Jakarta, Indonesia: Indonesia cut exports of natural gas to Singapore on Saturday to prioritise domestic demand, an official said, with the two countries at loggerheads over regional air pollution emanating from wildfires on the vast archipelago. The head of SKK Migas, a state agency supervising th»»»

JEDDAH: Global Islamic finance assets are projected to reach $10.5 trillion by 2030, up 61.5 percent from $6.5 trillion in 2025, as the industry expands across established and emerging markets. The 2026 Islamic Finance Development Report, issued by the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the»»»

Palangkaraya, Indonesia: Hundreds of students protested late Friday in Indonesia's Palangkaraya, demanding the government do more to tackle a wildfire crisis that has shrouded their city and the wider region in toxic haze for months. The students, many wearing surgical masks, gathered under an eeri»»»

PALANGKARAYA: Hundreds of students protested late Friday in Indonesia’s Palangkaraya, demanding the government do more to tackle a wildfire crisis that has shrouded their city and the wider region in toxic haze for months. The students, many wearing surgical masks, gathered under an eerily orange s»»»

Airlines cancel UAE-Saudi flights; passengers advised to check schedules Travellers flying from the UAE should check with their airlines before heading to the airport, as cancellations and schedule changes affect routes to Saudi Arabia and other destinations. Etihad Airways has cancelled Abu Dhabi »»»

MEDAN, Indonesia: Indonesian authorities said on Friday they made two major drug busts worth millions of dollars on the island of Sumatra within days. Police and customs officers intercepted a ship carrying 1.1 tons of ketamine in the waters off Sumatra on Tuesday, according to national police chie»»»

More Europe flights return; PAL resumes Dubai routes, Etihad extends Saudi cancellations Passengers travelling from the UAE on Friday, October 23, should check for flight changes as regional disruptions continue to affect services to Saudi Arabia and Tel Aviv. Dubai International Airport has report»»»

AMMAN — Jordan has opportunities to expand its exports to Indonesia, particularly in dates, chocolate, biscuits, tahini and sesame products, according to a market-entry study that found Indonesian imports across seven priority export categories reached $359.4 million in 2024.The study, prepared by »»»

Doha: Technology is increasingly influencing national security, economic competitiveness and relations between countries. Access to semiconductors, AI, computing infrastructure and critical minerals is becoming an important consideration in strategic partnerships, said a senior official from Malays»»»

JAKARTA: Indonesia remains on high alert ​for wildfires despite a decline in hotspots over the past week, with the sporadic rainfall still not enough to put them out, a disaster agency official said on Thursday, as students on Borneo island staged protests against the government’s handling of the c»»»

JAKARTA: Indonesia should reconsider its involvement in US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan because it is being shaped by Israel and the US and lacks a Palestinian voice, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories told Reuters on Thursday. »»»

RIYADH: The grand mufti of Malaysia has strongly condemned the Iran-backed Houthis’ targeting of holy sites — including pilgrims heading to the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah — and civilian facilities in various parts of the Kingdom, along with the killing of innocent pe»»»

Philippine Airlines resumes Dubai route; Airlines revise schedules after Saudi attack Passengers travelling from the UAE on Thursday, October 22, face flight cancellations and delays amid regional security concerns, disruptions at Saudi airports and weather-related operational changes. Emirates, Et»»»

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s devastating wildfires are fueling anger across the country, with protesters demanding action against the toxic haze that has for weeks engulfed Southeast Asia, leaving hundreds of thousands of people ill. Indonesia is struggling to contain fires that have been ravaging vast swa»»»

Travel advisories issued for Saudi routes; cancellations and delays persist. Flights from the UAE continue to face disruption on Wednesday, October 21, as airlines adjust services amid escalating regional security tensions. Several flights to Saudi Arabia have been cancelled, while delays have been»»»

Vietnam's Vuong tops Southeast Asia's rich list amid market shifts Manila: Southeast Asia’s richest are reshuffling fast. Collectively, the region's top 10 are now worth more than $183 billion. Vietnam’s Pham Nhat Vuong tops the region's billionaires, while a record rout in Indonesian stocks has cu»»»

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister and Finance Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim met with Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank Group Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser and stressed the strength of the long-standing strategic partnership between Malaysia and the IsDB. The two sides discussed ways to str»»»

