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Financial markets in 2016 endured an escalation of negative interest rates, the collapse and subsequent rebound in commodity prices and fluctuating stock market valuations. The test for investors began in week one, as fears of a China slowdown roiled stock indices weeks after the Federal Reserve began to normalise policy. Over the ensuing months, the Brexit vote and US election would prove significant mile markers, shift thinking […]

By Stephen Kalin | NEAR MOSUL, Iraq NEAR MOSUL, Iraq Iraqi forces faced car bombs and fierce resistance from Islamic State militants in southern Mosul on Friday, the second day of a renewed push to take back the city after fighting stalled for several weeks. An officer in the federal police forces, which joined the battle on Thursday, said there were heavy clashes in the southeastern Palestine […]

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – December 30, 2016  Dubai Parks and Resorts, the region’s largest multi-themed leisure and entertainment destination, today announced that Lapita Hotel, Dubai’s first theme park hotel, will welcome its first guests on 2nd January 2017. Located in the heart of Dubai Parks and Resorts in close proximity to all three connected theme parks, the Polynesian themed clustered resort is the latest addition to […]

BERLIN Martin Schulz, the European Parliament president who is returning to German politics, does not expect to run as the Social Democrats’ (SPD) candidate for chancellor next year, Der Spiegel magazine reported on Friday. Schulz’s decision not to run, if confirmed, would likely clear the way for SPD chairman Sigmar Gabriel to be the party’s candidate to challenge conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel’s bid for a fourth term […]

Microsoft’s Surface Studio offers a new angle on the desktop PC Image: Microsoft Microsoft’s high-priced Surface Studio may be selling better than expected, if we can believe a recent report from Digitimes. The Taiwanese company – which publishes a Chinese daily newspaper on IT and high-tech supply chains – reports that “Microsoft has ordered 30,000 units to be shipped in the first quarter of 2017, according to […]

BEIJING China’s Ministry of Agriculture said on Friday the recent outbreaks of bird flu have been handled in a “timely and effective” manner without spreading and have not affected chicken products or prices. In an emailed statement to Reuters, the government department said the situation in the world’s second-largest poultry consumer was “stable”. The comments come as South Korea and neighbouring countries battle outbreaks of various strains […]

Dubai’s transport authority has announced the roll-out of the Smart Mall concept to four new metro stations. The expansion to Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank Station, Damac Station, Dubai Internet City Station and Emirates Towers Station is part of the Road and Transport Authority’s (RTA) plan to rank Dubai as the smartest city in the world. Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the RTA, said: “The Smart […]

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FRANKFURT China’s Midea said it will complete its takeover of German robotics maker Kuka in the first half of January after the United States authorities gave the deal a green light. Midea, which launched a 4.5 billion euro ($5 billion) offer for Kuka in May, said Germany’s markets regulator had approved the settlement of the transaction, allowing it to control a 94.55 percent voting stake in Kuka […]

TAIPEI Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will transit through Houston and San Francisco during her January visit to allies in Latin American countries, her office said Friday, a move certain to anger China which a day earlier urged the U.S. to block a stopover. Tsai is transiting in the United States on her way to and from visiting Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador in that order. She […]

Italy’s antitrust chief has called for EU member states to set up a network of public agencies to combat fake news. Giovanni Pitruzzella said the regulation of false information on the internet was best done by the state rather than by social media companies such as Facebook.  In an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Pitruzzella, head of the Italian competition body since 2011, said EU countries […]

The number of new mutual funds launched in the US fell sharply in 2016, reflecting the crisis of confidence in active management and the shift by investors into exchange traded funds. The number of mutual funds shutting down has also jumped to levels not seen since the financial crisis, according to the latest figures from the research group Morningstar. The result is that the total number of […]

Since the economic crisis of 2008, Spain has seen a steady trend of increasingly fewer births. In the first half of 2016, 12,998 more people died than were born in Spain and the number of newborns fell by 4.6%. Put simply, as El Pais reports, Spain’s population is shrinking at a rate of 72 people per day, essentially due to a historically low birthrate, according to a […]

