• German Chancellor calls for Gaza deal with ‘longer-lasting ceasefire’

    JERUSALEM – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday called for a deal to free hostages held in war-ravaged Gaza accompanied by a "longer-lasting ceasefire", as warring parties geared up for more talks. "We need a hostage deal with a longer-lasting ceasefire," Scholz said during a joint press appearance in Jerusalem...
  • Australian media hits back as Facebook scraps news deals

    Meta said on Friday it would scrap the Facebook News tab in Australia and would not renew deals with news publishers worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The social media giant said its decision to pull the plug on the news deal was based on people not going to Facebook...
  • Alcoa to buy Alumina in all-stock deal

    The US aluminum producer will buy Alumina for US$2.2bn.
  • Majority of WTO members sign investment deal for development

    The deal aims to facilitate "the flow of foreign direct investment... particularly to developing and least-developed" countries with the aim of fostering sustainable development, according to the text. WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala called it a "pioneering agreement that promises to help its signatories attract the foreign direct investment they want...
  • Gaza deal won’t affect Israel’s Hizbollah fight: Gallant

    Negotiations have been underway to strike a possible deal for Hamas to release hostages and pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip. But on the border with Lebanon there have been near-daily cross-border exchanges of fire between Israel and Hizbollah, sparking off fears of a wider regional escalation.
  • OpenAI valued at $80bn in new deal

    With this deal, the value of the firm has tripled in 10 months.
  • No deal yet on Gaza truce, says Hamas official

    Osama Hamdan, a top Hamas official in Lebanon, said the movement's leaders were reviewing a proposed framework hammered out by top officials from Israel, Qatar, Egypt and the United States. Speaking at a news conference, he said Hamas "has repeatedly said" it was "open to discussing any initiative.
  • Deal reached for Gaza hostages to receive medicines

    Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majid Al-Ansari told QNA "the medications and aid will leave Doha tomorrow to the city of Al-Arish in the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt, on board two Qatari Armed Forces aircrafts, in preparation for their transport into the Gaza Strip".
  • PureHealth buys Circle Health

    The deal signifies PureHealth’s operational capabilities.
  • COP28 last chance to keep 1.5C target alive: John Kerry

    US climate envoy issued the warning after COP28 president Sultan Al Jaber proposed a draft deal that did not include a phase-out of fossil fuels, disappointing the United States, the European Union and low-lying islands most vulnerable to climate change. Kerry told ministers that many participants have called for the...
  • UN climate talks home in on fossil fuel deal

    Negotiators have failed to produce a new draft agreement since the last text was released on Friday. The document includes four different paths out of fossil fuels, but it also has a fifth option: leaving the issue out of the final deal.
  • OPEC implores members to oppose any COP28 deal targeting fossil fuels

    Dubai, UAE--The head of OPEC has urged members of the oil cartel to reject any deal at UN climate talks in Dubai that "targets" fossil fuels instead of emissions, according to a letter seen Friday by AFP. In the letter sent Wednesday, OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais said he...
  • EU clinches ‘historic’ deal on AI law after long negotiations

    The EU's internal market commissioner, Thierry Breton. called the deal as historic, regulating artificial intelligence models such as ChatGPT. Negotiators in Brussels nailed down curbs on how AI can be used in Europe, which they said would not hurt innovation in the sector nor the prospects for future European AI...
  • COP28 chief urges nations to reach climate compromise

    Setting the ambitious goal of having a deal in place by Tuesday, the last day of the conference, Sultan Al Jaber exhorted the nearly 200 nations represented at COP28 to work with a "spirit of compromise", step out of their "comfort zones and find common ground to deliver a high...
  • US$3.2bn worth deals signed on first two days of Dubai Airshow 2023

    DUBAI, UAE – Tawazun Council announced the signing of 11 deals, worth US$1.8 billion (AED 6.9 billion), with local and international companies on the second day of the Dubai Airshow 2023. Tawazun Council is an independent government entity that works closely with the Ministry of Defense and security agencies to...
  • Disney to buy stake in Hulu

    It will acquire Comcast's US$8.6 billion stake in Hulu.
  • RSG, KHC set up joint venture

    The JV will develop and own the Four Seasons Resort Red Sea.
  • Israel, Saudi moving towards ‘framework’ for deal: US

    According to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, a basic framework has been hammered out by all sides that could form the outline of a historic US-brokered deal to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel after decades of hostility. The deal could earn Israel recognition by the guardian of...
  • Aramco, Cenomi see 4 negotiated deals

