105 missiles, 176 drones destroyed since start of Iranian attack: Bahrain
The Bahrain Defence Force General Command (BDF) announced that its air defence systems have continued to successfully intercept successive waves...
Geostrategy
Business
Honda shares soar 16%
The surge came after the auto giant announced a $7bn buyback.
- The buyback announcement came as Honda and its struggling rival Nissan agreed on Monday to launch talks on a merger.
- Honda will buy back its own shares worth up to 1.1 trillion yen, or 23.7 percent of the total issued shares, to improve "efficiency of its capital structure".
Business
Mubadala acquires stakes from GHH
It acquired an 80 percent stake in Global Medical Supply Chain.
- Founded in 2015, GMSC provides comprehensive end-to-end supply chain services for medical products, including demand planning, procurement and logistics.
- IDS, established in 1987, stands as one of the leading distributors of pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare products in the UAE.
Business
Musk’s AI startup raises $6bn more, Saudi and Qatari funds among investors
Paris, France -- Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk's startup xAI said it had raised $6 billion from investors in its latest...
- The firm, whose flagship product is the Grok chatbot, garnered support from US venture capitalists, chipmakers NVIDIA and AMD.
- It also garnered support from investment funds from Saudi Arabia and Qatar among others.
Honda and Nissan expected to begin merger talks
Honda and Nissan were poised Monday to announce the start of talks on a merger to help the Japanese giants...
- Their collaboration would create the world's third-largest automaker
- Honda and Nissan's partnership could include a manufacturing tie-up
In stabilization bid, Syria’s new ruler declares all weapons under state control, including Kurdish arms
Ahmed al-Sharaa announced all weapons, including those held by Kurdish-led forces, will come under state control, emphasizing unity and coexistence...
- Sharaa spoke alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, after earlier meeting with Lebanese Druze leaders and vowing to end "negative interference" in the neighbouring country
- Turkey has maintained strong ties with Syria's new leaders, and has continued military operations against Kurdish-held areas in northeastern Syria
Geostrategy
Pope again condemns ‘cruelty’ of Israeli strikes on Gaza
"And with pain I think of Gaza, of so much cruelty, of the children being machine-gunned, of the bombings of...
- The mounting criticisms of Israel appear to mark a change in the pope's tone in recent weeks. He has consistently called for peace since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war
- At the end of September, the Pope also criticized Israel's "immoral" use of force in Gaza and in Lebanon
Geostrategy
Tunisia women herb harvesters struggle with drought and heat
In Tunisia's highlands, women harvest wild herbs to earn a living, but drought is making their work harder, shrinking incomes...
- Tunisia produces around 10,000 tons of aromatic and medicinal herbs each year, according to official figures.
- Rosemary accounts for more than 40 percent of essential oil exports, mainly destined for French and American markets.
Business
AD Ports Group secures $2.125 billion refinancing deal
The move aims to optimize financing costs.
- The deal is also aimed at extending the facility’s maturity to 2028, with an option to extend further until 2030.
- The increased facility, which was oversubscribed 2.5 times, will be used to support the Group’s short and medium-term growth objectives.
Geostrategy
UAE says will not arm Sudan paramilitary RSF: White House
Washington, United States -- The United Arab Emirates has informed the United States that it will not arm paramilitaries in Sudan's...
- Two US lawmakers said the UAE pledged to address their concerns and that, as a result, they would drop their attempt to block $1.2 billion in arms sales.
- The UAE has long denied arming the RSF, with which it has fought Yemen's Houthi rebels. Trump has shown a greater willingness to sell weapons to the UAE
Geostrategy
Biden cancels $4.28 bn more in student debt before leaving office
Washington, United States -- US President Joe Biden said Friday he was canceling student loans for an additional 55,000 Americans, which...
- The beneficiaries include teachers, nurses, service members, law enforcement officials, and other public service workers who have given back to their communities.
- In the United States, colleges can often cost anywhere between $10,000 and $70,000 a year, leaving some graduates with crushing debt as they enter the workforce.
105 missiles, 176 drones destroyed since start of Iranian attack: Bahrain
The Bahrain Defence Force General Command (BDF) announced that its air defence systems have continued to successfully intercept successive waves...
Geostrategy
Company News
ADNOC Gas awards contracts
Business
Latest News
World economic growth to remain at 2.8 percent in 2025: UN report
The World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2025 report shows that despite withstanding a series of mutually reinforcing shocks, global...
Economy
ADNOC Gas awards contracts
The $2.1bn contracts are aimed at enhancing LNG supply infrastructure.
Business
The $480 billion creator economy revolution
We're likely to see more creators seeking alternatives to traditional gatekeepers, following in the footsteps of artists like Taylor Swift....
Opinion
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Business
Saudi Industrial Production Index increases by 3.4 percent in Nov 2024
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's Industrial Production Index (IPI) increased by 3.4 percent in November 2024, compared to Nov...
- This increase is driven by growth in mining and quarrying, manufacturing, water supply, sewerage, and waste management and remediation activities.
- The sub-index of mining and quarrying activity increased by 1.2 percent, and the sub-index of manufacturing activity increased by 7.2 percent.
Business
Saudi Arabia retains first rank in MENA Venture Capital funding in 2024
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia maintained its first rank across MENA in terms of Venture Capital (VC) funding in...
- The Kingdom secured the highest, 40 percent, share of total VC funding in the MENA region in 2024.
- The report also revealed that Saudi Arabia set a new record with 178 VC deals in the same year.
Business
ADNOC L&S buys stake in Navig8
The company will acquire the remaining stake in mid-2027.
- Navig8 is an international shipping pool operator and commercial management company with a modern-owned fleet of 32 tankers and a presence in 15 cities across five continents.
- This value-accretive acquisition is expected to boost ADNOC L&S’ earnings per share by at least 20 percent in 2025 compared to 2024.