Author: arabcolumnist.com
MANILA: The Asian Development Bank has launched a new multi-partner trust fund with about $25 million in initial backing to accelerate preparation of cross-border energy and transmission projects in Southeast Asia. The new vehicle, called the Regional Connectivity Fund for Energy in Southeast Asia, is aimed at advancing the ASEAN Power Grid, the regional bloc’s flagship effort to achieve fully integrated electricity grid operations by 2045 and expand the flow of power across national borders. Initial contributions come from Australia, Canada, the European Union, Germany and the United Kingdom. ADB said the fund will provide technical assistance and project-readiness grants for energy infrastructure…
SHENZHEN: Shenzhen Port handled 8.5227 million foreign-trade containers measured in TEUs in the first quarter of 2026, official customs data showed, as one of China’s biggest maritime gateways posted steady year-on-year growth at the start of the year. The quarter’s throughput was up 7.81% from a year earlier, lifting the southern port complex above the 8 million TEU mark for the period and reinforcing the scale of cargo flows moving through terminals tied to factories, traders and shipping companies across the Pearl River Delta. The first-quarter total covers foreign-trade containers and provides a more precise update to earlier reports that said Shenzhen…
ANKARA: Türkiye has raised electricity and natural gas prices for households and several business categories, with the biggest increases reaching 25% and taking effect on April 4. The Energy Market Regulatory Authority said residential electricity tariffs rose 25%, while prices increased 17.5% for public and private services, 5.8% for industrial users and 24.8% for agricultural activities. The regulator also said a household using 100 kilowatt hours of electricity will now pay 323.8 lira, reflecting the latest nationwide adjustment in regulated utility charges. Natural gas prices were also increased under the new schedule published at the start of the month. Residential gas prices rose by…
ABU DHABI: UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held talks in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, focusing on regional developments and their impact on security and stability, as well as maritime security, energy supplies and the global economy. The meeting took place during Meloni’s visit to the United Arab Emirates and added to a series of high-level exchanges between Abu Dhabi and Rome that have accelerated over the past year across political, economic and strategic files. The two leaders also reviewed bilateral cooperation and reaffirmed support for strengthening ties in ways that serve shared interests.…
ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates entered the world’s top 10 merchandise exporters in 2025 for the first time, ranking ninth globally after its goods exports rose to $707 billion, according to the latest World Trade Organization trade statistics. The WTO’s main merchandise table also showed the UAE ranked 13th in goods imports at $619 billion, underscoring the country’s growing role in global trade flows as it expands beyond its long-standing position as a regional trading and logistics hub. The WTO data showed the UAE’s combined trade in goods and services climbed to $1.637 trillion in 2025, up from $949 billion in 2021. Goods trade…
ISLAMABAD: An earthquake that Pakistan’s meteorological agency measured at magnitude 6.2 shook parts of the country late Friday, sending residents into the streets in Islamabad and several northwestern cities, while authorities said initial checks had not produced immediate reports of fatalities or major damage inside Pakistan. The deadliest reported impact was in Afghanistan, where officials said eight people were killed and one child was injured in a house collapse on the outskirts of Kabul, placing the regional toll outside Pakistan even as the tremor was widely felt there. Pakistan’s Meteorological Department said the earthquake struck at 9:13 p.m. local time, with a depth of…
SEJONG: South Korea’s food exports rose 4.0% from a year earlier in the first quarter, supported by strong overseas demand for ramyeon, snacks, beverages and fresh fruit, according to provisional government data released on April 3. Food exports reached $2.5622 billion in the January to March period, up from $2.4639 billion a year earlier. Broader K-Food+ exports, which combine food products with agro-industry items such as farm machinery, veterinary medicines and smart-farm equipment, increased 3.5% to $3.3514 billion. The quarterly rise was led by gains across several major regions, with exports to the Gulf Cooperation Council jumping 32.3% to $106.9 million. Shipments…
HANOI: Vietnam’s exports rose 19.1% from a year earlier in the first quarter of 2026 to $122.93 billion, according to official data released on April 4, extending a strong start to the year for one of Southeast Asia’s most trade-dependent economies. Imports increased at a faster 27% pace to $126.57 billion, leaving the country with a trade deficit of $3.64 billion for the January to March period. In March alone, exports climbed 20.1% to $46.44 billion, while imports rose 27.8% to $47.11 billion, producing a monthly trade deficit of $670 million. The latest quarter-end figures showed export growth outpacing the earlier mid-March customs…
KINSHASA: The Democratic Republic of the Congo has declared an end to the mpox outbreak that had remained under national emergency management for about two years, with Health Minister Roger Kamba saying the epidemic no longer met the threshold for that status. The announcement marks a major public health milestone for a country that carried the heaviest burden during the recent surge in Africa, as authorities said the response would now shift from emergency footing to sustained surveillance and management within the health system. Kamba said the virus had not been eradicated and warned that mpox remains present in the country, but he…
SEOUL: South Korea’s foreign exchange reserves fell in March as a stronger U.S. dollar reduced the converted value of non-dollar assets and authorities used reserves in operations to ease currency-market strain, central bank data showed on Friday. Official reserves stood at $423.66 billion at the end of March, down $3.97 billion from $427.62 billion a month earlier. The decline reversed a February increase and marked the sharpest monthly drop since April 2025, according to the Bank of Korea. The Bank of Korea said the monthly decrease reflected both valuation effects and market-stabilization measures. It said the rise in the U.S. dollar lowered…