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April 29, 2017 by: Rochelle Toplensky in Brussels Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban left Brussels on a defiant note on Saturday, in spite of promising European colleagues he would “behave” and settle a stand-off with the European Commission. Mr Orban came under heavy pressure from leaders of his centre-right EU group amid growing impatience and concern across the bloc over Budapest undermining independent universities and mounting a […]

The news these days continues to be filled with reports that traditional stores are at last being sustainably displaced by fast growing online competitors. Startups in online shopping, media, travel, financial services, sharing economy, and finally even healthcare, have either invented popular new high-growth digital categories or are in the midst of successfully re-imagining the old ones in digital native terms. In the 2000s, the digital disruption […]

Dubai-based Emirates NBD has become the first bank in the world to pilot KinTrans, a technology that enables easy two-way communication between sign language communicators with hearing disabilities, and people who use spoken languages. The bank said in a statement that its commitment to people with disabilities supports the ‘#MyCommunity’ initiative launched by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, that aims […]

The third Dubai Week in China, an event to promote and catalyse economic development and cultural exchange, will take place in Shenzhen, located in Southern China, later this year. The announcement was made by Falcon and Associates, a strategic advisory company that works for the Dubai leadership and initiated Dubai Week in China.    Following the success of Dubai Week in China in Beijing (2015) and Shanghai (2016), […]

Emerging from an Hermès store in Shanghai with a shiny new watch costing “tens of thousands” of renminbi, Zhao Feifei is emblematic of a younger generation of Chinese consumers driving a rebound in sales of European luxury brands. “I’m earning more than before so I’m more willing to spend,” says Ms Zhao, who works in an internet finance company. The 30-year-old is one of the many customers […]

Hotels in Saudi Arabia suffered during the first quarter of 2017 with occupancy, rates and revenues all showing double-digit decreases, according to new figures. Data released by hospitality analysts STR revealed that hotel occupancy across the Gulf kingdom averaged 58.3 percent in Q1, down 10.4 percent on the year-earlier period. STR also said that average daily rates (ADR) in Saudi Arabia slumped by 12 percent to SR578.09 […]

By John Irish | CHATELLERAULT, France CHATELLERAULT, France French presidential hopeful Emmanuel Macron launched a scathing attack on Friday against politicians who have failed to endorse him against far-right rival Marine Le Pen, saying they were making France “morally weak” and pandering to extremists. Having been caught on the hop by Le Pen since the start of the second round campaign this week, and with just over […]

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Satellite communications service provider SpeedCast has said that as military spending increases under governments throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia, it sees an opportunity to grow. While Australia has not been a big area of growth for the company over the past few years, due to the industries of mining, oil, and gas being depressed, growth across the government has been accelerating and […]

By Matt Robinson | BELGRADE BELGRADE Nationalists in Macedonia are “playing with fire” in refusing to relinquish power and the European Union should consider halting its accession process in order to break a dangerous deadlock, said the former envoy who helped avert civil war in the Balkan country. A long-running political crisis in the former Yugoslav republic turned violent on Thursday when supporters of the ruling VMRO-DPMNE […]

By Jeffrey Dastin | SAN FRANCISCO SAN FRANCISCO Amazon.com Inc’s ventures far beyond online retail, from cloud computing to movie making, are raising questions among corporate strategy experts about its focus. The Seattle-based company wowed Wall Street again this week with a 23 percent jump in sales, pushing its shares to an all-time high. But there are concerns that if blockbuster growth stops, investors may come to […]

That it fell to Barcelona’s Lionel Messi to score the match-winning goal away to arch-rivals Real Madrid on Sunday was of little surprise to his legions of devotees, who already view the diminutive Argentinian as something of an immortal giant on the football field, and even to casual fans. El Clasico – the lyrical Spanish name for matches played between the two powerhouses of the country’s domestic […]

