ROME, ITALY  -  The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed a US$23.7 million contribution from the Norwegian government to scale up its response to humanitarian crises and emergencies. The contribution represents the largest single un-earmarked funding of its kind to date. The funds will be...

DUBAI, UAE - MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer discussed the latest advancements in smart grid technology with CEO of Grid Software at Siemens Sabine Erlinghagen. The meeting was attended by senior officials from DEWA and Siemens. The two sides discussed the latest...

Dubai, UAE - Digital IDs and mobile authentication will propel many more mobile access deployments. HID, a leader in trusted identity and physical security solutions said in its inaugural State of the Security Industry Report on Friday.   “Identification and authentication are more commonly completed via mobile devices, including smartphones and...

Athens, Greece--Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday called on the European Union to "seriously consider" providing financial aid to help extend an anti-migrant steel fence along the border with Turkey. "I think it's about time for the EU to seriously consider providing European funds for these types of projects," the...

Washington, United States--President Joe Biden on Friday called for Russia to release Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is being held on espionage charges, while rebuffing a call from the paper's editorial board to expel Russian journalists from the United States. Asked by White House reporters what his message was...

Tehran, Iran--An officer from Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards was killed in Israeli air strikes on Syria early on Friday, a website affiliated with the Guards said. During more than a decade of civil war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on Syrian territory, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Lebanese Hezbollah...

AJMAN, UAE - The Ajman Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (ACCI) discussed with the Italian-Czech Chamber of Commerce in Milan bilateral partnership that supports the directions and goals of both chambers. This came as Mohamed Ali Al Janahi, Executive Director of the Trade Development and International Relations Sector at ACCI,...

DUBAI, UAE -  Dubai International Boat Show 2023 attracted over 30,000 visitors and industry players from across the globe for five days of demonstrations, displays, seminars, launches and workshops. The global boat-building market is expected to reach over US$47 billion in 2027, at a CAGR of 7.5 percent, and the...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia will host the 42nd edition of the Global Real Estate Summit next December in Riyadh. According to Saudi News Agency (SPA), the summit is considered the industry's largest annual gathering, which includes real estate pioneers and CEOs of critical real estate companies from all...

The announcement comes as UN envoy to the region Staffan de Mistura invited parties including Morocco and the Polisario Front to New York this week for a series of informal bilateral meetings. A UN report last year warned that restrictions on the supply chain to the MINURSO mission sites east...

London, United Kingdom--The British economy performed slightly better than previously estimated in the final quarter of last year as it expanded by 0.1 percent, revised official data showed Friday. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) initially said growth had been flat in the October-December period. Either way, the UK narrowly avoided...

Syria's foreign ministry condemned the strikes, accusing Israel in a statement of trying to "escape internal divisions", as the country faces a severe domestic crisis over controversial judicial reforms.

Abu Dhabi, UAE - The AD Ports Group has launched a new weekly shipping service that facilitates commercial and logistic connectivity with Qatar and Kuwait. The services are likely to be free for cargo arriving via land transport throughout Ramadan, which will be shipped via container vessels between UAE’s Khalifa...

Warsaw, Poland - Poland's prime minister on Wednesday appealed to Brussels to limit the amount of Ukrainian grain entering the European Union, saying it was destabilizing local markets. Ukraine, one of the world's largest grain exporters, saw its traditional Black Sea export routes blocked or limited by Russia's invasion. The EU...

The Senate report "describes legacy issues, some from a decade ago," which the bank has sought to address by implementing extensive enhancements "to root out individuals who seek to conceal assets from tax authorities," it said.

Islamabad, Pakistan – The Muslim World League (MWL) launched a program for distributing Ramadan food baskets in Pakistan as part of its humanitarian efforts and to complement the role Saudi relief institutions play around the world.  The Muslim World League is an International Islamic NGO based in Makkah that promotes...

