French Utility Engie Not Changing Middle East Strategy Despite Disruptions
French utility Engie is still looking to grow and develop its profile of energy assets in the Middle East despite the disruptions from the Iran War, Engie's finance chief Pierre-Francois Riolacci told reporters on Thursday. "We don't see any questioning of our development plan in the Middle East»»»
Al Asmakh & Barwa Plaza celebrates Ramadan with ‘Shop & Win Gold’ promotion worth QR50,000
Doha, Qatar: Al Asmakh & Barwa Plaza Mall successfully concluded its exclusive Ramadan promotion, Shop & Win Gold, rewarding loyal shoppers with gold prizes worth a total of QR50,000, the Gold was sponsored by Malabar Gold and Diamonds. The mall exclusive campaign, held throughout the holy month of»»»
Dhaman records $3.4bn in investment, trade risk insurance in 2025
Doha, Qatar: The Shareholders’ Council of the Arab Investment & Export Credit Guarantee Corporation “Dhaman”, chaired by the head of the Lebanese Republic’s delegation, elected a new Board of Directors for the Corporation for the next three years during its 53rd meeting in the UAE. The Council also»»»
Elegancia Facilities Management secures landmark contracts across Qatar’s most prominent institutions
Doha, Qatar: Elegancia Facilities Management, a subsidiary of Estithmar Holding, has secured a prestigious portfolio of high-value contracts across Qatar, further strengthening its position in the region’s facilities management sector as a trusted partner to the nation’s most iconic institutions. A»»»
Strong gains in banks, industrials and transport lift QSE index over 140 points
Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) index surged 144.63 points or 1.38 percent to close at 10,649.25 points yesterday. During yesterday’s session the volume of shares traded stood at 189,988,779 from 120,313,594 on May 5. Meanwhile the value of shares reached QR487.361m as a result of imple»»»
CEO of QFZ discusses cooperation in trade and investment with Ambassador of Panama
Doha, Qatar: Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZ) Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Faisal Al-Thani met with Ambassador of the Republic of Panama to the State of Qatar H E Johnny Mayani. During the meeting, the two sides discussed cooperation efforts in trade & investment and exc»»»
Syrian economy minister holds talks with Emirati investors on economic cooperation
Damascus, May 7 (SANA) Syrian Economy and Industry Minister Nidal al-Shaar met Wednesday with an Emirati business delegation led by businessman Mohamed Alabbar to discuss investment opportunities and economic cooperation between Syria and the United Arab Emirates. The meeting, attended by UAE Ambas»»»
Study: Over a quarter of Romanian employees want to change jobs in H1
Just over half of Romanians (51%) believe they earn a sufficiently high salary, while more than a quarter of employees (28%) intend to change jobs in the first half of 2026, for fear of losing their current position, according to a study published on Wednesday.According to the Randstad Romania Empl»»»
Romgaz reaches in-principle agreement with Azomures for plant takeover via Transfer of a Going Concern
National gas corporation Romgaz announced that it has reached an agreement in principle with Azomures on the main commercial terms for taking over the plant's operational activity through a business transfer, with negotiations expected to be finalized by the end of this month."SNGN Romgaz SA inform»»»
Dragos Anastasiu: Simplification, debureaucratisation, regardless of who governs
Former Deputy Prime Minister Dragos Anastasiu believes that, regardless of who will govern, the Romanian state must respect the law in its relation with the business environment, continue debureaucratisation and avoid granting state aid schemes funded by entrepreneurs if it wants to regain trust.Th»»»
Analysis: Political deadlock in Bucharest risks sending Romania into an extremely harsh recession
Romania has entered a new period of political uncertainty that risks accentuating economic problems, and the signals that Bucharest is now sending to foreign markets are vital to keep the economy afloat and to save the country's rating, says consultant Adrian Negrescu in a specialist analysis publi»»»
Nazare: We have submitted data on first-quarter budget execution to Fitch; there are concerns
financial evaluation agency Fitch Ratings regarding the political situation in Romania, presenting data which refer to first-quarter budgetary execution and regarding the PNRR evolution.'As long as these agencies—and Fitch in particular—request information, we must be there to provide it, so that w»»»
AEP: 19,026,518 citizens with voting rights registered in Electoral Register at end of April
