WASHINGTON, 28th July, 2026 (WAM) — Americans’ confidence in the economy fell this month as gas prices resumed their climb after the current developments. The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index decreased by 1.4 points to 90.8 (1985=100) in July, down from an upwardly revised 92.2 in June. The Present Situation Index—based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions—fell by 3.6 points to 114.9, its third consecutive monthly decline. The Expectations Index—based on consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business, and labor market conditions—remained unchanged at 74.7. Consumer attitudes had improved modestly in June as gas prices came down…
Author: Editorial Team
PARIS — Zinedine Zidane was appointed as France head coach on Tuesday, fulfilling a five-year dream to take charge of the national team he helped lead to World Cup and European Championship glory as a player. An emotional Zidane said becoming France coach was “the happiest day” of his managerial career after French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo confirmed the appointment at the federation’s headquarters in Paris. “I’ve waited five years for this chance, so that’s why I’m a bit emotional,” Zidane said. “The France team makes you dream. We have extraordinary players, an extraordinary team.” The 54-year-old has signed…
The U.S. recently threatened sanctions against Chinese AI companies over allegations they misused American models to train rival systems. In response China has issued a warning that it would take “all necessary measures” to protect its interests. In a statement, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) criticised the U.S. for “politicising and weaponising technology and economic issues”, accusing it of using “unfounded allegations to stigmatise Chinese companies and impose sanctions”. It warned that if the U.S. takes “any action that materially harms China’s interests”, it would act to “firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests”. China hit back after U.S. Treasury…
TOKYO — Saudi Arabia and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening their strategic partnership during deputy foreign ministers’ talks in Tokyo, while calling for an immediate de-escalation in the Middle East and the protection of maritime navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The meeting was co-chaired by Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Eng. Waleed Elkhereiji and Japan’s First Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs and diplomatic adviser to the prime minister, Hiroyuki Namazu. Saudi Ambassador to Japan Dr. Ghazi Binzagr also attended. The two sides reaffirmed their determination to deepen bilateral cooperation across a range of sectors, including political affairs, security, energy…
UAE residents can expect generally fair to partly cloudy skies on Wednesday, July 29, with weather conditions remaining pleasant through much of the day. However, cloud development is expected to increase over the eastern and southern regions during the afternoon. According to the forecast, convective clouds may form over these areas, bringing the possibility of scattered rainfall later in the day. Winds will be light to moderate, blowing from the southeast to northeast at speeds ranging between 10 and 25 km/h. At times, wind speeds may freshen and reach up to 40 km/h, particularly near areas experiencing convective cloud activity.…
ABU DHABI, 28th July, 2026 (WAM) — Fertiglobe (ADX: FERTIGLB) today reported a strong second-quarter performance, with adjusted EBITDA more than doubling year-on-year to $371 million and adjusted net profit attributable to shareholders surging 12.5x to $145 million. Reflecting this strong earnings momentum and disciplined capital allocation, the Company has proposed a minimum H1 2026 dividend of $150 million, representing an increase of more than 20% year-on-year. For the first half of 2026, Fertiglobe delivered revenues of $2.0 billion, up 59% year-on-year, while adjusted EBITDA increased 63% to $713 million and adjusted net profit attributable to shareholders rose 3.4x to…
JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet on Tuesday reaffirmed that the Kingdom will not tolerate threats to its security, national interests and critical infrastructure, condemning attacks by Iran-backed militias in Yemen and Iraq on oil facilities in the Riyadh and Eastern regions and on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The Cabinet stressed that Saudi Arabia will respond decisively to hostile acts in accordance with international humanitarian law, customary international law and the principle of proportionality. It also called on the Iraqi government to take all necessary measures to prevent its territory from being used as a launchpad for attacks against…
Armin Moradi, CEO and Founder of Qashio. For many years, the infrastructure and intelligence that support finance grew on their own. Payments, banking rails, and compliance systems were the main parts of finance. Most decisions were still made by people, with the help of static reporting tools. This separation often created delays between when financial activity occurred and when insights could be generated, limiting the ability of organisations to respond in real time. In the Gulf, a region defined by rapid digitisation and state-backed innovation agendas, AI is getting embedded into financial infrastructure itself. This integration is already changing how…
RIYADH — The visual identity for Saudi Arabia’s 2026 National Day has been launched under the slogan “Our Pride Is in Our Nature,” Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) Board of Directors Turki Al-sheikh announced on Tuesday. The identity provides a unified visual framework to guide government, private, and non-profit entities in the use of applications and media and communication materials, helping standardize outputs and ensure consistency in presenting the National Day identity across platforms and events. Serving as a unified visual reference, the identity reflects the significance of National Day while reinforcing its presence across various uses in…
Learning how to prepare a fishing boat, navigate safety procedures and preserve freshly caught fish were among the skills young Emiratis gained during the first edition of a training programme at sea in Sharjah’s Al Hamriyah. For Sultan Mohammed Khalfan Al Shamsi, taking part in the inaugural Al Nokhadha (translation: Captain of the Ship) Fishermen Preparation Programme fulfilled a long-held ambition of learning the traditional fishing trade from experienced fishermen. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. Through the programme, which was aimed at passing on one of the country’s oldest professions, he gained…