"The weakness of yesterday's US retail sales release have given market doves a new lease of life and allowed them to refocus on the likelihood of an early Fed rate cut," Rabobank analyst Jane Foley told AFP.

Jerusalem - Israeli settlers established a record number of wildcat outposts in the occupied West Bank in 2023, a watchdog said on Thursday. Twenty-six settlements not recognized by the Israeli government were established last year, including around 10 since the war in the Gaza Strip broke out on October 7,...

The new hub part of a trend for big tech firms to base teams in European centers.

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has announced that the cities of Madinah, King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), and Al-Ahsa in the Kingdom have joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities. With this development, Saudi Arabia now boasts five cities enlisted in the...

The transport ministry said an empty life boat was found during the search. "The rescue operation continues to find six crew members who are believed to be Turkish citizens," Demirtas told the private NTV television.

Dubai, UAE-- The World Governments Summit (WGS) has ushered in a new decade of positive impact, inspiring governments and societies to join the global community in its ongoing journey to shape the future, according to Hamid Al Zaabi, Director-General of the Executive Office for Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing...

"Demand for natural gas has already peaked in some regions but continues to rise globally, with LNG demand expected to reach around 625-685 million tons a year in 2040, according to the latest industry estimates," Shell said in a report.

Paris, France - A boisterous young chimpanzee slaps an adult in his family on the back, then scampers away and looks back to see the response to his cheekiness. Nothing yet, so the young chimp Azibo rolls back and dishes out another slap, this time provoking a reaction: the distracted adult...

Doha, Qatar-- Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has affirmed that the ties between Qatar and Iran have never been closer. The emir stated this in a meeting with Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Doha. During the meeting, Amir-Abdollahian conveyed the greetings of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi...

Brussels, Belgium - Apple's iMessage and Microsoft's Bing search engine got a reprieve from tougher EU rules curbing how tech titans do business, the European Commission said on Tuesday. From next month, the world's biggest digital firms, identified as "gatekeepers" by the EU, must comply with strict do's and don'ts under...

London, UK - Saudi Arabia will stage its first ranking snooker event in 2024, with a prize pool of more than £2 million ($2.5 million) for the "fourth major". The inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters will trail only the World Championship in terms of prize money. The World Snooker Tour has...

Brussels, Belgium - The European Commission on Tuesday officially extended an exemption from contested rules to leave a share of agricultural lands fallow, which had become a flashpoint for protesting farmers across the bloc. First lifted in 2023 in response to market disruptions caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the rules...

"The current military-security situation heralds what is likely to be a more dangerous decade, characterized by the brazen application by some of military power to pursue claims," the report said.

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Acting WHO Representative in Sudan Peter Graaff has said that the humanitarian and health crisis in the African country is alarming. The conflict that started 10 months ago has spread to new areas, resulting in widespread displacement of civilians, some of whom have been forced to move...

ABHA, SAUDI ARABIA  - The Heritage Commission announced its most prominent discovery in Jurash, Asir region, as one of the most important archaeological sites in the south of the Kingdom, a report on Tuesday said. These were the result of strenuous excavations taking place during its 15th season in 2023....

The UAE hosted last year's COP28 conference in Dubai, while Azerbaijan will host this year's summit followed by Brazil in 2025. The three countries were mandated by 198 signatories to the Dubai agreement to work together on a roadmap to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, a key climate...

Talks have been underway for weeks to secure a second truce in the four-month war, which would see more hostages freed in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

ABU DHABI, UAE – The Emirates General Pension and Social Security Authority (GPSSA) has issued a circular to government and private sector employers, detailing the regulations for pension deductions and end-of-service gratuity in line with Federal Decree Law No. 57 of 2023. The circular included limiting the procedure of deduction...

Despite the last COP in the United Arab Emirates ending with an unprecedented call to "transition" away from fossil fuels, an analysis by the NGO Global Witness based on data from Rystad Energy shows that the upcoming COP29 host aims to hike its gas production from 35 billion cubic meters...

