By Desmond Nleya
Welcome to this week’s top stories shaping conversations at home and abroad.
UAE
The UAE continued its strong diplomatic offensive this week, with His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan undertaking a key visit to Georgia. At the same time, the nation reaffirmed its humanitarian leadership in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO), by carrying out a medical evacuation flight transporting 119 patients and their families from Gaza, via the Karam Abu Salem crossing and Ramon Airport in Israel.
Since the start of the crisis, the UAE has successfully evacuated 2,904 patients and relatives to ensure access to urgent medical treatment.
Business
Dubai’s Exim Credit Bank (ECB) marked another major milestone in digital innovation with the launch of its new mobile banking app, now available on Google Play. The app streamlines onboarding, enables secure money transfers, and allows customers to pay bills with just a few taps—cementing ECB’s reputation as one of Dubai’s most customer-focused financial institutions.
In other financial developments, the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) announced a 25 basis-point reduction in the base rate of the Overnight Deposit Facility (ODF) to 4.15%, in line with the US Federal Reserve’s decision to lower the Interest Rate on Reserve Balances (IORB).
International
Momentum grew this week for the recognition of Palestine as a state, ahead of the high-level United Nations General Assembly session. UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged leaders to focus on “problem-solving, not point-scoring”, warning that the world is navigating “turbulent, even uncharted waters” amid deepening geopolitical divides, unchecked conflicts, and the climate emergency.
Nearly 150 heads of state are expected to attend the landmark 80th anniversary meeting in New York.
In Africa, Malawi went to the polls, with former President Peter Mutharika widely tipped to edge out the incumbent, Lazarus Chakwera.
Sports
The UEFA Champions League returned with fireworks this week, delivering a staggering 67 goals across fixtures.
Meanwhile, in cricket, World Champions India maintained their unbeaten run at the Asia Cup T20 in Abu Dhabi, defeating a spirited Oman side by 21 runs. India posted 188-8, while Oman—ranked 20th in the world—fought valiantly, finishing on 167-4 thanks to standout performances from Aamir Kaleem (64) and Hammad Mirza (51).
👉 That’s a wrap of the Daily Times Weekend Trending Stories. Stay with us for more updates shaping the UAE, the region, and the world.
