DUBAI: More airlines are restoring flights ‌to parts of the Middle East after the conflict that followed US and Israeli strikes on Iran, but some carriers have kept suspensions in place. Below is an update on the status of airlines’ flights, in alphabetical order: AEGEAN AIRLINES Greece’s largest c»»»

K-pop exports reached a record high in the first half of 2026, South Korean government data showed Friday, In this March 21 photo, a billboard advertising the Netflix livestream of a BTS concert is seen in Seoul. File Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo South Korea's exports of K-pop albums»»»

Manila: Manila lodged a diplomatic protest with Beijing on Friday over a "racist" video posted by Chinese state media portraying the Philippines as a cartoon monkey. The China Daily post was the latest offshoot of a long-running dispute over the Asian neighbours' overlapping South China Sea claims.»»»

Dubai: Travellers flying between the UAE and southern Saudi Arabia are facing ongoing disruption, with flights to and from Abha International Airport suspended for a fourth consecutive day on Friday, despite much of the airport's domestic schedule still operating. Passengers travelling on routes be»»»

HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s security chief said on Thursday that booksellers must ensure the items they sell “do not endanger national security,” a day after authorities arrested five over “seditious” material. National security police searched two bookshops on Wednesday and arrested five people under s»»»

The United Nations reported that two boats full of Rohingya fleeing violence in Myanmar are missing, and 500 people are believed dead. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo July 16 (UPI) -- About 500 people aboard boats heading to Bangladesh from Myanmar are feared dead after the vessels»»»

Police in Hong Kong arrested five bookstore workers on suspicion of breaches of the territory's national security laws during raids on two independent shops after customs officers seized a consignment of books shipped from overseas. File photo by Leung Man Hei/EPA-EFE July 16 (UPI) -- Police in Hon»»»

MANILA: The Philippines on Thursday slammed as racist a video posted by Chinese state media portraying the country as a cartoon monkey forced by US and Japanese masters to defend its South China Sea claims.China claims almost the entirety of the crucial waterway despite an international ruling that»»»

On 3 September 2025, as China marked the 80th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in the Second World War, President Xi Jinping stood at the centre of one of the most significant military parades of his tenure. The world’s eyes were on Beijing, as the latest weapons systems were paraded, and as observers»»»

Dubai: Travellers flying to and from the UAE face a shifting picture this week, with a new mandatory health form for India-bound passengers, fresh flight cancellations in Saudi Arabia, and airlines across the Gulf and beyond continuing to adjust schedules amid ongoing regional tensions. Here's a fu»»»

Tokyo: Two badminton veterans enjoyed 16 minutes of fame at the Japan Open on Wednesday when they appeared in the main draw of a high-level tournament after a lifetime of trying. Fifty-year-old Kar Lung Chun and his 40-year-old partner Karen Yun Qiao Feng were drafted in to compete in the mixed dou»»»

The chairman of Kazakhstan’s Atomic Energy Agency, Almassadam Satkaliyev, is on an extended tour of nuclear-power facilities in China, gaining insight into PRC management techniques covering the entire development cycle, from design to construction to the operation of such entities. Satkaliyev has »»»

Gold is trading near USD 4,100 per ounce after reaching a record USD 5,595.44 and then undergoing a sharp correction, according to the World Gold Council. Its short-term outlook remains tied to Federal Reserve policy, the dollar, bond yields, and geopolitical risks. A stronger economy and higher in»»»

HONG KONG: An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 jolted 34 km WSW of Sarangani, Philippines at 1549:41 GMT on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The epicenter, with a depth of 67.9 km, was initially determined to be at 5.33 degrees north latitude and 125.17 degrees east longitude.»»»

