Author: gulf-daily.com

MENA Newswire, BEIJING: Chinese officials on Tuesday urged Canada to pursue a more independent foreign policy as Prime Minister Mark Carney began a four day official visit to Beijing, marking the first trip by a Canadian leader to China in nearly a decade. The visit comes as Ottawa and Beijing seek to stabilize relations that have been strained by trade disputes, diplomatic disagreements, and broader geopolitical tensions involving the United States. China’s foreign ministry and state media framed the visit as an opportunity for Canada to reassess its alignment with Washington and expand bilateral cooperation with Beijing. Official commentary emphasized the importance of what…

MENA Newswire, SEOUL: South Korea’s exports of information and communication technology products rose more than 12 percent in 2025, underscoring the country’s central role in the global supply chain for artificial intelligence hardware and advanced digital components. Government data showed ICT shipments reached approximately $264 billion for the year, marking one of the strongest annual performances for the sector and providing critical support to the nation’s broader trade activity amid uneven global economic conditions. The export expansion was led overwhelmingly by semiconductors, which accounted for more than two thirds of total ICT shipments. Semiconductor exports climbed above $170 billion in 2025, driven by sustained…

MENA Newswire, ABU DHABI: The World Bank has forecast that the United Arab Emirates economy will grow by 5 percent in 2026 and 5.1 percent in 2027, positioning the country among the fastest growing economies in the Middle East and well above the projected global average. The outlook was published in the World Bank’s latest Global Economic Prospects report, which assesses medium term trends across advanced, emerging, and developing economies. According to the report, the UAE’s growth trajectory reflects sustained momentum in non oil sectors, stable macroeconomic conditions, and continued public and private investment. The World Bank projects global economic growth to remain below…

MENA Newswire, SAN FRANCISCO: Shares of Alphabet Inc. rose sharply on Monday, lifting the Google parent’s market capitalization above $4 trillion for the first time and placing it among a small group of companies to reach that valuation threshold. The milestone was achieved during intraday trading as Alphabet’s Class A and Class C shares touched record highs before paring some gains later in the session. Alphabet’s advance reflects sustained strength in its core advertising business and continued growth in its cloud computing division, which together account for the majority of the company’s revenue. The company’s valuation had been approaching the $4 trillion level in…

MENA Newswire, SAN FRANCISCO: Apple has entered into a multi year agreement with Google to integrate Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence models into Siri, marking one of the most significant partnerships between the two technology companies in recent years and a major shift in how Apple powers its digital assistant. The deal will see Google’s Gemini models used to support a range of Siri functions and other artificial intelligence features across Apple devices, according to people familiar with the agreement and public disclosures by the companies. The integration is expected to roll out beginning in 2026 as part of Apple’s broader artificial intelligence platform,…

MENA Newswire, WASHINGTON: U.S. regulators have approved SpaceX to deploy an additional 7,500 Starlink satellites, expanding the company’s low Earth orbit broadband network under conditions set by the Federal Communications Commission. The decision increases the number of second generation Starlink satellites SpaceX is authorized to launch to 15,000 and marks a further step in the continued buildout of the largest satellite constellation currently operating. The Federal Communications Commission said the approval covers 7,500 satellites from SpaceX’s second generation Starlink system, known as Gen2. SpaceX had previously sought authorization for nearly 30,000 additional satellites, but the commission approved only part of that request. Consideration of the remaining…

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 a broader government push to align tourism expansion with environmental protection, service quality improvement and long term sector stability. Green tourism development becomes central to Vietnam’s national travel growth strategy. Official targets set by Vietnam’s tourism authorities project the country will welcome about 25 million international visitors and serve roughly 150 million domestic tourists in 2026. Total tourism revenue is expected…

MENA Newswire, SAN FRANCISCO: Google has begun rolling out a set of new in-line artificial intelligence features in Gmail  that replace the Gemini side panel for some users, marking a shift in how AI assistance is delivered within the email platform. The update is being introduced gradually and affects a limited group of personal Gmail accounts using the web version of the service. The change removes the dedicated Gemini side panel, previously accessed through a spark-shaped icon in the upper right corner of the Gmail interface. That panel allowed users to interact with Gemini in a chat-style format while remaining inside their inbox. Instead…

MENA Newswire, SEATTLE: Amazon Pharmacy is now filling prescriptions in the United States for a newly approved pill version of Wegovy, the weight loss medicine made by Novo Nordisk. Amazon said eligible customers with commercial insurance can pay as little as $25 for a one month supply when manufacturer savings are applied, while a cash pay option for customers without insurance coverage starts at about $149 per month. Amazon Pharmacy said the Wegovy pill can be ordered through its online pharmacy platform in the same way as other prescription drugs it offers. Customers can have a prescriber send a prescription to Amazon Pharmacy or transfer…

NEW YORK: The global economy is experiencing a period of subdued economic performance marked by weak momentum and limited expansion, according to the latest assessment by the United Nations. The organisation said current conditions reflect an environment in which economic activity is restrained and operating close to stagnation in many regions, with growth levels too low to generate meaningful improvements in employment, income levels, or development outcomes. Global economic output is projected to increase by about 2.7 percent in 2026, a rate the UN described as modest and significantly below historical averages. The figure represents a continuation of muted performance rather than a…