The total number of citizens with voting rights registered in the Electoral Register on 30 April is 19,026,518, down by 2,295 compared with 31 March, the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP) announced.According to an AEP press release, 19,028,813 Romanian voters were listed in the Electoral Register»»»
George Simion: AUR wants a role in shaping the future government
Chairman of the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) George Simion claims that President Nicusor Dan is breaching Article 103 of the Constitution by holding "secret" meetings with political leaders to form "his own government", arguing that AUR must be included in the process of forming a new »»»
Sorin Grindeanu rules out PSD-UDMR government with independents and rejects minority cabinet option
Chair of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Sorin Grindeanu said on Wednesday that he rules out forming a government together with the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), national minorities and unaffiliated MPs, arguing that such a formula would not ensure the necessary political s»»»
beIN marks one-month countdown to World Cup with special coverage
Doha, Qatar: beIN Sports, the leading sports broadcaster in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), will mark the one-month milestone to the FIFA World Cup 2026 with comprehensive, bi-lingual, multi-channel coverage across the region on Monday 11 May. The 23rd edition of the global football showpi»»»
Al Arabi win Amir Basketball Cup to complete treble
Doha, Qatar: Al Arabi SC completed a historic domestic treble after overpowering Al Sadd SC 84-63 in the final of the 2025-2026 Amir Basketball Cup yesterday. At Al Gharafa Hall, the final saw Al Arabi dominate from start to finish and cap one of their most successful seasons in the club’s basketba»»»
An in-depth analysis of US-Iran war complexities
Doha, Qatar: Prof. Khalid Mubarak Al-Shafi, Editor-in-Chief of The Peninsula has delivered a deeply informed and compelling analysis of one of the most pressing current affairs subject of the day. Written with clarity and authority, the article reflects both academic rigor and a seasoned editorial »»»
FIFA President defends prices of 2026 World Cup tickets
Beverly Hills: FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Tuesday defended World Cup ticket prices, insisting that football’s global governing body was obliged to take advantage of US laws that allow tickets to be resold for thousands of dollars above face value. FIFA has faced searing criticism over the c»»»
Khalifa International Stadium ready to host Amir Cup final as excitement builds
Doha, Qatar: Excitement is building ahead of the highly anticipated Amir Cup final, with the Local Organising Committee (LOC) yesterday confirming full readiness to host Saturday’s showdown at the iconic Khalifa International Stadium. Record 19-time champions Al Sadd will take on defending champion»»»
Southeast Asian nations start summit, aiming to tackle energy crisis
CEBU: Conflicts far beyond Southeast Asia are expected to dominate meetings of the regional ASEAN bloc that began on Thursday in the Philippines, with the Middle East crisis posing serious challenges for its fuel import-dependent economies. Concerns of energy and food supply security will take cent»»»
Oil prices rise as investors weigh Middle East peace prospects
TOKYO: Oil prices rose over $1 on Thursday, rebounding from the previous day’s sharp losses, as investors weighed the prospects of a Middle East peace deal succeeding. Brent crude futures were up 78 cents, or 0.8 percent, at $102.05 a barrel at 07:00 a.m. Saudi time. US West Texas Intermediate gai»»»
Pakistan warns of strong response to any attack on anniversary of clash with India
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military warned Thursday it would respond strongly against any attack as it marked the anniversary of last year’s four-day conflict with neighboring India that brought the nuclear-armed rivals to the brink of war before a US-brokered ceasefire halted the fighting. The military»»»
Trump to Host Lula in Test of Fitful Relationship
US President Donald Trump will host his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the White House on Thursday -- the latest test of the ideological opposites' tenuous relationship, with security and investment topping the agenda. At the helm of the Americas' two largest economies, the lead»»»
After launching its flights to Tripoli on 1 May, Air Cairo plans new flights to Sebha, Misrata, and Benghazi soon
After launching its first scheduled flights (three times a week) to Tripoli’s Mitiga Airport on 1 May, Air Cairo announced that it is planning to expand its services to Libya soon – with new flights to the cities of Benghazi, Misrata and Sebha. The revelation was made by Hussein Al-Sharif, Chairman»»»