Parts of southern Southeast Asia have been put under the highest-level haze alert as wildfires that have swept Indonesia for months continue to belch toxic smoke across the region. The seasonal wildfires are worse this year due to the drought conditions caused by a severe "super-El Nino" effec»»»

Philippines, exporting $50B worth of electronics, could faces talent crunch for high-tech Manila: The Philippines seeks to woo Apple, Nvidia, TSMC, Broadcom, Samsung and AMD in its own planned version of "Silicon Valley", in Tarlac, about an hour by car north of Manila. Now, the Asian nation faces »»»

Kuala Lumpur: The Malaysian Ministry of Economy announced on Monday that Malaysia is moving to regulate data center developments to ensure sustainable industry growth and transition toward a circular economy. This will include a Digital Infrastructure (Data Center) Bill, which is expected to be pre»»»

AMMAN — Jordan Exports (JE), in partnership with the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply and economic reform programmes, launched Monday comprehensive market intelligence studies targeting five high-potential export destinations; Kenya, Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Indonesia and Malaysia.The studies id»»»

Kuala Lumpur: The Malaysian Ministry of Economy announced on Monday that Malaysia is moving to regulate data center developments to ensure sustainable industry growth and transition toward a circular economy. This will include a Digital Infrastructure (Data Center) Bill, which is expected to be pre»»»

Jakarta: Indonesian wildfires that have caused a regional haze crisis burned more than 1.9 million hectares in the first nine months of 2026, a monitor analysing satellite data said on Monday. The report came as Indonesian officials said they had accepted help from neighbours Malaysia and Singapore»»»

Indian woman dies after air ambulance faces mid-flight technical fault An Indian woman died after the air ambulance transporting her from Agartala to Kolkata made an emergency landing in Dhaka when a technical fault caused the aircraft’s door to partially open mid-flight, Bangladesh media reported.»»»

Security drills underway as Manila readies for high-profile ASEAN gathering Manila: The Philippines is preparing to host US President Donald Trump next month, with police readiness drills and a three-day shutdown of Metro Manila’s work schedule. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro confirmed that Tru»»»

DIFC recorded 1,408 family-related entities by the end of June 2026, up 36% year on year The UAE has topped the global ranking of emerging destinations for family offices, scoring 74 points in the overall index, according to the Best Global Destinations for Family Offices report published by the Gl»»»

Jakarta, Indonesia: Dozens of critically endangered orangutans have been rescued in recent weeks from rampant wildfires burning across Indonesia that have cloaked the region in toxic haze, conservation groups said. The fires have triggered a months-long pollution spell that has closed schools, fuel»»»

Kuala Lumpur: Toxic haze from wildfires burning in Indonesia has spiked a demand for oxygen tanks and air purifiers across the region, manufacturers say, as they work the clock on equipment providing life-saving clean air. The months-long haze has blanketed parts of Southeast Asia, forcing school c»»»

KUALA LUMPUR: Fires in Indonesia that have sent toxic smoke and disrupted daily life across Southeast Asia have triggered the highest-level alert by the regional bloc’s meteorological monitor. The months-long pollution spell has closed schools, fueled a surge in respiratory conditions and restricte»»»

Kuala Lumpur: Official data released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) showed a surge in cybercrime, with reported cases rising 109.9% 1,486 incidents in 2025, up from 708 cases in 2024. Losses from cybercrime cases surged to 238 million ringgit (about 58.28 million U.S. dollars) from»»»

Damascus, Oct. 16 (SANA) The foreign ministers of Syria and 18 other Arab and Islamic nations strongly condemned on Friday Colombia’s opening of an embassy in occupied Jerusalem, saying the move contradicts relevant UN Security Council resolutions and undermines international efforts to achieve a j»»»

By Staff, Agencies The foreign ministers of Turkey and 18 other countries on Friday strongly denounced Colombia’s inauguration of its embassy in occupied Al-Quds [“Jerusalem”], declaring that the move violates international law and undermines efforts to achieve a lasting peace based on a “two-state»»»

Doha: The Foreign Ministers of Qatar, Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Türkiye, and Yemen strongly condemn and express their unequivocal rejection of the inauguration by the Republic of Colombia of i»»»

