"The markets continue to forge ahead despite a blowout jobs report from the US last Friday which seems to have finally put the nail in the coffin of the idea rates will be cut next month," said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.

A new study presenting "climate simulations to anticipate worst-case heatwaves during the Paris 2024 Olympics" has focused minds after it warned that the French capital faced a not insignificant risk of record-breaking high temperatures. The research, published in December in the Npj Climate and Atmospheric Science journal, looked at the risk...

DUBAI, UAE - The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) of the Emirate has entered into a strategic partnership with ‘Shamal Holding,’ to undertake the construction of a two-lane bridge in each direction spanning 1500 meters. The bridge extends from Sheikh Zayed Road to Dubai Harbor, an exceptional seafront district that...

JERUSALEM - When Fatima, an Arab Israeli married to a Palestinian from the Gaza Strip, fled Israel's bombardment of the territory, she was terrified they would run out of fuel. "We feared that the gas wouldn't be enough. The road was deserted. All the way along, we saw devastated houses,"...

AMMAN, JORDAN - The Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission (EMRC) has issued over 300 authorizations for the installation of electrical metering devices dedicated to electric vehicle charging infrastructure, with the current tally of licensed EV charging facilities standing at 63 across the Kingdom.EMRC records indicate a distribution of 49 publicly...

Paris, France -- Parisians were voting on Sunday in a referendum on tripling parking costs for hefty SUV-style cars, a campaign that has drivers' groups up in arms against city hall. Some 1.3 million in the French capital are eligible to cast their ballot on the change, which would see cars...

DOHA, QATAR - The total number of inbound visitors to the country reached about 519 thousand in December 2023, recording a monthly increase of 31.9 percent (compared to November 2023), and an annual decrease by 15.4 percent (compared to December 2022). The new issue of Qatar Monthly Statistics bulletin, released...

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - Turkey on Tuesday holds pre-dawn vigils for the loss of more than 50,000 people -- and parts of entire cities -- in the earthquake-prone country's deadliest disaster of modern times. Grieving Turks are still coming to terms with how a 7.8-magnitude tremor could upturn the lives of millions...

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates--Tunisian tennis star Ons Jabeur on Saturday threw her support behind the potential staging of the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia, urging critics to be "more informed" on the Kingdom's interest in the sport. Jabeur, a three-time Grand Slam finalist and former world number two, said she...

Tyre, Lebanon - When Ines Tehini and her family fled their south Lebanon village after Hizbollah and Israel began exchanging fire in October, she thought they would be home in a matter of days. But nearly four months later in a school turned shelter, her hopes for a swift return to...

Cairo, Egypt - Egypt's antiquities ministry said on Saturday it was setting up a committee to review the restoration of Giza's Menkaure Pyramid after a public outcry over the project. A week ago, the head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziri, posted a Facebook video showing workers setting blocks...

ABU DHABI, UAE – As per the directives of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan announced that the UAE has allocated US$5 million to support the efforts of the United Nations Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza. Sheikh...

Dubai, UAE – The United Arab Emirates is the most popular country for international talent seeking employment visas, a report reveals.   The global HR platform,Deel, has released findings from its Annual Global Hiring Report and revealed UAE attracts a large number of international talent. This marks a significant milestone...

DOHA, QATAR - Jordan set up a semi-final against South Korea or Australia after ending Tajikistan's fairytale Asian Cup run with a nervy 1-0 win on Friday. In a cagey quarter-final, a deflected second-half own goal was just about enough to see Jordan reach the last four for the first time....

"Any (US) strike will result in an appropriate response," Al-Nujaba leader Akram al-Kaabi said in a statement, adding the group would continue its actions until its demands are met for US troops to leave Iraq and an end to Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza.

Shares in Amazon, Apple and Facebook owner Meta all climbed during Thursday's session. All three companies were due to report results after the market closed

The targets included a site operated by Lebanese group Hezbollah on a road leading to the Sayyida Zeinab district and a site on the road to Damascus airport that had recently been vacated by pro-Iran groups, the Britain-based war monitor said.

DOHA, QATAR - The Qatar Central Bank issued treasury bills and sukuk with maturities of one week, one month, three months, six months and nine months totaling US$686 million (QR 2.5 billion). In a statement posted on the social media platform "X" on Thursday, QCB said that the issuance was...

