China announced a seven percent boost to its defense budget for 2026 on Thursday as it steadily increases spending to counter the United States and enforce its claims over Taiwan and the South China Sea. The latest rise keeps China's spending at a third of that of the United States, but the Asian p»»»

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday that he couldn't rule out his country's military participation in the escalating war in the Middle East. Carney's visit to Australia this week has been overshadowed by expanding war in the Middle East, sparked by a massive US-Israeli strike on Iran »»»

Dubai: Gold prices in the UAE edged higher on Thursday morning, tracking global gains as investors shifted money into safer assets amid escalating conflict in the Middle East and fresh volatility in currency markets. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.In Dubai, the price »»»

With the post-war "global architecture breaking down from consecutive crises" Australia and Canada should work together as "strategic cousins", Mark Carney has told the Australian parliament. The question for middle powers was whether they would write the new rules that determine security and prosp»»»

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday that he couldn't rule out his country's military participation in the escalating war in the Middle East. Carney's visit to Australia this week has been overshadowed by expanding war in the Middle East, sparked by a massive US-Israeli strike on Iran »»»

Lou Holtz, the legendary former American football coach of the University Notre Dame, has died at the age of 89. Holtz coached Notre Dame from 1986 to 1996, leading the team through an undefeated season and championship in 1988. He also coached several other university teams and spent one season in»»»

Technology firms including Google and Meta have said they will shoulder the costs to power artificial intelligence data centres, as the White House faces pressure to address rising electricity prices. US President Donald Trump has embraced the AI sector. But the expansion of data centres has strain»»»

The rapidly expanding war in Iran is creating ripple effects beyond the Middle East, rattling global energy markets and reshaping the economics of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Iran's retaliatory strikes across the Gulf have driven oil prices up, potentially boosting Moscow’s revenues just as sanctions »»»

French citizen Louis Arnaud was detained in Iran in 2022 and spent nearly two years in the country’s notorious Evin prison. He tells FRANCE 24 why Israeli-US strikes on Iran have brought new dangers for Iran's prisoners, tens of thousands of whom have been locked up for opposing the regime.&nb»»»

In an era when nuclear deterrence is no longer an abstract theory and the relationship between the US and Russia increasingly resembles a game without rules, it is important to hear the opinion of people who know the political systems of both countries inside out. Dimitri Simes is one of the few po»»»

Say what you will about Germany’s current ‘elites’, but they are consistent: Once they don’t give a damn about international law, elementary fairness, rudimentary human decency, and, last but not least, basic logic, they really won’t quit before their country’s reputation is ruined as it has not be»»»

The Supreme Court was asked to rule on a case that could redefine liability standards for freight brokers and impact the broader transportation industry and interstate commerce landscape. Photo by Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States/UPI | License Photo WASHINGTON, M»»»

The world’s biggest 3D-printed structure has towered over a tiny village in the Swiss Alps. Tor Alva, or White Tower in Romansh, is more than a global technological milestone; it is also a powerful antidote to the Swiss countryside’s growing depopulation. The driving forces behind this impressive p»»»

The Middle East has seen many crises that began as ‘limited’ operations and turned into open-ended wars. The familiar pattern is not caused by miscalculation alone, but by geography and structure; once the first missiles fly, the region’s tightly interlinked security and economic systems pull neigh»»»

An Indian expatriate living in Sharjah has won the Dh15 million grand prize in Big Ticket’s live draw series 284, held in Abu Dhabi. Vibeesh Palliyali was holding ticket number 394150, which he purchased on February 28. Show hosts Richard and Bouchra has noted that the draw was postponed on March 3»»»

"No to war" was Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's response to U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to stop trading with Spain over its refusal to support his miltary campaign against Iran or allow U.S. forces to fly missions out of two joint-Spanish-U.S. air bases. File photo by Borja Puig De »»»