Manama, Bahrain--Bahrain will hold the seventh edition of the "Bahrain Smart Cities Summit 2024" from March 5 to 6 under the theme"achieving progress through artificial intelligence", Wael bin Nasser Al Mubarak, the Minister of Municipalities and Agriculture announced. Al Mubarak affirmed the kingdom's keenness to adopt the best technologies and...

TABUK, SAUDI ARABIA - Red Sea Global (RSG) has completed a US$522 million (SAR2 billion) financing agreement with Riyad Bank, a press release said on Sunday. According to the release, the financing supports RSG's Joint Venture (JV) with Kingdom Holding Company (KHC), a prominent global investment company headquartered in Saudi...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - The Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON) has attracted new investments worth US$34 million (SAR130 million). This will be used to localize military aircraft industries, including drones and provide repair, maintenance and overhaul services for ships. Securing funding is one of the authority's...

TEANECK, US - They are only teenagers, but a pair of New Jersey high school students -- one Jewish and one Muslim -- are tackling an issue much bigger than themselves, bridging divides in their suburb shaken by the Israel-Hamas war. The effort originated soon after the October 7 attacks by...

Amir-Abdollahian met top officials in Beirut including Hizbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a powerful ally of the group. He also met Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ziad Nakhaleh, senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan, and deputy chief of the People's Front for the Liberation of Palestine Jamil Mazhar,...

Palestinian Territories - Six-year-old Hind Rajab pleaded to be rescued, after her family's car came under fire in war-ravaged Gaza City, leaving her alone, frightened and injured, surrounded by the bodies of her dead relatives. "I am so scared," she had said in a desperate phone call to the Palestine...

AMMAN, JORDAN - The Iraqi Business Council, in collaboration with the Jordanian and Amman Chambers of Industry, is set to organize an economic forum in the Kingdom. This event, on April 21, aims to enhance financial, industrial and commercial partnerships among Iraq, Jordan and other countries in the region. The...

Beirut, Lebanon - Israeli air strikes that targeted a building in an upscale area near the Syrian capital killed three people early on Saturday, a war monitor said. State media reported that Syrian air defenses responded to an Israeli "air attack". Since Syria's civil war broke out in 2011, Israel has...

AMMAN, JORDAN - The Chairman of the Amman Chamber of Commerce Khalil Haj Tawfiq has called on Jordanian and Tunisian companies to forge stronger partnerships and enhancing their countries commercial, industrial and investment relations.During a meeting with Tunisian Ambassador to Jordan Mufida Zaribi, Haj Tawfiq emphasized the necessity of boosting...

Dubai, UAE  – Al-Futtaim Electric Mobility Company, the official distributor of Polestar in the UAE, have announced the official launch of Polestar 3, the electric SUV. Polestar 3 is also the brand’s first vehicle planned to be produced on two continents – marking a milestone in green mobility in the...

Clark, Philippines - NASA has kicked off a series of marathon flights in Asia with the world's biggest flying laboratory, in an ambitious mission to improve the models that help to forecast and fight air pollution. Millions of deaths each year are linked to air pollution, and improving the ability to identify its...

DUBAI, UAE - A total of 3,543 real estate transactions worth over US$2.6 billion (AED9.8 billion) were conducted during the week ending February 9, 2024, according to data released by the Dubai Land Department (DLD). The DLD report showed that 197 plots were sold for US$315 million (AED1.61 billion), while...

London, United Kingdom - An Australian man went on trial in London this week over his claims of inventing bitcoin -- not the first time someone has been linked to being the cryptocurrency's enigmatic creator. Computer scientist Craig Wright, 53, says he is "Satoshi Nakamoto", the pseudonym of bitcoin's creator and...

London, United Kingdom -- British bank Barclays said Friday it would stop directly financing its energy clients' new oil and gas projects, but still ran into fierce criticism from campaigners who said the moves don't far enough. As part of its updated climate strategy, the bank added it would scale back...

DUBAI, UAE – DMCC successfully concluded its most recent Made for Trade Live tour of the US, hosting events in New York, Brooklyn and Washington DC as it continues to build on growing bilateral trade and investments between the two countries. In 2023, DMCC saw a rise of over 10...