    The $32.81 million deals were registered by Tadawul.
  • North Korea’s Kim travels to Russia for talks with Putin

    A Russian news agency said that Kim's had crossed the border into the Primorsky region, with images showing a train with dark green carriages being pulled along a track by a Russian Railways locomotive. According to Kremlin spokesman, Kim will meet Putin in the Far East later this week. North...
  • ADNOC Gas signs US$450-550m Chinese supply deal

    Abu Dhabi, UAE--ADNOC Gas today announced an agreement valued between $450 million and $550 million to supply Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to PetroChina International Company Limited (PCI), a subsidiary of PetroChina Company Limited, one of the leading oil and gas producers and distributors in China. This agreement underscores ADNOC Gas’...
  • Turkey to ask Russia to resume grain deal in original form

    According to TASS, quoting a diplomatic source, Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will propose to Russia at the upcoming talks in Moscow to resume the grain deal in its original format. The source said that Turkey is all for restarting the grain corridor in its original "format involving parties to...
  • Subway to sell for US$9bn

    The fast-food chain has some 37,000 outlets across the world.
  • Microsoft submits new Activision deal

    A previous version of the acquisition deal was blocked.
  • Oman LNG signs gas-export deal with Germany’s SEFE

    Muscat, Oman-- Oman LNG has signed an agreement with Securing Energy for Europe (SEFE) to supply 400,000 tonnes of liquefied natural gas a year from 2026. According to Oman News Agency, the agreement with the German company is based on a four-year contract. “The term-sheet signing with SEFE marks another...
  • West must keep ‘promises’ on Ukraine grain deal: Erdogan

    Ankara, Turkey--Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that the revival of a deal with Russia to allow Ukrainian grain exports, brokered by Ankara and the UN, "depends on Western countries which must keep their promises". "I think a solution can be found," Erdogan added, referring to a recent telephone...
  • Brazil midfielder Fabinho quits Liverpool, signs deal with Al-Ittihad

    Fabinho, the Brazil midfielder, will join Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante at Al-Ittihad, one of four Saudi clubs controlled by the Gulf state's sovereign wealth fund. He has signed a three-year deal after completing his move from Liverpool. The 29-year-old was left out of Liverpool's pre-season squads for trips to...
  • Egypt calls for renewal of Black Sea grain export deal

    MOSCOW, RUSSIA -  Egypt's president on Friday called on Russia and Ukraine to find "urgent solutions" to allow the resumption of Ukraine grain exports to Africa, after Moscow's withdrawal led to the collapse of a Black Sea pact. The Ukraine grain deal was agreed last year and allowed around 33 million...
  • Saudia Cargo signs deal with Jan de Rijk

    It will enable Saudia Cargo to widen network in Europe.
  • Ukraine to continue grain exports despite Russia’s exit from deal

    Putin has been threatening to pull out of the arrangement, arguing that elements of the deal allowing the export of Russian food and fertilizers have not been honored. Russia also accuses rich countries of profiting from the bulk of Ukrainian exports. But Zelensky says that "60% of the volumes" were...
  • OQGN inks $1.2bn financing deal

    Deal will provide firm access to capital in dual currencies.
  • Egypt, Ethiopia to finalize deal on Nile dam in four months

    The two countries resolved to finalize a deal over Ethiopia's big dam on the Blue Nile in four months, a breakthrough after years of bickering between the two countries. The huge $4.2 billion dam has been at the heart of a regional dispute since Ethiopia broke ground on the project...
  • Riyadh Air orders 90 GEnx engines for Boeing 787 Dreamliners

    Le Bourget, France -  Riyadh Air has signed a deal for 90 GEnx-1B engines to power its new fleet following its recent agreement for a wide-body order of 39 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. The order also includes spare engines and a TrueChoice services agreement. The agreement was signed at the...
  • Pakistan to hand over Karachi Port terminals to UAE 

    Dubai, UAE - Pakistan has taken steps to finalize a deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the handover of the Karachi port terminals, potentially marking the first inter-governmental transaction under a law implemented last year to raise emergency funds.  The decision was made during a meeting chaired by...
  • Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal to sign football star Messi in mega-deal

    Al Hilal football club officials are in Paris to seal a mega-deal with Lionel Messi, who is leaving Qatar-owned Paris-Saint Germain. The officials will meet Messi's agent, Jorge, with the aim of completing the signing. One source said Saudi delegation has one goal: "to return with Messi official approval to...
  • US leaders finalize deal on debt ceiling week before default

