News

  Dubai / Emirates Business The first half of the 19th edition of Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) has seen an upswing in economic activity across diverse sectors in the emirate from retail to hospitality, automotive to entertainment and financial services, as the region’s popular family extravaganza continues to further enhance Dubai’s position as the summer destination of choice. With special ...

  Dubai / WAM Dr. Hanif Al Qasim, Chairman of the Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue, hailed the UAE’s contributions and achievements in the provision of humanitarian work in various countries and regions across the world, especially those witnessing natural catastrophes and armed conflicts. He also stressed the confidence of the international community and its operating organisations ...

  Dubai / WAM Emirates is set to upgrade its service between Dubai and Khartoum with the deployment of a larger Boeing 777-300ER on the route from September 1. The Boeing 777 will replace the current Airbus A340-300 and offer travellers on the route an enhanced on-board product experience and additional seats in Economy Class. Enhancements include an updated ice entertainment ...

  Dubai / Emirates Business Al Yasmina Academy, part of Aldar Academies, the UAE’s leading provider of private education, is celebrating its students’ best-ever A-level results. Among those finishing the final year of A-levels, 74% percent achieved one or more A* to B grades, a 10% increase over 2015. Meanwhile, 35% of pupils earned all A* or A grades, a ...

  London / AFP Retail sales in Britain, a key driver of the economy, rebounded 1.4 percent in July from June’s drop, official data showed on Thursday, indicating no immediate fallout from Brexit but analysts warn of a tough year ahead. Sales by volume rose far higher than expected following a 0.9-percent drop in June that had been caused by ...

  Bloomberg United Bankshares Inc. agreed to buy Cardinal Financial Corp. in an all-stock deal valued at about $912 million to expand in the Washington, D.C, region. The buyer will pay 0.71 United share for each Cardinal share, a price that represents 2.24 times Cardinal’s tangible book value as of June 30, the companies said Thursday in a statement. The ...

  Bloomberg Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, whose fertilizer company is investing more than $6 billion in potash mining, said it could take at least a decade for the potash market to work off the excess because of the past “disruptive” actions by the largest sellers. Potash prices have collapsed since 2013, when a trade pact between Russian and Belarusian producers, ...

  Bloomberg Fewer Americans than forecast filed applications for unemployment benefits last week, indicating the US job market remains healthy. Jobless claims fell by 4,000 to 262,000 in the week ended Aug. 13, the smallest level in a month, a Labor Department report showed Thursday in Washington. The median forecast of 42 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for 265,000. Low ...

  New York / AFP Wal-Mart Stores reported higher second-quarter earnings and lifted its profit forecast on Thursday after notching higher sales in the US. Earnings for the quarter ending July 31 were $3.8 billion, up 8.6 percent from the year-ago period. Sales were up 0.5 percent at $120.9 billion. Wal-Mart scored higher comparable sales and customer traffic in the ...

  ABU DHABI / Emirates Business Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) — an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices — will showcase the best practices and experiences of the green building champions from across the Middle East and North Africa region at a special event on August 24 from 8.30am to 11.30am ...