Washington, United States--US lawmakers accused regulators Tuesday of failing to do enough to prevent the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank earlier this month, despite knowing it was over-exposed to the risk of rising interest rates. The Senate Banking Committee grilled senior Federal Reserve, Treasury and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) officials...

UAE minister said that the emirates will continue its efforts to build partnerships with strategic global markets under the country’s comprehensive economic partnerships program.

Berlin, Germany - Germany's anti-cartel watchdog said Tuesday it was examining if it needed to place US giant Microsoft under close watch for any possible abuse. The Federal Cartel Office said it was taking a first step to see if Microsoft is of "paramount significance across markets". If this is found...

The charge sheet accuses Binance of failing to uphold standards that are required of a company operating as a derivatives market and dealing with major US trading companies. Since July 2019, "Binance's compliance program has been ineffective," the statement said.

Moscow, Russia--Russian oil sales to India surged more than twentyfold last year as European buyers turned to other markets following the conflict in Ukraine, Russia's deputy prime minister said Tuesday. Russia shifted its oil exports to India and China last year as European Union nations sought to end their reliance on...

Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Borouge is supplying sustainable “Made in UAE” polyethylene materials worth AED120 million ($32 million) that are used in several development projects across the Middle East and Africa region. Borouge’s contribution to these mega projects is driven by collaboration with the local manufacturing companies who selected quality...

Brussels, Belgium - The 27 EU member states approved Monday a deal between Brussels and Germany that lifted Berlin's block on a planned phaseout of sales of new fossil fuel cars by 2035. A spokesman for Sweden, which holds the EU presidency, said ambassadors backed the agreement. Energy ministers are expected...

Fury erupted in the art community last year with the release of generative artificial intelligence (AI) programs that can convincingly carry out commands such as drawing a dog like cartoonist Sarah Andersen would, or a nymph the way illustrator Karla Ortiz might do. Such style-swiping AI works are cranked out...

DUBAI, UAE -  MD & CEO of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer discussed consolidating cooperation and integration with UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI). This is part of a series of mutual visits to enhance cooperation between government organisations in the UAE. The...

DUBAI, UAE – UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri emphasized the importance of collaboration, data sharing and investment in achieving global solutions for promoting water sustainability. The minister made these comments in an interactive dialogue and side sessions at the United Nations in New York....

Tangiers, Morocco--Morocco stunned Brazil 2-1 in a friendly international on Saturday as the north African side recorded a first ever win over the five-time world champions. Midfielder Sofiane Boufal, a former Southampton star, but now playing with Al Rayyan in Qatar, gave Morocco the lead after 29 minutes, scoring with a...

Moscow, Russia--Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday he would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighbour and ally Belarus, bringing the arms to a country at the gates of the European Union. Putin has previously issued thinly veiled warnings that he could use nuclear weapons in Ukraine if Russia were threatened, reviving...

It suffers from constant stand-offs between elected lawmakers and cabinets installed by the ruling Al-Sabah family, despite a parliamentary system in place since 1962.

The new comedians hoping to put a smile on Jordanian faces range in age between 18 to 40 and include students, doctors and lawyers among others, keen to learn the art of comic timing and delivery. Among the club's graduates are now well-known comedians, who have amassed hundreds of thousands...

SAINTE-SOLINE, FRANCE - French security forces again clashed with protesters Saturday as campaigners sought to stop the construction of reservoirs for the agricultural industry in the southwest of the country, AFP correspondents said. The violent scenes in Saite-Soline in western France came after days of violent protests nationwide over President Emmanuel...

Cook, who is in China to attend the high-profile China Development Forum, said "Apple and China grew together," during an interview on the role of technology in education.

Ottawa, Canada--US President Joe Biden on Friday said he believed China has not sent arms to Russia after President Vladimir Putin's forces invaded Ukraine. "I've been hearing now for the past three months (that) China is going to provide significant weapons to Russia... They haven't yet. Doesn't mean they won't, but...

