ABU DHABI, UAE - Saudi Arabia’s holdings of US Treasuries reached US$131.9 billion in December 2023, up $3.8 billion month-on-month, new data released by the US Treasury showed. The Kingdom maintained 16th place among the largest holders of US treasury securities for the month.  Saudi Arabia’s holdings of US Treasuries were distributed among long-term bonds worth...

Truce efforts intensified this week as Qatar and fellow mediators Egypt and the US scrambled to secure a ceasefire before Israeli troops enter Rafah, the last major population center in Gaza untouched by Israeli ground troops. Despite a direct appeal from US President Joe Biden earlier this week, Netanyahu insisted...

Speaking at a televised news conference, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that critics exhorting Israel not to lauch offensive in Rafah were telling the Jewish country to "lose the war" against Hamas. He suggested that troops would go in regardless of whether a hostage release is reached.

Palestinian Territories - Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh on Saturday reiterated the group's demand of a complete ceasefire in Gaza, a day after US President Joe Biden called for a "temporary truce" to secure the release of hostages. High-level negotiations to pause the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza were held this week...

In a post in Hebrew on social media platform X, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Jewish country will continue to oppose unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. Such recognition, in his opinion, would offer an "enormous reward to unprecedented terrorism.

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

Chief Executive James Quincey described consumers in North America as "holding up well," although he acknowledged "a little softening" through 2023 in the United States due to persistently higher prices that have pressured low-income shoppers. Coca-Cola projected 2024 revenue growth of six to seven percent when foreign exchange and the...

"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.

Dubai, UAE -- American hardwood lumber (sawn timber) shipments to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region reached $61.14 million and a volume of 74,791 cubic meters in 2023, according to the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC). Significant increases were seen in exports of American hardwood lumber to the...

The cryptocurrency has enjoyed a strong run-in recent month, fueled by expectations US lawmakers would allow the creation of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that track the price and let the public invest in crypto without directly purchasing it. The currency remains well below its record value of almost $69,000 in 2020,...

Speaking at the White House while US President Joe Biden stood next to him, King Abdullah of Jordan said that "we cannot afford an Israeli attack on Rafah." He said that it will result in another humanitarian catastrophe, and called for a lasting ceasefire and that war must end.

Despite maintaining its ties with Israel since the Israel-Hamas war began in October, the UAE has been at pains to express solidarity with Palestinians as anger mounted in the Arab world over the conflict.

Another security firm, Ambrey, said the Marshall Islands-flagged, Greece-owned bulk carrier "was targeted by missiles in two separate incidents" within 20 minutes and "was reportedly hit and sustained physical damage on the starboard side". The Houthis, part of the anti-Western, anti-Israel "axis of resistance" of Iran-backed groups, have been targeting...

According to the military spokesman for Iraq's prime minister, the discussions aim to schedule a timeline for a pullout of coalition forces from Iraq, leading to the end of its mission. He said the meetings will take place on a regular basis in order to achieve the commission's works as...

He reportedly intends to sell, next July, 50 million shares of the group.

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...

Its sales in China slumped 35% from April to December.

A total of 17 Houthi fighters were killed in US strikes, the Iran-backed Yemeni rebel group said through its official media. "The bodies of a number of martyrs of the nation as a result of the bombing of the American-British aggression were carried through Sanaa in a solemn funeral procession,"...

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 – 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...

"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.

"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...

"There's a lot of work to be done, but we are very much focused on doing that work and hopefully being able to resume the release of hostages that was interrupted" after a week-long truce in November, he said. The US top envoy, on his fifth Middle East tour since...

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that five people have been killed including three civilians, and seven others were injured in Israeli strikes on a building in the Hamra neighbourhood of Homs city. The country's defence ministry reported that "the Israeli enemy launched air strikes targeting a number of...

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said last week that the movement's armed forces had targeted an American merchant ship named KOI with "several appropriate naval missiles". The ship, he said, had been heading to "the ports of occupied Palestine", a phrase which is sometimes used to mean Israel.

The US forces targeted many positions in Syria and Iraq in retaliation for a drone attack on a base in Jordan that killed three US soldiers. The strikes, which targeted elite Iranian units and pro-Iranian militant groups, have led to fears that the ongoing war in Gaza could spiral into...

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...

MADRID, SPAIN -  Spain said on Monday that it would give an additional US$$3.8 million (3.5 million euros) in aid to the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, which is facing a cash crunch after several nations suspended their funding. Over a dozen countries, including major donors the United States, Germany, Britain...

