Author: Editorial Team

BEIJING — Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed their high-level strategic ties and growing energy trade as they met in Beijing on Wednesday just days after Xi hosted President Donald Trump for a landmark summit.Xi alluded to an increasingly fractious international situation as he sat down with Putin in the Great Hall of the People for meetings kicking off the Russian leader’s roughly 24-hour state visit in the Chinese capital.“The international situation is marked by intertwined turbulence and transformation, while unilateral hegemonic currents are running rampant,” Xi said, using Beijing’s typical language to criticize what it…

TEHRAN — Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Iran on Wednesday for the second time this week amid an impasse between Tehran and Washington over a proposal to end the war, Iranian state media reported.“Mohsin Naqvi traveled to Tehran to meet officials from the Islamic Republic,” Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported, citing diplomatic sources in Islamabad.Pakistan has been mediating between Iran and the United States, with Naqvi previously in Tehran on Saturday to “facilitate” the peace process, according to Iranian media.During his previous visit to Tehran in recent days, the Pakistani minister met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian,…

WORLD CAPITALS, 21st May, 2026 (WAM) — Gold held steady on Thursday, as rising hopes of a US-Iran peace deal countered fears of inflation and higher-for-longer interest rates. Spot gold fell 0.2 percent to US$4,534.69 per ounce as of 02:58 GMT. Bullion had gained more than 1 percent on Wednesday after dropping earlier in the day to its lowest level since 30th March. US gold futures for June delivery were steady at US$4,536.70 per ounce. Spot silver declined 0.8 percent to US$75.40 per ounce, while platinum lost 0.7 percent to US$1,936.10. Palladium also fell 0.4 percent to US$1,365.12 per ounce.…

SEOUL, 21st May, 2026 (WAM) — Exports of the Republic of Korea rose 65 percent from a year earlier in the first 20 days of May, data showed Thursday, with semiconductor shipments more than tripling over the period. Outbound shipments reached US$52.7 billion in the May 1-20 period, compared with $31.9 billion tallied in the same period last year, according to data released by the Korea Customs Service. The figure was the largest ever recorded for the first 20 days of May, Yonhap News Agency reported. Imports went up 29.3 percent on-year to $41.6 billion over the cited period, resulting…

Landmark partnership marries 110 years of industrial domain expertise with Claude’s frontier AI to accelerate the safe, enterprise-scale deployment of physical AI across critical infrastructure worldwide. Dubai — Hitachi, Ltd. has announced a strategic partnership with Anthropic PBC, the AI safety company behind the Claude family of models, to strengthen its Lumada 3.0 business model and accelerate the safe deployment of frontier AI across mission-critical industries. Announced jointly from Santa Clara and Tokyo, the alliance unites Hitachi’s 110-plus years of domain expertise in IT, operational technology, and products with Anthropic’s frontier AI capabilities. The companies will focus on advancing system…

Global Village extended it 30th season till May 31, which means Dubai residents and visitors have 10 more days to enjoy the one of the most popular tourist spots in the emirate. The entertainment destination announced a three-week extension of its milestone Season 30, giving shoppers a chance to enjoy the food stalls, country pavilions and various other attractions all through the Eid Al Adha holidays. Global Village was closed for 51 days this year due to Iran war, at a time when tourist footfall is usually high in Dubai. It reopened on April 20 after the ceasefire was announced. Stay…

RIYADH — There has been a 10.2 percent year-on-year increase in Saudi Arabia’s operating revenue index during March 2026 compared to March 2025. This was revealed in the short-term business indicators bulletin, released on Wednesday by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT). On a monthly basis, the index rose by 8.1 percent compared to February 2026, supported by growth across several activities, including a 4.4 percent increase in manufacturing, a 38.6 percent surge in mining and quarrying, a 0.2 percent rise in wholesale and retail trade and vehicle repair, a 2.6 percent increase in financial and insurance activities, and a…

MAKKAH — Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel inspected a number of healthcare facilities at the holy sites operated by the private sector. During the inspection tour, the minister reviewed the readiness of health facilities, the efficiency of healthcare services, and the level of preparedness for the 2026 Hajj season. The inspection aimed to ensure the provision of integrated, high-quality healthcare services to pilgrims, in line with the objectives of the Health Sector Transformation Program and the Pilgrim Experience Program, both derived from Saudi Vision 2030, enabling pilgrims to perform their rituals in good health and peace of mind. The minister’s…

PARIS, 20th May, 2026 (WAM) — The Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF), led by Hamid Saif AlZaabi, President of the Group, participated in the 5th “No Money for Terror” Ministerial Conference held in Paris, France. The conference saw the participation of ministers, senior officials, and international experts concerned with combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and organised crime. The conference witnessed broad participation from MENAFATF member states, with 10 member countries taking part in the event, reflecting the region’s strong commitment to enhancing joint efforts to combat financial crimes and terrorist financing, and to strengthening international…

The UAE has become the third country to approve Miebo, a new eye drop that treats the dry eye disease, after the Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) cleared the medication for use in the country. The treatment, developed by Bausch + Lomb, is aimed at treating the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease, a condition that affects millions of people worldwide and can impact visual comfort and quality of life. Miebo contains an active substance called perfluorohexyloctane and is the first prescription eye drop designed to directly target tear evaporation, one of the leading causes of the dry eye disease.…