 31 by President Joe Biden, and "urges both parties to fully implement its terms without delay and without condition." Unlike earlier drafts, the resolution states that Israel has "accepted" the US ceasefire proposal.

Telecoms group e&, whose majority stakeholder is the UAE government, signed a $2.3-billion agreement in August 2023 to purchase Czech PPF telecoms group's assets in Bulgaria, Hungary, Serbia and Slovakia. The European Commission said a preliminary probe "indicates that there are sufficient indications that e& has received foreign subsidies distorting...

Blinken said his message to regional governments was that "if you want a ceasefire, press Hamas to say yes" to the proposal.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Oil giant Saudi Aramco said Sunday that international investors had snatched up the bulk of shares sold in its latest offering, which was set to raise $11.2 billion. The secondary offering was expected to provide a short-term boost to Saudi Arabia's finances as the Gulf kingdom builds...

Israel's army said Sunday that a senior commander had resigned over what he called his failure to prevent the October 7 attack by Palestinian fighters. "The commander of the 143rd Division, Brigadier General Avi Rosenfeld, informed his commanders today of his intention to end his service in the (Israeli army),"...

Houthi television channel Al-Massirah meanwhile said there were air strikes in the Yemeni capital Sanaa and elsewhere in the country on Friday, but the reports could not be independently confirmed, and it was unclear if they were related to the incidents described by CENTCOM.

In a new diplomatic push, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Israel and key regional partners Egypt, Jordan and Qatar from Monday on his eighth Middle East trip since the war began, the State Department said.

Bonn, Germany -- The incoming president of the COP29 UN climate summit in Azerbaijan told AFP on Friday that his country would keep increasing fossil fuel production "in parallel" with investments in cleaner alternatives. Mukhtar Babayev defended his country's hosting of the world's most important climate summit despite its surging natural...

Geneva, Switzerland -- The war in Gaza has seen the unemployment rate in the besieged Palestinian territory surge to nearly 80 percent, the United Nations said Friday. The UN's labour agency said the war between Hamas and Israel had "caused loss of jobs and livelihoods on a massive scale". Since the...

Chinese electric car company Nio plans to expand to the Middle East this year, CEO William Li said on an earnings call Thursday, at a time when rivals have been increasing their global footprint, CNBC reported. The nearly 10-year-old company will also start shipping its lowest-cost brand, Firefly, in the...

Hong Kong, China - Palestine created history when they booked a place in the third round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers for the first time following a goalless draw on Thursday against Lebanon in Doha. Against the backdrop of the war in Gaza, the Palestinian team has already claimed a...

"The government of Israel has said that they are going to release more information about this strike, including the names of those who died in it. We expect them to be fully transparent in making that information public," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

Qatar, with the United States and Egypt, has been engaged in months of negotiations over details for a ceasefire in Gaza. But except for a seven-day break in hostilities beginning in November that led to the release of more than 100 hostages, the mediation efforts have not stopped the fighting.

Political and business leaders in the Arabian Gulf region push for sustainability agenda to secure clean environment for the future generations. Calls have been made to work through collaborative models of private and public partnerships to achieve green goals.

Jerusalem, Undefined -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel was "prepared for a very intense operation" along the border with Lebanon, where Israeli troops have exchanged near-daily fire with Hezbollah fighters. Almost eight months of exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah have intensified over the past week, with Israel...

Qatar will supply four million tons of gas a year under the deal, QatarEnergy said in a statement, without disclosing the cost of the agreement. "We look forward to further enhancing our relationship with CPC... and to further demonstrate our unwavering commitment to our customers and partners around the world," said...

Featuring the work of international women artists, "La Belleza" celebrates the deep connection between art and poetry.

JPMorgan Chase is reportedly preparing to launch a biometric payments system for the masses, the Daily Hodl reported quoting the American Banker. The banking giant is preparing a “broad rollout” of an authentication system that will allow retail shoppers to pay with their face or palm next year. The system is...

Hamas had told mediators it "cannot agree to a deal that doesn't that does not secure... a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and the achievement of a serious, real captive exchange deal", he said.

Djerba, Tunisia - In an unassuming house on the Tunisian island of Djerba, Said al-Barouni embarked on a mission to safeguard his Muslim community's little-known heritage, using technology and AI to save age-old religious manuscripts. The 74-year-old librarian and member of the Islamic offshoot Ibadism took up the reins of his...

Despite widespread cultural and contextual differences, many women around the world are experiencing similar challenges in and out of the workplace, according to the "Women @ Work 2024: A Global Outlook" report by Deloitte.

An Israeli strike targeting a motorcycle in Lebanon killed one person and wounded another, according to the National News Agency (NNA). It did not say whether the casualties were civilians or fighters

The International Air Transport Association on Tuesday urged Pakistan and Bangladesh to remove barriers to airlines repatriating ticket revenues after Nigeria released the vast majority of blocked funds. Pakistan and Bangladesh collectively owe $731 million out of a global total of $1.8 billion in blocked airline funds, according to the...

Dubai, UAE – Danube Group, a leading conglomerate in the Middle East and Dubai SME, a subsidiary of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) have signed a Cooperation Agreement to diversify the buyer base and expand market opportunities for Emirati-owned SMEs. The signing ceremony took place at Danube...

