London, United Kingdom - Stock markets retreated Wednesday on poorly-received Chinese data, as investors looked ahead to the reopening of Wall Street after the Independence Day holiday. "There are fresh concerns about the global economy powering down as data from China's service sector underlines how tepid the post-pandemic recovery has become,...

Mosul, Iraq -- Medical charity Doctors Without Borders announced Wednesday the suspension of "vital" medical activities in two hospitals in the war-scarred city of Mosul, blaming Iraq's bureaucracy of delaying the delivery of supplies. "Essential medical activities have been suspended at two health facilities... after stocks of medicines and supplies ran...

Backed by the nation's sovereign wealth fund, the Saudi Pro League is luring big names from the major European leagues with the promise of huge salaries. Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard took over as coach at Al-Ettifaq earlier in the week, while Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante have also made...

Baghdad, Iraq-- Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid has emphasized the need for reinforcing partnership with Iran in the fields of trade and energy. The president made the remarks during a meeting with an Iranian delegation headed by deputy foreign minister Bagheri Kani in Baghdad. Rashid accentuated the imperative of reinforcing...

Dubai, UAE - A program that enables companies to access innovative and affordable cybersecurity solutions was introduced at a workshop on cyber security organized by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce. The special one-year package, jointly developed by Dubai Chambers and Mastercard, is designed to support companies in evaluating and improving...

Thread's launch comes after a period of uncertainty at Twitter since Tesla owner Elon Musk took over in October, with the billionaire restructuring the company, firing thousands and placing many features behind a subscription paywall. Threads will enable users to "connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love...

Dubai, UAE--The UAE's financial advisory market is expected to reach a market volume of nearly $239 billion by the end of this year. According to Bas Kooijman, CEO and Asset Manager of DHF Capital S.A., the UAE's ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWI) demographic is projected to grow at a compound annual growth...

Manama, Bahrain--The Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) of Bahrain has invited bids for a $53.19 million tender to upgrade the Ras Abu Jarjour reverse osmosis desalination plant. International companies vying for the project will be required to submit their competitive technical and financial bid, within the latest international standards, said...

BEIJING, CHINA - China said on Monday it would slap export controls on two rare metals essential for the manufacture of semiconductors over security concerns, as Beijing and Washington tussle over the global market for chips. Exports of gallium and germanium, of which China is a major producer, will require a...

RAS AL KHAIMAH, UAE - Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) and the Indian Chamber of Food and Agriculture (ICFA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at fostering mutual growth and development within the food and agriculture sectors of the UAE and India. The MoU was signed by Group...

WASHINGTON, US-  Google revealed seven new features to be added to Google Chat, a communication and collaboration tool, to enhance the user experience on the app. The upcoming additions include the integration of Gmail features, improved editing, quoting options, and the ability to include apps in personal conversations. One of...

In Beijing, Yellen will discuss how the United States views its economic relationship with China, a senior Treasury official said Sunday. She will meet with senior Chinese officials and leading US firms, the American spokesperson said without providing specifics.

Dubai, UAE - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is gearing up for its next public holiday, as residents anticipate the upcoming three-day weekend to commemorate the Islamic New Year, also known as the Hijri New Year.  The upcoming holidays are highly anticipated. following the recent extended Eid Al Adha vacation,...

Beirut, Lebanon--Beirut motorists pull up to a drive-through counter -- not for fast-food, but to exchange empty bottles and cardboard for cash, a novelty in a country long plagued by garbage crises. Festering landfills often overflow in crisis-hit Lebanon, waste is burnt illegally at informal dump sites and rubbish floats off...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - AD Ports Group on Sunday announced that it has acquired Noatum, a global integrated logistics services provider with a presence across 26 countries, for $0.72 billion. The acquisition has received approvals from all relevant regulatory bodies, including from Spanish Authorities, after it attained clearance from the...

Originally practiced by enslaved people and dating back at least to the 16th century, Gnaoua has gone from being practiced largely in private gatherings, where therapeutic rituals accompanied the music, to public events such as concerts and festivals.

