U.S. Defense Secretary Sees Long-Term Fight Against Islamic State

The U.S.-led coalition escalated air strikes on Islamic State in and around Kobani, also known as Ayn al-Arab, last week.

United Nations $1bn Ebola Appeal Severely Underfunded -UN Officials

A UN official has said a “20-fold increase” in the global response is needed to combat the spread of Ebola compared to efforts at the end of August.

World Economies Warn Of Global Risks, Call For Bold Action

The IMF has flagged Europe as the top concern, a sentiment echoed by many policymakers, economists and investors gathered in Washington for the Fund’s fall meetings.

Egypt Has Paid Back $500m To Qatar – Central Bank Governor

Qatar has provided around $7.5 billion in loans and grants during ex-president Mohammed Mursi’s year in power.

Air Berlin Dealt Blow As Germany Rejects Some Etihad Codeshare Flights

Etihad and Air Berlin have in the past shared codes on flights to around 60 destinations, meaning their number of shared flights will more than halve.

The Gulf’s IPO Boom

Market watchers suggest the lack of regional IPO activity in recent years could soon be a distant memory.

Threat To Syrian Town Tests Patience For U.S. Strategy

The current strategy requires Western patience that grows thinner with each headline of gruesome Islamic State atrocities or videos depicting beheadings of American or British hostages.

Travel Review: Maldives’ Azure Shores Beckon

The Maldives’ idyllic landscape has long attracted honeymooners, but the islands offer far more than just a couple’s retreat.

At Least 20 Killed In Suicide Bombing In Yemeni Capital

The attack occurred just hours after a showdown between the Houthis and President Abd-Rabbu Mansour led to the resignation of PM Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak.

Flydubai Adds Three New Routes To Central and Eastern Europe

The airline will fly to Bratislava, Sofia and Prague starting from December.

HTC Unveils New Camera ‘RE’ And ‘Selfie’ Phone, HTC Desire Eye

RE comes with a16MP sensor and full HD video recording while the HTC Desire Eye includes 13MP front and rear cameras.

Etihad Launches New Airline Partnership

Called Etihad Airways Partners, the group initially includes six airlines and aims to provide improved networks and better frequent flyer benefits.

Ebola Patient Dies In Texas; 5 U.S. Airports To Screen For Fever

Liberian national Thomas Eric Duncan died in an isolation ward of a Dallas hospital, 11 days after being admitted on Sept. 28.

IMF Cuts Middle East Growth Forecasts On Global Trends, Unrest

In 2015, growth in the region is expected to accelerate to 3.9 per cent – but that is 0.9 percentage point slower than the IMF’s July forecast.

UAE’s Gulf Capital Invests $25m In Egypt’s Amak Petroleum

The investment is expected to help Amak, a firm specialising in providing petroleum services, to fund its growth plans.

Abraaj Group Buys Majority Stake In South Africa’s Libstar

Libstar operates across South Africa through manufacturing, supply and distribution and employs about 4,200 people.

IT Spending By MEA Manufacturers To Grow 40% By 2018

Robust GDP growth, quick adoption of 3D platform technologies and increasing awareness of IT threats is boosting regional IT spend.

Drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline Investigating Corruption Allegations In UAE

The company is already investigating alleged bribery in other Middle East countries, including Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Iraq.

US Regulator FAA To Grant Safety Approval To Airbus A350 Jet By End-Oct

Airbus won European safety approval last week for the A350.

US Vice President Apologises To Saudi Over His Comments On Islamic State

Biden earlier apologised to Turkey and the UAE for saying that regional US allies were partly to blame for the rise of IS in Syria.

Raytheon Eyes Deal With Qatar On Patriot System Before Year-End

Former Raytheon CEO Bill Swanson had said in January that he expected Qatar to finalise an order worth over $2 billion in the first half of 2014.

Saudi Billionaire Prince Alwaleed Plans Meeting With Indian PM Modi

Prince Alwaleed said he was “impressed” by Narendra Modi’s speech when he was in the US.

Virgin Atlantic To Drop Little Red UK Flights

Airline blames slot constraints amid strong competition and poor loads

Middle East Airlines Record Strongest Global Traffic Growth In August

International passenger traffic rose 6.7 per cent in August with all regions showing growth over the previous year.

US Working On New Screenings For Ebola But No Travel Ban

The first patient diagnosed with Ebola in the US, Thomas Eric Duncan, is in a critical condition.

US And Allies Have Conducted 341 Strikes In Iraq, Syria

Except for eight strikes against the Khorasan Group in Syria, all have been against Islamic State militants.

Whatsapp new privacy features

Facebook’s WhatsApp Acquisition Now Has Price Tag Of $22bn

The acquisition was announced by Facebook in February and recently received regulatory approval in Europe.

Iran Releases Journalist, American Husband Still In Jail

Yeganeh Salehi, Tehran correspondent for the UAE English language newspaper, The National, was freed last week and is said to be in good health.

Global Officials To Issue Communique Warning Of Economic Risk

With Europe flirting with deflation, Japan not far from recession and a slowing economy in China, there are worries the recovery from the deep 2007-2009 crisis is losing traction.

High Risk Ebola Could Reach France, UK By End-Oct

The deadly epidemic has killed more than 3,400 people since it began in West Africa in March.