Pentagon threatens to cut ties with Anthropic over AI safeguards
Anthropic said Thursday it has closed a $30 billion Series G funding round led by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC and Coatue Management, more than doubling the artificial intelligence company’s valuation to $380 billion. The raise marks the largest venture capital investment of 2026 and the second largest on record, behind......
Rooftop protests spread across Iran after mass diaspora rallies
Iranians shouted anti government slogans from rooftops and apartment buildings in Tehran and other major cities on February 14 and 15, responding to a call by exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, as more than one million people gathered abroad for a coordinated “Global Day of Action.” Videos shared on social media showed residents......
Iran proposes energy and mining deals ahead of Geneva nuclear talks
Iran is seeking to secure a renewed nuclear agreement with the United States that would deliver tangible economic gains to both countries, an Iranian diplomat said on Sunday, days before a second round of negotiations scheduled for Tuesday in Geneva. Hamid Ghanbari, deputy head of economic diplomacy at Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said......
China to grant zero tariff access to 53 African nations in 2026
China will open its market to duty free imports from 53 African countries beginning in May 2026, extending zero tariff treatment to eligible goods from nations that maintain diplomatic relations with Beijing. The decision broadens earlier preferential trade arrangements that applied to a smaller group of countries and covered limited categories......
PDVSA restricts oil sales to firms without individual US licences amid sanctions uncertainty
Venezuela’s state oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), has limited crude sales over the past two weeks to companies holding individual licences from the United States, curbing exports despite a broader general licence issued by US authorities earlier this year. According to industry sources, the move has added friction......
Cornell study maps global crop emissions at 10 kilometer scale
Researchers have produced the most detailed global map to date of greenhouse gas emissions from croplands, finding that just four crops account for nearly three quarters of total agricultural emissions. Rice alone is responsible for 43 percent, according to the study. The research, published on February 13 in Nature Climate Change, combines......
China extends zero tariff access to 53 African nations
China has announced it will grant zero tariff treatment to imports from 53 African countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations, effective 1 May 2026. The policy, confirmed by state media and regional outlets, expands existing trade preferences that already provided duty free access to a group of least developed African economies. Under......
Historic hi fi brands face mounting pressure from new rivals
A wave of consolidation, executive turnover and financial strain is reshaping the traditional hi fi industry, placing some of the sector’s most established names under new ownership as agile competitors gain ground. An analysis published by Headphonesty highlighted how legacy audio brands continue to grapple with declining revenues,......
Canada and Chile pledge humanitarian aid to Cuba amid fuel crisis
Canada and Chile have announced new humanitarian assistance for Cuba as the Caribbean nation grapples with a deepening fuel shortage that the United Nations warns could spiral into a broader humanitarian collapse, compounded by intensified pressure from the United States. The Canadian Network on Cuba said it will dispatch its 19th container......
Beren Saat launches music career with CapitaliZoo debut
After years as one of Turkey’s most prominent television figures, Beren Saat has stepped decisively into the music industry with the release of her first English-language single, CapitaliZoo. International audiences know her for leading roles in acclaimed series including “Aşkı Memnu” and “Fatmagül’ün......
Ferrari rules out protest in Mercedes F1 engine dispute
Formula 1 is heading toward a regulatory showdown over engine design, with the FIA set to deliver a decision at next week’s F1 Commission meeting in Bahrain that could reshape the 2026 season before a single competitive lap is run. At the center of the dispute is Mercedes’ interpretation of the new power unit regulations, which......
Egypt uncovers 10,000 year old rock art site in Sinai
Egyptian archaeologists have discovered a previously unknown prehistoric rock art site in southern Sinai that preserves nearly 10,000 years of human artistic expression, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced on Thursday. The site, located on the Umm Arak plateau, features hundreds of paintings, engravings and inscriptions spanning......
WTO chief warns China’s $1.2 trillion trade surplus is unsustainable
World Trade Organization Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has urged China to rethink its export-driven growth strategy, warning that the country’s record $1.2 trillion trade surplus cannot be sustained because the rest of the world is unable to absorb it. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Okonjo-Iweala said the model that......
Marriage delays reshape social life across the Arab world
Marriage is taking place later than ever across much of the Arab world, as economic strain, shifting priorities and evolving social norms alter long established patterns of family formation. What was once considered the natural transition into adulthood during the early twenties is increasingly postponed into the thirties, with a rising share......
Arab oil and gas reserves cement region’s global energy influence
The Arab world holds some of the largest proven oil and natural gas reserves on the planet, reinforcing its central role in global energy security and international commodity markets. Recent data drawn from leading industry sources, including OPEC, BP Statistical Review and the US Energy Information Administration, show that a small group......