By Abdelaziz Boumzar | MOSUL, Iraq MOSUL, Iraq Thousands of Iraqis surged out of western Mosul on Saturday during a lull in heavy fighting in districts around the densely populated Old City where Iraqi forces are facing fierce resistance from Islamic State militants. Five months into the battle to take Islamic State’s last bastion in Iraq, government forces have cleared the east and half of western Mosul, […]
Written by Ritu Sarin | New Delhi | Updated: March 16, 2017 10:32 am Image for representational purposes. Nearly a year after The Indian Express published the Panama Papers, tax authorities have succeeded in obtaining 165 replies — partial or complete — from among 13 jurisdictions where Indian nationals had incorporated offshore companies through the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca. According to data made available at the latest […]
But even though some of what the government did to Mr. Nashiri has become public, including through the partial declassification of a 2004 C.I.A. inspector general report and the release in 2014 of the executive summary of a Senate Intelligence Committee report about the interrogation program, many details have remained classified. Photo Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri is accused of involvement in Al Qaeda’s bombing of the American destroyer […]
Junk bond funds saw their biggest outflows since December 2014, as investors expressed concern about high prices for speculative debt and falling energy prices put pressure on companies in the sector. Investors withdrew $5.7bn from high-yield bond funds in the week up to Wednesday, according to EPFR Global. It came as West Texas Intermediate, the US crude marker, last week dropped back below $50 a barrel. Oil […]
By Mica Rosenberg | NEW YORK NEW YORK The U.S. government took the legal battle over President Donald Trump’s travel ban to a higher court on Friday, saying it would appeal a federal judge’s decision that struck down parts of the ban on the day it was set to go into effect. The Department of Justice said in a court filing it would appeal a ruling by […]
By Caroline Valetkevitch | NEW YORK NEW YORK Small-cap stocks benefited from a dovish lining to the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to raise interest rates this past week, but strategists warn it will take more to make these pricey stocks outperform their larger brethren in the long haul. The Fed on Wednesday raised rates by a quarter of a percentage point, as expected, but did not flag […]
Despite another turbulent few days in British politics, the pound is ending the week on a firmer footing. Sterling brushed off the latest bout of Brexit nerves and further worries about a break-up of the UK, closing near $1.24 on Friday. Its revival was aided by a dovish Federal Reserve and a hawkish Bank of England. However, there are still plenty of currency-watchers who see further trouble […]
By Anna Mehler Paperny | TORONTO TORONTO Canada’s border authorities detained more Mexicans in the first 67 days of 2017 than they did annually in any of the three previous years, according to statistics obtained by Reuters. The spike comes immediately after Canada’s federal government lifted its visa requirement for Mexican citizens in December. Many Mexicans looking north have shifted their focus from the United States to […]
BEIRUT The head of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia said a U.S.-backed assault to drive Islamic State from its de-facto capital Raqqa would begin at the start of April and the YPG would be taking part, despite fierce opposition from neighbouring Turkey. A spokesman for the U.S. Pentagon said no decision had been made yet on the Raqqa offensive, which is part of a two pronged attempt […]
Markets do not have a clue how to handle political populism. They are still frightened of it, even though last year’s populist earthquakes in the UK and US are yet to have the drastic consequences that had been feared, and they cannot gauge its chances of success. This might yet create opportunities for those who can stomach some risk. This was a great week for European stocks, […]
This morning President Trump hosted a brief media appearance in the oval office, along with a group of conservative lawmakers, to, among other things, declare his “100% support” for the GOP’s Obamacare replacement plan. During the discussion, Trump indicated that concessions had been made to the GOP’s legislation to attract the support of several conservative lawmakers and guarantee the bill’s passage when it come up for a […]
HH Sheikha Manal: “The UAE’s success and experience qualifies the country to play an important role in shaping a new global roadmap for gender balance.” HE Mona Al Marri: “Through the Global Gender Circle initiative, we’re striving to provide new opportunities for international leaders and experts in gender equality to come together, develop innovative ideas and drive transformative change in achieving gender balance as well as bridging […]