HONG KONG — Oil prices jumped and stocks fell again Tuesday after fresh US strikes against Iran that marked a new escalation in hostilities that has fuelled fears over their already fragile truce and the chances of another spike in inflation.Tech firms were once again in the crosshairs, with South »»»

JEDDAH: The first group of 250 pilgrims under the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Guests Program for Hajj, Umrah, and Visit has arrived in Makkah after spending several days in Madinah. Upon arrival, the guests performed Umrah and expressed their appreciation to the Kingdom’s leadership for the »»»

LONDON: Britain’s approval for China ‌to build a vast embassy in London was challenged in court on Tuesday, as a group of local residents argue that officials failed to consider the impact on protests and potential targeting of dissidents. China’s plans to build an embassy on the site of the two-ce»»»

Keeta, the on-demand delivery platform backed by global technology leader Meituan, has launched a new white paper exploring how technology-enabled delivery platforms can support Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation and create new opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth. »»»

Hong Kong: Oil prices jumped again on Tuesday after fresh US strikes against Iran that marked an escalation in hostilities, fuelling fears over their already fragile truce and the chances of another spike in inflation. However, tech firms enjoyed a much-needed reprieve after the latest bout of sell»»»

MANILA: The Philippines has strengthened cooperation with Saudi Arabia in addressing human trafficking, authorities say, following a joint program in Manila on knowledge sharing. The Philippines hosted this month a delegation from the Saudi National Committee on Combating Human Trafficking under a »»»

LONDON — World oil prices surged Monday as a fresh flare-up between the United States and Iran rattled investors, while a selloff in chipmakers sent South Korea's stock market plunging.European equities were muted and the dollar was mixed against main rivals."While [oil] prices are still not at cri»»»

Oil prices jumped and Asian shares were mostly lower Monday after the U.S. carried out airstrikes and Iran retaliated. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, gained 3.6% to $78.76 per barrel, while U.S. benchmark crude added 3.5% to $73.97 per barrel. Prices for both types of crude o»»»

HANOI: The bodies of 15 Indian tourists who were killed when a speedboat capsized off southern Vietnam last week were being returned home Monday. The speedboat was carrying 32 Indian tourists and four Vietnamese crew members when it overturned near the shore Saturday afternoon, shortly after leavin»»»

MADINAH: The first group in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Program for Hajj, Umrah, and Visit has toured the King Fahd Glorious Qur’an Printing Complex in Madinah. The 250 pilgrims from 16 Asian regions looked at the facility and learned about its high-precision printing, translation, and g»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi, received on Sunday a copy of the credentials of the Ambassador of the Republic of Albania to the State of Qatar, Jeta Kreka and the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Qatar, Hong Jeepio.HE Minister of State for For»»»

Germany will continue allowing citizens from 62 countries outside the European Union and Schengen Area to enter without a visa for short stays of up to 90 days in 2026, according to the German Federal Foreign Office. The policy, outlined in the government's official visa requirements list, permits »»»

Under the guise of fighting crime, Sao Paulo has rolled out the world's largest facial recognition system operated by a city. India, China, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom have introduced similar technologies under vague legal frameworks. But no city has embraced surveillance on the same scale as »»»

Since the financial crisis, the global banking sector has been forced to cut down on its excesses, lending more conservatively and just generally taking on less risk. But where in the world has the safest banks? Business Insider decided to take a look into the countries around the world with the sa»»»

North Korea plans to boost its nuclear force “both in quality and quantity”, state media reported on Friday, citing a decision from a military commission meeting. The country also announced plans to bolster its spying activities in South Korea “in a radical way”. North Korea will strengthen its nuc»»»

Dubai: Emirates will deploy its flagship Airbus A380 on flights between Dubai and Delhi from October 25, giving passengers more premium seats and access to Premium Economy across every daily service on the route. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Delhi will become the ai»»»

Namibia wants to process more of its uranium domestically rather than continuing to rely on exports of uranium concentrate, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said during a visit to China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) in Shenzhen as part of her state visit to China, The Namibian reports. CG»»»

SEOUL: North Korea will strengthen its nuclear force “both in quality and quantity” and expand the role of its military intelligence agency focused on South Korea, state media said Friday. Pyongyang is under widespread sanctions over its nuclear program, and the two Koreas remain technically at war»»»

Beijing: A fire that tore through a shoe factory in eastern China on Thursday killed at least 28 people, state media said, after scores of fire and rescue personnel raced to extinguish the blaze. Hours after the fire broke out at the Huiteng Shoes factory around noon (0400 GMT), authorities feared »»»

