Business
SEOUL: South Korea’s central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2.50% on Thursday, maintaining the Base Rate as policymakers balanced a steady inflation backdrop with improving economic momentum and ongoing financial stability concerns. The Bank of Korea’s Monetary Policy Board said it would hold the current level while assessing developments in domestic and external policy environments, including shifting global…
HARARE: Zimbabwe has suspended the export of all raw minerals and lithium concentrates with immediate effect, the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development said, ordering the restriction to be observed “until further notice.” The ministry said the suspension applies to all minerals, including shipments already in transit. Mines and Mining Development Minister Polite Kambamura said the government expects cooperation from…
NEW DELHI: India joined the Pax Silica initiative on Feb. 20 by signing the Pax Silica Declaration and a bilateral addendum titled the Joint Statement on the India-U.S. AI Opportunity Partnership at an event held on the margins of the AI Impact Summit. The documents were signed by S. Krishnan, secretary at India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, U.S.…
NEW DELHI: India’s Union Cabinet has approved a new state-backed venture capital initiative, clearing the Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 with a corpus of ₹10,000 crore (about $1.1 billion) to mobilize venture capital for the country’s startup ecosystem, the government said in a statement issued Feb. 14. The program, launched under the Startup India initiative, sets out a segmented funding approach…
SHARJAH: Air Arabia (PJSC) reported a record AED 1.8 billion net profit before tax for 2025 and said its board has proposed a cash dividend of 30 fils per share, subject to shareholder approval. The Sharjah-headquartered low-cost airline said the results cover the year ended Dec. 31, 2025, and marked its strongest annual financial and operational performance to date.…
CryptoWire, ABU DHABI: The Central Bank of the UAE has approved the launch of a UAE dirham-backed stablecoin called DDSC, enabling it to go live on ADI Chain, the companies behind the project said on February 11, 2026. The approval adds another regulated digital payment instrument to the UAE’s expanding financial technology ecosystem, with the sponsors positioning DDSC for institutional-grade payments and…
Sports
Engineers at Don State Technical University in Russia have unveiled an AI-powered training robot aimed at enhancing athletic performance while minimizing the risk of injury. The development is positioned as a response to a shortage of qualified trainers, particularly within educational institutions, offering athletes personalized support and supervision during their workouts.…
Italy’s Jannik Sinner captured his first Wimbledon title on Sunday, defeating Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in four sets to conclude a fiercely contested final at the All England Club. The victory establishes Sinner, currently ranked world number one, as the first Italian player ever to win the prestigious Wimbledon…
Brazil has officially qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a 1-0 victory over Paraguay in a South American qualifier held at the Neo Química Arena in São Paulo. The win, witnessed by over 45,000 fans in cool winter conditions, confirms Brazil’s place in the tournament, which will be jointly…
The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has confirmed the global calendar for its major world championships in 2026, reinforcing the Middle East’s role as a key destination for international motorsport. The announcements were made during the FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting in Macau, led by FIA President…
The Abu Dhabi Team for Powerboat Racing has set a new world record in the Pavia–Venice race, the world’s longest river powerboat competition, marking a significant achievement in the history of marine sports. Veteran Italian driver Guido Cappellini, representing the team, piloted the vessel to the record-breaking finish on Tuesday.…
Mohamed Salah has been named the Football Writers’ Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year for 2025, marking the third time the Liverpool forward has received the prestigious individual honor. The Egyptian international now equals the record held by former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry for the most wins of the…