DUBAI Many disasters loom over one of the poorest countries in the Middle East as it suffers through nearly two years of war, among them a colossal pile of waste outside Yemen’s capital leeching toxic waste into its diminishing water supply. Hardly a paragon of waste management before the war, Sanaa was at least able to separate out the most dangerous materials from the 10-million-ton hill thanks […]
An untold number of Syrians trapped in an ever tightening patch of rebel territory in Aleppo are desperately seeking a way to safety as the opposition’s final foothold in a major city looked on the verge of collapse. The International Committee of the Red Cross called for all sides to urgently agree a deal to evacuate people as it warned that time was running out for trapped […]
The battle for eastern Aleppo will be over soon, but tens of thousands of Syrians there will find little peace. The victory for the government of President Bashar al-Assad will open another violent, disorienting chapter in their lives, and a dangerous one for the opposition. Soon, civilians and rebel fighters alike will either be punished or have to flee the city and join the many thousands of […]
December 13, 2016 by: Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington Donald Trump is poised to name Rex Tillerson, chief executive of ExxonMobil, as his secretary of state, ignoring criticism that the oil and gas man is too close to Russian president Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin. Mr Trump tweeted on Monday that he would formally unveil his choice for the high-profile cabinet position on Tuesday morning. US media reported […]
13 December 2016 UAE, Philippos Petrakakos, CEO of Natura Food Imports, owner of distribution rights of Greek water Hyas in the region declared that the UAE is considered as an important gateway for European brands into the GCC and the Middle East. Petrakakos noted that quality, health standards and trading regulations implemented by UAE authorities on international goods are regarded with the utmost respect by global companies. […]
After eight years in which interest rates in rich countries have kept close to all-time lows, a change of weather is in the air. Donald Trump’s election as US president and widespread expectations that the Federal Reserve will nudge rates higher this week have made their mark on the markets. The big question is whether short-term pressures for higher US interest rates are strong enough to overturn […]
International heads of state named on the rolls of clandestine companies in tax havens. Canada’s big banks facilitating tax avoidance through thousands of offshore enterprises. Strawmen fronting businesses to mask the identities of the real owners. After a year-long investigation into 11.5 million leaked tax haven documents, the Panama Papers were finally made public last April — and they landed like a bomb. […]
12 December 2016 The Roads and Transport Authority – Majdi Abu Zaid: The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has recently announced the formal operation of a solar-powered abra, considered the first of its kind in the Middle East. The introduction of this sophisticated abra, which is being deployed at Al Mamzar, follows several trial runs to verify the possibility of changing speed. The scheme is part of Dubai […]
The top Republican in the US Senate has backed an investigation into allegations that the Kremlin engaged in a hacking campaign to influence November’s presidential election. It is the most serious break yet between President-elect Donald Trump and his party’s traditional leaders in Washington. Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, said that Congress would probe the allegations following the disclosure of a Central Intelligence Agency report which […]
Minecraft arguably stands as one of the biggest names in gaming today, an impressive feat since its history harks back to a lone developer working on a project that would one day end up being bought by Microsoft for a hefty sum. A lot of factors contribute to Minecraft‘s popularity, one of which is the effortless accessibility with which players can let their creativity run amok. But what would […]
MANAMA, Bahrain — The political shock waves from the American presidential election are being felt here in the Persian Gulf, where diplomats, military commanders and other senior leaders say they are both fearful and excited about which Donald J. Trump shows up after he is sworn in as president on Jan. 20. Will it be, they ask, the President Trump who has vowed to cut off American […]
Donald Trump has named Goldman Sachs president Gary Cohn to head the White House National Economic Council, marking his third top appointment from the ranks of the bank despite his pledge to sever links between Wall Street and Washington. The appointment of Mr Cohn, who serves as chief operating officer, leaves Goldman nursing another big departure from its leadership team just weeks after the news that the […]