Face-to-face talks between Biden and Trudeau covered a range of areas where both sides are pushing for improvements. A joint statement said that Biden and Trudeau agreed to modernizing their countries' joint air defense alliance, NORAD, with Canada putting billions of dollars into improved radar and fighter aircraft infrastructure.

Paris, France - France on Friday banned public-sector employees from downloading "recreational applications" on their work phones, the public services ministry said, with a ministerial source adding that Chinese-owned TikTok would be among them. Following bans of TikTok in other European countries, "the government has decided from now on to ban...

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - Economic growth in the eurozone accelerated in March and hit a 10-month high, according to a closely watched survey published on Friday, despite turmoil in the markets and concerns over banks. The S&P Global Flash Eurozone purchasing managers' index (PMI) showed the indicator at 54.1, up from 52.0...

New Delhi, India--India's Patent Office rejected on Thursday US pharmaceutical giant Johnson and Johnson’s application to extend its patent on a key  tuberculosis treatment, allowing local companies to make cheaper generic versions. India accounted for nearly 29 percent of 10.6 million tuberculosis cases worldwide, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO)...

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday that at the direction of President Joe Biden, he had authorised "precision airstrikes tonight in eastern Syria against facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps." When the strikes were announced, Biden had already travelled to Canada, where he is set...

The charges come as part of a case targeting entrepreneur Justin Sun for manipulating crypto trading on his platform. The case is one of several from the enforcer of US rules on the financial markets that has stepped up its crackdown on cryptocurrencies since the spectacular collapse of industry leader...

Billed as less costly to produce and fly, the unmanned Terran 1 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 11:25 pm (0325 GMT Thursday) but suffered an "anomaly" during second-stage separation as it streamed towards low Earth orbit, according to a livestream broadcast by aerospace startup Relativity Space. The company...

Cairo, Egypt--The World Bank has approved a new $7 billion partnership agreement with Egypt for 2023-2027 with a focus on boosting private sector jobs, provision of better health and education services, and adaptation to climate change. The Country Partnership Agreement (CPF) will entail $1 billion per year from the International...

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the parliamentary vote scraps "a discriminatory and humiliating law, that prohibited Jews from living in areas in northern Samaria, which is part of our historic homeland," using the biblical name for the northern West Bank.

If the company raided is guilty of antitrust violations, it risks large fines but can be granted immunity if it cooperates with the commission.

Manama, Bahrain – The Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) has issued treasury bills with a maturity period of 12 months. The issue date of the bills is 23 March 2023 and the maturity date is 21st March 2024. The weighted average rate of interest is 6.17 percent compared to 6.31...

Brussels, Belgium--The European Investment Bank today pledged $535 million in earthquake reconstruction and recovery package for Turkey and Syria at the donors’ conference convened in Brussels by the European Commission and Swedish Presidency of the European Council. The EUR 500 million support from EIB Global, part of broader European Union...

LONDON, UK- Europe's natural gas price slid Monday below US$43 for the first time in more than a year and a half, dampened by mild weather and high storage levels. In morning London deals, the price of benchmark Dutch TTF gas hit $42.5 per megawatt hour - last seen in July...

Signature Bank was seized by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) a week ago after it imploded in the wake of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) earlier in March, a failure that has sent convulsions through the global banking sector. The FDIC is also seeking a similar deal...

New Delhi, India--Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in India on Monday for talks expected to focus on deepening trade and technology ties as well as shared concern about China. India and Japan along with the United States and Australia make up the Quad alliance, which positions itself as a bulwark...

The attack in Huwara came three weeks after the fatal shooting of two Israeli settlers, also in the same occupied West Bank town, adding to a surge in violence this year and to fears of escalation during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan starting in the coming week. Neither the...

SHARJAH, UAE - Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority (SEWA) participated in a discussion on modern and innovative technologies in water desalination and their contribution to achieving sustainability. The discussion was a part of the Water Desalination Projects Forum in the Middle East and North Africa, held in Abu Dhabi....