AMMAN — The Arab Investment and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (Dhaman) revealed that the maritime transport sector in the Arab region attracted 146 foreign projects with a total investment value of nearly $4 billion over the past 23 years.In its fourth sectoral report for 2025 on maritime tra»»»

AMMAN — The Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) continued to strengthen its role as a global leader in sustainability and digital transformation in 2025, with significant initiatives aimed at improving market transparency and fostering long-term responsible investment.In 2025, ASE chaired the Sustainability»»»

An exhibition by artist Bakhramjon Temirov «Melody of Spring» has been opened in Bishkek. The exhibition is housed in the Oak Park Gallery, organizers announced. The artist presented new paintings, created over the course of his career. These include portraits, landscapes, and still lives, all pain»»»

Kyrgyz fighter Myktybek Orolbai has entered the top three in Ultimate Fighting Championship history for the highest number of takedowns in a single fight. During his bout against American fighter Chris Curtis at UFC Fight Night 269 in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, the Kyrgyz athlete set a welte»»»

The UAE has activated air defense systems in response to a possible missile and drone threat from Iran. Authorities have urged residents to remain in safe locations and to follow official channels for updates and warnings as the situation develops.»»»

US authorities have deported an Ethiopian national after immigration investigators determined that his online activity supported the FANO, an armed militia fighting against Ethiopia’s government forces. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, said Solomon Bogale posted messages calling for vio»»»

Cubans took to the streets in the city of Moron on Saturday to protest worsening economic conditions since the US oil blockade. The island, known for harsh government repression, rarely sees protests. Authorities said five people were arrested in what it called vandalism acts. The NGO Justicia11, w»»»

Iran is taking steps to prevent anti-establishment protests, with checkpoints appearing across the streets of the capital, internet access restricted, and mass text warnings sent to residents. In Tehran, people have been telling the BBC about new security checkpoints around the city, where they say»»»

US President Donald Trump's call to world powers to send their warships to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint received tepid responses on Sunday as Gulf Arab states reported new missile and drone attacks. Iran's foreign minister denied Trump's claim that Tehran wan»»»

Attacks on northern Israel have been “constant” and “relentless”, says FRANCE 24’s Noga Tarnopolsky, reporting from Jerusalem. Iranian missiles combined with Hezbollah rocket attacks are making regular life in Israel “simply impossible”, she explains, noting that most residents of northern Israel h»»»

President Donald Trump has threatened to get the Strait of Hormuz open "one way or another" and has called on a number of countries including France, the United Kingdom and China to send ships to the area to overcome Iran's blockade on the vital trade artery. It comes as global oil supplies are sky»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron said on ​Sunday he had asked Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkianto put an immediate end to attacks against ​countries ‌in the Middle East whether ⁠directly or through proxies, including in Lebanon and Iraq.  Read our blog to see how the day's events unfold»»»

What role does human intelligence gathering have to play in the war in Iran? In a conflict defined by sophisticated weaponry, secret agents operating on the ground across the Middle East are still crucial to Western efforts to combat Iranian forces.»»»

Overnight strikes in southern Lebanon killed at least four people, Lebanese state media and the government said on Sunday. Israel is fighting a second front in the war in the Middle East in southern Lebanon, against Hezbollah, alongside the air campaign against Iran it launched with the United Stat»»»

A cloud of orange-tinted, thick dust spread across the Gaza Strip on Saturday as first responders told Palestinians to stay home, especially those with respiratory illness. People were also urged to secure their tents to prevent them from being blown away. Israel’s war with Hamas has left most of G»»»

Missiles intercepted in Qatar; two drones causing damage at an airbase near a major US military site in Kuwait; an oil facility hit and ports threatened in the UAE... Gulf countries continue to pay the price of war every day, more than two weeks after the start of Operation Epic Fury launched by th»»»