Emirates lays out its plan for an uncertain aviation market
Dubai: Emirates expects a stable operating outlook as it enters the 2026–27 financial year, supported by fuel hedging, secured supply and strong cash reserves, even as geopolitical uncertainty persists. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum,»»»
Qatar Foundation Excellence Award winners thrive through innovation and leadership
Doha, Qatar: Qatar Foundation (QF) celebrated the achievements of its Class of 2026 at a convocation ceremony yesterday, highlighting not only strong academic performance but also a growing emphasis on innovation, research, and real-world impact. A total of 16 students were honoured with the presti»»»
OpenAI launches ChatGPT add-in with Excel, Google Sheets for all users
Washington: OpenAI announced the official launch of the ChatGPT add-in for Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets spreadsheet models, making it available to all users globally after the end of the beta version. The company began testing the add-in in Excel last March, before making it available in Googl»»»
Al Shahania, Al Kharaitiyat face off in QSL play-off
Doha, Qatar: Al Shahania and Al Kharaitiyat gear up for the play-off tomorrow, with both sides chasing a spot in next season’s Qatar Stars League at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. Kick-off is set for 7pm, with the fixture bringing together a top-flight team fighting to retain their status and a Second D»»»
Maersk First-quarter Profit Beats Forecasts, Keeps Outlook Unchanged
Shipping group Maersk posted first-quarter operating profits slightly above analyst forecasts on Thursday and kept its full-year earnings guidance unchanged. Underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) for the January-March period came in at $1.73 billion, comp»»»
Greece to roll out ankle monitors nationwide to ease prison overcrowding
Greece is set to roll out nationwide use of electronic ankle monitors for prison inmates this month as authorities seek to ease chronic overcrowding in the country’s correctional facilities, where about a quarter of detainees are awaiting trial. The electronic monitoring system will officially take»»»
Dubai drivers get more public and developer parking spaces
Dubai: Dubai’s paid parking network added about 49,000 spaces in the first quarter of 2026, taking Parkin’s total portfolio to 258,000 spaces across public, developer and multi-storey parking facilities. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The increase was announced in Par»»»
Feds arrest 18 in MacArthur Park drug bust - UPI.com
May 7 (UPI) -- Federal law enforcement agents have arrested and charged 18 people accused of selling drugs in and around downtown Los Angeles' MacArthur Park, according to authorities who say additional drug operations will be conducted. The 18 people arrested over the last 24 hours in the so-calle»»»
Judge: Alaska wildlife Agents Can Kill Bears from Helicopters in Effort to Protect Caribou
Alaska wildlife agents can resume shooting and killing black and brown bears — including from helicopters — as part of a plan to help recover a caribou herd that was once an important source of food for Alaska Native hunters, a judge ruled Wednesday. Two conservation groups, the Alaska Wildlife All»»»
Mellitah Oil & Gas Bouri field US$ 1.565 billion gas exploitation project completes phase – to start utilising 125 million cf / day of natural gas by September
Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) announced last Tuesday (5 May) that Mellitah Oil & Gas Company announced the completion of the manufacturing and assembly works of the equipment of the Gas Exploitation Project in the Al-Bouri field. The NOC said this achieves a new qualitative leap following»»»
Emirates stays world’s most profitable airline — despite disruption
Dubai: Emirates has retained its position as the world’s most profitable airline, reporting record financial results for 2025–26 despite operational disruption in the final month of its financial year. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Emirates follows an April-to-March »»»
Abu Dhabi’s first world-scale methanol plant secures $2 billion financing
Dubai: TA’ZIZ has secured $2 billion in financing for the UAE’s first world-scale methanol plant, moving one of Abu Dhabi’s major industrial projects closer to production and strengthening the country’s push to build more chemicals and manufacturing capacity at home. Sign up for our daily business »»»
Qatar Tourism, Qatar Foundation for Social Work sign MoU to promote inclusive tourism, launch 'Autism-Friendly Spaces' initiative
