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The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the group had not officially made the change public, said that Mr. Sinwar would appear publicly in the next few days to cement his political ascendance. Continue reading the main story Mr. Sinwar’s rise indicates the growing power of Hamas’s hawkish military wing, according to analysts. Mr. Sinwar is slated to replace Ismail Haniya, a leader associated with […]

13 February 2017 Full year revenues stood at AED 173.8 million (2015: AED 178.2 million) Group losses reduced by 30% year on year as firm continues with stringent cost control and gears up for 2017 long term strategy implementation Real Estate Investment Management and Investment Banking business lines recorded systematic increase in profits Turnaround of the Group’s operations expected during 2017  Advertisement SHUAA Capital today reports results […]

The merger of the National Bank of Abu Dhabi and First Gulf Bank will be official from April 1, with shares in the new company trading from the next day, it was announced on Monday. The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange said that it had completed the procedures for the unification of the records of the stakeholders in both banks, state news agency WAM reported. The indicative market […]

The highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are not official yet, but Samsung India has already launched what looks like a support page for the larger smartphone. Samsung had a bit of a mixed year in 2016, tasting both success and failure with its flagships. While the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge proved popular and raised plenty of interest, the Galaxy Note 7 was […]

February 13, 2017 by: Anjli Raval, Oil and Gas Correspondent Steep Opec production cuts could ease an oil market surplus quicker than expected in 2017, the oil cartel signalled in its first output assessment since a deal to curb supplies and bolster prices came into effect. After more than two years of allowing market forces to balance supply and demand, Opec in November agreed to again influence […]

TEHRAN — European governments are protesting Iran’s treatment of an Iranian-born scientist, now a resident of Sweden, who was arrested last year in Iran and who could now face the death penalty. The scientist, Ahmadreza Djalali, a physician who specializes in disaster medicine and has taught at universities in Belgium, Italy and Sweden, was arrested in April while driving to his family’s house after arriving in Iran […]

Good morning. Here’s our morning roundup of all the media news you need to know. Want to get this briefing in your inbox every morning? Subscribe here. Major Garrett of CBS News is rising to the defense of the extravaganza that is the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner — and he is nearly convincing. Garrett is a very good, no B.S. reporter who adeptly made the print-to-TV […]

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By Angus McDowall | ALEPPO, Syria ALEPPO, Syria In the rubble-strewn square outside Aleppo’s ancient citadel and under the scorched vaults of its covered souk, workmen are starting to mend the destruction of a war that has shattered the Syrian city’s priceless historical heritage. About 20 volunteers sorted through the debris in Khan al-Gumruk, one of the souk’s great medieval inns, piling up the stones from a […]

GAZA CITY, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES : Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas elected a hard-line member of its armed wing as its new Gaza head Monday, Hamas officials said.“Yahya Sinwar was elected to head the Hamas political office in the Gaza Strip,” succeeding Ismail Haniya, the officials said.The movement, which has controlled the Gaza Strip for a decade, has been conducting internal elections for several months. Source

|By Matein Khalid| The US Dollar Index has now fallen 3.5% since it peaked on January 3. Donald Trump and his White House aides broke the 20 year taboo against speaking out against the “strong dollar” policy platitudes. The Federal Reserve did not raise interest rates and signaled no rate hike is imminent at the March FOMC. It is significant that the US dollar has fallen against […]

DUBAI// Schools are likely to face higher operating costs, lower profit margins and a scramble for the best teachers, according to education experts. An extra 175,000 school places are expected to be created in the UAE by 2020, 90 per cent of which will be in the private sector. The findings from the PwC Middle East published Understanding the GCC Education Sector, Country Profile: UAE report, states […]

Jeb Hensarling did not hold back last week, when asked on CNBC about the flaws of Dodd-Frank. “It clogs the arteries of capitalism in our system. It hurts working people. It hurts consumers. It needs to go,” said the chair of the House Financial Services Committee, about the signature piece of financial regulation of the Obama era. “You can’t get a healthy economy as long as you […]

