PARIS/WAM  French President Emmanuel Macron appointed Michel Barnier, the European Union’s former Brexit negotiator, as prime minister on Thursday. Barnier is tasked with forming a new government, which is likely to end weeks of political deadlock after Macron called a snap election that delivered an unwieldy hung parliament. Barnier will now have to survive a no-confidence vote in the National ...

NEW YORK/WAM United Nations officials on Wednesday called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate and unconditional release of all remaining hostages, and a massive scale-up of humanitarian aid to Gaza. The appeals were made by Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, and Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations at the UN’s Office for the Coordination of ...

ABU DHABI / WAM HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with Muhannad Hadi, Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident Coordinator, Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO). During the meeting, which was held in Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Abdullah and Hadi discussed the overall developments ...

ABU DHABI/WAM His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, has chaired a meeting of the Ministerial Development Council held at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi. The Council reviewed and discussed several government projects and policies submitted by federal ministries and entities. The meeting’s agenda included discussions of ...

ABU DHABI / WAM Wizz Air has announced the first route for its new Airbus A321XLR (Extra Long Range) aircraft, marking a new era of ultra-low-fare travel on long-haul routes. Starting on June 2 2025, Wizz Air will begin daily direct flights between Milan and Abu Dhabi. This route is the first of many that will utilise the Airbus A321XLR’s ...

ABU DHABI / WAM The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) on Thursday announced a historic milestone for the UAE with the fourth unit of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant entering commercial operations, marking its full delivery. This fulfils ENEC’s promise to bring clean, abundant electricity to the UAE. Barakah is one of the most successful new build nuclear projects in ...

ASTANA / WAM Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) participated in a roundtable meeting of the Arab Coordination Group (ACG) in Astana. Held at the invitation of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the meeting marked the first-ever formal engagement between the ACG and Kazakhstan. Key members of ACG include ADFD, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Saudi Development Fund, ...

ABU DHABI/WAM Marking the International Day of Charity, the UAE continues to enhance its leading role in supporting humanitarian causes worldwide, with a particular focus on Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 in Gaza. The initiative, launched in response to the challenging conditions faced by residents of the Gaza Strip, epitomises the UAE’s spirit of giving, as it provides round-the-clock relief and ...

ABU DHABI / WAM Emirates Steel Arkan, the UAE’s largest publicly listed steel and building materials company, has rebranded as EMSTEEL as part of a broader strategy to accelerate its operational transformation and extend its global presence. The new brand identity and operating model were officially launched at an event in Abu Dhabi, attended by high-ranking dignitaries and over 400 ...

ABU DHABI / GULF TIME UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said on Thursday the UAE has taken a significant step towards net zero as operations at Unit 4 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant start. His Highness Sheikh Mohamed wrote on X, “With the start of operations at Unit 4 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy ...