27 March 2017 Minor Hotels (MH), a hotel owner, operator and investor, currently with a portfolio of 155 hotels and resorts in 24 countries across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, South America, Africa and the Indian Ocean, has announced the signing of a management agreement for a new AVANI property in the United Arab Emirates – AVANI Al Marjan Island Ras Al Khaimah Resort. Al Marjan […]
SEOUL South Korea’s Kori No. 4 nuclear reactor was manually shut down after the water level in a collection tank rose due to a coolant leak, a spokesman at the reactor’s operator said on Tuesday. “We estimate the water level of the reactor’s collection tank increased after coolant was leaked,” said Lim Dae-hyun, the spokesman at Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co Ltd (KHNP) [KRHYDR.UL]. Lim added […]
Your daily guide to community and cultural activities across the Emirates for March 28, 2017, including performances, festivals, art exhibitions, film screenings, health and fitness events, talks, classes, workshops and family fun. Ellen Fortini rounds up 10 things to do today in the UAE. Want to see your event listed here? Email us with the details and contact information at [email protected] newslide Abu Dhabi Family fun Visit […]
WASHINGTON The Pentagon, facing accusations that a coalition air strike may have killed scores of civilians in the Iraqi city of Mosul, said on Monday it was not loosening its rules of engagement in the fight against Islamic State but that resources to investigate claims were limited. Eyewitnesses from Mosul and Iraqi officials have said last week’s strike on Islamic State targets may have collapsed homes where […]
The location and energy potential, in terawatt hours, of eastern and southern African renewable resources (wind, solar photovoltaic and concentrating solar power). Credit: UC Berkeley As Africa gears up for a tripling of electricity demand by 2030, a new Berkeley study maps out a viable strategy for developing wind and solar power while simultaneously reducing the continent’s reliance on fossil fuels and lowering power plant construction costs. […]
By Joe Kirwin The European Parliament’s special Panama Papers investigative committee concluded its four-day “fact-finding” visit to the U.S. with its chairman calling on the U.S. to close its tax loopholes. In a March 24 telephone interview at the conclusion of the U.S. visit, the committee‘s chairman, German lawmaker Werner Langen, told Bloomberg BNA that EU members “have made appeals to the U.S. federal government and Delaware […]
LONDON British police said on Monday they had found no evidence that Khalid Masood, who killed four people in an attack on parliament last week, had any association with Islamic State or al Qaeda, but he was clearly interested in jihad. Masood drove a car through a crowd of pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing three and injuring about 50, then ran through the gates of parliament and […]
CHICAGO An Amtrak train derailed outside Union Station in Chicago on Monday but there were no immediate reports of any injuries, a local NBC affiliate reported. It was the second derailment involving an Amtrak train in the last few days. On Friday, an Amtrak Acela train derailed and sideswiped a New Jersey commuter train at New York City’s Penn Station, causing minor injuries. (Reporting by Tim McLaughlin; […]
ABU DHABI // The UAE has contributed Dh200 million to the Interpol Foundation for a Safer World, supporting seven projects fighting global crime and terrorism over five years. Announced ahead of the Unity for Security Forum in Abu Dhabi, which starts on Tuesday, the money will help to fund collaborations and training in Interpol’s 190 member states. “Building relations with relevant institutions in the fight against crime […]
Barclays Bank on Monday launched the first exchange traded fund in east Africa when it listed the Barclays NewGold ETF on the Nairobi stock exchange. The product is a cross-listing of the $1.4bn NewGold ETF that sits on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in 2004 and is also publicly traded on five other African markets. Its initial size in Kenya will be Ks500m ($4.8m) with capacity for expanding […]
Kuwait is seeking to follow its Gulf neighbours in its bid to gain emerging-market status. The nation’s Capital Markets Authority plans to extend its settlement cycle for stock trades by the end of April to three days from two for foreigners and zero for local traders, Vice-Chairman Mishaal Al-Usaimi said at a conference in Kuwait City. The regulators are also planning to introduce short-selling and derivative products […]
By John O’Donnell | FRANKFURT FRANKFURT London has seen its standing as a financial center slip as Britain prepares to trigger its departure from the European Union, according to a survey released on Monday, although rival European cities still lag far behind. The Z/Yen global financial centers index (GFCI), which ranks 88 financial centers, still puts London in first place, followed by New York and three cities […]
