Muscat, Oman - Saeed bin Hamoud Al Maawali, Omani Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, has said that the digital economy of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region is advancing at a rapid and significant pace, noting its major importance to GDP. He noted the importance of promoting cooperation...

ABU DHABI, UAE  - UAE's Ministry of Finance (MoF) has launched a Corporate Tax Public Awareness Program following the issuance of the Federal Decree-Law on Taxation of Corporations and Businesses. The launch of the program was announced during a media briefing held Thursday by the ministry to raise public awareness...

MONTREAL, CANADA -  UAE Minister of Climate Change and the Environment  Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri participated in the High-Level Segment (HLS), the second part of the 15th UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15), that took place in Montreal, Canada. The HLS, which took place from December 15-17, 2022, aimed to enable participating...

DUBAI, UAE -   MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)    Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer has launched the construction work for the Hatta Sustainable Waterfalls project. The  US$12 million (AED 46 million) project was recently awarded to DEWA and is part of the company's social and investment responsibility...

Dubai, United Arab Emirates--Yemeni student Abir al-Maqtari dreamt of studying abroad but amid a tightening of restrictions on women, Huthi forces blocked her from leaving. The Iran-backed Huthis, who have controlled swathes of the Arab world's poorest country since seizing the Yemeni capital Sanaa in 2014, have increasingly enforced travel restrictions...

Mumbai, India - India's central bank governor warned Wednesday that cryptocurrency markets risked causing the next global financial crisis, saying the recent collapse of FTX was proof of the sector's "inherent risks". The comments close out a challenging year for India's millions of crypto owners, who are already reeling from a...

Millions of Argentines who crammed the streets of Buenos Aires to celebrate an unforgettable moment with Lionel Messi and his World Cup winning teammates instead found themselves at a giant party bereft of its hallmark bus parade.

Sweden's Supreme Court cited the risk of Turkey's "persecution based on this person's political beliefs" when it blocked the request on Monday.

DUBAI, UAE  - Nearly 2,000 global business executives and investors attended the World Corporate Summit in Dubai to share in the vision of improving the world through business. Held in Dubai from November 21 till December 15 2022 at the Palace Downtown Hotel, this summit which was supported by Dubai’s...

In a statement, the World Bank slashed its forecast to 2.7 percent from 4.3 percent predicted in June. It also revised its forecast for next year from 8.1 percent down to 4.3 percent.

In Afghanistan, hundreds of earthquake-resilient concrete homes, many built by local laborers with the support of the United Nations refugee agency, have now been handed over to survivors who were until now living in makeshift tent cities.

SHARJAH,  UAE -  A Belgian delegation met with Sheikh Majid Al Qasimi, Director of the Department of Government Relations (DGR) in Sharjah. Antoine Delcourt, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to the UAE was also present on the occasion. Al Qasimi welcomed the Belgian delegation comprising Juren Seleslag, Political Affairs...

SINGAPORE -   The UAE has participated in the 17th Asia Pacific Regional Meeting of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Singapore. More than 500 representatives of governments, labor organizations and companies from 33 of the 48-member countries of the Asia Pacific Group of ILO took part in the meeting. The...

The HTMS Sukhothai which capsized late on Sunday night after its electronic system had been damaged, was commissioned in 1987 and built in the United States by the now-defunct Tacoma Boatbuilding Company, according to the US Naval Institute.

Tehran, Iran--A 'terrorist' attack killed four members of Iran's security forces in the country's southeast, the state news agency IRNA reported on Monday. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members were killed "during a terrorist act" in the Saravan region of Sistan-Baluchistan province near the Pakistani border, it said. The region is...

The move of not allowing users to promote their accounts on several rival social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram was the latest in a growing series of controversies generated by Musk in his short tenure at the helm of Twitter, including layoffs, reinstatement of some far-right accounts and the...

DUBAI, UAE -  Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum chaired the 73rd meeting held virtually. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy also participated. The meeting was attended by Secretary-General of the Dubai Supreme Council of...

DUBAI, UAE -  The Rental Disputes Center (RDC), the judicial arm of Dubai Land Department (DLD), was launched to achieve social and economic stability for those involved in the real estate rental sector and other relevant fields. This helped in establishing a specialized judicial system as per a streamlined mechanism....

Observers had warned the COP15 talks aimed at sealing a "peace pact for nature" risked collapse due to disagreement over how much the rich world should pay to protect ecosystems in developing countries.

Messi, 35, has collected seven Ballon d'Or awards for the best player in the world, but the last time he reached the World Cup final it ended in the bitter disappointment of defeat to Germany in 2014.

Dubai, UAE - Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) won the Best Creative Electricity and Water Solutions Brand by Global Brands Magazine Awards 2022 in the UK. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, expressed his happiness with the award, which reflects DEWA’s excellent strategies and its efforts...

TEHRAN, IRAN - Iran has arrested the lawyer of two female journalists jailed after covering the death in custody of a young woman that sparked three months of protests, a newspaper said Saturday. The Islamic republic has been rocked by protests since Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian of Kurdish origin,...

ABU DHABI, UAE  - UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) launched the roadmap for the National Carbon Sequestration Project, which aims to plant 100 million mangroves in the country by 2030.   This is as part of its efforts to implement the UAE's strategic initiative to achieve Net...

Amman, Jordan--Jordan’s judiciary on Thursday sentenced two men to long prison terms for attempting to smuggle nearly two million captagon pills into the country from Syria, a judicial source told AFP. The state security court handed a 20-year prison term and a fine of 20,000 Jordanian dinars ($28,000) to one...