Photo The Jewish settlement Ma’ale Adumim, in the West Bank. Credit Dan Balilty for The New York Times WASHINGTON — President Trump, who presented himself as a staunch supporter of Israel during last year’s campaign, took a harder line on settlements in an interview published on Friday and indicated that he was rethinking his promise to move the United States Embassy to Jerusalem. Mr. Trump told an […]

GENEVA A U.N. report on establishing a database of companies with business ties to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank has been delayed, the U.N. Human Rights Council said on Monday. Reuters reported on Friday that the politically sensitive report, due this month from the office of U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, was not ready. The council’s president, El Salvadoran ambassador Joaquin […]

Many of Prince’s most popular songs returned to digital streaming platforms as the music industry paid tribute to the late musician in a politically charged Grammy Awards ceremony on Sunday night.  Singer Adele, whose music is distributed by Sony Music, swept the biggest awards of the night, winning album, song and record of the year for 25, the best-selling album last year. She beat Beyoncé, who is […]

Submitted by Nick Kaman of Letters from Norway Introduction: Norwegians are just now starting to grapple with the effects of their “single cylinder” economy, mostly dependent on oil and gas (ca. 60% of exports). Despite optimism about $50-$70/barrel oil, American crude output is surging, on track to be the highest ever, since 1970, while cracks start to form in OPEC’s latest agreement. In addition to the oil […]

An award-winning Arabic-language film, Hedi, will be released with Arabic subtitles in the UAE, and across the region, as the local industry looks at ways to boost the popularity of Arab films in cinemas. This was one of a raft of measures to improve the popularity of Arab cinema, in the region and globally, discussed during a panel talk – New Prospects: Challenges and Opportunities in the […]

China’s largest property developer Dalian Wanda Group has set its sights on banks in Europe, including Germany’s Postbank, as it diversifies away from its core real estate business. The Beijing-based group led by China’s richest man is actively looking at several European financial institutions, three people familiar with the matter said. Postbank — which has been put up for sale by Deutsche Bank — was among the […]

“Throughout the entire length of the battle for Aleppo, there have been multiple claims of violations of human rights and multiple denials,” said Eliot Higgins, a senior fellow at the Digital Forensic Research Lab of the Atlantic Council. Continue reading the main story “What we have been able to present now is a wealth of evidence confirming the targeting of civilian structures, namely hospitals, which in certain […]

Dubai, 12 February 2017 Emirates NBD (DFM: EmiratesNBD), a leading bank group in the region, held its tenth Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Bank’s Headquarters. At the AGM, a review of the year ended 31st December 2016 was presented. Commenting on the business environment, Emirates NBD Chairman, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, said, “The UAE continues to stand out as a resilient and […]

Japan’s economy grew at an annualised pace of 1 per cent in the final quarter of 2016 as yen weakness spurred a pick-up in exports and business investment. The figure, which was broadly in line with analysts’ expectations for a 1.1 per cent rise, confirms Japan’s economy is back on track after a wobble last summer. Robust growth will reinforce the political popularity of Prime Minister Shinzo […]

It was a weekend that included an intimate golf outing of more than four hours; a lavish Saturday night dinner; and an unexpected joint statement on North Korea’s missile launch. Yet even more notable was what the two-day summit between Donald Trump and Japan’s Shinzo Abe did not include — controversy. Three weeks into his presidency, Mr Trump appears to be adopting a more traditional US foreign […]

Photo Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said on Sunday that he and President Trump “have known each other for years.” Credit Pool photo by Gali Tibbon JERUSALEM — As President Trump appeared to shift closer to the political center on several contentious policies on Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested on Sunday that it was unrealistic to expect their two countries to agree completely on all […]

Sarah Tew iPad sales are awful. Truly awful, and while CEO Tim Cook might be bullish about the tablet’s future, Apple desperately needs to do something to turn sales around if it’s going to come off life support. Must read: Does your iPhone have a battery drain problem? “We’ve got some exciting things coming on iPad,” Cook said during Apple’s last financial conference call, “and I’m optimistic […]

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