SINGAPORE A Singapore court jailed a couple on Monday for starving their Filipino domestic helper, a case that highlighted what rights groups say is a common complaint in the wealthy city-state. Thelma Oyasan Gawidan, 40, weighed just 29.4 kg (65 lb) in April 2014 after being given too little to eat for about 15 months, prosecutors said. She was given two or three slices of plain white […]
ABU DHABI // Significantly hotter summers with more sandstorms, higher humidity and more rain that could trigger flash-flooding are among the potential effects of climate change on the UAE. UAE Climate Change Risks and Resilience, a report published on Monday by Emirates Wildlife Society-WWF, suggests there could be an increase up to 3°C in temperatures during summer months and a 10 per cent humidity increase by […]
The Australian government’s National Broadband Network (NBN) company is linking up rural residents to satellite services even where towns have existing fixed-line communications infrastructure, according to the Northern Territory government, which has also criticised the installation delays, service dropouts, and usage caps on the service. “The Australian government’s current position is that areas outside the major cities and towns, including all remote communities in the Northern Territory, […]
BEIRUT: US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance on Sunday entered a military airport held by Daesh in northern Syria while the militant group warned the Tabqa dam is at imminent risk of collapse because of airstrikes and increased water levels.The advance by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Tabqa airbase comes as the alliance prepares an attack on Daesh’s de facto Syrian capital Raqqa, seeking to effectively surround the city before […]
HONG KONG Hong Kong protest leaders said on Monday that police intend to charge at least nine activists, including students and academics, who helped organise or lead Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests in 2014. News of the move to charge the activists comes a day after a new Beijing-backed city leader was chosen to run the Asian financial hub and vowed to unify a divided Hong Kong. The […]
China has eclipsed Singapore as the biggest source of investment in Malaysian real estate, as soaring domestic property prices push mainland investors to hunt for bargains abroad. Chinese groups have invested more than $2.1bn in Malaysian real estate over the past three years, compared with $985m invested by Singaporean companies between 2014 and 2016, according to figures from Real Capital Analytics based on completed transactions of $10m […]
The federal government has tasked Innovation and Science Australia (ISA) with developing a plan that will put Australia in a position as a leading “innovation nation” by 2030. In its 2030 Strategic Plan Issues paper, the independent body charged with researching, planning, and advising the government on all science, research, and innovation matters highlighted six challenges it sees as central to shaping the strategy, with one placing […]
26 March 2017 Dubai, UAE – Rotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia and Eastern Europe, today signed an agreement with RSG International, a UAE-based global conglomerate, with interests in the property development, automotive and industrial equipment sectors across the Middle East, North America and South Asia, for a new five star hotel and serviced apartment project in Dubai, […]
The U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State in Iraq has taken every measure to protect civilians and will investigate reports of civilian deaths during an operation in Mosul, a U.S. general involved in the operation said on Sunday. Brigadier General Matthew Isler, a deputy commanding general for the U.S.-led coalition, told Reuters he could not provide details of the military investigation into civilian deaths in western Mosul on […]
Why Fort Lauderdale? At the centre of a south Florida coastal strip stretching from West Palm Beach to Miami, Fort Lauderdale is still, in many people’s minds, the quintessential Florida holiday destination, famous for its excellent beaches, which became synonymous with the image of thousands of partying college students on “spring break”. While its beaches are still fantastic – with clear water, soft sand and a well-planned […]
Transport A ban on large electronic items such as laptops and tablets on some international flights arriving in the US and UK from the Middle East and North Africa has drawn anger from some passengers. But in a bid to make light of the situation and get publicity, airlines affected are using humour and satire as a response on social media. (Source: Al Jazeera English YouTube channel) […]
LONDON Police have arrested a 30-year-old man in the central English city of Birmingham in connection with last week’s attack on parliament, “on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts”, the Metropolitan Police said on Sunday. The police said in a statement they had arrested 12 people since Wednesday’s attack when British born Khalid Masood killed four people and was himself shot dead. But nine had been released […]