Abu Dhabi, UAE--Despite geopolitical uncertainties and potential economic headwinds, S&P Global expects GCC banks to maintain their well-capitalised, profitable, and liquid status. S&P Global‘s ‘GCC Banking Sector Outlook 2024’ reveals a challenging yet optimistic perspective. The ratings agency anticipates overall stability in key metrics for GCC banks in 2024. Credit...

Paris, France - Hackers have used the notorious Pegasus spyware to break into the phones of dozens of journalists and activists in Jordan over the past four years, according to the findings of an investigation released Thursday. The Access Now NGO highlighted 35 cases of hacking that date back to 2019,...

New York, United States - Wall Street stocks rose early Thursday, rebounding from the prior session's pullback as markets awaited more big tech earnings later in the day. Major indices had tumbled on Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell dampened expectations for an imminent cut in interest rates. Adam Sarhan...

Tokyo, Japan - After a brief awakening, Japan's Moon lander is out of action again but will resume its mission if it survives the two-week lunar night, the space agency said Thursday. The unmanned Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) touched down last month at a wonky angle that left its...

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - An assailant on Thursday took a number of people hostage at a plant owned by US cosmetics giant Procter & Gamble near Istanbul in protest at the war in Gaza, a police spokesman said. It was not immediately clear how many people were being held at the plant,...

DUBAI, UAE - The total investable wealth currently held in the BRICS bloc amounts to US$45 trillion and its millionaire population is expected to rise by 85 percent over the next 10 years, a report said.   There are currently 1.6 million individuals with investable assets of over US$1 million...

New Delhi, India - Bulldozers have knocked down a centuries-old mosque in India's capital, a member of the building's managing committee said Thursday, during a demolition drive to remove "illegal" structures from a forest reserve. The demolition comes at a sensitive time in India with nationalist activists emboldened in their long...

Geneva, Switzerland - The number of new cancer cases will rise to more than 35 million in 2050 -- 77 percent higher than the figure in 2022, the World Health Organization's cancer agency warned Thursday. The WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) cited tobacco, alcohol, obesity and air pollution...

ABU DHABI, UAE - Abu Dhabi University (ADU) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Italy-Czech Republic Chamber of Commerce (CCIRC) to elevate research efforts in academia. The MoU - signed by Dr. Hamad Odhabi, Vice Chancellor of Financial and Administration Affairs at ADU, and Antonio Rotondo, Chairman of...

Sudan's nine-month-old war has so far largely spared the country's east. But with the frontline inching ever closer, and reports of military training camps across the border in Eritrea, the fragile peace there is in jeopardy. Witnesses, speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns, said Sudanese fighters were...

Geneva, Switzerland-- Air cargo demand rebounded in 2023 with a particularly strong fourth quarter performance despite economic uncertainties, according to new data for global air-freight market released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). As per the new data full-year demand reached a level just slightly below 2022 and 2019....

Doha, Qatar - The president of Saudi Arabian football said Roberto Mancini's disappearing act before the end of the penalty shootout in the team's Asian Cup exit was "completely unacceptable". The Italian did not stick around to see South Korea's Hwang Hee-chan eliminate his Saudi side in the last 16 in...

The Houthis, part of the anti-Western, anti-Israel "axis of resistance" of Iranian-backed groups, have been harassing Red Sea shipping for months, triggering US and British reprisal attacks. The attacks have prompted some shipping companies to detour around southern Africa to avoid the Red Sea, a vital route that normally carries...

Abu Dhabi, UAE-- Looking to enhance economic ties between the UAE and the United Kingdom, Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, recently met with Greg Hands, British Minister of State (Department for Business, Energy Industrial Strategy). The bilateral meeting explored new opportunities for economic and investment cooperation, as...

Doha, Qatar - Iran are "following our dreams" in trying to win the Asian Cup for the first time in 48 years, winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh said on the eve of Wednesday's last-16 clash with Syria. Three-time champions Iran face Syria in Qatar with a quarter-final against Bahrain or pre-tournament favorites Japan...

Sohar, Oman -- Oman and Etihad Rail Company (OER), the developer and operator of the UAE-Oman Rail Network, and Al Jazeera Steel Products Co (AJSP), one of the leading steel structural products and tube manufacturers in the Middle East, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a strategic framework...

