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  Bloomberg The UK economy slowed less than economists forecast in the quarter after the Brexit vote because of a surge in services, providing ammunition for critics of those who warned of a possible fallout before the referendum. The 0.5 percent expansion was better than the 0.3 percent median forecast of economists in a Bloomberg survey. Services surged 0.8 percent, ...

  Brussels/ AFP Belgium announced on Thursday a breakthrough in talks to secure a landmark EU-Canada trade deal by winning over the leaders of a recalcitrant Belgian region, potentially snapping a deadlock which threatened European credibility anew. However, the announcement came too late for EU leaders and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to go ahead with a signing ceremony in ...

  Calais / AFP Dozens of migrants, including children, were left wandering on Thursday through France’s “Jungle” camp after sleeping rough on the edges of the burnt-out Calais settlement. Excavators began tearing down remaining shelters a day after the official operation to clear the camp came to a dramatic end, with fires started by departing migrants ripping through the shanty ...

  AFP Samsung Electronics on Thursday reported an expected 30 percent profit plunge on the back of a highly damaging recall crisis that hammered the reputation of the world’s largest smartphone maker. The third quarter earnings were announced just hours before the start of an annual shareholder meeting which was set to approve the latest step in a complex generational ...

  Bloomberg New Zealand has overtaken Singapore as the best country in the world to do business, according to the World Bank. Singapore slipped to second in the bank’s 2017 “ Doing Business” report after topping the ranking for a decade. Finland dropped out of the top 10, falling to 13th. Macedonia, which placed 92nd a decade ago, improved two ...

  Arbil / AFP The United States said on Thursday that up to 900 IS group extremists have been killed in the offensive to retake Iraq’s Mosul, as camps around the city filled with fleeing civilians. Iraqis who fled their homes expressed joy at escaping IS’s brutal rule as they were given shelter and assistance, in some cases reuniting with relatives ...

  Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business The Ministry of Finance (MoF) recently held a meeting with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission on the Ministry’s premises in Abu Dhabi. The meeting aimed to review the financial and economic performance indicators, as well as the Ministry’s achievements and financial policies that support the national economy. HE Younis Haji Al Khoori, Undersecretary ...

  Sharjah / WAM The array of opportunities for Sharjah and Russia to do business was the topic of discussion at a roundtable event organised by the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) at the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Wednesday. More than 100 businesspersons and representatives of Sharjah-based Russian companies attended the meeting, which was aimed at boosting ...

  Abu Dhabi / WAM The Etisalat Group reported a net profit of AED6.2 billion for the first nine months of 2016, an increase of 9 percent compared to same period last year. The consolidated financial statements issued on Wednesday show that consolidated revenues of the group amounted to AED13.2 billion and increased year-over-year by 3 percent. Similarly consolidated net profit ...

  Dubai / Emirates Business Eighty three percent of people in Dubai consider themselves happy today, and 95% predict that they will be happy 5 years from now, according to a study released by the Smart Dubai Office at the first meeting of the ‘Happiness Champions’ for the Smart Dubai Happiness Agenda. Her Excellency Dr Aisha bin Bishr, Director General ...