Author: Editorial team
BEIJING, 15th August, 2026 (WAM) — China’s inclusive loans to small and micro enterprises maintained steady growth in the second quarter, official data showed Friday. Outstanding inclusive loans to small and micro enterprises reached 38.9 trillion yuan (about US$5.73 trillion) at the end of the second quarter, up 8 percent year on year, according to the National Financial Regulatory Administration. Outstanding inclusive loans related to agriculture stood at 15 trillion yuan, up 7.5 percent year on year. Friday’s data also showed China’s banking institutions held 498 trillion yuan in renminbi and foreign-currency assets, up 6.6 percent year on year, while…
Businesses are adopting autonomous AI agents faster than they are putting governance frameworks in place, raising concerns over accountability, cybersecurity and operational resilience, according to new research from Optro.The study found that one in three organisations already use AI in critical resilience workflows, yet agentic AI failures, including loss of control and autonomous decision-making errors, remain among the least-tested business disruption scenarios. Nearly 30 per cent of organisations surveyed said they had never tested for such failures.The report, titled When AI Leaves the Chat and Enters the Workflow, argues that organisations are moving beyond conversational AI tools and increasingly deploying…
Apple TV has greenlit Ascension, a new horror thriller series from Oscar-winning filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón, with Outlander star Caitríona Balfe attached to play the lead role, according to Variety.The project has been in development for several years, with reports about the series first emerging in 2017, when Casey Affleck was originally attached to star.Inspired by Adam Nevill’s novel Last Days, the series will follow Rose, played by Balfe, a documentary filmmaker and recently divorced mother who is skilled at uncovering other people’s truths while struggling with her own.A mysterious cult investigationRose’s latest project takes her into the world of the…
QUITO, 14th August, 2026 (WAM) — Daniel Noboa, President of the Republic of Ecuador, received Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, and Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Republic of Ecuador. Al Olama conveyed the greetings of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai; and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, to President Noboa, along with their wishes for further progress and…
ROME, 14th August, 2026 (WAM) — Italy’s annual inflation rate fell slightly to 2.9 percent in July from 3 percent in June, according to the Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat). Italian news agency (ANSA) reported that Istat said the slight slowdown in inflation mainly reflected price dynamics in non-regulated energy products, whose annual increase eased from 13.3 percent to 11.4 percent, unprocessed food, from 4.4 percent to 3.6 percent, and miscellaneous services, from 2.5 percent to 1.8 percent. On a monthly basis, Istat’s consumer price index rose by 0.3 percent in July. Source: Emirates News Agency
Iraq’s stock market outperformed most major regional exchanges in July, supported by gains in banking shares and improving economic ties with the United States, even as trading activity slowed during the summer months.The Rabee Securities Iraq Stock Exchange Index (RSISX) gained 1.6 per cent during the month, outperforming markets including Bahrain, Qatar, Muscat, Dubai and Saudi Arabia. The advance was driven primarily by gains in Al-Mansour Bank, Bank of Baghdad and Iraqi Islamic Bank.Investor sentiment was also supported by strengthening economic relations between Iraq and the US, according to market data released by Rabee Securities.Banking stocks played a central role…
Singer and actor Selena Gomez was sued on Thursday by investors who say the “Only Murders in the Building” star committed fraud by failing to fulfill duties to build and promote her mental health start-up.The plaintiffs invested nearly $1.2 million in Wondermind Global, which was launched in 2021 to help users strengthen their “mental fitness,” according to the lawsuit filed in federal court in Delaware.Investors said they were told Gomez, one of the biggest celebrities on social media with more than 500 million followers, would be actively involved in building the company as head of marketing. They argue that Gomez…
ABU DHABI, 14th August, 2026 (WAM) — AD Ports Group on Friday reported its strongest quarterly results on record for the second quarter of 2026, confirming the resilience of its diversified and integrated trade ecosystem amidst a challenging and volatile geopolitical and macroeconomic backdrop marked by conflict in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Revenue in Q2 2026 rose 47 percent YoY to AED7.08 billion, driven by the strong operational and financial performance of the Maritime & Shipping, Economic Cities & Free Zones (EC&FZ), and Logistics Clusters. EBITDA in Q2 2026 rose 49 percent YoY to AED1.74 billion, implying an…
SHARJAH, 14th August, 2026 (WAM)– As part of its efforts to leverage technology to support the sustainability of traditional crafts and develop methods for documenting them, Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council, in collaboration with Rubu’ Qarn Science and Technology, concluded the first phase of the Technology and Crafts Lab program. This three-phase program combines digital documentation, materials exploration, and experimental research. The first phase, which focused on digital documentation, took place from July 27 to August 2, 2026, at the Rubu’ Qarn Science and Technology Center. Participants learned about methods for documenting local crafts and cultural knowledge, while also exploring the…
[Editor’s Note: For the latest updates on how the US-Iran war has escalated since a 14-point deal was signed on June 17, follow the Khaleej Times live blog.]Adnoc has confirmed that two of its vessels were attacked while they were transiting through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday evening, in the second such incident in under a week.The UAE’s energy group issued a statement, according to a Wam report, stressing the importance of protecting the safety and wellbeing of seafarers, while safeguarding the freedom of navigation and maritime security. It said that the incident on August 13 resulted in no injuries and that…