Swimming upstream Even before Trump, reform advocates like the Chamber were up against a rising tide of skepticism regarding reform. Congress grew cold after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and conservative talk radio and TV programs began a drumbeat of attacks against legalizing immigrants; TV personalities such as Lou Dobbs spread outlandish claims about Mexican plots to “take over” the American Southwest. Ironically, Mexican President Vicente Fox — […]

BEIJING Prosecutors in China’s violence-prone far western region of Xinjiang have set up a special team to handle terror-related cases, state news agency Xinhua said on Friday. Hundreds of people have been killed in recent years in resource-rich Xinjiang, on the borders of central Asia, in violence between the Muslim Uighur people who call the region home and ethnic majority Han Chinese. The government has blamed the […]

BEIRUT A ceasefire deal between Syrian government forces and rebels that took effect at midnight held early on Friday, after initial isolated clashes and gunfire, a monitoring group and a rebel official said. The truce was violated almost immediately after it came into effect as the warring sides clashed in the northwest of the country. However, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said hours later that the […]

UAE-based construction firm Arabian Construction Company (ACC) has signed a joint venture contract to build a 170-metre luxury residential tower called ONE in Cyprus. ACC and its joint venture partners, Joannou & Paraskevaides Group, said in a statement that upon its completion in 2019 the project will be the tallest residential seafront tower in Europe. The new tower will be located on 28th October Avenue, Limassol’s prime […]

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; December 30, 2017  As the 10th anniversary year of Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, draws to a close, industry watchers can reflect on 12 months that have marked a historic milestone for the company and a pivotal moment for the renewable energy sector as a whole. During the decade since Masdar was established, the UAE has cemented a global reputation for […]

BHUBANESWAR, India At least three men were killed and nearly two dozen trapped when a pile of mine waste collapsed in a mine in Jharkhand run by state-run miner Coal India Limited, state police said on Friday. Several vehicles engaged in the mining operation were also trapped in the mishap that took place on Thursday evening at the Lalmatia mines owned by Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), a […]

HONG KONG China’s Huawei Technologies Co Ltd [HWT.UL], one of the world’s largest telecom equipment makers, said on Friday it expects 2016 revenue growth to slow slightly to 32 percent and forecast greater uncertainties next year. The Shenzhen-based company, which competes with Sweden’s Ericsson (ERICb.ST) for the top spot in the global market for telecoms equipment, sees 2016 revenue hitting 520 billion yuan ($74.8 billion), said Eric […]

BEIJING Two Beijing police officers have been punished following the death of an environmentalist in custody in May, state media said on Friday, a case that sparked public disquiet about China’s law enforcement methods. Lei Yang, 29, was arrested in a massage parlour as part of a police operation against prostitution and died hours later after choking on his own vomit. While prosecutors decided last week not […]

From eco-friendly fashion and street wear to beauty boutiques, here are five brands to watch out for. newslide Eco-friendly fashion Beirut-based fashion-conscious label Vanina is known for its quirky upcycled statement accessories. This season, Tatiana Fayad and Joanne Hayek, the girls behind the brand, unveiled their first ready-to-wear collection, along with a range of chic handbags and festive footwear. Materials are ethically sourced, and many pieces are […]

Chinese netizens are mourning the demise of a popular online talk show that dared to tackle social and political topics in a media landscape dominated by vapid soap operas, staid costume dramas and webcam girls. The final episode of “Xiaosong-pedia“, hosted by songwriter, music producer and film director Gao Xiaosong, was aired on Friday on iQiyi, the online video platform owned by internet search group Baidu. The show received […]

“I just think for us, we’re not afraid of the name on the jersey,” Maryland Coach Brenda Frese said. “And that’s three-fourths of the battle.” Continue reading the main story The idea was more than just wishful thinking. Unlike last season, when Connecticut stood well ahead of the pack in both offensive and defensive points per possession, the Huskies trailed the Terrapins on both counts entering the […]

BEIJING China will prosecute one its former spy chiefs for corruption after accusing him of bribery and abusing his power to interfere in law enforcement activities, the ruling Communist Party said on Friday. Ma Jian, once a vice minister at China’s Ministry of State Security, is the most senior security official to be investigated since former domestic security tsar Zhou Yongkang was ensnared in a graft scandal […]

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