Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo on Sept. 9, marking its debut in the foldable smartphone market. Starting at $1,999 in the U.S., this device features a 7.6-inch internal display that unfolds, while a 5.4-inch outer screen handles regular phone functions when closed. Preorders open on Oct. 16, with retail availability beginning Oct. 23. This release introduces a new iPhone design alongside Apple’s traditional lineup of smartphones.
On September 16, HiTHIUM, a leading global energy storage technology company, officially unveiled its next-generation integrated sodium-ion energy storage solution at its “Powered Day in, Day out” launch event. The new offerings include the ∞Power N4.0MWh, a 4MWh sodium-ion energy storage system equipped with the high-capacity ∞Cell N785Ah sodium-ion battery. HiTHIUM also announced its plans to begin full-scale production and delivery in 2027. With a 30-year designed service life, the system provides an infrastructure-grade solution for sodium-ion deployment.
Extreme rainfall in Hainan forced more than 55,000 people from high-risk areas. The onset of heavy rainfall began on September 11 when a tropical depression over the South China Sea interacted with cold air, resulting in widespread downpours across the island. The most intense rain fell in southern and central parts of Hainan, affecting locations such as Baoting, Wuzhishan, Wanning, Qionghai, and Lingshui. As the rain persisted, rivers swelled and water levels rose in numerous communities. Rainfall measurements reached extraordinary levels in certain areas before the weather eased. Between September 11 and 2 p.m. on September 14, Xiangshui township in Baoting recorded 912.9 millimeters of rain. During this period, six townships received over 700 millimeters, with three surpassing 800 millimeters, illustrating how intensely concentrated the rain was in parts of Hainan.
Fastmarkets today announced its collaboration with TMX Trayport, a global provider of trading networks, platforms and solutions, to underpin Fastmarkets Connect, its digital platform for the physical lithium market. This brings together Fastmarkets’ lithium market expertise with TMX Trayport’s established technology, to create trusted digital infrastructure with greater transparency, connectivity and access to spot liquidity.
The joint platform combines the Lenovo ThinkEdge SE455 V3 rugged edge server with the MemryX Cascade 100P AI accelerator to process video and sensor data on site. This helps organizations reduce latency, maintain greater control over their data and limit reliance on centralized, power- and cooling-intensive AI infrastructure.
Rosewood Hong Kong (No.1) has once again been named The World’s Best Hotel 2026. The list celebrates hotels from 22 destinations across six continents, with Europe leading the way with 21 winning hotels. Chablé Yucatán (No.9) in Mexico wins the Bombay Sapphire Eco Hotel Award, audited by the Sustainable Restaurant Association. In its second year, the Johnnie Walker Art of Design Award is presented to Hôtel du Couvent (No.38) in Nice, France. James McBride, founder of Nihi Hotels, is celebrated with the SevenRooms Icon Award. The Best Boutique Hotel Award is awarded to Passalacqua (No.5) in Lake Como, for a third year. Patina Osaka in Japan (No.33) wins the Nikka Best New Hotel Award. Other accolades include Ferrari Trento Most Admired Hotel Group Award, awarded to Rosewood; WhistlePig Highest Climber Award goes to Las Ventanas al Paraíso (No.25) in Los Cabos, Mexico; Casa Maria Luigia (No.18) in Modena, Italy wins the Lavazza Highest New Entry Award; and the Best Beach Hotel Award goes to Atlantis The Royal (No.4) in Dubai. The Fifth Avenue Hotel (No.78) in New York City received the American Express Travel One to Watch Award and Switzerland’s Badrutt’s Palace (No.36)
“The HSA AI Lab marks the next chapter in our transformation journey. We are combining HSA’s decades of experience, talent and resilience with artificial intelligence to transform how we work, how we compete and how we grow.”
From nationality ranking to purchase purpose
British nationals ranked first in Betterhomes’ Dubai transaction data for March and April 2026, ahead of Indian, Australian and Egyptian buyers.
While such rankings show the prominence of British demand, wider research provides another layer by examining buyer intentions and spending power. Knight Frank’s Destination Dubai 2025 research, conducted with YouGov among 387 high-net-worth individuals across the UK, India, Saudi Arabia and East Asia, found that 74% of British high-net-worth respondents considering a UAE property acquisition named Dubai as their preferred emirate. British respondents allocated an average potential property budget of US$30.3 million.
Across Dubai’s wider residential market, Betterhomes’ full-year 2025 data shows that 43% of transactions were attributed to end users and 57% to investors. The split gives a clearer indication of how demand across the market is linked to actual occupancy as well as investment.
In Lahore, consumers are paying significantly higher prices for basic food items than the prices officially announced by authorities, amidst Pakistan’s ongoing inflation pressures. Despite reductions in official rates, many retail outlets have yet to reflect these changes in their pricing. This week, large gaps emerged between the notified and actual market prices for chicken, vegetables, and fruits. The rising costs are burdening households as nationwide consumer inflation hits double digits, compounded further by rising fuel prices affecting daily expenses.
TestMu AI (formerly LambdaTest), the world’s first Agentic AI-powered Quality Engineering platform, announced the Assurance Lifecycle, a new set of commands in Kane CLI that extend the tool beyond authoring and replaying browser tests. With assurance, teams describe what their product must do, and Kane CLI designs the tests that prove it, each one permanently linked to the requirement it verifies, with coverage measured from sealed evidence and the suite reconciled as the product changes.