More than two weeks ago, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Since then, Iran has retaliated against targets across the Gulf and effectively halted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Global oil prices have surged as a result. Did the United States factor this risk into its pl»»»

In the third week of war, who is leading the country? And to what extent have those still in place been destabilised and weakened by the US and Israeli strikes on the country? A veil of mystery surrounds a man who remains out of sight: Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Another figure, Ali»»»

President Donald Trump has threatened to get the Strait of Hormuz opened "one way or another" and has called on a number of countries including France, the United Kingdom and China to send ships to the area to overcome Iran's blockade on the vital trade artery. It comes as global oil supplies are s»»»

As the conflict in the Middle East continues to take a significant toll on the world's oil supply, Nigeria's foreign minister has invited the Gulf countries and oil producers to look at Nigeria as a partner in supplying the global market. Story by Clémence Waller and Gabrielle Nadler.»»»

From deadly strikes in Iran and Lebanon, to trouble in the Strait of Hormuz and a statue of US President Donald Trump with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in a pose from the movie "Titanic", FRANCE 24 takes a look at some of the week's most striking images.  »»»

Israel's military said it began a broad wave of strikes on western Iran on Sunday. As the war progresses into the third week, further retaliatory strikes from Iran are likely to occur. So far, Iran has launched strikes across nine countries in the Gulf region. Most of these attacks have been interc»»»

In just 10 days, more than 800,000 people in Lebanon have been displaced by war, just over a year since the last conflict uprooted over a million Lebanese from their homes. Israeli strikes have killed 826 people, including 106 children and 65 women, since the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel r»»»

France 24’s Gavin Lee speaks with Amir Amiri and Parisa Karimi, two Iranian musicians who now live in canada. They discuss the difficulties and hopes of being refugees and artists from a war-torn country. Produced by Théophile Vareille, Alessandro Xenos and Guillaume Mercier Interview prepared by G»»»

Russian cross-country skier Anastasia Bagiyan has won gold in the 20 km individual start race for visually impaired athletes at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, becoming a three-time champion at the Games in Italy. The 24-year-old earlier won the sprint and the 10 km classical race. This year’s Games a»»»

The oil market is experiencing extreme volatility on March 16, 2026, driven by the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran. The war has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and forced production cuts across the Gulf, even as US President Donald Trump appealed for help from Nato allies and »»»

Socialist candidate Emmanuel Grégoire surged ahead of former culture minister Rachida Dati in the first round of voting for Paris mayor on Sunday as the left bids to extend its 25 years at the helm. But in the capital as in other cities across France, a strong showing by Jean-Luc Mélenchon's F»»»

France holds municipal elections on Sunday – including for the mayor of Paris – less than a year before the 2027 presidential vote, with some candidates looking to use the polls as a springboard for higher office. The votes will be held in two rounds on consecutive Sundays, with the secon»»»

Voters are going to the polls Sunday in the first round of municipal elections to choose leadership teams across France, from small villages to the biggest cities — a test for political parties' electoral machines before next year's presidential election for the successor to President Emmanuel Macr»»»

Voters are going to the polls Sunday in the first round of municipal elections to choose leadership teams across France, from small villages to the biggest cities — a test for political parties' electoral machines before next year's presidential election for the successor to President Emmanuel Macr»»»

French voters cast ballots in municipal elections marred by low turnout on Sunday, in the last major test of the public mood ahead of next year’s all-important presidential election. The run-up to the vote was largely overshadowed by the Iran war and its fallout, notably th»»»

Candidates for the far-right National Rally posted strong results in the first round of France’s municipal elections on Sunday, winning several races outright and polling neck-and-neck with the incumbent left in Marseille, in the last major test of the French public mood ah»»»

Restaurants in India are suffering the consequences of disruptions to supplies of cooking gas caused by the war in the Middle East. Two restaurant owners describe the mounting challenges of operating under the crisis and the measures they’re taking to adapt. “No roti due to gas cylinder crisis.” “O»»»

North Korea launched multiple rockets toward a target 360 km away while Kim Jong Un observed with his daughter. The test coincides with joint US–South Korea military exercises and rising concerns about regional security. Story by Camille Corcoran.»»»

