Brussels, Belgium - Business activity in the eurozone stabilized in March thanks largely to a "modest recovery" in the service sector, a closely watched survey showed on Thursday. The HCOB Flash eurozone purchasing managers' index (PMI) published by S&P Global stood at 49.9 in March, up from 49.2 in February. A figure...

Copenhagen, Denmark - Developing countries should not have to set stricter targets for cutting their carbon emissions before funds are available to help them transition to cleaner energies, the chairman of this year's UN climate negotiations said Thursday. Addressing a ministerial climate meeting in Copenhagen, Azerbaijan's Mukhtar Babayev said "there is...

"Palestine Red Crescent ambulance teams have just transported an 18-year-old young man who was killed by the Israeli occupation forces in Nur Shams camp," the group said on X, formerly Twitter, adding his death brought the toll to four.

"Financial stability benefits the whole economy and reduces the risk that the central bank becomes reluctant to raise interest rates for fear of causing a financial meltdown," she added.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA – Russia does not see the risk of trading oil at a loss due to the redistribution of energy flows to the East - growing local markets will be able to "absorb" its supply, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. Lavrov said this in an interview for the...

The resolution focuses more on the technology's positive potential, and calls for special care "to bridge the artificial intelligence and other digital divides between and within countries." The draft resolution, which is the first on the issue, was brought forth by the United States and will be submitted for approval...

Paris, France--Past and future hosts of the UN climate negotiations the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan and Brazil announced Wednesday they would cut their own emissions in line with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Nations have been under pressure to keep this warming limit alive by pledging to accelerate their...

Doha, Qatar - Qatar and Turkey announced partnership in reuniting wounded Palestinians from the Gaza Strip with their relatives in Doha. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that a number of the wounded are receiving treatment in Turkey, while their relatives undergoing treatment in Qatar. The reunification will enable the...

Islamabad, Pakistan - Pakistan reached a tentative deal to unlock a $1.1 billion tranche of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout deal, the global lender said Wednesday, giving much-needed respite to the South Asian nation. Last summer, cash-strapped Pakistan sketched a $3 billion deal with the IMF as it battled a...

The Afghanistan Cricket Board urged the Australian government "not to impose its policies on cricket boards" and "focus on supporting the development of cricket". But under the Taliban government's brand of Islamic rule, women are effectively barred from the game, as part of a raft of restrictions on women in...

An A grade would be potentially aligned with the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit temperature rise to "well below" 2C and if possible the safer curb of 1.5C. An H grade, according to Carbon Tracker, is the furthest from the Paris goal, with activities and strategy more...

Brussels, Belgium-- The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union have held talks in Brussels in order to enhance relations between the two blocs. In this connection, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), today held a discussion session with members of the European Union (EU)...

Brussels, Belgium - A group of EU countries including Germany on Tuesday pushed for a green light to start membership negotiations with Bosnia, but others such as France seemed reluctant to proceed. The EU's 27 leaders will debate at a summit on Thursday a proposal from the bloc's executive to launch...

Washington, United States - The US Federal Reserve began two days of discussions on Tuesday at which policymakers are expected to hold firm on interest rates, and continue discussions about when to start cutting them. The meeting got under way in Washington at 9am local time (1300 GMT) on Tuesday, the...

MUSCAT, OMAN – The Central Bank of Oman (CBO) has announced that the total issuance of Treasury Bills amounted to US$181 million (RO 70 million) this week. According to the Oman News Agency (ONA), the value of the allotted Treasury Bills amounted to US$12.9 million (RO 5 million) for a...

DUBAI, UAE – Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum chaired the 81st meeting of DSCE, which was held virtually. The Council reviewed updates of the demand side management strategy for 2030 and 2050, which set well-studied goals to reduce water and electricity...

Hong Kong, China - Asian markets mostly rose Monday following US gains and ahead of a Chinese legislative session where Beijing's annual growth target and other key policies will be announced. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index surpassed the 40,000 mark for the first time, with analysts predicting it could advance even...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – VASI Shipping Pte Ltd has introduced a new shipping service IMS at King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, connecting the Kingdom to Southeast Asia and India, Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) announced. This service aims to enhance its strategic partnerships with major international shipping lines, support the maritime...

