Jerusalem--Nine Israeli soldiers were killed during combat operations in Gaza on Tuesday, the military said, bringing the total number of troops killed since October 7 to 326. Two soldiers were also seriously wounded in fighting in the Palestinian territory on Tuesday, according to the military, which has been waging a...

London, UK-- Bahrain and the UK have discussed way to boost bilateral cooperation in trade, investment and economic fields between the two countries. The discussions were held between Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Bahrain's Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Lord Tariq Ahmad, Minister of State for the Middle East,...

Tunis, Tunisia - The leader of Tunisian opposition party Ennahdha, Rached Ghannouchi, 82, had his jail sentence on terrorism-related charges raised to 15 months on appeal, his party said in a statement on Tuesday. An earlier ruling in May had sentenced Ghannouchi to 12 months in jail with the same fine...

His wearing of the badge, which has come to symbolize the oppression of Jews since its imposition in Nazi-occupied Europe, was swiftly criticized by Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial, which urged him to wear the Israeli flag instead.

Muscat, Oman-- Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Mohamed Albudawi, has underscored the importance of cooperation in investigations into cross-border corruption cases and prosecution of their perpetrators, given the significant impact corruption has on economic development and growth. He made the remarks at the 9th meeting of...

Moscow, Russia - Russia on Monday blamed "external interference" for an anti-Israel riot that closed an airport in the Muslim-majority region of Dagestan the previous day. "Yesterday's events at Makhachkala airport are, to a large extent, the result of external interference," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Russian police on Monday...

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - From the start of the month of Muharram until the end of Rabi' Al-Awwal, Saudia Airlines transported 814,000 Umrah performers to and from Saudi Arabia, a 50 percent increase over last year, according to a press release issued by Saudia. Its commitment to operate during the...

India's navy chief, Admiral R. Hari Kumar, told reporters on Monday that "every effort" was being made by the government to "get relief for our personnel".

London, United Kingdom - Britain on Monday awarded 27 new licenses for oil and gas exploration in the North Sea as it seeks to quickly boost energy security, but the announcement angered environmentalists. The Conservative government has argued that drilling for new oil and gas is necessary to bolster Britain's energy...

Dubai, UAE--A top Hamas official called on Egypt Sunday to take "decisive" action to expedite aid to Gaza amid criticism over the pace of vital supplies reaching the war-torn Palestinian territory. "Egypt should not remain a spectator," Hamas politburo member Musa Abu Marzouk said in a statement. "We expect a...

Sharjah, UAE--Hamriyah Freezone Authority (HFZA) and Amazon UAE have signed a lease agreement for a new logistics centre which will enhance delivery services for customers in the Northern Emirates. In line with HFZA's vision to bolster economic growth and innovation in the region, the agreement supports Amazon UAE’s commitment to...

Manama, Bahrain--The Supreme Council for the Environment (SCE) signed a cooperation agreement with Foulath Holding Company to boost sustainable development goals in Bahrain. The agreement aimed at planting and preserving mangrove trees in line with the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Amna Hamad Al Rumaihi, Acting Director of the Communication and...

SHARJAH, UAE - Hamriyah Freezone Authority (HFZA) and Amazon UAE have signed a lease agreement for a new logistics center which will enhance delivery services for customers in the Northern Emirates. In line with HFZA's vision to bolster economic growth and innovation in the region, the agreement supports Amazon UAE’s...

Families are increasingly angry over the "absolute uncertainty" they face over the fate of the hostages, particularly in the heavy bombings, said Haim Rubinstein, a spokesperson for the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. Hundreds of relatives of the Israeli hostages held a rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday, threatening to...

Doha, Qatar--Qatar National Bank (QNB) said that the global macro trends are starting to present short-term challenges to emerging markets (EM), weighing on capital flows. In its weekly commentary, QNB said, "Late last year and early this year, emerging markets (EM) started to benefit from significant tailwinds, driven by the...

Abu Dhabi, UAE-- The UAE and Belgium have stressed the importance of coordinating regional and international efforts to protect civilians and intensify efforts to restore regional security and stability. The sentiments were expressed in a meeting between Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Hadja...

TEHRAN, IRAN – The Iranian head of Solyanka Port in Russia said that the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a key element of the transportation network in Eurasia. Speaking in a specialized meeting of INSTC- New Concept, which was held in Astrakhan Port of Russia, Dariush Jamali pointed to the...