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...

The US secretary of state is expected to discuss a proposed truce hammered out in a Paris meeting in January of top US, Israeli, Egyptian and Qatari officials. The diplomatic push has become more urgent with the surge in attacks by Iran-backed groups in solidarity with Hamas, triggering counterattacks by...

The value of certificates of origin issued stood at US$65m.

The Gaza health ministry said that at least 127 people were killed in Israeli strikes in the previous 24 hours in the territory. A kindergarten where families were sheltering was hit in Rafah, which is teeming with Palestinians displaced by the war, ahead of another visit to the region by...

French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne was in Egypt and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expected in the region in the coming days to push for a ceasefire and hostage release. The health ministry in the territory, most of which has been left uninhabitable by Israeli bombardments, said at least...

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates--Tunisian tennis star Ons Jabeur on Saturday threw her support behind the potential staging of the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia, urging critics to be "more informed" on the Kingdom's interest in the sport. Jabeur, a three-time Grand Slam finalist and former world number two, said she...

Scaling up attacks in the Middle East, US and UK carried out joint air raids in Yemen after a separate wave of US strikes on targets in Iraq and Syria carried out in response to the killing of three US soldiers in Jordan. It is the third time the western...

Palestinian group Hamas condemned overnight US strikes in Iraq and Syria, saying Washington had poured "oil on the fire" in the Middle East. The US "bears responsibility for the consequences of this brutal aggression against both Iraq and Syria, which pour oil on the fire," the group said in a...

The strikes hit "locations in the Akashat and Al-Qaim regions, including areas where our security forces are stationed", Awadi said. The United States carried out the strikes on Friday in retaliation for the killing of three US military personnel in a drone attack on a base close to Jordan's border...

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called on all parties to avoid further escalation in the Middle East after US strikes on Iran-linked groups in Syria and Iraq. "Everybody should try to avoid that the situation becomes explosive," Borrell said at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

The company said it posted a net profit of US$227.4 million.

A Hamas source had told AFP the three-stage plan would start with an initial six-week halt to the fighting that would see more aid deliveries into Gaza. Only "women, children and sick men over 60" held by fighters would be freed during that stage in exchange for Palestinian captives in...

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - An assailant on Thursday took a number of people hostage at a plant owned by US cosmetics giant Procter & Gamble near Istanbul in protest at the war in Gaza, a police spokesman said. It was not immediately clear how many people were being held at the plant,...

The United States approved a $4 billion sale of state-of-the-art drones to India, offering a new edge to the growing US partner. The sale marks a milestone in Indian purchases of American weapons after New Delhi's reliance on weapons from Russia, which have been increasingly controversial due to sanctions over...

Abu Dhabi, UAE--In a significant move that underscores the interconnectedness of global monetary policies, central banks across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have announced decisions to hold their interest rates steady, mirroring the recent actions of the US Federal Reserve. This collective stance reflects a cautious approach to navigating the...

CENTCOM earlier announced that the USS Carney had shot down an anti-ship ballistic missile fired by the Houthis, and then downed three Iranian drones less than an hour later. It did not specify if the drones shot down by the naval destroyer were designed for attack or surveillance.

Maritime security firm Ambrey said that a merchant ship had been targeted with a missile in southwest of Aden, Yemen. The vessel has reported an explosion on board, Ambrey said. The security firm said it was aware that a missile was fired from Taiz. It comes after Houthis claimed an...

Islamabad, Pakistan - Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan was sentenced on Tuesday to 10 years in prison, less than two weeks before the country votes in an election his party has been hamstrung from contesting. Pakistan goes to the polls next Thursday in an election already marred by allegations of...

The move comes as UPS seeks to "align" its resources.

Washington D.C., US--– Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the US, Reema Bandar Al-Saud, has expressed disappointment with recent media criticism of the kingdom's hosting of the Women's Tennis Association Finals and broader issues concerning women's rights in Saudi Arabia. In response to an opinion piece published by The Washington Post, she...

Taher al-Nunu, a senior Hamas official, said his group wanted a "complete and comprehensive ceasefire, and not a temporary truce." Speaking to AFP, he said that once the fighting stopped "the rest of the details can be discussed" including a hostage release. Qatar, Egypt and the US have led mediation...

Israel's relentless military offensive has since killed at least 26,422 people in Gaza, most of them women and children, according to the territory's health ministry. The Gaza war has forced more than one million Palestinians to flee to the far-southern Rafah area near the Egyptian border, according to the UN,...