Iran says no nuclear talks if US insists it stop uranium enrichment
Washington and Tehran had been engaged in several rounds of negotiations seeking to strike a deal on the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme, but Israel derailed the talks when it launched a wave of surprise strikes on its regional nemesis.
Iran says reviving nuclear deal ‘useless’
Tehran, Iran - Iran said on Saturday that attempting to revive its landmark nuclear deal with world powers that was effectively scrapped by former US president Donald Trump was increasingly "useless"."Today, the more we advance, the more the JCPOA becomes useless," Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in a speech to students...Israel continues Gaza bombing as US blocks UN truce bid
Israel bombarded targets in Gaza after the United States blocked an extraordinary UN bid for a ceasefire in the war with Hamas that has triggered alerts of an "apocalyptic" humanitarian situation. Aid workers say Gaza's humanitarian system is on the verge of collapse, as disease and starvation threaten.EU clinches ‘historic’ deal on AI law after long negotiations
The EU's internal market commissioner, Thierry Breton. called the deal as historic, regulating artificial intelligence models such as ChatGPT. Negotiators in Brussels nailed down curbs on how AI can be used in Europe, which they said would not hurt innovation in the sector nor the prospects for future European AI...US’ first high-speed train to run between LA and Las Vegas in 2028
Washington, United States -- The United States will have its first high-speed train -- between Los Angeles and Las Vegas -- in 2028, the Biden administration said Friday as it unveiled a series of major rail investments.This project called Brightline West, from the name of the Florida-based company that will build...COP28 chief urges nations to reach climate compromise
Setting the ambitious goal of having a deal in place by Tuesday, the last day of the conference, Sultan Al Jaber exhorted the nearly 200 nations represented at COP28 to work with a "spirit of compromise", step out of their "comfort zones and find common ground to deliver a high...US finds war crimes and ethnic cleansing in Sudan war
After months of rising concern and frustration at the failure of talks, Secretary of State Antony Blinken presented findings following an evaluation by the State Department. Both the Sudanese army and the RSF "have unleashed horrific violence, death and destruction across Sudan," Blinken said in a statement.First Movers Coalition emerges as top advocate of climate-friendly technologies
Dubai, UAE-- Since its launch two years ago, the First Movers Coalition (FMC) has become the world's largest private sector demand signal for emerging climate technologies. Its members have moved from commitment to action: signing offtake agreements, driving demand for low carbon products to global decarbonization initiatives, and collaborating with...US pledges climate aid for cities, more private sector finance
Samantha Power, administrator of the US Agency for International Development, is visiting the COP28 summit where nations are wrangling over whether to promise a phasedown of fossil fuels. Power, the latest senior US official to join lead negotiator John Kerry, is focusing efforts on helping developing countries adapt to the...One in five children in rich countries lives in poverty: UNICEF
Sixty-nine million children live in poverty in the world's 40 richest countries, UNICEF said in a report, blasting Britain and France for their particularly bad standings. That's despite a drop in child poverty rates by around 8 percent in the 40 European Union and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development...Russian oil price cap partially successful
LONDON, UK - A Western price cap imposed a year ago on Russia's oil has had limited success with Moscow increasingly finding ways to deliver crude at prices above the $60 limit.The cap, jointly imposed on December 5, 2022 by the European Union, Australia and the Group of Seven rich countries,...US envoy to promote Yemen peace despite Houthi attacks
Since the Gaza war, the Houthi rebels have seized an Israeli-linked cargo vessel and fired ballistic missiles at various targets. On Sunday, US Central Command said US warships shot down three suspected Houthi drones in the Red Sea. The Biden administration has said it will consider redesignating the Houthis a...UN warns of ‘hellish scenario’ as aid to Gaza stalls
According to Lynn Hastings, UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, the conditions required to deliver aid to "the people of Gaza do not exist." He said that since the end of truce, Israeli forces have pushed into southern Gaza, "forcing tens of thousands... into compressed spaces, desperate to find...Rights organizations sue Netherlands over F-35 parts to Israel
The case concerns US-owned F-35 parts stored at a warehouse in the Netherlands and then shipped to several partners, including Israel, via existing export agreementsPwC to set up blocks preventing exam cheating after $7 mn fine
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) imposed the penalty on the China and Hong Kong offices of the "Big Four" auditing company on Thursday. The two offices issued identical statements on Friday saying it was "highly regrettable that a number of employees engaged in the improper sharing and use...UAE’s ENEC signs MoU with TerraPower for nuclear-technology development
Dubai, UAE--The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has signed a memorandum of understanding with TerraPower, an American nuclear innovation company, to collaborate in various areas of technological development.The MoU was signed during COP28 by Ahmed Al Mazroui, Nuclear Research and Development Vice President of ENEC, and Chris Levesque, President and...White House says Israel ‘making effort’ to protect Gaza civilians