KARAGANDA, KAZAKHSTAN - A fire at a mine in Kazakhstan owed by steel giant ArcelorMittal killed 32 people on Saturday, with over a dozen still missing and the Central Asian nation working to take over the company's local branch. ArcelorMittal -- listed in Luxembourg -- has a history of deadly disasters...

RAS AL KHAIMAH -- Durar, a prominent UAE real estate developer, is set to launch MASA Residences, a luxury residential development in Ras Al Khaimah. This $190.58 million project, with interiors by YOO inspired by Starck, marks Durar's entrance into the UAE's Northern Emirates and is poised to elevate Al...

Abu Dhabi, UAE--Abu Dhabi International Airport has posted a 29.3 percent jump in passenger traffic for the third quarter of 2023 to a healthy figure of 5,951,025. The passenger traffic recorded the increase at Abu Dhabi International Airport between 1st July and 30th September, an increase of 29.3%, compared to...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - GFH Capital is considering the offering of its unit in Saudi Arabia on the Tadawul. GFH Group's plans are unchanged with regard to listing in other markets, CEO Razi Al Murbati said. The group is listed on the stock exchanges of Bahrain, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – The gross domestic product of the Kingdom exceeded US$1 trillion which displays strong progress towards meeting its Vision 2030 targets, a report revealed. Saudi Arabia's non-oil private sector is leading in growth for 2023, having accelerated to 5.8 percent year-on-year (yoy) in Q2 2023 and is...

Berlin, Germany - Germany's BioNTech and US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer on Thursday announced "positive" results from initial trials of their combined mRNA vaccine against Covid-19 and influenza. Phase one and two trials of the vaccine had produced "robust immune responses" against both illnesses and showed a "safety profile consistent with the...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – The Kingdom’s Ministry of Investment signed three memoranda of understanding (MoU) in the fields of biotechnology, medicine, financial services, education and training on the sidelines of the seventh edition of the Future of Investment Initiative Conference here. The MoUs were signed in the presence of the...

Tokyo, Japan - A cartoon canine AI chatbot designed to cheer up and inform lonely older residents of western Japan is in the doghouse after providing error-laden responses. Powered by generative artificial intelligence, "Dai-chan" was this year launched by Osaka authorities who called it the first of its kind in a...

"Early version of video and audio calling on X," Musk wrote in a post that contained a screen capture showing how to turn the feature on in the platform's settings. The screen capture showed options of enabling voice and audio calls to those in a user's address book, all verified...

New York, US-- Kuwait's permanent envoy to the UN, Tareq Al-Bannai, has affirmed Kuwait's continuous efforts to make the Middle East a nuclear and weapons of mass destruction-free zone. The remarks were made during an event organised by Kuwait's permanent mission to the UN late Tuesday, and attended by Permanent...

Abu Dhabi, UAE--The UAE's Ministry of Interior and the Gulf Police Service hosted the seventh edition of the strategic dialogue focused on developing an efficient, multilateral framework for global police work. This dialogue serves as a global platform under INTERPOL's auspices, uniting regional police organizations and major intergovernmental bodies concerned...

Tropical cyclone TEJ made a landfall over the coast of Al Mahra governorate, in the country's southeast, late on Monday and continued to churn northwest. Telecommunications are down, badly hampering rescue efforts. "Initial reports indicate that two deaths have been recorded, as well as 150 injuries... and the displacement of...

For researchers, the carved statue of a man holding his phallus with two hands while seated atop a bench adorned with a leopard, is a new clue in the puzzle of our very beginnings. The 2.3-meter (7.5-foot tall) work was discovered at the end of September at Karahantepe, in the...

Tehran, Iran--Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi believes the expansion of ties between Tehran and Riyadh will be effective in strengthening regional cooperation and solving the problem of the region and the Islamic world. The president made the remarks in a meeting with Abdullah bin Saud Al-Anzi, the newly appointed Saudi Arabian...

Abu Dhabi, UAE-- Trade between the UAE and Zimbabwe touched $2 billion last year as the bilateral relations between the two countries have strengthened in recent years. According to Lovemore Mazemo, ambassador of Zimbabwe to the UAE, the trade relations between the two countries are poised to grow further. The...

ALULA, SAUDI ARABIA –   The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has reinforced its commitment to technology innovation and cutting-edge digital solutions by signing two new agreements with global tech leaders Artefact and Dassault Systèmes. Announced at the seventh annual Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, the agreements are focused on the...

