BANGKOK, THAILAND – Asian economies are not doing as well as they could and growth in the region is forecast to slow to 4.5 percent this year from 5.1 percent in 2023, Associated Press (AP) quoted a World Bank report as saying on Monday. Debt, trade barriers and policy uncertainties...

The new accounts were distributed over the months of the year, with a notable YoY spike of 151.5 percent in March 2023.

The company had paid an interim cash dividend of $1.62bn in Dec 2023.

Observers called it Erdogan's worst election defeat since his party took power in 2002. Many blamed inflations running at 67 percent and a crashing devaluation of the lira currency over the past year.

The Hamas government media office said the Israeli air strikes had provided cover for the withdrawing vehicles. The army launched its operation on March 18 and has described it as a "precise" one targeting Hamas fighters it accused of operating from the complex. Hamas has denied operating from Al-Shifa and...

Bangkok, Thailand--Asian economies are not doing as well as they could and growth in the region is forecast to slow to 4.5 percent this year from 5.1 percent in 2023, Associated Press (AP) quoted a World Bank report as saying on Monday. Debt, trade barriers and policy uncertainties are dulling...

The art of hand-weaving braided shiny ribbons to adorn traditional clothing and bags is called Al Talli, and is on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list. But with the relentless pace of change in the United Arab Emirates, its days may be numbered.

Sharjah, UAE--Expo Centre Sharjah (ECS) has unveiled its future projects and forthcoming initiatives to develop and enhance the exhibitions sector and bolster its role in driving the growth of Sharjah’s economy. Promoting the emirate’s business tourism potential and opening up growth prospects across various sectors, the ECS’s plans are geared...

Shenzhen, China--China's manufacturing activity expanded for the first time in six months in March. The official purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 50.8 in March from 49.1 in February, above the 50-mark separating growth from contraction and topping a median forecast of 49.9. Though the pace of growth was modest,...

"These banks excel not only in financial performance but also in adapting and innovating. Through partnerships with global entities like Mastercard and initiatives like the Trade Bank of Iraq's online banking system, accessibility to financial services has greatly improved," she added.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The unemployment rate among Saudi women witnessed a historic decline, plummeting to 13.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023, as per the latest figures released by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT). This marks a notable 2.6 percent drop from the third quarter's 16.3 percent....

Tokyo, Japan--The UAE exported 44.1 percent, namely 31.3 million barrels, of Japan's crude oil needs in February 2024, according to the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy in Tokyo. The agency, part of the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, stated that the amount of crude that Japan imported...

The prime minister's office said in a statement that Benjamin Netanyahu was in "good shape and beginning to recover after the operation on Sunday evening." His doctors discovered the hernia on Saturday during a routine checkup, and after consultations the decision was made for the premier to undergo surgery.

RAFAH, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES – Meters away from the concrete and steel fence separating the Gaza Strip from Egypt, 11-year-old Malak Ayad flies a paper kite high in the sky -- a welcome distraction from the horrors of war. "Every day I play with my brothers and cousins with kites next to the Egyptian...

Abu Dhabi, UAE – Rotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the region with over 100 properties in the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Türkiye (MENAT), announces on Sunday the soft opening of Dar Rayhaan by Rotana, Al Khobar, in Saudi Arabia. The opening is in line...

Net profit grew by 13.1 percent compared to 2022

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- ROSHN Group has launched ALMANAR, its fifth integrated mixed-use community and its first venture in Makkah, the group said in a press release.The first phase of ALMANAR, the release said, will provide 4,149 residential units that will house over 17,000 people on a footprint of 2.5...

The official said the gap between the two sides' negotiating positions was too wide. "I doubt that there will be any progress in these negotiations because the positions are too far apart," said the official.

Dubai, UAE -- The Dubai Land Department (DLD) has embarked on the first phase of a series of strategic partnerships with nine leading developers, aimed at bolstering the "Dubai Real Estate Programme." DLD said the initiative underscores its commitment to cultivating a skilled citizenry proficient in professional ethics and principles,...

LONDON, UK – Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters rallied in London on Saturday, in the latest demonstration in the British capital demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and more aid for the war-ravaged territory. The event, organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, began at Russell Square in the city center before attendees marched...

The company is recommending a cash dividend of 10 percent.

The high-tech building housing the center cost $350 million, mainly financed by the EU. Thales bills it as the largest investment ever made in scientific research in Romania.

TABUK, SAUDI ARABIA – A few days ago, the Red Sea destination hosted several international football stars from Saudi Pro League teams. Accompanied by their families, the players stayed in the resorts of this distinguished destination, indulging in its charming turquoise waters and vast desert dunes. They also engaged in...

The military observers, from Australia, Chile and Norway, and a Lebanese language assistant had been on foot patrol around the so-called Blue Line -- the UN-demarcated border between Israel and Lebanon. The four "were injured when an explosion occurred near their location", according to Andrea Tenenti, a spokesperson for the...

Reports of the new talks in Cairo came as protesters in Israel's biggest city blocked a major road Saturday following demonstrations calling for the release of hostages held in Gaza. A key element of the ceasefire negotiations has been an agreement on releasing the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners...