According to Hamas, more than 15,500 people have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of the war, but Kirby told ABC's "This Week" that Israel had responded to US appeals to protect civilians. "We believe they have been receptive to our messages here of trying to minimalize civilian casualties,"...Alaska Airlines to buy Hawaiian Airlines
Based in Seattle, Alaska Airlines serves the western US.US defense chief urges Israel to shield civilians to win in Gaza
Austin told the Reagan National Defense Forum that he had "learned a thing or two about urban warfare" while fighting in Iraq. "The lesson is not that you can win in urban warfare by protecting civilians. The lesson is that you can only win in urban warfare by protecting civilians,"...US Commerce chief warns against China ‘threat’
Gina Raimondo unveiled a series of restrictions on the export of advanced chips to China, including those used in the development of AI, to prevent their use by Beijing for its military. She said that Nvidia had developed a product that performs just below the limit set by her department...US pledges $3bn to a global climate fund at COP28 meet
Developing countries least responsible for climate change are seeking support from richer polluting nations to adapt to the increasingly ferocious and expensive consequences of extreme weather, and for their transitions to cleaner energy sources. The failure of wealthy nations to fulfill financial pledges to help developing nations cope with climate...Turkey’s Erdogan rejects US pressure to cut Hamas ties
Istanbul, Turkey - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday pushed back against mounting US pressure to cut Ankara's historic ties with Hamas in the wake of the group's unprecedented attacks on Israel.The US Treasury's top terrorism financing official conveyed Washington's "profound" alarm about Ankara's past relations with Hamas during a...US readying to impose visa ban on violent Israeli settlers: Blinken
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when they met Thursday in Jerusalem that Washington was readying the sanctions, the source said on the condition of anonymity.Tech titan Microsoft wins observer seat at OpenAI
SAN FRANCISCO, US - Microsoft, the tech titan that has invested billions of dollars in ChatGPT creator OpenAI, has been given a seat on the startup's board.The nomination was shared in a memo to OpenAI staff on Wednesday that was later posted to the company's blog and included a list of...Fed’s inflation gauge slows in October as energy, goods prices drop
Washington, United States - A key inflation measure used by the US Federal Reserve to set interest rates eased further last month amid declining energy and goods prices, according to government data published Thursday.The annual personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index rose 3.0 percent in October, down 0.4 percentage points from...Henry Kissinger, singular US diplomat, dead at 100
Kissinger's family would hold a private funeral, with a memorial service to take place later in New York, where Kissinger grew up after his Jewish family fled Nazi Germany. The statement did not provide a cause of death. Kissinger had remained active even at as a centenarian, traveling to China...Oil prices inch up on mixed day for US stocks
World stock markets have made robust gains in recent weeks on hopes that the US central bank had finished with hiking rates and could cut borrowing costs next year as inflation cools. While Wall Street's main indices spent some time in the red, they moved higher as the yields on US...US military Osprey with 8 crew crashes off Japan
Tokyo, Japan--A US Osprey military aircraft with eight crew on board crashed on Wednesday off a Japanese island, the coastguard said, in the latest accident involving the tilt-rotor military aircraft.It was unclear whether there were any survivors, but the coastguard said one unconscious person had been found at the scene and...US, Israel intel chiefs in Qatar to explore ‘next phase’ of Gaza truce
The leaders of the US Central Intelligence Agency and Israel's Mossad were scheduled to meet Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the source said, adding that Egyptian officials were also taking part. The informed source said CIA director Bill Burns and Mossad head David Barnea would hold a...Mass displacement of civilians should not take place in southern Gaza, says US
WASHINGTON, US - US President Joe Biden has warned Israel that its expected offensive in southern Gaza must avoid the kind of mass displacement of civilians seen during the military's pummeling of the Palestinian territory's north, US officials said.Israel has said it will continue its war on Hamas after an ongoing...Fashion giant Shein to go public
Shein was valued at $66 billion earlier this year.Israeli president tells Musk he has ‘huge role’ in anti-Semitism fight
The meeting came after the world's richest person visited a kibbutz community devastated in attacks by Hamas fighters on October 7, and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defense officials. Musk has been criticized over what critics say is a proliferation of hate speech on X, formerly Twitter, since...Stock markets on hold as investors await key US inflation data
Stock markets were mostly in wait-and-see mode as investors eyed the release this week of key US inflation data that could guide Federal Reserve plans for interest rates. Oil prices slid nearly two percent before cutting their losses as dealers awaited a delayed meeting of OPEC and its allies to...US police look into ‘hate crime’ after Palestinian students shot
The shooter, who is still on the loose, was described by police as "a white man with a handgun." The incident occurred amid high tensions, and occasional violence, on college campuses and elsewhere in the United States over the Israel-Hamas war.China FM to visit New York for UN talks on Israel-Hamas conflict
Beijing, China--China's top diplomat Wang Yi will visit New York this week to hold a United Nations Security Council meeting on the Israel-Hamas conflict, Beijing's foreign ministry said on Monday."As it holds the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council this month, China will hold a high-level meeting on the...Biden to miss COP28 climate summit: US official