    President Joe Biden and Republican leader Kevin McCarthy announced a deal to raise the debt ceiling, dragging the United States back from the precipice of default with only a few days to spare. Congress will vote on the deal to extend the government's borrowing authority on Wednesday, just shy of...
  • Tehran objects to presence of anti-Iran forces at Kurd event in Iraq

    TEHRAN, IRAN- Iran has summoned Iraq's ambassador to protest over the presence of Iranian opposition groups at an official ceremony in Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, media reported on Sunday. Quoting the foreign ministry, ISNA news agency said that during Saturday's meeting Tehran expressed its "strong objection" to the invitation of members...
  • TRENDS poll: Saudi-Iranian thaw raises stability hopes

    A majority of the people who voted in a TRENDS poll see the China-brokered deal between the two countries as a positive development.
  • Best chance for peace in Yemen in eight years, says UN envoy

    Yemen faces its best chance to strike a peace deal since the country's civil war started over eight years ago, although much work remains to be done, UN envoy Hans Grundberg said. "The truce has continued to deliver well beyond its expiration six months ago. The parties are engaging on...
  • Iran and Saudi Arabia: From proxy wars to partnership

    The two regional powers have cut ties twice since the 1987 crackdown on protesting Iranian pilgrims in Makkah. They have now pledged to work together for regional stability.
  • Evergrande signs restructuring agreement with international creditors

    Hong Kong, China--Chinese property developer Evergrande said it has entered into a restructuring agreement with a group of international creditors, in what could be a breakthrough deal toward easing the developer's massive debt. Once China's largest real estate company, Evergrande was found in 2021 to be drowning in more than $300...
  • UAE-Israel free trade deal to take effect on April 1

    The customs deal is viewed as the concluding phase of a free trade agreement following the normalization of relations between the two countries. Netanyahu describes it as historic.
  • Saudi, Iran foreign ministers hold Ramadan call, vow to meet ‘soon’

    Reaffirming their resolve to implement a landmark bilateral reconciliation deal, the Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers spoke by phone to mark the beginning of Ramadan and vowed to meet soon. The two ministers "exchanged congratulations on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan", which begins in both countries on...
  • SRC, Alrajhi sign refinance deal

    SRC is looking to expand its refinancing portfolio.
  • Saudi-Iran diplomatic pact leads to prisoner swap deal in Yemen

    The UN has confirmed that Yemen's Houthi rebels and its internationally recognized government have reached an agreement to exchange more than 880 prisoners. This comes in the wake of the China-brokered deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran to restore diplomatic ties between the two countries. The two regional powers back...
  • Iran’s president welcomes invitation by Saudi king

    Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has "welcomed" an invitation from Saudi Arabia's King Salman to visit the kingdom following the reconciliation between the two countries, an Iranian official said. "In a letter to President Raisi... the King of Saudi Arabia welcomed the deal between the two countries (and) invited him to...
  • Grain deal talks ongoing after Russian proposal, says UN

    Consultations to prolong Ukrainian grain exports deal are continuing, the UN said, after a Russian proposal for just a 60-day extension cast doubt over its fate. "The United Nations will do everything possible to preserve the integrity of the agreement and ensure its continuity," Jens Laerke, spokesman for the United...
  • Russia agrees to grain export deal extension for 60 days

    Russia has agreed to extend the Ukraine grain export deal following talks with the United Nations - but only for a further 60 days. Moscow said it wanted to see "tangible progress" on a parallel agreement on Russian exports before the deal comes up for renewal again.
  • Would welcome restoration of ties with Bahrain, says Iran

    Iran said it would welcome restoring ties with Bahrain to end seven years of ruptured relations, following the China-brokered deal to heal rifts between Tehran and Riyadh. "The resumption of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia shows the effectiveness of the diplomatic solution to resolve misunderstandings," said Iran's foreign ministry...
  • Grain deal not being implemented properly, says Russia

    MOSCOW, RUSSIA - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday that extending a deal that allowed grain exports from Ukraine to resume was becoming "complicated" as he claimed it was not being properly implemented. Russia's military intervention last February saw Ukraine's Black Sea ports blocked by warships until a deal last...
  • After 15 years of talks, UN states agree on deal to protect high seas

    The deal described by many as historic is seen as key to conserving 30 percent of the world's land and ocean by 2030, as agreed by world governments in a historic accord signed in Montreal in December. Eventually, following two weeks of intense talks, delegates finalized a text that now...