"Many refugees who fled to Turkey in search of safety and protection have now faced the trauma of loss and displacement once again -- losing their homes and livelihoods," the UN's International Organization for Migration and the UN refugee agency UNHCR said in a joint statement. The 7.8-magnitude earthquake on...

The comedian came out swinging, accusing the Hollywood star of "selective outrage" when he reacted to a jibe about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head, and saying Smith lashed out at a shorter man because he was annoyed his wife had cheated on him.

UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi earlier said he had held "constructive" talks with Iranian officials in Tehran after the discovery of uranium particles enriched to near weapons-grade level. On his return to Vienna, Grossi recalled there had been "a reduction in monitoring activities related to cameras and monitoring systems"...

The latest rally in Tel Aviv came after a similar demonstration on Wednesday when police employed stun grenades and water cannon in a rare use of force that led to about 39 arrests and 11 injuries in the coastal city. Judicial reform is a cornerstone of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's...

Panama City, Panama - Delegates to a global conference on saving the world's oceans pledged US$19 billion, the host country Panama said. The total included a $6 billion commitment from the United States, announced on Thursday by White House climate envoy John Kerry. Panamanian deputy foreign minister Yill del Carmen Otero...

DUBAI, UAE - UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) hosted a regional expert meeting on healthy diet policies in Dubai. The event was hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. The meeting aimed to discuss recent developments in healthy diet policies, with a...

DUBAI, UAE - Dubai Electricity and Water Authority's (DEWA) Research and Development Center has obtained its eighth patent for a cutting-edge device that leverages advanced sensors to locate and survey geographical areas. The device employs real-time kinematic (RTK) processing techniques to process data collected on-site and works with a smart...

Brussels, Belgium - The eurozone annual inflation rate fell to 8.5 percent in February, the EU's statistics agency said Thursday, but the drop was less than expected as food costs soar. Inflation was down last month from 8.6 percent in January but analysts at financial data firm FactSet had forecast...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - The United Arab Emirates is the best country for expat lifestyle, according to a survey by the HSBC. A total of 36 percent of the people surveyed said chances of having a better lifestyle is the main reason for relocating to the UAE, significantly higher than...

RABAT, MOROCCO - UAE's Federal National Council (FNC) highlighted the critical role of parliaments in addressing the repercussions of climate change, by passing laws that preserves the environment and promote the use of clean energy. The FNC's Parliamentary Division made this statement during the intervention by Aisha Mohammed Al Mulla,...

Demonstrators in Tel Aviv blocked some streets, and police employed stun grenades, water cannon and officers on horseback in a rare use of force in the coastal city. Some 39 people were arrested for "allegedly rioting and not obeying instructions by police officials", police said in a statement

Brussels, Belgium - The European Parliament has told staff to purge TikTok from devices used for work because of data protection concerns, after similar moves by the EU's main governing bodies last week. The parliament's president, Roberta Metsola, and the secretary-general, Alessandro Chiocchetti, decided TikTok must not be used or installed...

In the aftermath of the quake, activists and emergency teams in the rebel-held northwest decried the UN's slow response, contrasting it with the planeloads of humanitarian aid that have been delivered to government-controlled airports.

Beirut, Lebanon--Lebanon intends to triple the tariffs it charges on imports in local currency, as the state seeks to boost its revenues amid a worsening economic crisis. Caretaker finance minister Youssef Khalil requested to change the rate at which customs fees are calculated from 15,000 pounds per U.S. dollar to...

The form and rules around elections have been key sticking points in Libya's faltering peace process since the last major round of fighting in the North African country, torn apart by a decade of war. The envoy, Senegalese diplomat Abdoulaye Bathily, had on Monday told the United Nations Security Council...

PARIS, FRANCE - A French court on Tuesday dismissed a landmark case against TotalEnergies for a massive oil project in Uganda and Tanzania after several NGOs filed a suit to suspend the controversial project. The six NGOs argued the development of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) failed to adhere...

ABU DHABI, UAE - Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) and Jenaan Investment, has announced the winners of the CEO program, Agritech Edition. After a rigorous nine-month program that aimed to cultivate entrepreneurship and innovation skills, build and grow ag-food...