Some 70,000 people including national leaders and Pope Francis are expected at COP28 as it opens Thursday, in what could be the largest United Nations climate summit ever. Schedules released by the White House for Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris showed neither heading to Dubai this week.Crew of Israel-linked tanker seized off Yemen ‘safe’: US official
A US defence official told a media outlet that an unknown number of "unidentified armed individuals" seized the M/V Central Park in the Gulf of Aden. Ambrey, the maritime security firm, said that "US naval forces are engaged in the situation" after the incident involving the Central Park, which is...Hamas frees more captives in Gaza as truce extension mooted
Hamas released a third group of hostages including a four-year-old American girl with more Palestinian prisoners set to be freed in exchange. A source close to the group said it was willing to prolong a truce. The Israeli army said 13 released hostages were back in the country and another...International migration flows to OECD countries at record highs in 2022
Paris, UAE -- Permanent migration to OECD countries reached 6.1 million in 2022, a 26 percent increase compared with 2021, and its highest level since at least 2005, according to International Migration Outlook 2023.Fifteen 15 out of the 38 OECD countries registered in 2022 their highest levels of permanent migration...US says Iran hit Israeli cargo ship in Indian Ocean
An Israeli-owned cargo ship was damaged in a suspected drone attack by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Indian Ocean, a US defense official said. "We are aware of reports that there was a suspected IRGC-initiated Shahed-136 UAV (that) struck a civilian motor vessel in the Indian Ocean," the...Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh terms Gaza ceasefire ‘political victory’
Dubai, UAE--Senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has called the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip a political victory at a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Doha."The ceasefire is a political victory achieved as a result of the success of the resistance forces on the ground. Our enemy killed...Israel-Hamas truce begins, hostages to be released
An Egyptian security source told AFP that Israeli security officials, International Red Cross-Red Crescent staff and an Egyptian team would deploy to Rafah, on the Egypt-Gaza border, to receive the hostages, who will then be flown to Israel. AFP has confirmed the identities of 210 of the roughly 240 people...Oil slides further after OPEC delay as Asian stocks struggle
Both main crude contracts slipped more than one percent on news that the much-anticipated gathering of the major producers would be put back by four days to November 30. Reports said the decision was made after Angola and Nigeria pushed back at lower targets urged on them, with Saudi Arabia...US intercepts multiple attack drones launched from Yemen: Pentagon
The Huthis have declared themselves part of the "axis of resistance" of Iran's allies and proxies and have launched a series of drones and missiles towards Israel after the start of the war in Gaza. The Huthis have also threatened to target Israeli shipping over the country's war with Hamas,...US markets up after Nvidia reports $9.2 billion in third-quarter profit
New York, United States - Wall Street stocks resumed their upward climb early Wednesday following strong results from artificial intelligence player Nvidia as US Treasury yields retreated.Nvidia said it made a profit of $9.2 billion on revenue of a whopping $18.1 billion in the third quarter, compared with $5.9 billion in...Qatar burnishes role as specialist hostage negotiator with Israel-Hamas deal
Paris, France -- The emirate of Qatar has further boosted its status as a specialist power in resolving delicate hostage situations by using its influence to help secure the release of hostages by Palestinian militant group Hamas.Analysts say Qatar has honed a careful balancing act, allowing it to marry warm relations...From Changpeng Zhao to Do Kwon: The fallen kings of crypto
Seoul, South Korea - Binance boss Changpeng Zhao has become the most powerful cryptocurrency figure to fall in a two-year period chaotic even by the standards of the notoriously volatile industry.Zhao stepped down as CEO of Binance -- the largest crypto exchange in the world -- after he and the company...Binance to pay billions in US in money laundering case
Binance's guilty plea is part of coordinated action including with the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the Department of Justice said. Its violations included its failure to prevent and report transactions with groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and...Iraqis haunted by war battle mental health issues
Ravaged by war and rocked by Islamic State group attacks, Iraq's demand for mental health professionals is great, but help is hard to come by. Baghdad's Al-Rashad psychiatric hospital receives patients suffering from serious psychological illnesses, such as schizophrenia, and offers outpatient treatment for depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.US regulator files charges against Kraken crypto exchange
The action against Kraken by the financial markets regulator will likely pour cold water on the hopes of many firms in the sector that it was taking its foot off the gas when it came to regulation after a series of unfavorable court rulings. The SEC took legal action in...UAE a key player in global financial landscape: NYSE vice-chairman
Abu Dhabi, UAE--The UAE has solidified its stature as a key player in the global financial landscape, through launching economic projects and initiatives that have made it an ideal partner for the NYSE in exploring new markets, said John Tuttle, Vice Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and...