The talks in the Qatari capital are the first after weeks of intense negotiations involving Qatari, US and Egyptian mediators failed to secure a truce between Israel and Hamas for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began last week. Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel has carried out a relentless...

Baku, Azerbaijan--NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday stressed the need to fight global warming, and called climate change a "crisis multiplier" with implications for global security. He made the remarks during a press conference in Baku along with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, whose energy-rich country is set to host the...

Damascus, Syria -- Visiting United Nations special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen urged Damascus Sunday to rejoin talks to revise the country's constitution, warning that political dialogue was going "in the wrong direction". Syria's war, which began 13 years ago with the repression of pro-democracy protests, has killed more than 500,000...

DAMMAM, SAUDI ARABIA – With the increase in passenger traffic during Ramadan, the General Directorate of Passports is ramping up efforts to handle the increased number of arrivals at King Fahd Causeway and King Fahd International Airport here. The directorate's officers in Dammam are utilizing modern technology to expedite procedures...

AUSTIN, US – For people at the trend-setting tech festival here, the scandal that erupted after Google's Gemini chatbot cranked out images of Black and Asian Nazi soldiers was seen as a warning about the power artificial intelligence can give tech titans. Google CEO Sundar Pichai last month slammed as "completely...

Earlier this month Trump and Biden each won enough delegates to clinch their party nominations in the 2024 presidential race, all but assuring a rematch and setting up one of the longest election campaigns in US history. Among the issues Trump is campaigning on is sweeping reform of what he...

Palestinian Territories - Displaced by Israeli bombardment, the Tabatibi family gathered in central Gaza to eat together during the first Friday night of Ramadan, a scene that soon turned into a bloodbath. An air strike hit the building where they were staying as women prepared the pre-fasting meal, killing 36...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – A delegation comprising several entities from the Kingdom’s industry and mineral resources' system participated in PDAC 2024, Toronto, Canada under the umbrella of "Invest Saudi". The Saudi delegation was represented at the World’s Premier Mineral Exploration & Mining Convention by the CEO of the Saudi Geological...

SHARJAH, UAE – Air Arabia shareholders approved the distribution of a 20 percent cash dividend for the financial year ended December 31, 2023 (FY2023), at the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM). The dividend, which is equivalent to 20 fils per share, underscores another year of record financial performance for the...

Istanbul, Turkey - Twenty-two migrants including seven children have drowned after a boat capsized off the Turkish coast, local officials said on Friday. Two people were rescued by the Turkish coastguard and another two managed to make it out of the water on their own, officials said. The victims' nationalities were...

THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS – Europe's largest art fair closed its doors on Friday with organizers saying that sales, including a rare Van Gogh and works by Picasso and Kees van Dongen, fetched "record prices". Although a total figure of sale for some of the world's most sought-after artworks could not be...

Paris, France - Conditions affecting the nervous system -- such as strokes, migraines and dementia -- have surged past heart disease to become the leading cause of ill health worldwide, a major new analysis said on Friday. More than 3.4 billion people -- 43 percent of the global population -- experienced...

Dubai, United Arab Emirates--The US military said Thursday it had destroyed nine anti-ship ballistic missiles and two drones in Yemen after Houthi rebels fired on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said two missiles fired by the Houthi rebels towards the Red Sea and...

Stockholm, Sweden - Swedish gaming group Embracer, which owns the Borderlands franchise and the Tomb Raider license, announced on Thursday that it was ceasing all Russian operations through the sale of subsidiary Saber Interactive. Beacon Interactive, which is controlled by Saber Interactive co-founder Matthew Karch, will pay $247 million for the...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA –   Saudi Arabia’s inflation accelerated to 1.8 percent in February compared to January 2024, according to data by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT).  The cost-of-living index for February rose to 110.64 points, according to the base year 2018, from 108.67 points in the same month a year earlier.  Inflation...