Elections were originally scheduled for December 2021, but were postponed indefinitely because of differences over controversial candidates and rules on participation. Since March last year, an administration in Libya's east backed by military leader Khalifa Haftar has challenged the UN-recognized government of Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, arguing it has outlived...

Dozens of Israeli settlers set homes and cars ablaze in the northern town of Huwara overnight Sunday, after a day of Israeli-Palestinian talks in neighbouring Jordan aimed at quelling escalating unrest in the Palestinian territory. More than 350 Palestinians were injured, most suffering from tear gas inhalation, the Palestinian Red...

Istanbul, Turkey - A 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit eastern Turkey on Monday, causing some buildings already damaged by a powerful tremor earlier this month to collapse, the government's disaster agency said. The epicenter of the tremor was the Yesilyurt district in the Malatya province, which was hit by the February 6...

Washington, United States--Iran's nuclear program is advancing at a "worrisome pace," CIA director William Burns said in an interview broadcast Sunday, following reports Tehran had further enriched uranium. Iran was last known to have enriched uranium up to 60 percent purity, but a recent Bloomberg News report that International Atomic Energy...

Washington, United States--The coronavirus pandemic likely arose from a Chinese laboratory leak, the US Department of Energy now says according to media, although the White House maintained Sunday that American intelligence remained divided on the issue. The determination -- noted in a classified report by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines's...

The latest deaths came amid talks in Jordan to discuss worsening violence in the occupied territory, and days after Israeli forces launched their deadliest West Bank raid in nearly 20 years, which left 11 Palestinians dead in the northern city of Nablus. The West Bank is home to about 2.9...

AMMAN, JORDAN -  Chairman of the Jordan Senate's Committee for Arab, International Affairs and Expatriates Hani Mulki, on Sunday discussed with Vice President of French Senate, Helene Conway, the region's key political and economic developments. The two leaders also discussed political changes in the surrounding countries following Arab Spring. Mulki,...

Madrid, Spain - Iran has released a Spanish woman who had been detained in the country since November, Spain's foreign minister said Sunday. "She was freed yesterday, but we didn't want to announce it publicly before her plane had taken off from Iran," Jose Manuel Albares told journalists. "I was able...

NASIRIYAH, IRAQ - Iraq's Tigris and Euphrates rivers have witnessed a sharp decrease in their levels in the south of the country, officials said Sunday, pledging to take urgent measures to ease water shortages. In Nasiriyah, capital of the southern province of Dhi Qar, an AFP photographer saw the river bed...

SHARJAH, UAE - The Sharjah Airport International Free Zone (SAIF Zone) has signed a cooperation agreement with Al Ansari Exchange, to introduce a new payment service and enhance customer experience. The newly signed partnership will allow SAIF Zone’s investors and clients to conveniently pay fees at any of Al Ansari...

The crossing was closed last Sunday by Afghan authorities, who objected to what they said were new documentation rules restricting people assisting medical patients from entering Pakistan. It was the first time the Torkham boundary had been officially closed since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan 18 months ago.

A steady flow of taxis has rolled up outside the Ivorian embassy in Tunis in recent days, depositing dozens of migrants who say they no longer feel safe amid an officially sanctioned climate of fear.

A more than eight-year-long war between Saudi-backed government forces and pro-Iran Houthi rebels has devastated Yemen, the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula. The war has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths both directly and indirectly, and pushed the nation to the brink of famine.

Amman, Jordan - The Baynouna Solar Energy Company (BSCE), a joint venture between the UAE’s world-leading renewable energy company, Masdar, and Finnish investment and asset management group Taaleri, has announced the formal inauguration of the 200-megawatt (MW) Baynouna Solar Park – the largest clean energy project in Jordan. The inauguration...

ABU DHABI, UAE -  Minister of State for Financial Affairs Mohamed Hadi Al Hussaini headed the UAE delegation participating in the first G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting in 2023. Held for the first time under the Indian presidency in Bengaluru, the meeting discussed the progress under...

PARIS, FRANCE -  Governments should urgently adapt their health systems to better respond to future shocks, given the huge impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people and the global economy. Major investment is needed in the health workforce, alongside increased spending on prevention and digital infrastructure, according to a new...

