Business
GCC countries scored 66.9 in the 2026 Economic Freedom Index, beating the global 59.9 average as the UAE, Qatar and Oman led the bloc overall.
CBUAE kept the UAE base rate at 3.65% after the Federal Reserve held rates steady, leaving the overnight liquidity framework unchanged.
South Korea major retailers posted a 5.6% March sales gain, with online channels taking a bigger share of consumer spending in the country.
Syria will receive US$225 million in World Bank grants to rebuild water and health services after years of conflict damage nationwide.
Dnata will invest A$32 million in a new cargo terminal at Western Sydney International, adding freight capacity before the airport opens.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama held Abu Dhabi talks on trade, energy, technology and security.
Technology
China launched a Long March-8 rocket from Hainan, sending 18 internet satellites into orbit for the seventh Qianfan networking mission.
Jensen Huang says companies will favor workers who use AI well, as Nvidia pushes a broader message that AI fluency is becoming a workplace advantage.
India is preparing a more than 1 trillion rupee ($11 billion) fund for chip design, equipment and supply chains, building on its semiconductor mission projects.
India and Finland elevated ties to a Strategic Partnership in Digitalisation and Sustainability as PM Narendra Modi met Finnish President Alexander Stubb in New Delhi.