Dubai: QatarEnergy has declared force majeure on liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments after suspending production at key facilities following a drone attack on the country’s energy infrastructure. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The state-owned energy giant said it ha»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani chaired the Cabinet's regular meeting on Wednesday at the Amiri Diwan. At the outset of the meeting, the Cabinet commended the decisive role of Qatar Armed Forces, under the leader»»»

Yoo Yong-won of the People Power Party speaks at the National Assembly Communication Center in Seoul on March 3 about the results of his visit to Ukraine related to the Russia-Ukraine war. Photo by Yonhap News Agency March 3 (Asia Today) -- Yoo Yong-won of the conservative People Power Party said M»»»

Nepal is heading to a general election on Thursday, six months after sudden and violent protests rocked the Himalayan nation and led to the resignation of then-Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s government. Nearly 19 million Nepalis will vote to elect a 275‑member parliament, with more than 3,400 candi»»»

Dubai: Trading across the UAE's main stock exchanges opened with sharp declines on Wednesday after a two-day suspension, as investors rushed to reprice assets amid rapid geopolitical developments across the region. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The Dubai Financial Ma»»»

1 of 2 | A smoke column rises above the Iranian capital capital, Tehran, on Tuesday following a U.S. airstrike. Photo by Nahal Farzaneh/UPI | License Photo March 4 (UPI) -- The U.S. military said it has hit almost 2,000 targets with more than 2,000 munitions since launching its "unprecedented opera»»»

Dubai: As tensions rise amid the ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran, a wave of photos and videos has flooded social media. However, not all circulating content is accurate. One of which is a footage of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) on a livestream when a massive explosion occur»»»

Dubai: As tensions rise amid the ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran, a wave of photos and videos has flooded social media. However, not all circulating content is accurate. One of which is a footage of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) on a livestream when a massive explosion occur»»»

The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) – New Beginning has called on President Iliana Iotova to convene the Consultative Council on National Security (CCNS) in response to the situation in the Middle East. Bulgaria and its citizens need nationally responsible decisions, MRF-New Beginning Deputy»»»

Dubai: When the Gulf airspace was disrupted and flights began cancelling one after another, many residents found themselves stuck abroad, far from the city they had built their lives in. For some, that meant days of uncertainty, rerouting through multiple countries, and scrambling for any flight th»»»

Oil prices rose about 1% on Wednesday as US-Israeli strikes on Iran disrupted Middle East supplies, but the pace of gains slowed from past sessions after President Donald Trump suggested the US Navy could escort vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent rose 91 cents, or 1.1%, to $82.31 a barrel »»»

Indonesia's foreign minister ‌said talks on US President Donald Trump's Gaza "Board of Peace," of which the Southeast Asian nation is a key troop-contributing member, were on hold due to the Middle East war. The US and Israeli air war against Iran has killed scores of civilians, thrown global air t»»»

Sydney: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday that US-Israeli strikes on Iran had been “inconsistent with international law”, calling for a rapid de-escalation of the conflict. Speaking at a gathering of the Lowy Institute think tank in Sydney, Carney said Canada welcomed steps to chan»»»

The march to the US midterm elections, which will determine which party controls both chambers of Congress for the second half of Donald Trump's presidency, is officially under way. Voters in a handful of states headed to the polls on Tuesday to pick the Democratic and Republican candidates for the»»»

Dubai: For months, cinema lovers in the UAE have been buzzing about Marty Supreme the critically acclaimed sports drama starring Timothée Chalamet that became one of the most talked-about films of the last year. Directed by Josh Safdie and released globally on December 25, 2025, the film finally ma»»»

This photo, taken Wednesday, shows the trading room of Hana Bank in central Seoul after the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index plunged more than 12 percent to close at 5,093.54 amid mounting concerns over the economic fallout from the escalating Middle East conflict. Photo by Yonhap Seoul »»»

Approximately €630 million will be available in 2026 for those applying to the EIC Accelerator, a Horizon Europe funding program that provides support to startups and SMEs, says Ovidiu Mihăilă, founder of fundingloop, a consulting company for deep-tech businesses interested in accelerating innovati»»»