Beijing, China--China's international trade in services stood at 459.5 billion yuan, or US$ 67.6 billion, in January, official data showed on Friday, Xinhua News Agency reported. Services exports totalled $25.44 billion last month, and services imports were at $40.50 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of $15.50 billion , according...

DUBAI,  UAE -  Dubai Chamber of Commerce organized a Corporate Tax Workshop to help participants navigate the new regime, with expert advice from senior members of corporate tax and legal teams at PwC Middle East. After issuing the UAE issued Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 on Taxation of Corporations...

SHARJAH, UAE - Expo Center Sharjah (ECS) wrapped up the eighth edition of Paper One Show on a high note. The exhibition managed to cement its leading position as one of the key regional events specialized in the paper industry. The event's eighth edition which was organized by Al-Furat Fair...

ABU DHABI, UAE  -  The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), which regulates the healthcare sector in the emirate, has announced the winners of its Healthcare Research and Innovation Grant. The grant, launched in September 2022, received over 70 complete submissions, and the top eight were awarded a monetary...

ABU DHABI, UAE -   UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Algerian Minister of Industry Ahmed Zeghdar discussed enhancing cooperation in the economic, industrial and commercial sectors between the two countries.    In a meeting between Sheikh Abdullah and Zeghdar in Abu...

Moscow, Russia - Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday the new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile will be deployed this year following US reports that the weapon failed a recent test. The Sarmat -- dubbed Satan 2 by Western analysts -- is capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads and is among Russia's...

The ban also means European Commission staff cannot use the Chinese-owned video-sharing app on personal devices including phones that have official apps installed, the spokesperson said, confirming a report by news website Euractiv.

Tehran, Iran - Iran said Wednesday that International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors were in the country to clear up "ambiguities" about its uranium enrichment activities. The visit comes after a report by Bloomberg News last week, strongly denied by Tehran, that its nuclear scientists have enriched uranium to 84 percent purity,...

Jerusalem--An Israeli military court on Tuesday sentenced Bassam al-Saadi, a senior member of Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad in the occupied West Bank, to 22 months in prison, the army said. Leader of Islamic Jihad in the north West Bank city of Jenin, Saadi was arrested on August 1 and...

Cairo, Egypt--Egypt has set an initial yield of 11.625 percent for the sale of its three-year, dollar-denominated sukuk on Tuesday as part of the country’s measures to defuse its foreign exchange crisis. The sukuk will be of benchmark size or in the range of $500 million. Egypt’s finance minister Mohamed...

Jindayris, Syria--Born an orphan under the rubble in north Syria after a devastating earthquake, Afraa al-Suwadi has been given a new lease on life when relatives took her in. Since footage of her rescue in the town of Jindayris went viral on social media, Suwadi's story has captivated a grieving nation...

SHARJAH, UAE - Chairman of the Department of Government Relations (DGR) in Sharjah Sheikh Fahim Al Qasimi recently met with Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment of Costa Rica Manuel Tovar Rivera to discuss strengthening collaboration between their respective regions. The two parties discussed trade, food security and the transportation...

London, United Kingdom--UK government finances recorded a stronger surplus than expected last month, official data showed Tuesday, news that analysts said could allow finance minister Jeremy Hunt to further ease a cost-of-living crisis. Net borrowing showed a surplus of £5.4 billion ($6.5 billion) in January, compared with the government's own forecast...

DUBAI, UAE -  PwC Middle East and Microsoft have strengthened their global partnership at LEAP event in Riyadh, to support government and private entities in their digital transformation and cloud migration journey in Saudi Arabia. The collaboration will focus on cloud transformation, business process automation and technology consulting, addressing the...

The decision of the Algerian President was announced in a speech read by Prime Minister Aimene Benabderrahmane at the annual African Union summit of leaders in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia--The African Union said Sunday that Israel's observer status at the bloc was suspended and therefore it had not been invited to its weekend summit, after a row over the ejection of one of its top diplomats. A furious Israel accused arch-foe Iran of orchestrating the expulsion of...

Cairo, Egypt--For most of their lives, children from historic Cairo's Al-Khalifa district only saw the mausoleums, mosques and madrasa schools that pepper their neighborhood from outside heavy bronze doors. In one of the world's oldest Islamic cities, communities were becoming increasingly separated from the centuries-old buildings they lived alongside --...