By Staff, Agencies Iran and 12 other delegations walked out of a summit in Baku in protest against an address by “Israeli” President Isaac Herzog, as Tehran called for the regime’s expulsion from the regional forum. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi urged member states of the Confer»»»

The delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, along with delegations from 12 other countries (out of a total of 28), walked out of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) as the President of the Zionist entity, Isaac Herzog, began his address. Delegations lef»»»

Bangkok: Governor of the Qatar Central Bank (QCB) and Chairman of Qatar Investment Authority HE Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammed bin Saoud Al-Thani met separately with Governor of the Central Bank of Malaysia (Bank Negara Malaysia) HE Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour, and Co-President Global Wealth Management, Pre»»»

The International Monetary Fund and World Bank unveiled a global roadmap to fight online financial fraud as increasingly sophisticated scams undermine confidence in digital finance. The “Bangkok Blueprint” developed in coordination with the Bank of Thailand and released during the institutions’ ann»»»

Fires burning for months in Indonesia have sent smoke across the region Palangkaraya: Thick haze turned the skies in Indonesia’s Palangkaraya apocalyptic shades of yellow and orange on Thursday, reducing visibility to a few dozen metres as wildfires cause a regional air pollution crisis. Kuala Lump»»»

Dili, East Timor: East Timor began a three-day school closure on Thursday prompted by thick haze that has drifted over from raging forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia. In the capital Dili, people were out as normal under a yellow-tinged sky, but most were wearing masks, as the government advised»»»

Indonesia: A female orangutan who was likely starving was evacuated Wednesday from an area razed by fire on the Indonesian island of Borneo, officials said, as the country rescues hundreds of animals affected by the blazes. Indonesia has for weeks struggled to control fires that have razed parts of»»»

SINGAPORE: Air pollution in part of Singapore hit the country’s “very high” band on Wednesday while East Timor shut schools, as haze from forest fires raging in Indonesia causes a regional crisis. In Indonesia, authorities said more than 280,000 respiratory problems have been recorded in haze-affec»»»

Diplomat Business Club forum draws participants to explore investment and collaboration Dubai: Business leaders, investors, entrepreneurs and diplomats from more than 30 countries gathered in Dubai for the ‘Proud of UAE’ Business Forum, highlighting the country’s growing appeal as a global destinat»»»

Romanian tourists are increasingly choosing exotic destinations and holidays that combine multiple locations, alongside traditional European Christmas markets and winter destinations. According to data compiled by Christian Tour for the 2026–2027 winter season, travellers are planning their holiday»»»

Singapore: Air pollution in part of Singapore hit the country's "very high" band on Wednesday while East Timor shut schools, as haze from forest fires raging in Indonesia causes a regional crisis. The blazes in Indonesia have burned through hundreds of thousands of hectares of forest and plantation»»»

Mataking, Malaysia: The palm-sized green turtle hatchling flailing through the sand on a Malaysian island may seem vulnerable, but its species has emerged as a symbol of hope for wildlife conservation. Green turtles have made the rare jump from endangered to "least concern" in global conservation r»»»

French shipping group CMA CGM is continuing the return of its shipping services through the Suez Canal as a permanent and sustainable route, the company’s Executive Vice President of Assets and Operations, Christine Cabau, said on Tuesday. The statement was made during a videoconference meeting wit»»»

Britain ranks seventh and US tenth as UAE leads global passport mobility rankings for 2026 Dubai: The UAE passport has been ranked the most powerful in the world in the 2026 Passport Index, giving Emirati citizens access to 182 destinations without having to obtain a traditional visa in advance, ac»»»

BANGKA, Indonesia: A forest fire on Indonesia’s Sumatra island has razed nearly 300 homes, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate, an official said Tuesday, as the country battles devastating blazes and haze. Residents first spotted the fire approaching their village in the Bangka Belitung province»»»

RIYADH: The UAE and Malaysia condemned recent attacks on Saudi Arabia, including a missile strike on Riyadh’s airport, in separate calls with Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday. The calls came amid a series of attacks on the Kingdom’s airports, inc»»»

LONDON: King Abdullah II of Jordan and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim discussed ways to strengthen Jordanian-Malaysian relations during a meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Monday. King Abdullah stressed the need for the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to strengthen coordination to halt Israel’»»»