Geneva, Switzerland – The latest Chief Economists Outlook released on May 29 presents a growing sense of cautious optimism about the global economy in 2024. More than eight in ten chief economists expect the global economy to either strengthen or remain stable this year – nearly double the proportion in...

Geneva, Switzerland -- Some 55 percent of all structures in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed, damaged or possibly damaged since war erupted in the Palestinian territory eight months ago, according to preliminary satellite analysis by the UN. The analysis showed more than 137,000 buildings affected, UNOSAT, the United Nations satellite...

Oil prices slipped after Saudi-led OPEC and its Russian-led allies said Sunday they would maintain output levels but begin to restore production from October, even as questions about China's economic recovery and a spike in US stockpiles cause investors to fret over demand. Brent, the international benchmark, fell more than...

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced strengthened profitability projections for airlines in 2024 compared with its June and December 2023 forecasts. An aggregate return above the cost of capital, however, continues to elude the global airline industry. Net profits are expected to reach $30.5 billion in 2024. That will...

In an interview aired Sunday on Fox News, the former president and current Republican White House hopeful acknowledged the possibility of jail time or house arrest following his historic criminal conviction in a hush money trial.

The Syrian Ministry of Defence said in a statement that "after midnight... the Israeli enemy launched an air attack from the southeast of Aleppo, targeting some positions" near the city, adding that "the aggression caused several martyrs and material damage".

Deir El-Balah, Palestinian Territories -- Amira al-Taweel scoured pharmacies in northern Gaza for milk to feed her child but could not find a single bottle to satisfy his hunger. "Youssef needs treatment and milk, but there' none available in Gaza," the 33-year-old mother told AFP at Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in central...

The firm last Thursday disclosed plans to sell 1.545 billion shares on the Saudi stock market, priced between 26.70 and 29 Saudi riyals ($7 to $7.70). Sunday marked the beginning of the book-building period for investors inside and outside the kingdom, Aramco said in a statement, allowing officials to gauge...

Kuwait entered new political turbulence in May when the 83-year-old emir, Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, dissolved parliament just six weeks after elections. He also suspended some provisions of the constitution. He then named the second government since he took over as head of state in December.

Rafah, Palestinian Territories - Qatari, Egyptian and US mediators called on Israel and Hamas Saturday to "finalise" the truce deal outlined by US President Joe Biden, as Israeli forces pounded Rafah in southern Gaza. Fighting has raged in the besieged Gaza Strip since Biden said Israel was offering a new roadmap...

The US president urged Hamas to accept the Israeli offer. "It's time for this war to end, for the day after to begin," he said, in comments echoed by British Foreign Secretary David Cameron. Hamas in a statement on Friday evening said it "considers positively" Biden's speech regarding "a permanent...

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis launched several drones and two ballistic missiles on Friday, the US military said, after deadly overnight strikes by American and British forces prompted retaliatory threats from the rebels. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it intercepted four drones launched by the Houthis - three...

"The exodus that we've seen in the past 20 days or so out of Rafah has been an awesome and horrific experience for many, many people," Matthew Hollingworth, the World Food Programme (WFP) director for the Palestinian territories. They have fled the fighting to areas where there was not enough...

The fallen Credit Suisse AG legally ceases to exist.

Oman witnesses a 16.4% growth in passenger traffic in early 2024 The Sultanate of Oman’s aviation sector has experienced remarkable growth in the initial four months of 2024.  According to the data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the country witnessed a significant surge in both...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Oil giant Saudi Aramco said on Thursday it plans to sell 1.545 billion shares worth more than $10 billion in one of the biggest such offerings in recent years. In a statement posted to the Saudi stock exchange, Aramco announced a "secondary public offering of 1.545 billion...

The British defence ministry said in a statement that its planes launched strikes in "a joint operation with US forces against Houthi military facilities to degrade their ability to persist with their attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden".

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- The Red Sea has announced the opening of its third resort, Nujuma, a Ritz Carlton Reserve. Inspired by the word Nujum, meaning "stars" in Arabic, Nujuma invites travelers to one of the world's most secluded and protected archipelagos. “Designed by Foster and Partners, Nujuma’s sweeping shell-inspired...

Geneva, Switzerland -- Humanity is in a race against time to harness the colossal emerging power of artificial intelligence for the good of all, while averting dire risks, a top UN official said Thursday. "We've let the genie out of the bottle," said Doreen Bogdan-Martin, head of the United Nations' International...

Israel said on Wednesday its forces had taken over the 14-kilometre Philadelphi corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border

A car ramming attack killed two Israeli soldiers near the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli army said early Thursday. The army had earlier reported a car-ramming attack on Wednesday near an Israeli settlement outside Nablus. It later identified them as soldiers Eliya Hilel and Diego...

Meeting Sisi on Wednesday, Xi said he was "deeply pained" by the "extremely severe" situation in Gaza, where the Hamas-run territory's health ministry now says 36,171 people, mostly civilians, have been killed. He said China was ready to work with Egypt to continue to assist the people of Gaza "and...

"In the absence of a plan for the day after, there won't be a day after. And this is where we need to go, and (what) we need to get, as quickly as possible," Blinken told reporters on a visit to Moldova. Such a plan would ensure that Israel is...