FlyDubai on Monday reported a $229 million profit last year as the state-owned budget carrier saw its business rebound from the coronavirus pandemic and as regulators allowed it to again fly the Boeing 737 Max.

FlyDubai nearly doubled its revenue in 2021 to over $1.4 billion, compared to just $773 million the year before in the thick of pandemic restrictions and after two crashes saw the 737 Max grounded. In 2020, the airline saw a loss of $194 million.

Leading Russian banks are looking into issuing cards that operate on a Chinese payment system after Visa and Mastercard said they would cut their services in Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.

Sberbank and Tinkoff Bank said that they are considering the possibility of payment cards powered by China's UnionPay system. Sberbank, Russia's largest bank, said it would announce the launch date later.

- Bakeries Closing Doors -

Several bakeries closed Monday as mills only delivered flour to Arabic bread bakeries, according to the mills agent in the South, Ali Rammal.

If the Russian war on Ukraine is prolonged, Lebanon could face wheat shortages starting July.

That could create food insecurity and throw more people into poverty in Lebanon, where diets are dominated by government-subsidized bread.

A top member of the gas station owners syndicate of Lebanon, George al-Brax, has reassured that there is no gasoline shortage in the market, asking consumers not to panic, as long queues returned to fuel stations over the past hours.

“The fuel quantities that are reaching Lebanon have become smaller than before, but what we’re receiving is sufficient to meet domestic need,” Brax said in a TV interview.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sent energy prices surging, but the oil-rich Gulf monarchies have so far resisted Western pressure to raise output, prioritizing their own strategic and economic interests. 

Russian oil giant Lukoil on Thursday called for an immediate halt to fighting in Ukraine, one of the first major domestic firms to speak out against Moscow's invasion of its pro-Western neighbor.

From his shock detention to an audacious escape from Japan hidden in an audio-equipment box, the rollercoaster saga of former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn has grabbed headlines worldwide.

As Ghosn's aide Greg Kelly is handed a six-month suspended jail sentence in Tokyo, here is a run-down of how events unfolded:

Former Nissan executive Greg Kelly was handed a six-month suspended sentence on Thursday by a Tokyo court over allegations he helped disgraced auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn attempt to conceal income.

A senior delegation from the U.S. Department of the Treasury concluded a three-day visit to Lebanon on Wednesday.

The delegation met with members of the Lebanese government, civil society, and the banking sector to reiterate the U.S. government’s “commitment to stand with the Lebanese people during this time of economic turmoil,” the Treasury said in a statement.