Author: Gulf News Week
Congress passed a massive tax and spending cuts package Thursday that curbs billions of dollars in spending across clean energy. That means people will be paying a lot more for home solar, energy efficiency and other green technologies — and the nation’s efforts to address climate change just got a lot more challenging. The bill that awaits President Donald Trump’s signature supports mining, drilling and production of the oil, coal and gas that are largely driving Earth’s warming and the increasingly deadly and costly extreme weather that comes with it. Producing and burning these fossil fuels also contributes to air…
CAIRO (news agencies) — Amnesty International issued a report Thursday claiming a controversial Israeli- and U.S.-backed system to distribute aid in Gaza uses starvation tactics against Palestinians to continue to commit genocide in the Gaza Strip during Israel’s war with Hamas. The U.K.-based human rights group condemned Israel and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which the U.S. and Israel have backed to take over aid distribution in Gaza from a network led by the United Nations. Israel’s foreign minister denounced the Amnesty report, saying the organization has “joined forces with Hamas and fully adopted all of its propaganda lies.”Gaza’s Health Ministry…
NEW YORK (news agencies) — U.S. stocks climbed further into record heights on Thursday after a report showed the U.S. job market looks stronger than Wall Street expected.The S&P 500 rose 0.8% and set an all-time high for the fourth time in five days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 344 points, or 0.8%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%.The market’s gains were widespread, and companies whose profits can get the biggest boosts when workers are feeling confident helped lead the way. Expedia climbed 3.2%, and Norwegian Cruise Line steamed 2.9% higher.Bank stocks were also strong, with Citigroup up 2.3%,…
UK-based technology innovator SureFlow has selected Dubai as its strategic base for Middle Eastern and African operations, relocating its Research and Development (R&D) center to the emirate. The company, specializing in AI, machine learning, and IoT solutions for sustainable resource management, aims to deliver its eco-friendly energy devices to regional utility providers, insurers, and real estate developers. SureFlow CEO Sebastien Dui emphasized Dubai’s unique advantages for the expansion. He highlighted the city’s world-class infrastructure, deep pool of technical talent, business-friendly policies, consistent economic approach, and overall resilience as decisive factors. Dui, drawing on 18 years of personal and professional experience…
LOS ANGELES (news agencies) — Michael Madsen, the actor best known for his coolly menacing, steely-eyed, often sadistic characters in the films of Quentin Tarantino including “Reservoir Dogs” and “Kill Bill: Vol. 2,” has died. Madsen was found unresponsive in his home in Malibu, California, on Thursday morning and pronounced dead, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Watch Commander Christopher Jauregui said. He is believed to have died of natural causes and authorities do not suspect any foul play was involved. Madsen’s manager Ron Smith said cardiac arrest was the apparent cause. He was 67.Madsen’s career spanned more than 300 credits…
Sharjah, UAE: The World Malayalee Council (WMC) has entered a transformative chapter as its newly elected global office bearers for the 2025–2027 term took charge in a ceremonial swearing-in held at the Corniche Hotel in Sharjah. The occasion marked not just a leadership transition, but a renewed commitment to WMC’s core vision of connecting minds, building global networks, and empowering Malayalees worldwide through unity, purpose, and service. At the helm of this dynamic new team is Dr. Isaac John Pattaniparambil, a veteran journalist and community leader whose five-decade-long media journey in the UAE has inspired generations. As the newly appointed…
MOSCOW (news agencies) — U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed Iran, Ukraine and other issues on Thursday in a “frank and constructive” phone call, the Kremlin said, in their sixth publicly disclosed chat since Trump returned to the White House. While discussing the situation around Iran and in the broader Middle East, Putin emphasized the need to resolve all differences “exclusively by political and diplomatic means,” said Yuri Ushakov, his foreign affairs adviser. The leaders agreed that Russian and U.S. officials will maintain contacts on the issue, he added. The United States struck three sites in…
LONDON (news agencies) — If you’re using ChatGPT but getting mediocre results, don’t blame the chatbot. Instead, try sharpening up your prompts.Generative AI chatbots such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude have become hugely popular and embedded into daily life for many users. They’re powerful tools that can help us with so many different tasks.What you shouldn’t overlook, however, is that a chatbot’s output depends on what you tell it to do, and how. There’s a lot you can do to improve the prompt — also known as the request or query — that you type in. Here…
LONDON (news agencies) — When Naomi Osaka opened up about her anxiety and depression at the 2021 French Open, it sparked a conversation in sports — and society at large — about mental health and the importance of addressing such issues.In the time since, more and more players have spoken about the topic and seeking help, and whatever taboos there were seem to have faded. Still, the way three-time Grand Slam finalist Alexander Zverev discussed his state of mind after a first-round exit at Wimbledon this week revived the conversation.“I feel very alone out there at times. I struggle mentally.…
Washington imposes financial penalties on an Iraqi businessman who it says helped smuggle Iranian oil.Washington, DC – The United States has issued a new wave of sanctions against Iranian oil exports, the first penalties against Tehran’s energy sector since a Washington-backed ceasefire between Israel and Iran came into effect last month. Among those targeted by the sanctions announced on Thursday are Iraqi businessman Salim Ahmed Said and his United Arab Emirates-based company, which the US accused of smuggling Iranian oil by blending it with Iraqi oil. “Iran’s behavior has left it decimated. While it has had every opportunity to choose…