BRATISLAVA: UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Bratislava on Sunday, March 8, 2026, during a working visit to the Slovak capital. The meeting took place in the presence of Slovakia’s…

    DUBAI: UNICEF, Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) have launched a US$300 million partnership aimed at helping save 3 million children from malnutrition, the organisations announced on March 12. The partnership is tied to Dubai’s…

    Business

    MUMBAI: India’s foreign exchange reserves rose to a record $728.494 billion in the week ended Feb. 27, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India on Friday. The stockpile increased $4.885 billion from $723.608 billion a week earlier, reversing the prior week’s decline. India’s forex reserves comprise foreign…

    BEIJING: China’s top economic and financial officials pledged expanded support for technology firms, a push toward more balanced trade and deeper capital market reforms during a news conference on the sidelines of the annual National People’s Congress. The briefing brought together leaders from the economic planning agency, the commerce ministry,…

    RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has placed a temporary ban on imports of poultry meat and table eggs from Indonesia under updated health controls published by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, tightening access for Indonesian products to one of the region’s largest food markets. The restriction is set out in SFDA…

    NEW DELHI: India and Canada issued a joint leaders’ statement on Monday after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during Carney’s official visit to India from Feb. 27 to March 2. The statement said the two countries agreed to rebuild momentum across…

    ABU DHABI: Exus Renewables has signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC, known as Masdar, to acquire a 60% stake in Masdar’s Portuguese wind portfolio, the companies said. The transaction covers nine onshore wind farms in northern and central Portugal. Masdar will retain a 40% stake…

    SEOUL: South Korea’s central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2.50% on Thursday, maintaining the Base Rate as policymakers balanced a steady inflation backdrop with improving economic momentum and ongoing financial stability concerns. The Bank of Korea’s Monetary Policy Board said it would hold the current level while…

    HARARE: Zimbabwe has suspended the export of all raw minerals and lithium concentrates with immediate effect, the  Ministry of Mines and Mining Development said, ordering the restriction to be observed “until further notice.” The ministry said the suspension applies to all minerals, including shipments already in transit. Mines and…

    Technology

    EuroWire, LEIPZIG: BMW Group has launched a pilot project using humanoid robots in production at its Plant Leipzig, marking the company’s first deployment of humanoid robotics on a factory floor in Germany. BMW announced the project on Feb. 27 and provided additional details on March 9, describing the move as part of what it calls “Physical AI,”…

    CUPERTINO: Apple on Tuesday introduced updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models powered by its new M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, positioning the laptops for professional workflows and expanded on-device artificial intelligence. Apple said the systems add faster storage, updated wireless capabilities and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity while keeping the same form factors. Preorders opened Wednesday, March…

    CUPERTINO: Apple on March 2 introduced the iPhone 17e, a lower-priced model in its iPhone 17 lineup that starts at $599 with 256GB of storage and is also offered with 512GB for $799. The company said the phone will be sold in black, white and soft pink with a matte finish. Pre-orders begin March 4 at 6:15…

    NEW DELHI: Samsung India said its flagship Galaxy S26 smartphone series is available for pre-order in India from Feb. 25, led by the Galaxy S26 Ultra alongside the Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26. The company billed the lineup as its most advanced AI phone range to date, built around “Agentic AI” features aimed at reducing steps between…