The United Arab Emirates (UAE) recorded a 4 per cent real GDP growth in 2024, reaching 1.77 trillion dirhams (about 482 billion US dollars), fueled primarily by robust expansion in non-oil sectors, the Ministry of Economy has announced.

Non-oil activities surged by 5 per cent to 1.34 trillion dirhams, accounting for 75.5 per cent of total GDP. In contrast, the oil sector contributed 434 billion dirhams, reports news agency.

Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, UAE's economy minister, said the latest figures highlight progress toward transitioning to a knowledge-based, sustainable economy. He attributed the performance to modern economic policies centred on innovation, technology, and business environment development.

"The UAE continues to move steadily toward the goals of the 'We the UAE 2031' vision, which aims to raise GDP to 3 trillion dirhams and reinforce the country's position as a global hub for the new economy," he added.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has voiced rejection of any expansion of the ongoing regional conflict, stressing the urgent need to halt Israeli military operations "on all regional fronts," the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

The Egyptian President made the remarks during a phone call with his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides on Sunday, in which Sisi warned that continued tension "will inflict grave and formidable harm on all peoples of the region."

The Egyptian leader stressed that peaceful solutions remain "the sole viable means" to ensure security and stability in the region, calling on the international community to play a more active role in compelling all regional parties to act responsibly.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed the tense situation in the Middle East with two senior US diplomats.

The discussions were held in two separate phone calls with the US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and US senior adviser for Africa and presidential adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs Massad Boulos, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The call with Witkoff focused on the rapidly escalating tensions in the Middle East, particularly in light of the military confrontation between Israel and Iran, news agency reported.

During the call, Abdelatty stressed the "extreme danger" this escalation poses to regional security and stability. He emphasised the immediate need to reduce military escalation, contain the situation, and return to political and diplomatic solutions to prevent the region from spiraling into a cycle of violence.

An increase in the elderly population as well as a rise in smoking are behind the surge in the global rheumatoid arthritis burden since 1980, according to an AI-powered study.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease that primarily affects joints, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness.

The novel analysis published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases details significant socioeconomic disparities and worsening inequalities in disease burden.

The findings revealed that demographic ageing, population growth, and uneven healthcare infrastructure exacerbate rheumatoid arthritis burdens differently across regions.

Using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD), the study integrated the largest spatiotemporal rheumatoid arthritis dataset spanning 953 global to local locations from 1980 to 2021 with a novel deep learning framework.

Meta has appointed Arun Srinivas as the Managing Director and Head for its India operations.

This comes after Sandhya Devanathan taking on an expanded role of leading both India and Southeast Asia.

“We are appointing Arun Srinivas as the Managing Director and Head for Meta in India. This follows the recent announcement of Sandhya Devanathan taking on an expanded role of leading both India and South East Asia,” the tech giant said in a statement.

As part of his new and expanded role, Srinivas will focus on bringing the organisation’s business, innovation, and revenue priorities together to serve partners and clients, while continuing to support the long-term growth of Meta’s business and commitment to India.

After the second black box, which is a critical component in determining the cause of the crash, was recovered, the investigators have intensified the probe in the Air India crash case.

The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), commonly referred to as the second black box, was retrieved from the cockpit section of the wreckage.

This comes days after the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) was recovered from the tail end of the aircraft. The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) captures all audio inside the cockpit, including conversations between pilots, radio transmissions, alarm sounds, and any background noise in the final moments before a crash.

It is a crucial tool for investigators, as it helps reconstruct the crew’s decision-making, identify possible human errors or mechanical warnings, and determine the sequence of events that led to an aviation incident.

With just a day left for public campaigning in the Nilambur assembly by-election to end, the contest has reached a feverish pitch. All four candidates, along with their parties' star campaigners, are making a final push to woo voters ahead of polling on June 19.

While the main battle is between Congress candidate Aryadan Shoukath and CPI(M)’s former legislator M. Swaraj, the outcome could well hinge on how many votes are garnered by P.V. Anvar -- the two-time Independent legislator who vacated the seat in January following a fallout with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan -- and BJP candidate Mohan George.

As is typical in electoral contests, every major player is claiming victory. BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar has declared that George is on course to win, despite the party securing only 8,595 votes in the constituency in 2021.

Global star Priyanka Chopra Jonas took to social media to shower birthday love on her mother, Madhu Chopra.

The actress star shared a heartfelt message along with a warm video, expressing her deep gratitude and affection for the woman who has been her constant support. PeeCee shared a heartwarming video montage featuring cherished moments with her mother, Madhu Chopra, and daughter, Malti Marie. The clip includes candid glimpses of Madhu enjoying beach vacations, playfully bonding with granddaughter Malti, performing Kathak in one moment, and dancing joyfully during wedding festivities in another. The video also features lovely photos of Madhu with Priyanka and her son-in-law, Nick Jonas.

For the caption, the ‘Baywatch’ actress wrote, “Happy birthday to the woman who dances to the beat of her own drum! Here’s to many many more. We love you so much nai nai @drmadhuakhourichopra.”

Last year, on her mother Madhu Chopra’s birthday, Priyanka Chopra penned a heartfelt note, expressing gratitude for her guidance and support. She thanked her for always helping the family grow into the best versions of themselves.

At least four people were killed and 10 others were seriously injured after a pickup van overturned in Bihar’s Saran district early Monday morning, officials said.

The accident occurred around 7 a.m. on Monday near Bajitpur village, within the Nayagaon police station limits. One of the vehicle’s tyres burst, causing the driver to lose control.

The van, carrying around 25 passengers, was reportedly travelling at a speed of 70-80 km/h.

According to police, the group was on its way from Dighwara to Sarai in Vaishali district via Sonpur to roast corn when the mishap took place.

Sonpur Range SDPO said rescue operations were launched immediately after receiving the information.

“We recovered the bodies trapped inside the overturned vehicle. The deceased were sent for post-mortem at Sadar Hospital, Chhapra. The injured have been admitted to the Sub-Divisional Hospital in Sonpur, with some in critical condition,” he said.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Monday announced that Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck Quds Force command centres in Tehran, intensifying the already deadly confrontation between Israel and Iran.

The attacks, the IDF said, were carried out using "precise intelligence" and targeted facilities involved in orchestrating terrorist activities against Israel.

"The Air Force attacked Quds Force headquarters in Tehran. Air Force fighter jets attacked the headquarters of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards and the Iranian army, under precise intelligence guidance from the Intelligence Department," the IDF posted on X.

"In these headquarters, Quds operatives planned terrorist acts against Israel through the Iranian regime's branches in the Middle East," the post added.

An illustrative graphic released by the Israeli military indicated that 10 sites were hit in the operation.