Vienna, Austria--The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) has granted a US$30 million loan to support the development of a key transportation link in Uganda. The rehabilitation of the Katine-Ochero road will provide better, faster and safer transport connections in the central-east region of the country. The project is co-financed...

Doha, Qatar - An Asian Cup full of late goals and surprises reaches a climax on Saturday when hosts and holders Qatar face a Jordan side looking to make yet more history. The 88,000-capacity Lusail Stadium, where Lionel Messi's Argentina beat France in the World Cup final 14 months ago, will...

ABU DHABI, UAE - Aldar Properties has announced the awarding of 49 contracts, totaling US$5.9 billion (AED22 billion), for a series of projects, including infrastructure, residential, commercial and mixed-use developments across Abu Dhabi in 2023. The contracts were awarded to 36 UAE-based companies with almost 50 percent of the value...

"The presence of US forces in our region has no justification," Raisi said in a Tehran ceremony ahead of the 45th anniversary of Iran's Islamic revolution on February 12.

Prague, Czech Republic - Czech farmers have killed about 140,000 birds since the start of the year in a bid to halt the spread of a bird flu outbreak, the State Veterinary Administration (SVS) said on Wednesday. The infected birds had the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu strain, which is potentially transmissible...

"Ten people, including six civilians and two Hizbollah fighters, were killed in Israeli strikes on a building in the Hamra neighborhood of Homs," the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP. The strikes completely levelled the building in one of the city's most affluent...

Rotterdam, Netherlands -- A precious Vincent van Gogh painting stolen and then handed to a Dutch art sleuth in an IKEA bag was displayed Wednesday for the first time since its headline-grabbing return. The 1884 "Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring", worth up to six million euros ($6.8 million), was unveiled...

Doha, Qatar-- Qatar and Egypt are looking to boost trade and economic ties between the two countries, besides exploring ways to encourage investors from Qatar to widen their investment in Egypt. In this regard, Qatar Chamber First Vice-Chairman Mohamed bin Ahmed bin Twar Al Kuwari's met with Vice President of...

TEHRAN, IRAN – The country has exported more than 6.7 million tons of agricultural and food products worth US$4.8 billion during the first 10 months of the current Iranian year (March 21, 2023 – January 20, 2024), an Iranian economic official said. Rouhollah Latifi, the spokesman of the Iranian House...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – The Commander of the Royal Saudi Air Defense Force Lieutenant-General Mazyad bin Suleiman Al-Amr has inspected Russia’s S-350 and S-400 air defense systems at the World Defense Show, a TASS correspondent reports. The commander visited the stands of Russian companies, paying special attention to the S-350...

ABU DHABI, UAE - President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan spoke by telephone to President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to discuss bilateral relations and opportunities to further strengthen UAE-Russia ties. During the telephonic conversation on Monday, Putin expressed his gratitude to Sheikh Mohamed for the UAE’s successful...

SHARJAH, UAE - The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has announced a series of significant achievements of the year 2023, underscoring its multifaceted endeavors in bolstering the business community. In 2023, the Chamber saw a notable increase in its total registered memberships, reaching 72,187, with 7,160 new members...

NEW YORK, US - World War III may break out before US President Joe Biden leaves office, former US president Donald Trump told Fox News. Trump said that Biden is failing to deal with his responsibilities as head of state. "You know, nine months (before the election) is a long...

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will take part in the 13th Middle East Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club to be held on February 13-14, the club told TASS. “About 50 foreign and Russian experts and current political figures from 16 countries, including Algeria, the UK, Egypt,...

DOHA, QATAR - Minister of State and Chairman of Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZ) Dr. Ahmad bin Mohammed Al Sayed revealed that QFZ has attracted nearly 500 companies spanning diverse sectors with estimated investments at about US$1.3 billion (QR5 billion). The QFZ Chairman held a meeting with a delegation from...

Istanbul, Turkey - Turkey's annual inflation rate stayed stable in January at nearly 65 percent, but month-on-month consumer price increases jumped sharply following a huge minimum wage hike, official data showed Monday. The year-on-year inflation rate moved to 64.86 percent -- up a notch from 64.77 percent in December, the TUIK...