Ajay Banga was speaking at the annual Future Investment Initiative, often referred to as "Davos in the Desert". More than 6,000 delegates are registered for the three-day event that will feature appearances by global banking chiefs and the presidents of South Korea, Kenya and Rwanda, organizers say.

Deforestation last year was over 20 percent higher than it should have been to meet the leaders' pledge, with 6.6 million hectares of forest lost, much of it primary forest in tropical regions. The Forest Declaration Assessment, overseen by more than two dozen environmental groups and research organizations, also warns...

Tehran, Iran--A treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and Iran is about 85 percent ready, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday. "The work on a new big treaty is at an advanced stage. I would say that it is 85 percent agreed. Several specific issues are yet...

Abu Dhabi, UAE-- The UAE and Canada have reviewed bilateral ties at the first joint committee meeting in Abu Dhabi on Monday. The meeting was co-chaired by Reem Al Hashimy, UAE's Minister of State for International Cooperation, and Mélanie Joly, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada. During the meeting,...

ABU DHABI, UAE - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD) Group, the integrated trade, logistics, and industrial hub of Abu Dhabi announced the signing of a land lease agreement with Advanced Petro Services (APS), a leading provider of specialised services in the energy industry. KEZAD’s world-class industrial ecosystem is equipped...

Turkey and Hungary are the only NATO members yet to ratify Sweden's membership request, which came after Stockholm dropped its long-standing policy of non-alignment last year after Russia launched its war on Ukraine. Erdogan agreed at a NATO summit in Vilnius in July to put the ratification of Sweden's membership...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – A total of 52 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed at the Saudi-Korean Investment Forum here. The MoUs were signed by both government and private entities. Government agencies signed four MoUs with the private sector in areas such as real estate development, automotive, and water. President...

ABU DHABI, UAE – Emirati Minister of Economy Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri has announced that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will roll out a unified Gulf tourist visa within the next two years which will grant travelers, access to six countries. Al Marri said the seventh meeting of...

Washington has said it hopes China's friendship with Hamas-backer Iran could help calm the conflict, particularly after Beijing brokered a detente between long-time foes Tehran and Riyadh this year. China has refrained from explicitly condemning Hamas for the attacks that sparked the war.

The White House statement the Western leaders voiced commitment to coordinate "to ensure sustained and safe access to food, water, medical care, and other assistance required to meet humanitarian needs." They also pledged close diplomatic coordination "to prevent the conflict from spreading, preserve stability in the Middle East, and work...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia--The Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) have signed a joint-venture agreement to establish an automated vehicle manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia. PIF will hold a 70% stake in the new joint venture with Hyundai holding the remaining 30%. Hyundai will also act as a...

Dubai, UAE--Emirates Health Services (EHS) and Burjeel Hospital for Advanced Surgery have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to bolster the delivery of health services within government schools. These efforts align with sustainable development goals in public health and encompass strategic cooperation in several key areas, such as developing the...

SHARJAH, UAE - The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has logged an impressive surge in new memberships this year, registering 4,981 new companies through the end of the third quarter. With this increase, the Chamber’s main branch and its other branches in Al Dhaid, Khor Fakkan, Dibba Al-Hisn,...

DUBAI, UAE – A real estate brokerage based here has compiled the 10 largest land deals in the Emirate since the beginning of this year, with a total value of US$2.3 billion (Dhs8.6 billion). The study based on data from the Dubai Land Department showed that the largest land sale...

New Delhi, India--India on Sunday flew 38.5 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Egypt's Sinai region for Palestinian civilians from the embattled Gaza Strip, the foreign ministry said. An Indian air force Boeing C-17 transport plane "carrying nearly 6.5 tonnes of medical aid and 32 tonnes of disaster relief material for...

Since Wednesday, three Iraqi bases used by US-led coalition troops have been targeted in five separate attacks -- Ain al-Assad, the Al-Harir base in northern Iraq and a military camp near Baghdad airport. The United States currently has about 2,500 troops stationed at the three bases, alongside around 1,000 soldiers...

Abu Dhabi, UAE--Kazakhstan is keen to expand trade ties with the UAE, setting a target of $1 billion in mutual trade. Speaking to a media outlet in Abu Dhabi, Arman Shakkaliyev, Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan, said: ‘’We got some great plans to unlimit our...