Ras Al Khaimah has reaffirmed its position as the region’s fastest growing tourism destination for international travellers following increased year-on-year visitor numbers during the first quarter of 2017.  New figures reported by Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) revealed that overall visitor arrivals to the emirate in Q1 grew by 8.3 percent year-on-year. With domestic tourism still the single largest contributor to Ras Al Khaimah’s tourism […]

It has been a long time since an HP business device made me sit up and take notice, but the latest Elitebook x360 has changed that. In a world where manufacturers continue to push tablets with keyboards as productivity devices, I’m increasingly convinced that convertible laptops are the superior option. The Elitebook x360 1030 G2 is first and foremost a very good laptop, and the ability to […]

The press freedom situation in the United States is worsening not only because of President Trump’s anti-press rhetoric but because of a constellation of factors including arrests, detainment, lawsuits, physical violence and outright censorship, according to a new report. The report, released by the London-based Index on Censorship this week, chronicles the recent threats to journalist safety and freedom of expression and takes a holistic view of […]

MANILA, Philippines (AP) – Philippine marines have killed an Abu Sayyaf extremist commander and a notorious kidnapper who had sailed across the sea border into Malaysia to snatch tourists and sailors for ransom, the military chief said Saturday. Gen. Eduardo Ano told The Associated Press that Alhabsy Misaya was slain in a clash with marines late Friday in the jungles between the towns of Indanan and Parang […]

Integrated lifestyle development establishes a new benchmark for experiential travel in the region Dubai, UAE – 27 April 2017 – Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, together with Marriott International (NASDAQ: MAR) today announced plans to launch the region’s first cinema-themed concept at Aloft Dubai City Centre Deira. The concept will feature a unique […]

When the Nasdaq Composite index first spent two days above the 5,000 mark, it signalled the last gasp of a spectacular bull market. Confidence in internet companies’ power to change the world and mint fortunes was about to collapse. Seventeen years later the market has hit a milestone of 6,000, part of a run of record highs for global equity markets. While stocks have again been rising […]

US hotel giant Hilton has announced that it has more than 16,000 rooms under construction in the Gulf region which will open by 2020. Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta underlined the importance of the region to his company’s ambitious expansion plans. He said Hilton has a total of over 21,000 rooms in its pipeline across the Gulf, with the six markets of the GCC contributing more than a […]

By Alastair Macdonald | BRUSSELS BRUSSELS European Union leaders will endorse a stiff set of divorce terms for Britain at a summit on Saturday, rejoicing in a rare show of unity in adversity, but well aware that may start to fray once negotiations begin. Meeting for the first time since British Prime Minister Theresa May formally triggered a two-year countdown to Brexit in late March, the 27 […]

When it comes to cars, I take the philosophy of buy and hold – possibly motivated by my regular beat as a personal-finance journalist. If you’re going to buy new, which I resorted to after being horribly stung by poor-quality second-hand motors in the UAE, the only way to justify the high outlay is to keep the car as long as possible. Which is why my family […]

Average apartment sales prices in Abu Dhabi fell by 1 percent in the first quarter of 2017 while villa prices slumped by 9 percent amid wide-scale downsizing in the emirate, according to Chestertons. The real estate agency’s Abu Dhabi Residential Market Q1 2017 report also said rents for apartments and villas fell by 3 percent in the same period. “Sales prices are expected to further decline due […]

Nobody should ever attempt to judge an investment over a period of just 100 days. It is far too short a time to assess the quality of performance and far too prone to random effects. And in any case, most of us need results over very much more than 100 days. It is therefore a little random to be judging the Trump presidency’s impact on investors after […]

Sony posted its consolidated financial results for the fiscal year 2016 and the PlayStation 4 had a great performance, albeit the company expects a slight decline. In the fiscal year 2016 ended on March 31, 2017, Sony shipped a record-breaking 20 million PS4 consoles, marking the system’s best performance ever. 60 Million PS4 Units Shipped In Total That contributes to a total of 60 million PS4 units shipped worldwide, […]

Your daily guide to community and cultural activities across the Emirates for April 29, 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 Film screenings Register […]

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