BLOOMBERG  The first rise in UK house prices in seven months was overshadowed by a rapidly darkening outlook for the property market after a surge in bets for higher interest rates. The average cost of a UK home rose to £286,000 ($363,520) in April, up 0.5% compared to the previous month, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. The figures ...

BLOOMBERG  Bayer AG is seeking to double the sales potential of its crop-science division by tapping opportunities to reduce carbon emissions from farming. The chemicals firm sees more than €100 billion ($109 billion) in possible revenue from segments adjacent to its core agricultural businesses, it said in a statement, without specifying a time frame. These include precision digital tools to ...

BLOOMBERG  FedEx Corp said it cut 29,000 US jobs over the past year and issued a 2024 profit outlook that fell short of analysts’ expectations as it continues to trim costs in the face of waning package delivery demand. The company is slashing expenses as the industry copes with a decline in package volume following two years of surging demand ...

RAS AL KHAIMAH / WAM Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (Rakez) has launched ‘open yards’ as a part of its comprehensive facility offerings. Located in the mainland area of Al Ghail Industrial Zone, these units are readily available for businesses seeking expansive and versatile spaces for their operations. With the introduction of these new open yards, investors are provided with ...

DUBAI / WAM The government of the UAE has hosted a workshop, bringing together officials from 40 federal government entities to design and develop the government’s transformation goals system, to boost efforts to revolutionise government work procedures. The workshop focussed on identifying specific objectives that would drive the UAE’s development over the next 10 years, and accelerate transformative shifts in ...

ABU DHABI / WAM Etihad Airways announced its preparation to welcome more than 4 million passengers at Abu Dhabi International Airport during the summer season between June 20 and September 30. A high volume of travellers will be joining locally in Abu Dhabi, with the remainder connecting from across Etihad’s extensive network of 66 destinations, including new summer routes to ...

PARIS / WAM The 15th session of the UAE-France Strategic Dialogue, co-chaired by Anne-Marie Descotes, Secretary-General of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, and Khaldoun Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority, was held in Paris. Building on the bilateral relations between the two countries, and following the directives of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed ...

NAIROBI / WAM During a visit to M-KOPA, one of Africa’s leading fintech platforms, Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President-Designate, highlighted the importance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in creating technologies that create lasting positive change in vulnerable and remote communities, while helping to meet our climate ambitions and keep ...

ABU DHABI / WAM UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has ordered the release of 988 prisoners serving various sentences in the UAE ahead of Eid Al Adha. The President’s pardon aligns with the UAE’s humanitarian initiatives based on the values of forgiveness and tolerance. It offers the released prisoners a chance to embark on a ...

ABU DHABI / WAM UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with Denis Sassou-Nguesso, President of the Republic of the Congo, who is on a working visit to the UAE. During the meeting at Qasr Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi, His Highness welcomed President Sassou-Nguesso, and the two leaders discussed various aspects of cooperation between the ...