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ADNOC Drilling secures $1.15bn contract

The contract for two jack-up rigs begins in the second quarter.

Etihad Q1 profit $187 million

This is a 30% YoY increase over Q1 2025.

Yalla Group Q1 revenue $83m

Net income rose to $36.4 million, a 17% YoY increase.

Qatar Airways annual profit $2bn

This was a record 28% jump in annual net profit.

Masdar issues $1bn bond

Its green bond program hits $2.75 billion.
  • Hajj pilgrimage to begin on June 4: Saudi state media

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday that the annual Muslim hajj pilgrimage to Mecca would begin on...

    The date was announced by the supreme court in a statement carried by the Saudi press agency.

    Last year, 1.8 million Muslims took part in the hajj, according to official figures

  • Filmmaker Panahi cheered on return to Iran after Cannes triumph

    Paris, France - Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi was given a hero's welcome by supporters on his return to Tehran on...

    After being banned from leaving Iran for years, Panahi attended the French festival in person and sensationally walked away with the Palme d'Or for his latest movie

    With some fans concerned that Panahi could face trouble on his return to Iran, he arrived without incident in the early hours of Monday at Tehran's main international airport

  • AI talking trees feature at Chelsea Flower Show

    London, United Kingdom -- Talking trees powered by AI, drought-resistant crops and sweet potatoes sprouting among flowers -- the prestigious...

    More than 140,000 visitors are expected to view what the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) bills as "the pinnacle of horticultural excellence".

    In the Intelligent Garden, plant-lovers can truly talk to the trees thanks to artificial intelligence.

  • ‘Gentle giants’: World’s strongest men defy stereotypes

    Sacramento, United States -- Eddie Williams is a schoolteacher from Monday to Friday and a wedding singer on weekends. In...

    The World's Strongest Man competition was first held in 1977 at Universal Studios in California.

    The names of the individual events -- the "Titan's Toss," "Atlas Stones," "Flintstone Barbell" and "Hercules Hold" -- convey the magnitude of the challenges.

  • Hollywood stars condemn Gaza ‘genocide’ on eve of Cannes Festival

    Cannes, France - More than 350 figures from the cinema world including Hollywood stars Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon condemned...

    A documentary on slain Gazan journalist Fatima Hassouna is set to premiere at Cannes, spotlighting the toll of Israel's strikes

    Hollywood star Tom Cruise and French icon Gerard Depardieu are set to make headlines at this year’s festival, on and off the red carpet

  • Cardinals elect a new pope to lead Catholic Church

    Cardinals chose a new pope to lead the world's 1.4 billion Catholics on Thursday, sending up white smoke from the...

    Crowds of people rushed towards the square to watch the balcony of the basilica, which has been fitted out with red curtains for the first address to the world by the 267th pope.

    The new pontiff, who succeeds Argentine reformer Pope Francis, will be introduced in Latin with his chosen papal name and address the world for the first time.

  • Joseph Nye, influential political scientist, who coined ‘soft power,’ dies at 88

    Washington, United States - Joseph Nye, a versatile and influential political scientist and US policymaker who coined the term "soft...

    The neo-liberal thinker studied topics as varied as arms control and pan-Africanism but became best known for developing the term "soft power" in the late 1980s

    As opposed to hard power, such as weapons and economic sanctions, soft power includes values and culture that can win over others

  • Trump says ordering ‘100% tariff’ on all movies produced abroad

    Washington, United States - President Donald Trump said Sunday he was ordering new tariffs on all films made outside the...

    The announcement comes as the White House is coming under mounting criticism over its aggressive trade policies that have seen Trump impose sweeping tariffs on other countries

    Trump's post comes after China, which has taken the brunt of the US president's combative trade policies with 145% tariffs on many goods, said it would reduce import of US films

  • ‘The Eternaut’ echoes fight against tyranny: Ricardo Darin

    Survival through teamwork: It's a tale as old as time with particular resonance today, says Argentine actor Ricardo Darin of...

    Based on a 1950s comic with iconic status in the South American country, the sci-fi series tells the story of a mysterious, toxic snowfall that precedes an alien invasion of Buenos

    More elementally, it is about ordinary people with few resources and no special powers who collectively stare down a totalitarian threat, Darin, 68, told AFP in an interview

  • Tunics & turbans: Afghan students don Taliban-imposed uniforms

    Kabul, Afghanistan - Since the start of the school year in March, Afghan boys have been required to wear new...

    The Taliban say the dress code enforces discipline, masks inequality, and reflects true Islamic attire — a move that has sparked controversy

    Since their return, the streets of Kabul and other areas have become more uniform, with many men opting for the monochrome loose trousers and long tunic