By Jake Spring | NINGDE, China NINGDE, China A dusty village on the outskirts of Ningde, a third-tier city in China’s southeast, seems an unlikely place for the headquarters of a potential global leader in future automotive technology. Yet China’s top-down industrial policy diktats – move up the value chain, clean up polluted urban skies, and shift to plug-in cars – have Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL) […]
There are probably those who fail to see the appeal of playing games in a portable computer. But this list of best gaming laptops for 2016 might just change your mind. Aorus X5 v6 Let us begin with the relatively unknown commodity: the Aorus X5 v6. This laptop can slug it out with the best in this list and emerge unscathed in the process. You can expect […]
If your New Year’s resolution is to try something that gets the adrenaline pumping and takes you out of your comfort zone then read on. We have rounded up 14 ideas to get you started. newslide Skydiving The ultimate thrill for adrenaline-seekers is a tandem jump from 13,000 feet over the Palm Jumeirah. Although somewhat pricey, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but the fee includes a video […]
ArabPlast 2017 promises an international participation accentuated by the presence of the giant operators in the industry of plastics, petrochemicals and rubber Dubai, UAE, 25 December 2016 As the biggest plastics, petrochemicals and rubber industry exhibition in the MENA region, ArabPlast 2017 is set to bring together the key players, experts and industrials in the field from around the world, between 8th-10th January at Dubai World Trade […]
KABUL There was an angry reaction in Afghanistan to news that the first female fixed-wing pilot in the country’s air force was requesting asylum in the United States after completing an 18-month training course. The Afghan defence ministry confirmed on Sunday that Captain Niloofar Rahmani, 25, had sought asylum after the Wall Street Journal quoted her as saying that she feared her life would be in danger […]
BEIJING China needs to keep financial market liquidity stable and regulate its “money gates” to prevent asset bubbles, but it also needs to ensure a lack of liquidity doesn’t cause financial stress, according to a commentary in a newspaper owned by the People’s Bank of China. Chinese policymakers face a dilemma as they need to tighten credit to contain debt and speculative investment without triggering a wave […]
BEIJING Three doctors in Shanghai and one in Hunan province have been suspended pending investigations over allegations they took kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies, Chinese state media reported. In an investigative report aired on Saturday, China Central Television showed pharmaceutical sales representatives paying sweeteners to doctors at six hospitals in Shanghai and Hunan. The bribes amounted to 30 to 40 percent of the sales price of the drugs, […]
DUBAI Iran said on Sunday it had negotiated to pay only about half the announced price for 80 new Boeing (BA.N) airliners in an order that the American planemaker had said was worth $16.6 billion. Boeing and its European rival Airbus (AIR.PA) have both signed huge contracts this month to supply airliners to Iran, the first such deals since international sanctions were lifted under a deal to […]
Israel on Sunday summoned ambassadors of countries that belong to the UN Security Council for a Christmas Day reprimand for their support of a resolution condemning Israel’s illegal settlements on Palestinian lands. The UK was among the countries which saw its diplomats called into Israel’s ministry of foreign affairs on Sunday. David Quarrey, Britain’s ambassador to Israel, told the Financial Times. While Mr Quarrey was in the […]
By Lucia Mutikani | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON New U.S. single-family home sales rose more than expected in November and consumer sentiment hovered near a 13-year high this month, strengthening the view that the economy will gain further momentum next year. President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to cut taxes and increase infrastructure spending is expected to boost economic growth, though it already has sparked a surge in mortgage rates that […]
Photo Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, at a ceremony on Saturday marking the beginning of Hanukkah, described a Security Council resolution condemning Israeli construction in the West Bank as “delusional” and “absurd.” Credit Jack Guez/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images JERUSALEM — In a furious riposte a day after the United Nations Security Council’s adoption of a resolution condemning Israeli settlement construction, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on […]
Saudi Arabia’s government plans to provide 200 billion riyals ($53 billion) of incentives to the private sector over the next four years in its drive to diversify the economy beyond oil, according to an official planning document. A reform programme launched this year, after a plunge in oil prices slashed state revenues in the world’s top oil exporting country, envisions the private sector investing tens of billions […]