RAS AL KHAIMAH, UAE - The economic growth of the Emirate continued to accelerate in 2023, with the Department of Economic Development reporting a 10 percent increase in the total capital of valid business licenses issued. This figure reached US$2.1 billion (AED 7.8 billion), demonstrating the emirate's strong economic momentum....

ABU DHABI, UAE - The Abu Dhabi's “Business Activity Report” for the year 2023, issued by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), has reported annual growth of major indicators. The report emphasizes the business ecosystem's attractiveness and its ability to attract quality investments, supported by the Emirate's strong...

Canada will now require that Turkish importers provide assurances about the weapons' use as well as a government statement "clearly indicating whether the items will be re-exported or transferred to a non-NATO country." The move comes less than a week after Turkey's parliament ratified Sweden's membership in the NATO defense...

Budapest, Hungary--Bahrain and Hungary have held discussions to boost economic and trade ties between the two countries. In this regard, Khalid Najibi, First Deputy of the Chairman of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), highlighted the high potential of investment opportunities for the Bahraini private sector and its...

Tokyo, Japan - Toyota said Monday it was suspending shipments of 10 models that use engines linked with testing irregularities at an affiliate company. The affiliate, Toyota Industries, did not conduct proper horsepower output testing for the certification of three diesel engine models, the parent group said. The automaker said the...

US President Joe Biden said on Sunday that "radical Iran-backed fighters groups operating in Syria and Iraq" were behind the strike on the frontier base in Jordan's northeast. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron reiterated a call for Iran "to de-escalate in the region".

Tehran, Iran--Iran and Turkey will join hands to set up a free trade zone at the border crossing in Khoy city. Head of the Iranian-Turkish parliamentary friendship group in the Iranian shura council Adel Najafzadeh said during the recent visit of the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Turkey, Raisi and...

DUBAI, UAE - Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has awarded a contract to upgrade the existing nol (card-based ticketing system) to a sophisticated, central wallet technology (account-based ticketing system), aligning with the top global practices. This project, which requires an investment of US$95 million (AED350 million), is one of...

Western governments including the United States have repeatedly warned Iran against such launches, saying the same technology can be used for ballistic missiles, including ones designed to deliver a nuclear warhead. Iran has countered that it is not seeking nuclear weapons and that its satellite and rocket launches are for...

Cairo, Egypt-- Egypt has enough reserves of wheat to last it for many months, according to Dr. Ali Al-Moselhi, the Egyptian Minister of Supply and Internal Trade. The minister said the country's reserves of wheat are sufficient for 4.2 months, oil for 5.3 months, and sugar for 5.4 months. He...

MUSCAT, OMAN - Omani banks listed on the Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) recorded net profits of US$1.17 billion (RO453.5 million) in 2023, up 18.6 percent from US$992 million (RO382.3 million) in 2022. According to the Oman News Agency, the banking sector benefited from several local economic indicators in 2023, including...

DUBAI, UAE - Dhai Dubai, the first-ever Emirati-led light art festival, has launched its illuminating 10-day program at Expo City Dubai. The event celebrates the rich artistic tapestry of Emirati through a series of awe-inspiring artistic projections, interactive installations, enlightening talks and creative workshops. The free-to-attend festival is created and...

Paris, France - Airbus will build a helicopter assembly line in India with Indian conglomerate Tata, the European aircraft manufacturer said Friday. The deal was announced during a two-day visit to India by French President Emmanuel Macron. Airbus said the facility -- which will take two years to set up -- would...

LONDON, UK - Education campaigners demanded government action on Friday after new figures revealed that the number of children in England being homeschooled jumped more than 13 percent in one term last year. The spike -- from an estimated 86,200 in homeschooling at the start of 2023 to 97,600 in the...

The Alaska Airlines episode represents the most serious operational problem for Boeing since two crashes on 737 MAX 8 planes in 2018 and 2019 resulted in 346 causalities and led to a lengthy grounding of the jet.

Jerusalem, Undefined - Israeli flag carrier El Al said Friday it will scrap direct flights to South Africa following "a significant fall in demand by Israeli travelers" to the country and other destinations. "From the end of March 2024, El Al will suspend its operations on the Johannesburg-Tel Aviv route," an...