FIFA releases 800 Mexico City hotel rooms for World Cup

MEXICO CITY: FIFA has released about 40% of the hotel rooms it had blocked in Mexico City for the FIFA World Cup 2026, the city’s hotel industry group said, returning roughly 800 rooms to general availability over the past month about three months before the tournament opens in the capital. The block totaled about 2,000…

India forex reserves hit record $728.49bn on RBI data

MUMBAI: India’s foreign exchange reserves rose to a record $728.494 billion in the week ended Feb. 27, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India on Friday. The stockpile increased $4.885 billion from $723.608 billion a week earlier, reversing the prior week’s decline. India’s forex reserves comprise foreign currency assets, gold, Special Drawing…

UAE and Slovakia deepen ties while evacuation talks expand

BRATISLAVA: UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Bratislava on Sunday, March 8, 2026, during a working visit to the Slovak capital. The meeting took place in the presence of Slovakia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Juraj Blanár. The UAE…

Nairobi floods kill 28 as Kenya storms displace thousands

NAIROBI: Flash floods triggered by heavy overnight rain killed at least 28 people in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, after rivers and drainage channels overflowed and sent water through low-lying neighborhoods and key transport corridors. Police and rescue workers searched flooded streets and riverbanks after the worst of the downpour struck late Friday and into Saturday…

News

Pakistan clears Murid base building footprint in Feb 2026

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has demolished a building inside Pakistan Air Force Base Murid that was heavily damaged during India’s May 2025 Operation Sindoor air strike, according to commercial satellite imagery dated Feb. 28, 2026. The latest image shows the structure completely removed, leaving exposed earth and scattered…

Cyprus president hosts UAE foreign minister in Nicosia

NICOSIA: Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides received UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan during a working visit to the Cypriot capital, with Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos attending. The UAE foreign minister conveyed greetings from UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin…

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Technology

BMW tests AEON humanoid robots in German production

EuroWire, LEIPZIG: BMW Group has launched a pilot project using humanoid robots in production at its Plant Leipzig, marking the company’s first deployment of humanoid robotics on a factory floor in Germany. BMW announced the project on Feb. 27 and provided additional details on March 9, describing the move as part of what it…

Sports

Griekspoor meets Medvedev in Dubai title match

DUBAI: Tallon Griekspoor will face former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev in the men’s singles final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships after both players won their semifinals on Friday at the ATP 500 event. Griekspoor, ranked 25th, reached his first Dubai final by beating fifth seed Andrey Rublev 7-5, 7-6(6). Medvedev, the third…

Automotive

2027 Mercedes-Benz S-Class adds DIGITAL LIGHT micro-LEDs

MENA Newswire, ATLANTA: Mercedes-Benz USA has unveiled the 2027 S-Class Sedan as a major update to its flagship luxury sedan, adding new lighting signatures, a revised cabin technology stack and expanded personalization choices. The automaker said the model introduces an illuminated front grille with three-dimensional…

Lifestyle

JP Morgan funds Fresha with $31 million for AI and robotics growth

Fresha, a leading global booking platform for lifestyle services, announced today that it has secured a $31 million investment from JP Morgan to enhance its machine learning and AI-driven robotics capabilities. This financial backing will enable Fresha to innovate further within its technology stack, aiming to streamline operations and enhance customer experiences across its…