Kuwaiti telecom Zain Group plans to invest more than $1.5 billion over the next decade to upgrade and operate a mobile network in Syria, the latest in a series of Gulf investments since the fall of the Assad regime. The company will acquire a 75% stake in the existing MTN ...
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UAE oil exports hit a high amid Iran warUAE oil exports hit a high amid Iran war
The UAE’s oil exports hit a record high in June, as the country took advantage of its exit from OPEC and skirted Iranian threats in the Strait of Hormuz. UAE exports averaged 3.7 million barrels a day during the month, according to industry data cited by Reuters — significantly above ...
US ends ban on exports of Anthropic’s advanced AIUS ends ban on exports of Anthropic’s advanced AI
The US lifted its export ban on Anthropic’s most advanced AI models, the company said. The White House blocked foreign nationals from using Mythos and Fable last month, citing security concerns, prompting Anthropic to suspend access to the two models altogether. Mythos was reportedly capable of finding vulnerabilities in browsers ...
US advisory firm A&M looks to win rivals’ market share in GulfUS advisory firm A&M looks to win rivals’ market share in Gulf
The News Consultancy firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) aims to expand its Middle East business by as much as five times over the next few years, betting it can steal market share from rivals even as demand for advisory services shrinks. The firm is on track to double its Gulf ...
Bennet loses bid for Colorado governor as progressives keep momentumBennet loses bid for Colorado governor as progressives keep momentum
Colorado Democrats rejected Sen. Michael Bennet’s bid for governor, nominating Attorney General Phil Weiser in the latest sign of voters’ frustration with their party in DC. There were few ideological differences between the candidates, but Weiser’s record of suing the Trump administration helped him beat the senator, whom he attacked ...
How climate affects US-China competitionHow climate affects US-China competition
Extreme weather — and mitigation against it — will shape the future of competition between the US and China, two experts wrote in Foreign Affairs. The world’s two largest carbon emitters are at greater risk of climate change-fueled disaster that “threatens the physical foundations” of their power, including critical infrastructure, ...
Australia toughens social media banAustralia toughens social media ban
Australia doubled the maximum penalty imposed on social media companies that fail to comply with the ban on under-16 users, as evidence grew that children are circumventing restrictions. Canberra introduced its first-in-the-world legislation in December, blocking all children from all major platforms. Since then, dozens of other countries have begun ...
US stocks wrap up best quarter since 2020US stocks wrap up best quarter since 2020
US stock indexes on Tuesday closed out their best quarter since 2020, as strong corporate fundamentals outweighed lingering geopolitical risk. “The lesson of the first half of 2026 is that earnings matter more than just about anything, except for maybe interest rates,” an investor said. Chip stocks in particular soared ...
US, Iran to hold indirect talks, complicating efforts to end conflictUS, Iran to hold indirect talks, complicating efforts to end conflict
US officials arrived in Qatar for talks on the Iran war, but will meet with mediators, not Iranian negotiators. The lack of direct talks further complicates efforts to find a lasting end to the conflict and fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran is determined to assert control over the ...
Indonesian tech tycoon sentencedIndonesian tech tycoon sentenced
An Indonesian court on Tuesday sentenced a tech tycoon to 10 years in prison in a closely watched graft case. Nadiem Makarim, co-founder of ride-hailing and payments platform Gojek, was convicted on charges that he engaged in a quid pro quo when he purchased more than a million Google Chromebooks ...