Bloomberg France’s presidential election erupted into new controversy just before voting was due to start as the campaign of front-runner Emmanuel Macron said it was the victim of a “massive” cyber attack. Minutes before a blackout on all campaigning at midnight Friday, Macron’s team said in a statement that hackers mixed fake documents with real ones stolen from staff’s …

  Bloomberg The North Atlantic Treaty Organization needs to show strength and keep open lines of dialog amid a new political security situation in Europe, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said. The NATO alliance must stick together in the face of threats including Vladimir Putin’s Russia, the chancellor said in her weekly podcast on Saturday. The trans-Atlantic alliance shouldn’t allow itself …

  Bloomberg A large convoy of militants attacked a Chadian military camp near Lake Chad early Friday, killing nine soldiers, according to an army statement. The militants were suspected to be members of the Boko Haram extremist group that’s based in northeastern Nigeria, the army said in the statement read on state TV late Friday. At least 40 assailants died …

  Abu Dhabi / WAM Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), financed AED700 million worth of development projects in Bangladesh. In a report, the Fund said that it has provided the Bangladeshi government with grants and concessionary loans to fund nine development projects. These projects covered several sectors including industry, energy, and infrastructure. Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of ADFD …

  Abu Dhabi / WAM Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) hosted a briefing session on the capital restructuring of United Insurance Company (UIC), in an effort to maintain the positive links between the exchange and its listed companies, brokers, and investors. ADX Chief Executive, Rashed Al Blooshi, UIC Board Member, Nawwaf Ghobash, and senior management from both sides, as well as …

  Dubai / Emirates Business A concerted focus on infrastructure development paired with economic diversification is expected to revive the Gulf region’s commercial vehicle market, providing impressive business opportunities for auto manufacturers and aftermarket sellers. According to a March 2017 report from analysts TechSci Research, approximately 240,000 commercial vehicles (CVs) were sold in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in 2016, …

  Dubai / Emirates Business The National Happiness and Positivity Programme launched the ‘100 Days of Giving’ initiative, targeting UAE private and public school students, in co-operation with the UAE Ministry of Education, the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), and Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA). The nationwide initiative aims to instil and cultivate value of giving back to …

  Sharjah / WAM The Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA), will soon unveil details of the 18th edition of the Sir Bu Nair Festival, which will start from next Thursday in Sharjah. The festival, organised annually by the EPAA, aims to highlight Sharjah’s efforts in maintaining the legacy of the emirate’s environmental and cultural heritage. It also serves to underline …

  Dubai / WAM The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCaE), confirmed that rumours being circulated on social media about pollution in the UAE waters is not true. Salah Abdullah Al Rayssi, Director of the Sustainability of Marine and Coastal Environments at MoCCaE, reaffirmed that specialised teams regularly monitor water quality in the UAE through sampling and analysis to ensure …

  RAWALPINDI / WAM In keeping with the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, the 2nd phase …