Dubai / WAM An economic forum addressing the challenges and prospects of the industry in light of future oil price forecasts, the state of the Middle East economy and the effect of the Chinese trade slowdown on the region’s maritime sector, will open the eighth edition of the biennial Seatrade Maritime Middle East (SMME) exhibition and conference in Dubai, from …

  Kirkuk / AFP Iraqi forces launched an operation on Tuesday to retake a northern town from the IS group in the latest move to prepare a broad offensive on extremist bastion Mosul. Army and tribal forces pushed towards Sherqat, a town IS extremists took more than two years ago when they swept across Iraq’s Sunni Arab heartland. The town …

  Manila / AFP A pilot of a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight accidentally pressed a hijack alarm, triggering a major security response at Manila airport on Tuesday, authorities said. Police isolated and surrounded the Saudia flight after it landed on Tuesday afternoon just after one of its pilots released a distress signal indicating a hijack incident was underway, the Philippine …