Doha, Qatar: As part of its ongoing efforts to promote inclusive and sustainable tourism, Qatar Tourism and Qatar Foundation for Social Work have announced the signing of a strategic memorandum of understanding (MoU). The collaboration aims to support the integration of all segments of society with»»»
In Gaza, some Palestinian children find respite and catharsis in breakdancing
DEIR AL-BALAH: As the music comes on in a Gaza refugee camp, a group of boys and girls start showing off their breakdancing moves, kicking and spinning with intense focus on their fast footwork. Two young girls grin at each other as they nailed a tricky part of the routine.It’s a rare moment of res»»»
India vows to crush terror ‘ecosystem’, a year after Pakistan conflict
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India remains “steadfast as ever” in its determination to defeat terrorism and its “enabling ecosystem,” marking one year since a deadly clash with arch-enemy Pakistan. Relations between nuclear-armed neighbors plummeted last year after an April 22 attac»»»
Senegal’s children mourn in silence when migrant parents disappear
MBOUR: Fallou softly whispers that since his mother’s death he has chosen to remain quiet, while young Sokhna recounts the many nightmares she has had following her father’s disappearance: for the children of Senegalese migrants lost at sea, the torment of grief is long-lasting. Known as “those who»»»
Hantavirus is on the rise in Argentina, where a stricken cruise ship began its journey
BUENOS AIRES: Officials and experts in Argentina are scrambling to determine if their country is the source of a deadly hantavirus outbreak that has gripped an Atlantic cruise.The health emergency aboard the ship that’s moored across the ocean comes as Argentina sees a surge of hantavirus cases tha»»»
Localization and local content: The role of companies in building a more resilient economy
In light of the rapid economic transformations taking place globally, localization is no longer merely a matter linked to employment rates or labor market dynamics. It has become a strategic pathway toward building a more resilient economy, one that is better equipped to adapt to change. Strengthen»»»
Japan Fires Missiles during Drills, Drawing China Rebuke
Japan fired surface-to-ship missiles and sank an old warship in waters between the Philippines and Taiwan as part of major military exercises that include US forces, angering China. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has accelerated Japan's shift towards a more muscular defense policy, further casting o»»»
Officials plead for change of plan to stop killer livestock disease
Regional authorities on Lesvos have appealed to the government to allow “targeted” vaccinations to stop the deadly foot-and-mouth livestock disease that’s causing havoc with the northeastern Aegean Sea island’s economy. In a letter to the Rural Development Ministry, the regional official responsibl»»»
Building caps introduced for tourist hotspots
Greece is introducing a new Special Spatial Framework for Tourism, setting stricter limits on development in heavily visited destinations while offering incentives for less-developed areas, according to a draft plan presented by authorities. The framework divides the country into five categories, w»»»
Strong possibility of US-Iran diplomatic solution: Prime Minister
Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has said that there is a strong possibility that the United States and Iran could reach a diplomatic solution, despite the publicly stated differences between the two sides. In an int»»»
Why Ranbir Kapoor begged Neetu Kapoor to leave Shimla during Operation Sindoor
Dubai: As anticipation builds around Daadi Ki Shaadi, Neetu Kapoor has shared an emotional memory from the film’s shoot that revealed just how protective her son Ranbir Kapoor can be. The actress was filming in Shimla when tensions between India and Pakistan intensified during Operation Sindoor in »»»
Lebanese President Stresses National Unity, PM Says No Normalization with Israel
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has stressed the importance of “national unity” as Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said it was premature to talk of any high-level meeting between Lebanon and Israel. Speaking during a meeting with heads of Akkar municipal federations and mukhtars at Baabda Palace on Wedne»»»
Medicine import rules strengthened to ensure patient safety, reduce waste
Doha, Qatar: Associate at the Department of Pharmacy and Drug Control at Ministry of Public Health Dr. Latifa Al Khayat has outlined the regulatory framework governing the import and circulation of medicines in the country, emphasising its role in safeguarding patient safety and reducing pharmaceut»»»