Beijing: A deadly fire at a shoe factory in eastern China on Thursday resulted in "heavy human losses", President Xi Jinping said, as dozens of fire and rescue personnel raced to extinguish the blaze. The fire broke out at the Huiteng Shoes factory in Jinjiang city, Fujian province, around noon, th»»»

RIYADH: The first international edition of Saudi Arabia’s LEAP conference in Hong Kong has “created real impact,” the chairman of the country’s cybersecurity federation said during a speech at the event. Faisal Al-Khamisi, chairman of the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones, »»»

Beijing: Nearly 200 fire and rescue personnel raced to put out a deadly fire at a shoe factory in eastern China on Thursday, with people still trapped inside hours after the blaze broke out, authorities said. A fire broke out at the Huiteng shoes factory in Jinjiang city, Fujian province, around no»»»

North Korea on Thursday condemned growing military cooperation between South Korea and Japan. In this June 28 photo, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-Back inspect honor guards at the Defense Ministry in Seoul. File Pool Photo by Kim Hong-ji/EPA Ju»»»

Greek shipping companies have earned at least $3.8bn transporting Russian crude oil since mid-2023, as a leading member of Russia’s shadow fleet, the Financial Times reported on July 7. Analysis by the FT found that Greek-owned tankers have remained among the largest carriers of Russian crude under»»»

More than 2,500 undergraduate students from around the world applied this summer for a place in a research internship at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), highlighting the growing global demand for hands-on AI research opportunities. Only 54 students were selected fo»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s flagship technology conference, LEAP, opened its first international edition in Hong Kong on Wednesday, marking its expansion beyond the Kingdom as Riyadh seeks to strengthen technology partnerships across Asia. Speaking at the opening of LEAP East, Minister of Communications»»»

London, United Kingdom: Oil prices soared and stock markets slid Wednesday after US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran was over, following renewed strikes in the Middle East. The latest bout of fighting was sparked by Iranian attacks on ships in the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping »»»

A cargo aircraft carrying five crew members went missing over the Arabian Sea off Pakistan’s Karachi coast after losing contact with air traffic controllers during a flight from Sharjah Airport in the UAE. Pakistan’s Airport Authority said search and rescue operations were launched after the aircra»»»

Global foreign direct investment rose in 2025 after two years of decline, but Poland recorded a slight fall. According to UNCTAD, FDI inflows to Poland reached USD 13.9 bln, down 1.9% y/y, although the value of greenfield projects increased by 9.2% to USD 16.3 bln. Worldwide FDI grew by 6% to USD 1»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia jumped to 13th place globally in attracting foreign direct investment in 2025, climbing from 17th the previous year, according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development. In its latest report, UNCTAD said that the Kingdom attracted FDI amounting to $33 billion in 2025, repre»»»

Asian stocks fell on Tuesday as investors locked in profits from this year's artificial intelligence (AI)-driven rally, with a blockbuster earnings outlook from Samsung Electronics failing to prevent a broad sell-off in technology shares while a weak Japanese yen and lingering geopolitical risks ke»»»

MADINAH: The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has completed preparations to receive Umrah performers under the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Guests Program for Hajj, Umrah and Visit. The first group of this year’s program, comprising 250 male and female guests from 16 Asian countries, is scheduled »»»

Sharjah has further cemented its reputation as a global destination for the jewellery industry after the 57th Watch & Jewellery Middle East Show concluded with record business activity, strong international participation and a significant rise in buyer spending. The five-day exhibition, organised b»»»

HONG KONG — Asian markets fluctuated Monday as investors struggled to maintain last week's late tech recovery, with traders turning their focus to the upcoming earnings season, while oil prices fell on further supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz.After a tough end to June -- fuelled by wor»»»

According to the European Statistical Office (Eurostat) shows that the European Union recorded a current account surplus of 113.4 billion euros (2.4% of GDP) in the first quarter of 2026, after a surplus of 99.2 billion euros (2.1% of GDP) in the previous three months and a surplus of 104.9 billion»»»

Bulgaria ranked fourth among European Union member states for the largest current account deficit in the first quarter of 2026, trailing only Greece, Romania, and Croatia, according to the latest balance of payments data. Despite the weak performance of several member states, the EU as a whole post»»»