US President Donald Trump’s order to attack Iran has drawn mixed reactions among Americans, with polls showing a clear public split and statements from lawmakers exposing divisions within both the Republican and Democratic parties. Trump claimed the joint US-Israeli military campaign, launched on S»»»

Dubai: Business activity across the UAE’s non-oil private sector strengthened in February, reaching its fastest pace in a year as companies reported rising demand, strong new orders and improving supply chain conditions. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The S&P Global U»»»

Dubai: Operations at Jebel Ali Port, the Middle East’s largest maritime hub, continue without disruption despite heightened geopolitical tensions across the region, according to DP World. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The global ports and logistics operator said all »»»

Dubai: Trading across the UAE’s main stock exchanges resumes today after regulators imposed a two day suspension designed to shield markets from sharp volatility during a period of escalating geopolitical tensions across the Middle East. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances»»»

Dubai: Shipping and maritime logistics firm Gulf Navigation Holding said its operations continue without disruption despite heightened tensions across the Middle East, confirming that petroleum storage facilities and tanker fleets remain fully operational. Sign up for our daily business newsletter,»»»

Doha, Qatar: Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al-Ansari (pictured) has reaffirmed Qatar’s commitment to safeguarding its sovereignty, protecting its infrastructure, and maintaining stability through coordinated defens»»»

ConflictsIraqIraq, caught in the middle, braces for Iran war impactCathrin Schaer | Omar AlbamIraq is the only country in the Middle East to be targeted by both sides in the current conflict. There, the war could impact everything from the next government to intercommunal violence and civil servant»»»

Dubai: All Emaar communities, malls, hospitality assets and development projects across Dubai continue to operate normally despite rising geopolitical tensions in the region, the developer said. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances."The city continues to demonstrate resilie»»»

Dubai: Gold buyers in Dubai saw prices bounce back sharply on Wednesday morning after a sudden drop a day earlier, with the recovery highlighting the intense volatility currently gripping global bullion markets. (Check latest UAE gold prices here, alongside prices in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahr»»»

Dubai: Indian expatriates in the UAE woke up to a sharp currency shift on Wednesday morning after the Indian rupee touched its weakest level ever against the UAE dirham, opening a potentially attractive window for remittances. (Check live forex rates here) Sign up for our daily business newsletter,»»»

Dubai: The Dubai Court of First Instance has ordered a man to pay Dh20,000 in compensation after he was convicted of insulting another individual through messages posted in a WhatsApp group. The ruling, issued in a public session on February 25, 2026, followed a final criminal judgment that had alr»»»

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has called for parties involved in the war in Iran to de-escalate hostilities quickly - and said while he supports the strikes, it's a position he takes "with regret". Carney, speaking to reporters in Sydney, his second stop in Indo-Pacific tour, said of Iran tha»»»

Asian stock markets fell for a third day in a row on Wednesday while oil prices steadied as investors watch developments in the US-Israel war with Iran. In choppy trade, South Korea's Kospi index was 3.7% lower in early trading after slumping by more than 7% on Tuesday. Japan's Nikkei 225 was about»»»

Gulf states have found themselves on the front line of the Middle East's newest war, and they are angry. Iran has retaliated to US-Israeli air strikes by firing hundreds of missiles and drones at its Arab neighbours – targeting American military bases on their soil, but also civilian and energy inf»»»

Dubai: Supermarket shelves across the UAE remain stocked with months of staple supplies, even as geopolitical tensions place renewed focus on shipping lanes, freight costs and energy markets. Retailers and supply chain leaders say the system is absorbing stress without disruption, supported by buff»»»

Ask anyone what they remember most about school, and rarely will they begin with a worksheet or a test score. They remember how a teacher made them feel. They remember the classroom where they felt safe enough to ask questions, or the subject they loved because they felt seen and encouraged. Long a»»»

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison testifies during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs oversight hearing in February. Ellison announced Monday that he's suing the federal government for withholding state Medicaid funds. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo March 3 (UPI) -»»»