Exhibitions are also scheduled to take place on Saturday in the north and center of the Gaza Strip, where people are normally forbidden to approach and photograph military sites.

SHARJAH, UAE - Sharjah International Literary Agency (SILA) has named one of UAE’s top publishing executives, Tamer Said, its next director, opening a new chapter for the ambitious rights exchange and literary translation body. Since its creation in 2020 by Sharjah Book Authority under Chairperson Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, SILA...

The demonstrators have kept up the pressure with weekly rallies against Netanyahu, who returned to power last December at the head of a coalition with ultra-Orthodox Jewish and extreme-right parties. Although there were no figures immediately available for the number of people who demonstrated in Tel Aviv on Saturday, the...

LONDON, UK - Novak Djokovic warned on Saturday that the "integrity and tradition" of tennis must be preserved should the sport strike a tournament deal with Saudi Arabia. Both the ATP and WTA, which run the money-spinning men's and women's tours, have had discussions with Saudi Arabia. The country has been...

NEW YORK, US- Advisor to the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs Salem Al Zaabi called on the international community to address the root causes of intolerance and extremism, including countering disinformation on the internet and social media. Al Zaabi, who led the UAE’s delegation to the biennial United Nations Counter-Terrorism...

Washington, United States--One year after its ruling to erase abortion rights, the conservative-dominated US Supreme Court has underscored its determination to push society sharply to the right by scrapping long-established progressive policies. In emphatic rulings this week the court banned universities from giving minorities priority in admissions -- so-called "affirmative action"...

Nanterre, France--Sporadic violence and looting hit several cities across France in a fourth night of protests after the fatal police shooting of a teenager, but it was much less intense than previously, authorities said early Saturday. France deployed 45,000 officers backed by light armored vehicles, while crack police units and other...

PARIS, FRANCE - French Minister of Foreign Trade Olivier Becht said his country and the UAE share a common vision of accelerating the shift to green energy to tackle the growing threats posed by climate change. The two countries are working together on low-carbon energy solutions, he said,  expressing his...

ABU DHABI, UAE  - Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cyber Security for the Government, led a high-level UAE delegation of dozens of participants from leading Emirati entities to Cyber Week 2023 Conference in Israel. Dr. Al Kuwaiti addressed the Cyber Week Conference as a key-note speaker in the main...

The central bank has hiked rates at the fastest pace ever over the past year in a bid to cool inflation after Russia's war in Ukraine sent energy and food prices surging.

The UN's International Organization for Migration estimates that 1,724 migrants had disappeared trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe so far this year, up from 1,417 last year. According to the Italian interior ministry, around 90,000 migrants have arrived by sea so far this year.

Sharjah, UAE--Sharjah Football Company has signed Mohamed Firas Belarbi, the Tunisian international defender, from the Ajman Club for an undisclosed sum. Regarded as one of the most effective attacking midfielders in the UAE championships over the past two seasons, Belarbi has an impressive track record. His remarkable contributions during the...

The rules will apply from January 1, 2025, two years later than the 2023 deadline agreed under the reforms.

Doha, Qatar--The increasing availability of government sukuk and Islamic liquidity management tools by the Qatar Central Bank supports liquidity management and investment options for Islamic banks, according to a report from Fitch Ratings. In a report issued today, it indicated that its review of its future expectations for three Qatari...

Doha, Qatar-- Qatar and Argentina are looking to bolster ties and in this regard Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QC) and Argentina Chamber of Commerce have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance and diversify trade exchanges and economic cooperation between the two countries. This came on the...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) announced unprecedented funding and support for women’s football clubs. This initiative will help in growing women’s football leagues and will ensure its sustainability. SAFF  will provide financial help to Saudi Premier League and Women's First Division clubs. SAFF will allocate...

Doha, Qatar--Qatar participated in the 58th regional meeting of director general of customs of the North of Africa, near and Middle East region, and the 141st/142nd Sessions of the WCO Council, held at WCO headquarters in Brussels. Qatar was represented by chairman of the General Authority of Customs (GAC) Ahmed...