ART AND SOCIAL SCIENCES: REFLECTING ON A CHANGING WORLD
The 18th Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art explores the human connections at the heart of the economy. Curated by art historian and author Catherine Nichols, it extends a line of inquiry informed by her work on creativity and social transformation. It invites us to consider a fundamental question: How can our capacity to create and tell stories open up other ways of living together? In Lyon, the themes of dreams and passage give new expression to this inquiry: transforming the constraints of the present through imagination and collective action.
President Bajram Begaj awarded Sheikh Mohamed the Grand Star of the Supreme Order of the Eagle, Albania’s highest state decoration. This accolade recognizes the UAE President’s efforts in strengthening UAE-Albanian relations and fostering economic, cultural, and development collaborations between the nations. Sheikh Mohamed conveyed his appreciation for the honor and reiterated the UAE’s commitment to deepening bilateral relations. The UAE President was received alongside senior Emirati officials, including Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Emirates enters winter season with strong booking demand as fleet retrofit initiatives increase premium seat availability on key intercontinental corridors. Emirates’ Winter Season Sees Robust International Booking Activity Alongside cabin upgrades, the airline is broadening its flight schedules and opening new international routes ahead of the winter timetable. Expanding destinations are complemented by increased interline and codeshare agreements, facilitating seamless connections at secondary and regional airports worldwide. The airline’s management noted that strategic partnerships enable the carrier to attract feeder traffic from emerging regional markets. Operational capacity at Dubai International Airport continues to support significant trade, tourism, and business travel flows. The airline aims to manage anticipated passenger surges during major global conventions, trade fairs, and winter holiday seasons with increased flight frequencies on high-demand routes. The airport’s strategic geographic location ensures efficient transit links between Eastern and Western commercial hubs. Fleet Modernization Efforts Enhance Inflight Experience Through Multi-Billion-Dollar Retrofit Program Analysts in the aviation industry highlight that maintaining high passenger load factors over winter is crucial for supporting revenue streams amidst ongoing global macroeconomic changes. The airline’s focus
“Celadon Breeze from the Sea: A Journey Through Zhejiang Celadon” traces centuries of craftsmanship and cultural exchange along the Maritime Silk Road. The exhibition features four sections — “Kiln Fires That Endure,” “Celadon Across the World,” “Sailing Across the Seas” and “Envoys of Exchange” — with archaeological objects forming the basis of a comprehensive narrative. “Kiln Fires That Endure” traces the evolution of Zhejiang celadon techniques and aesthetics. “Celadon Across the World” and “Sailing Across the Seas” draw on kiln sites, ports, shipwrecks and overseas archaeological finds to trace the history of Zhejiang celadon exports to Africa. “Envoys of Exchange” draws on the travels of Ibn Battuta to illuminate the shared history of China and Morocco.
“Emaar is delighted to support the 2026 edition of Dubai Premier Padel P1 as title partner,” said Ahmad Al Matrooshi Executive Director, Emaar Properties. “The partnership reflects our commitment to creating distinctive experiences for residents and visitors and adds to Dubai’s diverse lifestyle and leisure offering. We look forward to supporting an exciting week of sport and entertainment and welcoming fans to the tournament.”
With an energy-efficient dishwasher engineered for every lifestyle, Gorenje continues to simplify everyday living across the UAE and wider Middle East. As residential communities across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar continue to expand, families are increasingly seeking appliances that combine sustainability, convenience, and reliable results. The G600 responds directly to this momentum, setting a new standard for eco-friendly living with a 10 percent reduction in energy consumption compared to A-class industry standards, saving energy while delivering exceptional cleaning performance.
A severe lack of trained personnel, operational partners, and financial backing is creating a major obstacle in controlling the expanding Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The World Health Organization’s technical briefings reveal that the epidemic has moved beyond its initial epicenter in Bunia to involve six northeastern provinces. The epidemic, caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain, has recorded over 6,000 cases and 3,175 fatalities, making it the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country’s history. International agencies warn that staff shortages and funding deficits are impeding the response, urging global donors to accelerate their financial contributions.
Led by CKGSB’s Professor of Economics and Associate Dean Li Wei, the report argues that Chinese corporate globalization is entering a third phase — “capability export.” Rather than simply shipping products or building overseas sales channels, companies are increasingly taking the operating capabilities abroad – including technical standards, product development, supply-chain organization, service, branding, and business models—while adapting them to local markets.
In August, DongCheng, DCA and DCK, three power tool brands under DongCheng Company, held separate online product launch events, each livestreamed globally through its official Facebook page and YouTube channel. The events showcased a comprehensive portfolio of power tools and application-focused solutions to address diverse needs across construction, metalworking, woodworking and home renovation. Each launch event combined real-world demonstrations with immersive 3D virtual scenes, highlighting key product features, performance capabilities and practical applications. Mr. Gu Zhiping, Chairman of DongCheng Company, delivered the opening remarks, followed by product presentations and live demonstrations led by product engineers and managers.
Located in ADGM, the international financial center in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, the new office will enhance S&C’s ability to serve clients in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and across the region with its integrated offering, which combines financing, regulatory, and transactional expertise with deep experience working on complex, cross-border, and large-scale mandates. Ahmed T. el-Gaili will rejoin the firm as a partner to lead the firm’s Middle East practice.
