Dubai / WAM The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) scooped the best government practices awards in the field of internal audit (Governance, Risks and Controls category, as well as Fraud category). RTA was also named the Overall Winner of the Superiority Award amongst participating government entities across the nation. The awards were presented at the conclusion of the Chief Audit Executive ...

  LIUBLJANA / WAM Dr. Rashid bin Ahmed bin Fahad, Minister of State, spoke about the depth of UAE – Slovenian relations, which are now witnessing significant development in all fields, pointing to the strength of the ties between the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Slovenia. Dr bin Fahd made his comments during the First International GCC – Slovenian conference held ...

  ATLANTA / AP Congressional Republicans’ drive to repeal the 2010 health care law has financial and political repercussions for GOP leaders in the states and gives Democrats potential openings as they struggle to reclaim power lost during President Barack Obama’s tenure. Some Republican governors, in particular, are wary about what their Washington colleagues might do with Obama’s signature law, ...

  GENEVA / AP The rival leaders of ethnically divided Cyprus are meeting in Geneva for a summit aiming at reunifying the Mediterranean island. Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci on Monday were kicking off three days of talks to clear up outstanding issues including the pivotal matter of how much territory each side will ...

  VIENNA / AP Two senior diplomats say that the six world powers that negotiated a nuclear deal with Iran have approved a large shipment of natural uranium to the country as compensation after Tehran exported tons of heavy water. The diplomats say that the agreement foresees delivery of 116 metric tons (nearly 130 tons) of natural uranium from Russia. ...

  WASHINGTON / AP A US military official says a US Navy warship fired multiple warning shots at Iranian patrol boats in the Persian Gulf after the Iranian vessels ignored other warnings. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an incident not yet publicly announced, said a US destroyer, the USS Mahan, was transiting the Strait of ...

  BEIRUT / AP Syrian President Bashar Assad said in remarks published on Monday that he was prepared “to negotiate everything” at talks set to begin in later this month in Kazakhstan, seeking to cast himself as a peacemaker after his forces’ recapture of Aleppo last month. However the upcoming talks, brokered by Ankara and Moscow, are still in doubt ...

  SINGAPORE / AP Singapore’s defense minister said on Monday that nine armored personnel carriers that are being held in Hong Kong should be returned immediately under sovereign immunity laws. Customs authorities in Hong Kong, a Chinese territory, seized the eight-wheeled Terrex infantry carriers in November. The vehicles were being shipped back to Singapore following military training exercises in Taiwan. ...

  ISLAMABAD / AP Two Pakistani research groups have noted that the country saw a significant drop in militant violence last year, crediting the military for the decrease in attacks. The two Islamabad-based groups say that large-scale military operations in the lawless tribal regions bordering Afghanistan, in the chaotic port city of Karachi and the sparsely populated Baluchistan province are ...

  DUBAI / Reuters Egypt’s main stock index corrected on Monday as local traders booked profits and Gulf markets diverged with United Arab Emirates markets outperforming as traders focused on financial shares while a retreat in oil prices weighed on Saudi Arabian petrochemical producers. Cairo’s main index fell 0.9 percent, snapping four straight sessions of gains. Local institutions were net ...