AJMAN, UAE – Director-General of Ajman’s Department of Land and Real Estate Regulation Eng. Omar bin Omair Al Muhairi said that there were 129 real estate valuation transactions in the emirate in February, valued at around US$195 million (AED718 million). He highlighted the ongoing momentum in Ajman's real estate market,...

The new budget passed by a vote of 62 lawmakers to 55. It modifies the budget passed in May 2023, increasing the spending limit by 70.4 billion shekels ($19.4 billion), or more than 14 percent, according to a statement from Israel's legislature, the Knesset.

Beijing, China--China on Thursday slammed the approval of a US bill that would ban TikTok unless it severs ties with its Chinese parent company, vowing that Beijing would "take all necessary measures" to protect the interests of its companies overseas. The short-video app has soared in popularity worldwide but its ownership...

Beirut, Lebanon--Palestinian resistance group Hamas said one of its members was killed in an Israeli strike in south Lebanon on Wednesday that state media said killed three people. Hamas said the man killed in the strike was Hadi Mustafa, a member of its armed wing in Lebanon from the Palestinian refugee...

Asked about the reported deaths, the Israeli military said soldiers "fired toward armed suspects identified in the area" and that "hits were identified", but did not confirm fatalities. It described the operation as "counterterrorism activity".

"The people in Gaza are lacking the most basic necessities. We want to do our part to ensure that they get access to food and medicine," said Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.

Footage online circulated by state media showed a huge explosion that sent plumes of smoke and fire across a busy road during morning rush hour. Another video on social media showed what appeared to be a building that had completely collapsed and several destroyed cars.

Jerusalem--The Israeli army said Tuesday it hit about 4,500 Hizbollah targets in Lebanon and Syria over the past five months, killing 300 of the group's fighters and wounding more than 750. The targets were hit from the air and from the ground, the army said in a statement, and included...

DOHA, QATAR – The volume of real estate trading in sale contracts registered with the Real Estate Registration Department at the Ministry of Justice in February in the country amounted to US$382 million (QR 1,391,961,588). The data of the real estate analytical bulletin issued by the Ministry of Justice revealed...

Washington, United States - Four astronauts splashed down off Florida in the Gulf of Mexico on their return to Earth early Tuesday, following a more than six-month mission on the International Space Station. The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft landed in the waters off Pensacola at 5:47 am (0947 GMT), with a...

MOSCOW, RUSSIA – The Telegram is valued by potential investors at more than US$30 billion, the co-founder of the social network Pavel Durov said. The US$30 billion valuation was made by global technology funds in particular, Durov said in an interview with The Financial Times. “Generally speaking, we see value...

ROME, ITALY – The situation in the Red Sea has not yet been reflected in the pace of prices for foods monthly reflected in the FAO Food Price Index, Monika Tothova, the economist at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said. “Following on its 2023 and...

Abu Dhabi, UAE--The technological and structural advancements in the UAE financial sector continues to enhance security, operational efficiency, accessibility of mobile banking applications, online banking and overall customer experience, according to the 4th Quarter Report of 2023 issued by the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) on the Monetary, Banking...

Beijing, China - China's leaders on Monday wrapped up a week-long key conclave at which they admitted more was needed to revive a sluggish economy battered by an ailing housing market, poor domestic demand and record-high youth unemployment. Top officials have been upfront about the myriad challenges China is facing, admitting...

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has asserted that former US president Donald Trump told him during a meeting that he would "not give a penny" to the war in Ukraine -- a claim Trump's team did not comment on. Orban -- the only EU leader to have maintained...

ABU DHABI, UAE – The Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology Council (AIATC) announced on Monday the creation of MGX, a technology investment company to enable the advancement and deployment of leading-edge technologies intended to improve the lives of current and future generations. Mubadala and G42 will serve as foundational partners...

Beijing, China - The navies of China, Russia and Iran are staging joint drills in the Gulf of Oman this week, Beijing said Monday. The military activities -- to be conducted from Monday through Friday -- are aimed at "jointly maintaining regional maritime security", according to a statement published on social...