UN agencies have warned repeatedly that northern Gaza is on the verge of famine and called it a man-made crisis because aid lorries are backed up on the Egypt-Gaza border awaiting long checks by Israeli officials. Israel has denied responsibility.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia's tourism sector contributed to a record-breaking $36 (SR135 billion) in spending by international visitors. The surge, reported by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), represents a substantial 42.8 percent increase from the previous year. The Kingdom's remarkable performance in tourism was further highlighted by its...

The banking sector across the GCC has demonstrated formidable growth and profitability, with Qatar leading in several key performance indicators, say KPMG, Fitch reports.

Media outlets pay for the journalists to fly on the government plane with US president, along with the meals and drinks served in-flight, the crew also distributes as souvenirs small packages of M&M's chocolates bearing the presidential seal. But that is not good enough for many of those aboard the...

"Around 9,000 patients urgently need to be evacuated abroad for lifesaving health services, including treatment for cancer, injuries from bombardments, kidney dialysis and other chronic conditions," WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X. It is is up from 8,000 in the WHO's previous assessment at the beginning of...

AMMAN, JORDAN – Products of the Kingdom’s pharmaceutical industries and medical supplies sector moved over the past quarter century to the global level, driven by its development, quality and competitiveness, a stakeholder said. This has placed Jordan among the top countries in this strategic industry. Representative of Pharmaceutical Industries and...

Gaza City, Palestinian Territories - The Palestine Red Crescent said five people were killed and dozens wounded by gunfire and a stampede during an aid delivery Saturday in northern Gaza, where famine looms. AFP video footage shows a convoy of trucks moving past burning debris near the distribution point in pre-dawn...

Beirut, Lebanon - The death toll in Israeli air strikes on Syria has risen to 52, including 38 government soldiers and seven members of Lebanon's Hizbollah movement, a war monitor said on Saturday. Friday's strikes fueled concerns of a wider regional conflagration. They targeted "a rocket depot belonging to Lebanon's Hizbollah"...

Russia's invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago upended European leaders' sense of unshakeable post-war peace, prompting many countries to gear up weapons production to supply both Kiev and their own militaries. Former European Council president Tusk, whose country has been one of the staunchest supporters of neighbouring Ukraine,...

While previous research has found climate change is causing heat waves to become longer, more frequent and more intense, the new paper differed by treating heat waves as distinct weather patterns that move along air currents, just as storms do. For every decade between 1979 to 2020,  researchers found heat...

It will cost US$100bn and will include an AI supercomputer.

It can essentially duplicate someone's speech.

The IMF action, repeatedly postponed and eagerly awaited by the Egyptian government, arrives at a time of mounting difficulties for its economy. The IMF said Egypt has achieved all the objectives set out in the first two stages of the aid program, with the exception of the level of its...

Washington, US--The US Treasury Department pushed back on Friday against claims it had eased sanctions against West Bank settlers after pressure from Israel's finance minister. The US recently sanctioned seven Israeli settlers and two farming outposts in the West Bank in response to a surge in violence, freezing their assets...

Abu Dhabi, UAE--The UAE and Kenya have signed an investment memorandum establishing a framework for investment cooperation in digitalisation and technology. In addition to exploring investments in digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence (AI) services in Kenya, the cooperation may include developing data centre projects with a total capacity of up...

The go-ahead for a new round of talks on a Gaza ceasefire came a day after the world's top court ordered Israel to ensure aid reaches desperate civilians. But despite a binding UN Security Council resolution earlier this week demanding an "immediate ceasefire", fighting raged on unabated in Gaza.

For the first time in its 43-year history, the bloc has set a strategic vision that prioritizes diplomacy and dialogue over force to boost regional security and stability.

Istanbul, Turkey - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet with US counterpart Joe Biden at the White House on May 9, a Turkish official told AFP on Friday. It would be the first White House meeting between the two leaders. The Biden administration in January approved $23 billion in F-16...

Istanbul, Turkey - Turkey's flagship carrier, Turkish Airlines, has resumed flights to Libya's capital, almost 10 years after they were suspended over security concerns in the conflict-torn country. The airlines's chief executive, Bilal Eksi, attended a ceremony at Mitiga International Airport on Thursday to mark its first flight to Libya since...

The next US census and federal government forms will include new options for race and ethnicity including a category for people of Middle Eastern or North African origin, officials said. The changes, the first in nearly three decades, were announced by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and published...

WASHINGTON, US – The US central bank's favored measure of inflation edged higher last month on the back of rising fuel prices, according to government data published on Friday, but another gauge stripping out volatile food and energy prices continued to ease. US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell told a conference...

Baghdad, Iraq -- Iraq said Friday a power line would soon bring electricity from Jordan to the border area as authorities aim to diversify energy sources to ease the country's chronic outages. With its generating capacity ravaged by decades of conflict and underinvestment, Iraq has long relied on imports of both...

Brussels, Belgium -- One of Belgium's most-wanted suspected drug smugglers was extradited from Dubai on Friday, the Belgian justice ministry said. Nordin El Hajjioui, a Belgian of Moroccan origin, is believed to be one of the main drug barons in Antwerp and is wanted in at least three cocaine-trafficking cases. Emirati...

The profits more than doubled compared to 2022.

The company's revenue fell by 18 percent in 2023.