Written by Ritu Sarin | New Delhi | Published:December 25, 2016 4:55 am The Letters of Intent along with the precise quantum of orders to each foreign firm would be finalised soon. The remonetisation drive — and the frantic printing of banknotes — has brought some Christmas cheer for some of the world’s largest currency paper suppliers. Over Thursday and Friday, principals of eight foreign firms were […]
By Lawrence Delevingne | NEW YORK NEW YORK When six executives of Platinum Partners, including founder Mark Nordlicht, were arrested on Monday on federal charges of running a more than $1 billion hedge fund fraud, people who had long alleged they were harmed by the New York-based firm felt some vindication. But the possibility that each defendant might face prison terms has done little to soothe their […]
The power of a good interview to shed light on the personalities and themes driving the news agenda was demonstrated clearly in the year of tumult that has been 2016. As geopolitical shocks spread, a roll call of politicians, business leaders, celebrities and cultural figures sat down with the Financial Times to share their thoughts. In the UK, Theresa May revealed some insights into her brisk management […]
Real estate markets in the UAE witnessed contrasting trends in November with sales prices and rents up in Dubai but values falling in Abu Dhabi, according to a new report by Bayut.com. Property website Bayut said the real estate market in Dubai was buoyed last month by a spate of project launches, stirring up interest in the market but activity in Abu Dhabi was slow, resulting in […]
MOSCOW Rosneft’s (ROSN.MM) plans for next year allow it to be flexible with production volumes, Russia’s top oil producer said on Saturday, after Moscow clinched a deal with OPEC to cut production to bolster weak oil prices. State-controlled Rosneft, which accounts for over 40 percent of Russian oil production, said its board has looked into plans for 2017-2018. “The plan is formed on the basis of actual […]
Owners of the Honor 8 smartphone – which debuted to an overwhelming response, raking in 1.5 million unit sales worldwide within a few months of its release – will be pleased to learn that the handset is poised to benefit from the much-awaited Android 7.0 Nougat software update in early 2017. Come February 2017, the 5.2-inch phablet is set to receive a bump-up from Android Marshmallow and get […]
A round up of some of 2016’s most significant corporate events and news stories. Smartphone sales © EPA A bright start to the year for Samsung Electronicswent up in smoke, after it took the unprecedented decision to axe its Galaxy Note 7 line, following a spate of safety issues that saw the smartphone banned from aircraft, writes Nic Fildes. The 2016 Galaxy Note iteration won substantial praise […]
The vote for Brexit will change the course of Britain’s history, Philip Hammond announced last month. The UK chancellor may be a strident advocate for a soft departure from the EU but he has also been keen to paint a positive picture of the country’s economy, saying the UK’s fundamental strengths will “ensure our future success”. Financial markets are sceptical. The economy may have confounded doom laden […]
Kuwait’s foreign trade surplus shrank 20 percent from a year earlier to KD1.39 billion ($4.56 billion) in the third quarter of 2016, data from the Central Statistical Bureau has showed. However, the latest figure was up from KD1.2 billion reported in the previous quarter as low oil and gas prices continue to affect the local economy. Kuwait is seeking to plug a budget deficit officially projected at […]
CAIRO Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Saturday that the military’s economic activity accounted for no more than two percent of the country’s output, dismissing suggestions that the military could control as much as half of the economy. Speaking at an event celebrating the expansion of a military-owned company, Sisi said the military made up 1.5-2 percent of economic output which he said was 3-4 trillion […]
Ekster’s smart wallet. Photo: Ekster Wallets and their contents – cash, cards, tickets, receipts etc – will eventually be replaced by smartphones that work with electronic payments system. But while those have been available for years in some countries, most men still carry traditional wallets. That being the case, there should be a market for “smart wallets” that connect to smartphones, so you can find your wallet […]
Ma’aden, QIC and Bupa Arabia are fastest growing companies in 2011-15. Nearly 90% of fastest growing companies come from Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Share prices rose for almost all the fastest growing companies. Collectively, the fastest growing companies achieved around 100% stockmarket outperformance. 22 December 2016 A landmark report released today by research group Marmore MENA Intelligence profiles 15 of the fastest growing listed […]
