MEXICO CITY: FIFA has released about 40% of the hotel rooms it had blocked in Mexico City for the FIFA World Cup 2026, the city’s hotel industry group said, returning roughly 800 rooms to general availability over the past month about three months before the tournament opens in the capital. The block totaled about 2,000 rooms held for several weeks as part of FIFA’s operational needs for the competition, which begins June 11 with the…
BRATISLAVA: UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Bratislava on Sunday, March 8, 2026, during…
SHARJAH: Astronomers at the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology said Eid Al Fitr in the UAE is expected to fall on Friday, March 20, 2026, based…
MUMBAI: India’s foreign exchange reserves rose to a record $728.494 billion in the week ended Feb. 27, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India on Friday.…
Business
MUMBAI: India’s foreign exchange reserves rose to a record $728.494 billion in the week ended Feb. 27, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India on Friday. The stockpile increased $4.885 billion from $723.608 billion a week earlier, reversing the prior week’s decline. India’s forex reserves comprise foreign currency assets, gold, Special Drawing…
BEIJING: China’s top economic and financial officials pledged expanded support for technology firms, a push toward more balanced trade and deeper capital market reforms during a news conference on the sidelines of the annual National People’s Congress. The briefing brought together leaders from the economic planning agency, the commerce ministry, the central bank and the…
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has placed a temporary ban on imports of poultry meat and table eggs from Indonesia under updated health controls published by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, tightening access for Indonesian products to one of the region’s largest food markets. The restriction is set out in SFDA Policy No. 6057 and took…
Travel
HANOI: Vietnam recorded its strongest ever month for inbound tourism in January 2026, welcoming nearly 2.5 million foreign visitors, according to official statistics. The total was the highest monthly figure on record and marked a sharp rise from the end of 2025, underscoring…
WASHINGTON: The U.S. State Department will begin an indefinite suspension of immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries on Jan. 21, applying revised screening standards under the public charge provision of U.S. immigration law. The measure pauses the issuance of new immigrant visas…
MENA Newswire, HANOI: Vietnam’s tourism sector is accelerating a transition toward greener and more sustainable development as authorities position the industry to support national economic growth in 2026. The shift follows a strong recovery in visitor numbers and revenues in 2025 and reflects…
Technology
CUPERTINO: Apple on Tuesday introduced updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models powered by its new M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, positioning the laptops for professional workflows and expanded on-device artificial intelligence. Apple said the systems add faster storage, updated wireless capabilities and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity…
CUPERTINO: Apple on March 2 introduced the iPhone 17e, a lower-priced model in its iPhone 17 lineup that starts at $599 with 256GB of storage and is also offered with 512GB for $799. The company said the phone will be sold in black, white and soft pink…
NEW DELHI: Samsung India said its flagship Galaxy S26 smartphone series is available for pre-order in India from Feb. 25, led by the Galaxy S26 Ultra alongside the Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26. The company billed the lineup as its most advanced AI phone range to date,…
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on Thursday called for a human centric global artificial intelligence ecosystem and urged governments and companies to build safeguards that keep AI transparent, accountable and aligned with human values. Speaking at the Leaders’ Plenary Session of the India AI Impact Summit…
NEW DELHI: Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday on behalf of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to participate in the India AI Impact Summit 2026, which runs in the Indian capital…
Sports
Entertainment
CALIFORNIA: Sony Interactive Entertainment and Santa Monica Studio announced on February 12 that the original God of War trilogy is being remade, reviving the series’ Greek era in a project the studio said is still in very early development. The announcement was made during a PlayStation State of Play presentation and was accompanied by…
Luxury
Rolex introduces the latest addition to its esteemed collection with the unveiling of the new Oyster Perpetual Rolex Deepsea model. Breaking tradition, this iteration marks the first-ever presentation of the divers’ watch in 18 ct yellow gold. Sporting a distinctive 60-minute graduated Cerachrom bezel insert in blue ceramic and…
The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date, a beacon of horological prestige, marries the elegance of 18 ct gold or 950 platinum with groundbreaking innovation. Since its launch in 1956, it has stood out as the first wristwatch to display both the date and day of the week spelled out in full.…