ABU DHABI // Women members of parliament have an important role in brokering peace in the Middle East and beyond, a conference heard on Monday. About 50 women who preside over parliaments met in Abu Dhabi for the Global Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament. For the first time men were invited to participate, including Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Minister of Interior and Deputy Prime Minister, who […]
Sumner Redstone and his daughter Shari have scrapped plans to merge Viacom and CBS, the two media companies they control, amid disagreements about valuation and management control. The news surprised investors, who had been betting on a merger after months of discussions between America’s leading broadcast network and the owner of Paramount Pictures and MTV. Viacom shares fell as much as 8 per cent in morning trading […]
ALEPPO, SYRIA: The Syrian army recaptured a major district of Aleppo on Monday, leaving opposition fighters cornered in a small pocket as the battle for the city entered its “final phase.”President Bashar Assad’s forces held more than 90 percent of the onetime opposition stronghold of east Aleppo, a monitor and military official said, and appeared on the verge of retaking the entire city.A Syrian military official in […]
A snowstorm that pummeled the Midwest and grounded hundreds of flights will sweep across the U.S. Northeast on Monday, creating tough travel conditions ahead of the season’s first arctic blast, forecasters said. The cold front that dumped more than 10 inches (25 cm) of snow on northern Illinois has prompted winter storm warnings and advisories as it also brings sleet and rain to New England and parts […]
More than two million people lived in Mosul when it fell to the Islamic State on June 10, 2014. It was a conservative city where most women already covered their hair with a scarf and their arms with long sleeves. But as in other places where the militants imposed their creed, the new rules took enforced modesty to such an extreme that it riled families in Mosul, […]
The murky moral maze of the Middle East’s burgeoning home-help industry comes under the spotlight in A Maid for Each, a stark documentary that had its regional premiere at the Dubai International Film Festival on December 10. Most of this sobering film takes place inside the cramped confines of a small, but thriving, agency in Beirut, Lebanon, that matches well-off families with incoming immigrant workers. The cameras […]
Oil prices surged above $57 a barrel for the first time since July 2015 on Monday, rallying as much as 6.5 per cent after the Opec cartel clinched a long-sought supply pact with Russia and other big crude exporters. Russia led a loose coalition oil producers from outside Opec, including Oman, Mexico and Kazakhstan, in an agreement signed this weekend to reduce supply by 558,000 barrels a […]
The Chinese government has warned Donald Trump that the two countries will have “nothing to discuss” if the US president-elect’s incoming administration decides to discard the four-decade old “One China” policy. “Adherence to the One China policy is the political bedrock for development of [bilateral] relations,” Geng Shuang, a foreign ministry spokesman, said on Monday. “If compromised, there will be nothing to discuss on co-operation in major fields.” […]
Britain’s exit from the European Union will mean it can forge free trade deals with Gulf Arab allies, foreign minister Boris Johnson said on Friday in a speech also heralding closer defence ties to the conservative monarchies. Johnson was speaking at a conference in Bahrain a day after footage was published of him accusing Saudi Arabia, an important ally for Britain, and Iran of stoking proxy wars […]
The recent deal to keep Carrier jobs in the United States is not at all unusual. It only received so much press because Trump made it a campaign issue and saw an opportunity to record a big early PR victory before he even took office. Government and corporations cooperate, negotiate deals, scratch each others backs, kickback ill-gotten gains, and function as a career advancement funnel for corrupt […]
12 December 2016 Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates–(ME NewsWire)– Julphar Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries launched the antibiotic Voxin during a launch event, which was held at the Raffles Hotel, Dubai on November 25th 2016. “Voxin (Levofloxacin) is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic that is indicated for the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections and sinusitis in adult patients,” said Dr Hosam Badr, Director of Marketing at Julphar. “Voxin (Levofloxacin) […]
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Giants fans began booing early in the third quarter of their team’s game with the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. It was an impressive show of restraint. Booing in the first quarter would have been understandable. The Giants’ offense certainly deserved it. Odell Beckham Jr., who had dropped two crucial passes, knew that. “I walked onto the field and told myself, ‘You need […]