By John Davison and Ahmed Rasheed | MOSUL, Iraq/BAGHDAD MOSUL, Iraq/BAGHDAD Iraqi forces battling Islamic State in Mosul edged into the Old City and around the al Nuri mosque on Friday trying to seal off a main road to prevent militants sending in suicide bombers to attack their positions. Troops are meeting fierce resistance as militants retreat into the Old City, where street fighting is expected in […]
Friday 13:30 GMT What you need to know ● Dollar index nudges up after hitting five-week low● Short term US bond yields inch higher● Global stocks at record as Wall St gains ground● Oil prices firmer after volatile week● Gold advances towards $1,230 an ounce——————- Hot topic Has the buck bounce run its course? The dollar index (DXY) — a measure of the greenback against a basket […]
By John Davison | MOSUL, Iraq MOSUL, Iraq After five months of intense fighting, Iraqi forces have begun to drive back Islamic State into the dense and narrow-alleyed Old City of Mosul, with the mosque where its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a caliphate in 2014 firmly in sight. Iraqi leaders say the battle to recapture Mosul is reaching its final stages, trumpeting each gain made against […]
ZURICH Switzerland has rejected a Turkish request for legal assistance in prosecuting a suspect accused of insulting President Tayyip Erdogan, ruling that the comments in question were protected by Swiss free speech provisions. Switzerland helps foreign prosecutors only if the crime they are investigating is a criminal offence in Switzerland as well, and that was not the case here, a spokesman for the Federal Office of Justice […]
Office of Government Ethics officials confirmed that four meetings with McGahn ultimately materialized, including one in person. In addition to McGahn, a former Federal Election Commission chairman who is now Trump’s top lawyer, Jones Day attorney Ann Donaldson took part. Jones Day, a private law firm where McGahn was a partner before going to the White House, provided Trump with legal counsel during his campaign. In a […]
NASHVILLE, Tenn. U.S. President Donald Trump said a decision by a U.S. federal judge in Hawaii to issue an emergency halt on Wednesday to his revised travel ban was an example of “unprecedented judicial overreach.” “This is in the opinion of many an unprecedented judicial overreach,” Trump told a rally in Nashville, Tenn. (Reporting by Emily Stephenson) ‘); $(‘.second-article-divide’).append($(‘.slider.slider-module’)); $(‘.third-article-divide’).append(”); var median = (relatedItemsTotal / 2); var […]
ABU DHABI // Tobacco as well as fizzy and energy drinks are expected to be taxed this year, the Minister of State for Financial Affairs announced. Obaid Al Tayer was speaking on Wednesday as the Federal National Council approved a draft law that paves the way for value-added tax (VAT) and excise duties on selected items, by setting up a legal framework for taxation. While the GCC […]
By Dan Levine and Mica Rosenberg | HONOLULU/NEW YORK HONOLULU/NEW YORK A U.S. federal judge in Hawaii dealt another legal blow to President Donald Trump on Wednesday, issuing an emergency halt to his revised travel ban just hours before it was set to go into effect early on Thursday. U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson put out an emergency stop on Trump’s executive order, which aimed to temporarily […]
William “Billy” Walters’ stomach for taking risky bets and reading “tells” of opponents made him one of the most successful sports gamblers of all time. It is the same strategy he used to invest in the stock market, his lawyer told a jury as opening statements began in his $40m insider trading trial. Prosecutors have accused Mr Walters of making over $30m in profits and avoiding $10m […]
Retail stocks were once again heading straight for the discount bin on Wednesday. Struggling department store operator Macy’s was the day’s biggest decliner on the S&P 500, dropping 2 per cent to $30.32 following news that one-time suitor Hudson’s Bay now has its eyes on upmarket retailer Neiman Marcus instead. Shares in Macy’s, which have been languishing at six-year lows amid falling sales and profits, had rallied […]
In the widely anticipated budget proposal to be released by President Trump on Thursday, the White House will call for spending cuts of 28% for the State Department and 31% for the Environmental Protection Agency, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing congressional staff who are familiar with the plan. The budget plan for fiscal 2018 will also propose a big reduction in the State Department’s […]
NEW YORK Jeffrey Gundlach, chief executive officer of DoubleLine Capital, said on Wednesday he expected a short-term rally in U.S. Treasuries and that investors should “use the strength” in U.S. stocks to take profits and diversify in overseas markets. “I am surprised with the relentless nature” of equities after the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, Gundlach said on CNBC. Gundlach, who oversees more than $101 billion […]