While the advance by the Wagner mercenary force led by Yevgeny Prigozhin was called off before it reached Moscow, analysts said the rebellion showed President Vladimir Putin's grip on power was more fragile than previously thought. It also added to unease on trading floors, where investors last week reversed a...

Amman, Jordan--The European Investment Bank (EIB) has approved the provision of $66.52 million for Jordan to upgrade the water supply system and reduce water loss in Bani Kinanah district north of Jordan. The project is intended to improve the quality of drinking water in the targeted districts and reduce water...

Doha, Qatar - Qatar Chamber and Tajikistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry signed Sunday an agreement to establish a Joint Business Council (JBC) between the two chambers. The Joint Business Council aims to facilitate communication between the two parties to increase trade and economic cooperation between the two countries. It...

Activist Quinndy Akeju said many families "had not yet identified or buried their dead" after some 2,000 migrants -- many from conflict-torn Sudan -- stormed the metres-high fence that seals off Melilla from Morocco on June 24, 2022. She claimed there had been no "independent inquiry" into how Moroccan and...

The 55-year-old Harvard graduate, who steered Greece from the coronavirus pandemic back to two consecutive years of strong growth, had already scored a thumping win in an election just a month ago. But having fallen short of five seats in parliament to be able to form a single-party government, Mitsotakis...

Doha, Qatar--Qatar has been elected to be the chairperson of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)'s Technical Cooperation Committee (TCC). Representatives of ICAO council member states elected Qatar's candidate and Permanent Representative in the Council Essa Abdullah Al Malki as the chairperson of the ICAO Technical Cooperation Committee, during the...

NEW YORK, US - Kuwait Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at enhancing cooperation in countering terrorism and exchanging experiences. "The memorandum will enhance cooperation, exchange of experiences, training of youth and those concerned with the country in combating terrorism, and...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - The Minister of Human Resources and Social Development and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Center for Non-Profit Sector, Eng. Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al-Rajhi, praised the contributions of the non-profit sector in achieving Saudi Vision 2030. The Saudi Arabian government has outsourced certain...

DUBAI, UAE - Dubai Land Department (DLD), through the real estate development sector, has launched the real estate investment trusts (REIT) privileges registry, and announced the opening of registration in it. Following the design and development of the online platform and the training the service centers to receive applications, local...

AL AIN, UAE - The United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) on Friday launched its plan of action leading up to the meeting of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) being held in Dubai Expo City in November 2023. Present at...

ABU DHABI, UAE - Aggregate capital and reserves of banks operating in the UAE rose by 10 percent year-on-year (YoY) to US$118.5 billion (AED435.3 billion) at the end of April 2023 from US$107 billion (AED395.9 billion) at the end of April 2022, according to the Central Bank of the UAE’s...

MUSCAT, OMAN - Oman announced the seizure of over six million captagon pills during a bust aided by Saudi Arabia that resulted in the arrest of a smuggling network. "In cooperation with Saudi authorities", police in the sultanate tracked and ambushed an "international network that was smuggling large quantities of drugs...

VIENNA, AUSTRIA - The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) is taking part in an international conference organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) here. In the five-day event, which will conclude on Friday, over 500 participants from 94 countries and seven international organizations are gathering to discuss effective...

Dubai, UAE-- The UAE and France have reiterated their commitment to widening cooperation in important fields and sectors. The resolve was renewed at the 15th session of the UAE-France Strategic Dialogue held in Paris. The two countries discussed the status of the strategic bilateral investment partnerships, which were signed in...

Musk, one of the world's richest men, said that Modi was "pushing us to make significant investments in India, which is something that we intend to do, and are trying to figure out the right timing".

The probe was launched in December by the current government of Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani after The Washington Post reported allegations of Committee 29 using torture to extract confessions.

RAS AL KHAIMAH, UAE - Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) has launched ‘open yards’ as part of its comprehensive facility offerings. Located in the mainland area of Al Ghail Industrial Zone, these units are readily available for businesses seeking expansive and versatile spaces for their operations. With the introduction...