Bloomberg Thailand’s parliament approved the nation’s annual budget that seeks to ramp up spending on tackling the Covid-19 outbreak while slashing outlays for defense and education with the government revenue coming under pressure from a worsening growth outlook. The 3.1 trillion baht ($93 billion) spending plan for the fiscal year starting October 1 received the backing of 257 lawmakers. A ...

Abu Dhabi / WAM Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC (ADCB) received an upgrade in its MSCI ESG rating to ‘AA’ from ‘A’ driven by “leading digital transformation initiatives” to support small businesses as well as its robust customer data protection and information security practices. Following the upgrade, ADCB is now ranked by MSCI as a global “leader” and in the ...

Abu Dhabi / WAM Members of the UAE Parliamentary Division of the Federal National Council (FNC) met virtually with Gennaro Migliore, Chair of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), to discuss means of bilateral cooperation and coordination at the regional and international parliamentary levels. Present at the meeting were FNC members Maryam Majid bin Theneya, Chairwoman of the division’s ...

DUBAI / WAM Dubai Municipality has won the UK Royal Society for the Prevention of Accident (RoSPA) award. The Municipality won the “RoSPA Inspiration Award” in the category of Health and Safety Team of the Year 2021 – Middle East for the Mini-Crisis Cell Working Group System to Limit the Spread of Covid-19. The award contributed to strengthening Dubai Municipality’s ...

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, received a phone call from President Joe Biden of the United States of America, during which President Biden thanked the UAE and its leadership for their support in helping evacuate American diplomats and nationals ...

ABU DHABI / WAM Adnoc Distribution on Sunday announced that it will be included in the FTSE Emerging Markets (EM) Index, from September 16 (close of business). Inclusion is subject to final confirmation by FTSE on September 6. Adnoc Distribution was included in the FTSE EM Index by FTSE Russell after meeting the requirements and will now be part of ...

Abu Dhabi / WAM Ministers and key officials of several developing countries across the globe have lauded the efforts of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) in driving sustainable economic development in their countries. Noting that the fund has played a significant role in financing thousands of development projects across strategic sectors, they highlighted the profound change brought about ...

AL AIN / WAM The United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), the flagship institution with an independent pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, has revealed its pavilion’s facade design built on the theme of the ‘University of the Future’ (UoF). The new theme represents a new model of education which is focused on preparing the next generation in solving employability challenges, by ...

DUBAI / WAM The Digital School and Arizona State University (ASU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Digital School to develop innovative tools and mechanisms to advance digital education in the region and the world. The agreement was signed by Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications and Chairman of ...

Taliban leaders ask us to believe that they will not return to the oppression of their pre-2001 rule, when they persecuted women, violated the basic rights of girls and denied them education. Sadly, actions on the ground do not yet bear this out. Conquering fighters have reportedly seized young girls as “wives.” Women are afraid to leave their homes unless ...