Elon Musk said late Friday he would reinstate the Twitter accounts of several journalists that were suspended after he accused them of endangering his family. Musk carried out a Twitter poll asking whether he should restore the suspended accounts now or in a week's time. Nearly 59 percent of the...

.Riyadh, Saudi Arabia---Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation issued its monthly report on the performance of the kingdom’s international and domestic airports for the month of November 2022. The performance is based on 14 basic criteria such as waiting time at customs, baggage and passport control. In the category...

AMMAN, JORDAN -  Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti received Cyprus Defense Minister Charalambos Petrides on Thursday as part of a series of meetings organized by the Jordan Armed Forces (JAF) to boost cooperation with other countries.Huneiti reaffirmed the "deep-rooted ties" that are based on...

         DUBAI, UAE -  Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI), the UAE Federal export credit company, signed an MoU with Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) to support the emirate’s path towards economic diversification by stimulating its non-oil foreign trade. The Memorandum of Understanding came as part of ECI’s effort to support Ras Al...

The EU summit was to also examine the situation, and consequences in Europe, of Russia's war in Ukraine, which European Council President Charles Michel said was at "the heart of our concerns".

Hamas chief said indirect negotiations over a prisoner exchange were "interrupted because of the elections" in Israel. (AFP)

Ifo's positive outlook came a day after a closely watched survey showed German investor confidence rising again in December.

Dubai, UAE - Dubai South and Evocargo will launch UAE’s first autonomous vehicle trials for cargo at the master development’s Logistics District. Media reports said the move is a step towards Dubai’s ambition to become world’s smart mobility hub. The trials will see EVO.1, Evocargo’s unmanned electric logistics vehicle, navigate...

Gas prices are high, albeit lower than during the middle of the year, spurring worries that European homes and businesses could face blackouts or unpayable bills, if not this winter then next.

France captain Hugo Lloris is desperate to avoid the whiff of complacency for a team who have become used to competing at the sharp end of tournaments.

Montreal, Canada-- Creating a new global fund for biodiversity -- a core demand of developing countries at UN talks in Montreal -- "would take years" and be less effective than reforming existing financial mechanisms, Canada's environment minister said Tuesday. Ottawa's position reflects the consensus among developed nations on the thorny issue,...

ABU DHABI, UAE - Members of the Consultative Council of UAE's Financial Restructuring Committee (FRC) has met with experts from the World Bank Group (WBG). The meeting was held virtually and sought to discuss the latest updates on amendments to the bankruptcy law, which is being implemented as a joint...

ASWAN, EGYPT - The governments of the UAE and Egypt inaugurated the Egypt Services Center in the Aswan Governorate, which is the first of its kind in Egypt. The inauguration is part of the strategic partnership between the two countries in government modernization. The Emirati delegation which attended the inauguration...

One day before President Joe Biden hosts 50 African heads of state as Washington vies for influence in the continent, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the United States aims to help African countries achieve their own goals.

SHARJAH, UAE - The Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah (EPAA) announced an increase in participation in the 11th session of the Sharjah Sustainability Award for 2022-2023. There were 485 entries from university students, colleges and government, private and foreign schools from different regions of the country, and youth...

ABU DHABI, UAE - The General Pension and Social Security Authority (GPSSA) said that the registration of insured individuals in the private sector with the authority is the first step towards receiving benefits as part of GPSSA’s social insurance system. This is in addition to benefits provided by the NAFIS...

Paris, France—Iran on Monday executed a second man convicted over the protests that have shaken the regime for almost three months, defying an international outcry over its use of capital punishment against those involved in the movement. Rights groups had at the weekend warned that several other people arrested over...

Musk also posted a meme showing Fauci telling US President Joe Biden, "Just one more lockdown, my king..." -- in apparent criticism of the Covid mitigation measure Musk has repeatedly slammed but has not been deployed in the country for over a year.

Russia has assembled a "shadow fleet" of more than 100 vessels seeking to circumnavigate the Western sanctions regime. These ships are reportedly using non-Western insurers and selling oil at higher prices to countries that have not subscribed to the new sanctions.

After a decade of dynamic growth during the 2010s, Africa's second most populous country has suffered multiple shocks, including the Covid-19 pandemic, a record drought, a two-year war in its northernmost region of Tigray and the global impact of the invasion of Ukraine.

There were celebrations across the Arab world and in Europe after Morocco beat Portugal 1-0 in Qatar to become the first African or Arab team to reach a World Cup semi-final.

Canadian-based TC Energy, which operates the pipeline, detected the leak Wednesday night in Kansas and immediately halted the flow of oil through the pipeline.

DUBAI, UAE - Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has received 29 expressions of interest (EOIs) to implement the first phase of its 120 Million Gallons Per Day (MIGD) Hassyan Sea Water Reverse Osmosis Plant (SWRO) Project using the Independent Water Producer (IWP) model. This is the first project implemented...

Geneva, Switzerland— Washington condemned the World Trade Organization's verdict Friday on the punitive US tariffs imposed on national security grounds on steel imports from China and other countries. Former US president Donald Trump's administration introduced the tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from China, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey and his successor,...

The Grotto of the Nativity, the largest in Jordan, is a model that represents the birth of Jesus Christ, the son of Mary.

AQABA, JORDAN - The southern city of Aqaba is welcoming an increasing number of local visitors and foreign tourists of various nationalities, especially from Europe, in the winter tourist season. The movement of cruise ships to the ports of Aqaba and flights to King Hussein International Airport is also witnessing...