Wednesday, September 23

    Remittances from Egyptians working abroad reached about $29.7 billion in the first seven months of 2026. The figures cover money sent home by Egyptians employed overseas. July alone brought in about $4.5 billion, up 20% from roughly $3.8 billion in July 2025. On a fiscal-year basis, remittances reached about $47.3 billion in 2025/2026, a 29.6% increase from the previous fiscal year.

    Typhoon Dujuan brought record rainfall and strong winds to eastern Japan on Monday, prompting emergency landslide warnings and widespread transport disruption. The Japan Meteorological Agency placed Oshima in the Izu Islands under a Level 5 landslide warning at 12:40 p.m. Heavy rain had already pushed totals above 500 millimeters across parts of the island chain. Chiba Prefecture recorded more than 300 millimeters from Saturday through early Monday afternoon. Authorities urged residents to watch for flooding, swollen rivers and dangerous waves.

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    Remittances from Egyptians working abroad reached about $29.7 billion in the first seven months of 2026. The figures cover money sent home by Egyptians employed overseas. July alone brought in about $4.5 billion, up 20% from roughly $3.8 billion in July 2025. On a fiscal-year basis, remittances reached about $47.3 billion in 2025/2026, a 29.6% increase from the previous fiscal year.

    China kept its benchmark lending rates unchanged in September, maintaining the one-year loan prime rate at 3.0%. The over-five-year LPR remained at 3.5%, according to the official September 20 fixing. Many lenders use the longer-term rate as a reference for mortgage pricing. The decision left both lending benchmarks at the same levels recorded in August.

    Gold prices continued their downward trend across global commodity exchanges as investors digested the decision by the U.S. Federal Reserve to raise benchmark interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point. Spot bullion fell 1 percent during international trading sessions to reach $4,249 per ounce, reflecting heightened market pressure driven by tighter monetary policy conditions. Gold prices decline on Federal Reserve rate decision actions as elevated borrowing costs increase the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding precious metals across major financial trading desks.

    Gold prices continued their downward trend across global commodity exchanges as investors digested the decision by the U.S. Federal Reserve to raise benchmark interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point. Spot bullion fell 1 percent during international trading sessions to reach $4,249 per ounce, reflecting heightened market pressure driven by tighter monetary policy conditions. Gold prices decline on Federal Reserve rate decision actions as elevated borrowing costs increase the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding precious metals across major financial trading desks.

    Gold prices edged higher on Thursday as a softer U.S. dollar supported bullion before fresh U.S. inflation data. Spot gold rose 0.3% to $4,414.28 an ounce by 0419 GMT. U.S. gold futures for December delivery slipped 0.1% to $4,457.20. The early gain kept spot gold above $4,400 after a sharp reversal during Wednesday’s trading. Gold had initially moved lower before finishing that session more than 1% higher. The U.S. dollar remained subdued during early trading, supporting dollar-priced precious metals. A weaker dollar reduces the cost of gold for buyers using other currencies. Meanwhile, the benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury yield remained elevated near 4.84%. Gold does not pay interest, making changes in bond yields important for precious metals markets. Brent crude also held above $100 a barrel after crossing that level during the previous session.

    Business

    Remittances from Egyptians working abroad reached about $29.7 billion in the first seven months of 2026. The figures cover money sent home by Egyptians employed overseas. July alone brought in about $4.5 billion, up 20% from roughly $3.8 billion in July 2025. On a fiscal-year basis, remittances reached about $47.3 billion in 2025/2026, a 29.6% increase from the previous fiscal year.

    Gold prices continued their downward trend across global commodity exchanges as investors digested the decision by the U.S. Federal Reserve to raise benchmark interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point. Spot bullion fell 1 percent during international trading sessions to reach $4,249 per ounce, reflecting heightened market pressure driven by tighter monetary policy conditions. Gold prices decline on Federal Reserve rate decision actions as elevated borrowing costs increase the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding precious metals across major financial trading desks.

    The agreement brings the Ministry of Investment and Downstreaming together with the Ministry of Youth and Sports on business licensing. It also covers investment promotion and services for companies operating in sports-related fields. The ministries will coordinate through Indonesia’s Online Single Submission system, known as OSS. Their cooperation also includes compliance monitoring, regulatory coordination and data sharing. The framework applies to investment development across Indonesia’s sports sector rather than establishing a US$521 billion domestic industry target.

    Oil prices recovered modestly on Tuesday after Brent crude and WTI fell more than 2% in the previous session. Brent futures rose 27 cents, or 0.3%, to $92.44 a barrel by 0330 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate gained 37 cents, or 0.4%, to $85.38. The rebound followed Monday’s sharp pullback, which ended six consecutive sessions of gains across the two benchmark crude contracts.

    Alibaba said it will direct 100% of the net proceeds toward its full-stack AI capabilities. The spending will include expansion and upgrades across its artificial intelligence infrastructure. The company has built an AI ecosystem spanning cloud computing, models, chips and applications. Its Qwen model family and Alibaba Cloud services form major parts of that technology platform. The placement targets non-U.S. investors outside the United States through offshore transactions. The HK$112.70 offering price sits 8.4% below Alibaba’s HK$123 closing price on Friday. Hong Kong-listed shares fell as much as 10% to HK$110.10 in early Monday trading. Alibaba also trades in New York through American depositary shares under the BABA ticker.

