A year ago the coffers at Argentina’s central bank were empty as the country teetered on the brink of a currency crisis. Now banks are scrambling to fly dollars back to the US as their vaults fill to bursting with piles of cash. That would sound like good news for Alfonso Prat-Gay, who as finance minister this week boasted that his tax amnesty had already repatriated $90bn hidden […]
Photo Ruined buildings in Douma, Syria, a rebel-held area near Damascus, on Friday. Credit Bassam Khabieh/Reuters BEIRUT, Lebanon — A cease-fire between the Syrian government and rebel groups tentatively took hold across the country on Friday, with only scattered reports of clashes, shelling and airstrikes. The truce, brokered primarily by Russia and Turkey, who pledged to guarantee the compliance of the government and the opposition, was announced […]
Trade between the UAE and China is expected to increase to $60 billion by the end of this year, up from $54.8 billion in 2015, according to the Dubai Economic Council. It said the UAE is now China’s second largest trading partner in the Middle East and the region’s biggest market for Chinese goods, news agency WAM reported. China, whose trade with the UAE stood at only […]
As we live through it, every year seems packed with significant events and key players who, for better or worse, seize our attention on the world stage. But as 2016 draws to a close and the white noise of 24-hour news cycles and transient Twitter storms fades into the background, it is already clear that history will remember only a handful of those people, each of whom […]
Vladimir Putin said Russia will not expel any US diplomats in response to sanctions imposed by Washington, in an extraordinary move aimed at limiting the fallout from the Kremlin’s clash with the Obama administration over the hacking of this year’s US presidential election. The Russian president made his announcement on Friday despite foreign ministry proposals for the expulsion of 35 US diplomats. Sergei Lavrov, foreign minister, said […]
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 […]
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 […]
Photo John Kerry speaking at the State Department on Wednesday. Credit Zach Gibson/Getty Images In a speech this week laying out the Obama administration’s parameters for a final peace agreement between Israel and Palestine, Secretary of State John Kerry stated what has been obvious to most observers for many years: that Israel’s construction of Jewish settlements on occupied Palestinian land has all but destroyed the two-state solution. […]
WASHINGTON: Almost six months since their summer meeting to achieve closer ties, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan took another step toward that goal by brokering a new cease-fire deal in Syria, to be followed by political talks to try to resolve the six-year-long conflict.The deal — announced simultaneously by the governments of Turkey, Syria and Russia — is a seven-point package […]
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 […]
ABU DHABI // Authorities have launched awareness campaign against the unofficial remittance of money, which can lead to exploitation, fraud and security risks. New figures show that more than a fifth of money remitted, for example, to Bangladesh from the UAE, is moved through these illegal means. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, in the 2015-2016 financial year, the 700,000 Bangladeshis in the UAE sent Dh9.9 […]
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 […]
The Singapore government has invested significant resources and efforts in building up a thriving startup environment, but its inhabitants must now take risks and look beyond local shores. Jeffrey Paine, general partner at Golden Gate Ventures, believed Singapore’s startup scene had progressed well over the last six to eight years. He said a number of successful startups had grown and executed well in the region, as well […]
By John Davison | BEIRUT BEIRUT A nationwide ceasefire in Syria, brokered by Russia and Turkey which back opposing sides in the conflict, got off to a shaky start after midnight on Friday (2200 GMT on Thursday) in the latest attempt to end nearly six years of bloodshed. Russian President Vladimir Putin, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, announced the ceasefire on Thursday after forging […]
The Malaysian opposition has attacked a state company’s investment in a palm oil project in Indonesia, saying it is a costly handout to a foreign businessman connected to Prime Minister Najib Razak. Malaysia’s state-owned Federal Land Development Authority, known as Felda, plans to buy a 37 per cent stake in Eagle High, controlled by Indonesian conglomerate Rajawali Group, for $505m. The deal will be financed by the […]
The two-state solution would establish an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel — two states for two peoples. In theory, this would win Israel security and allow it to retain a Jewish demographic majority (letting the country remain Jewish and democratic) while granting the Palestinians a state. Continue reading the main story Most governments and world bodies have set achievement of the two-state solution as official policy, including […]
If the loftier visions of Silicon Valley’s most ambitious internet companies turn into reality, the stratosphere is about to become a very crowded place. Amazon has joined the sky-bound dreamers with an idea that sounds like it has been drawn straight from the pages of science fiction: airship warehouses floating high above the clouds, feeding a fleet of drones that whisk purchases straight to the buyer. The […]
In the battle against the Islamic State for Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, there is no continuous front line, but a patchwork of battlegrounds in the city and all around its edge. When the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, retreats from a position, it tries to leave as much damage behind as possible, including burning oil field wells to provide concealment ahead of a government […]
With the US Federal Reserve raising interest rates, and President Mario Draghi of the European Central Bank seemingly unable to escape his addiction to quantitative easing policy, many investors are questioning who wants to buy the euro. The answer is simple. The whole world is eager to buy the euro. The problem in 2017 is more likely to be finding anyone who wants to buy the US […]
JEDDAH / DUBAI (December 29, 2016) Arab News has been honored at this year’s MENAA Awards for its transformation over the last three months and creating “momentum and buzz” in the media industry. The newspaper’s Editor-in-Chief Faisal J. Abbas, who was appointed in late September, was presented with the prestigious Best Business Leaders Award at an event held this month at the Burj Al Arab hotel in […]
The Syrian government and rebels have agreed a ceasefire brokered and guaranteed by Russia and Turkey, marking a potential breakthrough in efforts to end a near six-year conflict that has claimed more than 400,000 lives. Russian President Vladimir Putin said a truce would come into effect at midnight on Thursday, adding that Syria’s warring parties had signed documents detailing how it would be monitored and declaring their […]
“We have seen pro-Israeli presidents all along, and Israel First was the standard policy of the United States of America over the last 50-plus years,” Mr. Abdulla said. “But Trump is going much further than that. It seems he is even more Zionist than the Zionists.” Continue reading the main story Sympathy for the Palestinians has historically been among the few issues that united Arabs across political […]
29 December 2016 Evening’s festivities to take place in Bollywood Parks™ Dubai in front of the majestic Rajmahal Theatre Celebration is open to anyone holding a daily pass or annual pass for Bollywood Parks™ Dubai, MOTIONGATE™ Dubai or LEGOLAND® Dubai Party will feature music, live performances and thrilling fireworks at midnight Advertisement Dubai, UAE: Dubai Parks and Resorts, the Middle East’s largest multi-themed leisure and entertainment destination, […]
