Saturday , 20 December 2025

News

UAE urges more regular briefings by young people at UNSC debate

New York / WAM During the open debate of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on the fifth anniversary of the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda, the UAE encouraged the council to invite more young leaders to brief on a regular basis to reflect on individual experiences while pursuing peace and security in their societies. The UAE also urged the international …

Read More »

Oil slips back below $15 on glut as producers start cuts

Bloomberg Oil dropped back below $15 a barrel as swelling global crude stockpiles made it more difficult for leading producers to balance the market by curbing output. Futures in New York slid 16%, snapping a four-day gain. While US drilling is sliding and Saudi Arabia started reducing output ahead of the start date for Opec+ supply cuts, an immense glut …

Read More »

Saudi inks SR995m deal with China to provide 9 million Covid-19 tests

RIYADH / WAM The government of Saudi Arabia signed a SR995 million contract with China to provide nine million Covid-19 tests for nine million people in the Kingdom. The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that the decision came “as a result of a phone call made between the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud …

Read More »

India considers $39b small-business loans

Bloomberg India is considering a proposal to guarantee as much as 3 trillion rupees ($39 billion) of loans to small businesses as part of a plan to restart Asia’s third-largest economy, which is reeling under the impact of a 40-day lockdown, people with knowledge of the matter said. Under the proposal, small firms will be eligible to borrow an additional …

Read More »

Mohamed, WFP chief review global fight against Covid-19

ABU DHABI / WAM His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, discussed with David Beasley, Executive Director of UN World Food Programme, ways of accelerating coordination in getting assistance to those affected by Covid-19 pandemic. This came over a phone call His Highness Sheikh Mohamed …

Read More »

Factories fire up in Europe to pull economy back from abyss

Bloomberg Volkswagen AG is rebooting plants, Airbus SE is up and running and UK builders will soon be erecting homes again as Europe starts returning to work after coronavirus shutdowns plunged the region into its worst economic slump in living memory. Factory doors are reopening after nations from Denmark to Germany began easing restrictions on public life, with Italy, France …

Read More »

UAE provides 171 tonnes of food aid to Yemen’s Al Shihr residents

HADRAMAUT / WAM The UAE, through its humanitarian arm, the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) provided 4,000 food parcels weighing 171 tonnes to the residents of Al Shihr district in the Yemeni Governorate of Hadramaut on the occasion of the Holy Month of Ramadan. The aid package was administered in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed …

Read More »

Production cuts buoy oil even as glut looms over market

Bloomberg Oil edged lower for the week after paring losses following the dramatic collapse that saw prices in New York plunge below zero for the first time in history. West Texas Intermediate for June delivery rose 2.7%, closing the curtain on a tumultuous week of wild price swings. US operators have started to shut old wells and halt new drilling, …

Read More »

China deflected blame for pandemic, says EU

Bloomberg The European Union’s (EU) foreign and diplomatic wing said there’s evidence of a “coordinated push” by official Chinese sources to deflect blame for the coronavirus pandemic and promote its response to the virus. Official Chinese sources have been “publicising announcements and deliveries of bilateral assistance, with polls in certain countries showing China being perceived as more helpful in fighting …

Read More »

India pays $4.8 billion to its poor to ease Covid-19 woes

Bloomberg India distributed about $14 each to more than 350 million people to ease their financial stress amid a nationwide lockdown enforced to prevent the coronavirus from spreading, the government said. The assistance totaling more than 370 billion rupees ($4.84 billion) was given under a state program named “PM Garib Kalyan,” KS Dhatwalia, a spokesman for the administration said. That’s …

Read More »