    South Korea has begun its first container ship trial through the Arctic to Europe. The 2,758-TEU PanStar Acro left Busan New Port at about 9 p.m. on August 22. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries confirmed the departure and published the voyage schedule. The ship will use the Northern Sea Route before calling at three European ports. The 45-day round trip is scheduled to end in Busan on October 5.

    July marked the second consecutive monthly record for imports by value. Crude oil played a major role in the increase as Japan faced higher energy costs. Crude import volumes rose 5.5% from July 2025, ending three months of year-on-year declines. The value of those crude shipments jumped 87.8% over the same period. Japan remains heavily dependent on imported energy, making changes in oil prices and exchange rates important factors in its merchandise trade figures.

    U.S. stocks ended modestly higher Wednesday as long-term Treasury yields fell sharply. The S&P 500 rose 16.22 points, or 0.21%, to 7,707.98, ending a three-session losing streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 119.65 points, or 0.22%, to close at 53,463.05. The Nasdaq Composite added 41.38 points, or 0.16%, finishing at 26,331.09. Falling government bond yields helped major indexes recover after several sessions of pressure from rising borrowing costs. Bond prices climbed after the U.S. Treasury Department announced larger liquidity support buybacks for longer-dated government debt.

    Oil prices extended their decline on Wednesday, deepening a selloff that pushed both major benchmarks to three-week lows. Brent crude futures fell 92 cents, or 1.2%, to $78.44 a barrel by 3:30 a.m. GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures dropped $1.07, or 1.4%, to $74.70. Brent had fallen more than 12% for the week. WTI had lost more than 11% over the same period.

    Under the terms of the revised agreement, the main satellite constellation will grow from 282 planned orbital units to 348 active spacecraft. The expanded network architecture integrates 330 satellites positioned in higher low Earth orbit alongside 18 spacecraft deployed in medium Earth orbit, with optional orbital elements reserved for specialized mission support. The implementation agreement confirms the definitive timeline for satellite manufacturing, launch procurement, secure ground segment construction, and operational connectivity service delivery. The primary constellation schedule establishes initial satellite launches for 2029, enabling early sovereign connectivity capabilities for participating member states shortly thereafter.

    Headline inflation across OECD economies eased to 4.2% in June 2026 from 4.6% in May, ending three straight monthly increases. The measure tracks annual changes in consumer prices across the group’s member countries. Inflation declined in 20 economies, increased in six and remained stable or broadly stable in 12. Nine OECD countries recorded inflation at or below 2%, including three where the rate stood below 1%. Energy prices drove much of the monthly easing. OECD energy inflation fell four percentage points to 11.7% year on year, after reaching 15.8% in May. The rate declined in 24 of the 37 countries with available data. However, energy inflation increased in 10 economies, while six countries still reported rates above 15%.

    Travel

    Emirates enters winter season with strong booking momentum following a high-density summer operational period during which the airline transported more than 8.6 million passengers between July and August across 140 global destinations. The carrier’s seasonal performance highlights expanding passenger capacity and higher load factors across primary long-haul routes connecting North America, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region. Industry observers note that the sustained passenger volume underscores structural resilience across international long-haul aviation markets.

    Technology

    The iPhone Duo carries a 5.4-inch external screen for everyday phone use when the device stays closed. Opening the handset reveals a 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR display designed for larger apps and multitasking. Both panels support ProMotion and Always-On features, with outdoor brightness reaching 3,000 nits. Apple uses Grade 5 titanium for the enclosure and built the hinge from more than 100 components. The phone also carries an IP68 rating for resistance to water and dust.

    Automotive

    The restructuring strategy, formally named the Future Package, was negotiated between the executive leadership of Porsche and the General Works Council in coordination with the metalworkers union IG Metall and the employers association Südwestmetall. Executives emphasized that workforce reductions will be executed through socially responsible mechanisms, including expanded partial retirement programs, voluntary severance packages, and natural demographic attrition. Management explicitly ruled out compulsory redundancies through 2035, while extending existing site guarantees for five years. In exchange for labor concessions, the automaker committed 2.1 billion euros in capital investments dedicated to upgrading its assembly plant in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen and its research facility in Weissach.

    TOKYO, JAPAN / MENA Newswire / – Japan’s new car sales rose 1.8% in the first half of 2026, marking a second straight first-half gain for the domestic auto market. Automakers sold 2,387,189 new vehicles from January through June, including minivehicles. The increase followed…

    Sports

    The shortlist includes players from leading clubs across Europe and other major competitions. Paris Saint-Germain has one of the strongest contingents in the men’s field. Its nominees include Dembélé, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Fabián Ruiz, Vitinha and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Bruno Fernandes, Declan Rice, Michael Olise, Lautaro Martínez and Sadio Mané also earned places. France Football administers the Ballon d’Or and applies a season-based assessment period to each edition.

    Messi said he reached the decision after extensive consideration following Argentina’s 2026 World Cup final against Spain. He wrote his retirement message on July 21, two days after the final in New Jersey. Messi later said the death of his father, Jorge Messi, in August reinforced his decision to publish the message. He described leaving the national team as painful while stressing the pride he felt representing Argentina. Messi also thanked teammates, coaches, family members and supporters who accompanied him throughout his international career.

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