North Korea on Sunday tested nuclear-capable multiple rocket launchers that Pyongyang’s leader Kim Jong Un said should make the country's enemies feel a sense of "uneasiness". The tests came one day after South Korea detected 10 ballistic missiles launched from North Korea.  North Korea t»»»

Combined Russian missile and drone strikes in several Ukrainian regions killed six people, according to offcials. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the ⁠Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Mykolaiv regions were targeted in an attack that included around 430 drones and 68 missiles, most of which were do»»»

Ukraine is recovering from a wave of Russian strikes that killed six people and wounded dozens across multiple regions on Saturday. Authorities say residential buildings, educational institutions, businesses and critical infrastructure were hit – particularly in Kyiv where about 30 sites were damag»»»

Pope Leo XIV, seen here on May 18, 2025, called for a cease-fire Sunday in the war in Iran. File Photo by Stefano Spaziani/UPI | License Photo March 16 (UPI) -- Pope Leo XIV called for a cease-fire in the Middle East on Sunday, issuing his strongest and most direct demand to date for an end to the »»»

The opening ceremony of the second Indian Film Days in Bishkek began with a vibrant Bollywood-style dance show. The festive program «Rhythms of Bollywood» took place on the stage of the Toktobolot Abdumomunov Kyrgyz National Academic Drama Theatre and marked a colorful start to the cultural event. »»»

A Green Central Banking report reveals that a climate advocacy organisation has lodged a formal complaint with the Singapore Exchange against OCBC Bank, accusing the lender of potentially misleading investors about its exposure to coal-powered industrial facilities in Indonesia. Market Forces, the »»»

A Green Central Banking report reveals that a climate advocacy organisation has lodged a formal complaint with the Singapore Exchange against OCBC Bank, accusing the lender of potentially misleading investors about its exposure to coal-powered industrial facilities in Indonesia. Market Forces, the »»»

The battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz is underway, one of the most strategically important waterways in the world. Whoever wins will control half of China’s flow of oil. One unstated objective of Washington’s fore»»»

In the central city of Morón, Cuba, simmering anger over soaring food prices and relentless power cuts has erupted into violence as a band of protesters stormed a provincial Communist Party building, setting it ablaze in the process. Furniture was torn from the offices as fires were set late on Mar»»»

The battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz is underway, one of the most strategically important waterways in the world. Whoever wins will control half of China’s flow of oil. One unstated objective of Washington’s fore»»»

A Green Central Banking report reveals that a climate advocacy organisation has lodged a formal complaint with the Singapore Exchange against OCBC Bank, accusing the lender of potentially misleading investors about its exposure to coal-powered industrial facilities in Indonesia. Market Forces, the »»»

The battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz is underway, one of the most strategically important waterways in the world. Whoever wins will control half of China’s flow of oil. One unstated objective of Washington’s fore»»»

A Green Central Banking report reveals that a climate advocacy organisation has lodged a formal complaint with the Singapore Exchange against OCBC Bank, accusing the lender of potentially misleading investors about its exposure to coal-powered industrial facilities in Indonesia. Market Forces, the »»»

A Green Central Banking report reveals that a climate advocacy organisation has lodged a formal complaint with the Singapore Exchange against OCBC Bank, accusing the lender of potentially misleading investors about its exposure to coal-powered industrial facilities in Indonesia. Market Forces, the »»»

Hamas has called on Iran to refrain from attacking neighbouring countries, in a rare public appeal that highlights emerging strains within Tehran’s regional alliance network as conflict spreads across the Middle East. In a»»»

The battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz is underway, one of the most strategically important waterways in the world. Whoever wins will control half of China’s flow of oil. One unstated objective of Washington’s fore»»»