As the UAE witnesses a sky free of drones, missiles or threats with the US-Iran war entering its second day of a temporary ceasefire, Dubai’s Ruler has called upon all citizens and residents to celebrate the UAE’s strength and resilience through it all. Residents have been encouraged to raise the UAE flag above all homes, institutions, and buildings as a way of expressing their pride in the Emirates after 39 days of regional tensions tested all those residing here. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said the “UAE entered…
Author: Isla
BANGKOK — From fewer water guns to cancelled travel plans, rising prices brought by the Iran war have driven down expectations for spending next week during Thailand’s traditional new year, or Songkran, sometimes called the world’s biggest water festival.The boisterous event, officially set to run for three days from Monday, is a major draw for tourists, as revellers in colourful clothes spray water on each other in an ancient ritual that symbolises cleansing, reverence and good fortune.But spending this year is expected to fall for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, said Thanavath Phonvichai, president of the University of…
Thanks to the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, trade and economic cooperation between inland China and Southeast Asia are growing fast. China’s New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (New ILSTC) is a critical component of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), linking the western inland regions to global maritime routes and—it is hoped—enhancing connectivity with ASEAN countries. Last year was a very, very good year for the New ILSTC. And momentum is expected to continue in 2026. The corridor’s rail-sea services handled 1.425 million TEUs of cargo in 2025. That’s up 47.6% year-on-year and surpassing 1 million tons for the first…
Malaysia real estate firm Crescendo Corporation has sold more land in Johor for a planned data center.In a Bursa stock exchange announcement this week, Crescendo said its wholly-owned subsidiary, Crescendo Development Sdn. Bhd. this month entered into a sale and purchase agreement to sell land to APAC data center firm Digital Edge.Crescendo has sold 49.7 acres in the Bandar Cemerlang Industrial Park (BCIP) in Kota Tinggi for RM346 million ($87 million). The deal is set to close in the second half of 2027.Full details haven’t been shared, but the site is set to be developed into a data center campus.…
LVMH’s wine and spirits division is ending local production in India after more than a decade of making Chandon sparkling wine in the country. Sula Vineyards will acquire the Chandon winery as part of its expansion into wine tourism. Having expanded over the years to establish Chandon wineries in Argentina, California, Brazil, Australia and China, Moet Et Chandon, the LVMH wine and spirits division, is ending local wine production in India after more than a decade. This marks a change from the drive by global drinks groups to establish local production in India to appeal to the vastly growing segment…
Japan: Liquefied Hydrogen Infrastructure Advances with New Equipment Delivery Fuel Cells Works Source link
LONDON — Gucci’s latest retreat in China, capped by the closing of its flagship in Shanghai’s iAPM mall last month — having shut two locations in the city a year before — is fast becoming the symbol of a market where the luxury recovery is not just uneven but starkly polarized. The latest report from Barclays said China looks less like an emerging engine of growth and more like a mature, highly selective arena where those with clear positioning, disciplined execution and compelling local relevance are extending their lead, while laggards, Gucci most visibly among them, are struggling to re-ignite…
As of yesterday, 8 April 2026, the British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) visa policy has been expanded to include children of BN(O) status holders who were children at the time of the handover on 1 July 1997. The expansion is expected to help 26,000 Hong Kongers reunite with their families in the UK.The move was announced on 9 February in response to the sentencing of pro-democracy media figure and UK citizen Jimmy Lai, following the conclusion of his national security trial in Hong Kong. According to the Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules published by the Home Office on 6…
Katie Price has said she will not visit her husband Lee Andrews in Dubai and will instead wait for him to return to the UK. Lee and Katie, 47, initially tied the knot in January just weeks after meeting, before holding a second, legal ceremony in February, however throughout their marriage he has been living in the UAE while Katie has travelled between the UK and Dubai. She has now declared she will not return to her husband’s home and is instead hoping he will fly to the UK to see her soon, as she has ‘done her bit’.Speaking on her YouTube…
JAKARTA: Indonesia will set up a special task force to prevent pilgrimage-related scams and unauthorized departures, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said on Thursday, as it prepares for the first pilgrims to travel to Saudi Arabia this month. Every year, the world’s biggest Muslim-majority nation sends the largest Hajj contingent of pilgrims to perform the spiritual journey that is one of the five pillars of Islam. In 2026, Saudi Arabia has granted Indonesia a quota of 221,000 pilgrims. Concerns have been mounting after more than 1,200 Indonesians fell victim to Hajj-related scams in 2025, prompting authorities to step up…