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  Qayyarah / AFP Iraqi forces were making gains as tens of thousands of fighters advanced on Mosul on Tuesday in an unprecedented offensive to retake the city from the IS group. With the crucial battle in its second day, Iraqi commanders said progress was being made as fighters pushed on two main fronts towards the city. The US military, which ...

  Bloomberg Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is planning a 210 billion-rupee ($3.1 billion) package of state aid for India’s solar panel manufacturing industry, according to two officials. The so-called Prayas initiative, short for for “ Pradhan Mantri Yojana for Augmenting Solar Manufacturing,” a central-government plan designed to lift India’s installed photovoltaic capacity as well as to create an export ...

  Bloomberg With the world’s second-largest economy stable for now, you’ll need to look under the hood to see where the real action is when China releases its third-quarter economic report card on Wednesday. Gross domestic product probably expanded 6.7 percent from a year earlier in the three months through September, the same pace as the previous two quarters and ...

  AFP The European Union gave Belgium until a leaders’ summit on Friday to approve a troubled free trade pact with Canada which has been blocked by its small French-speaking region of Wallonia. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said a planned visit by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to sign the deal next week would not go ahead unless the ...

  Dubai / WAM In its efforts to achieve the Smart Dubai Initiative, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), has announced that it is making use of Microsoft HoloLens, the world’s first self-contained holographic computer to enhance its operations, improve productivity, accelerate innovation and provide best quality of efficient services to its customers. The Smart Dubai Initiative was launched by ...

  Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business Masdar City, one of the world’s most sustainable urban developments, is introducing new licences to encourage entrepre- neurs to set up ventures within the City’s business free zone. The announcement coincides with the 36th Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) taking place in Dubai from October 16-20. Masdar City’s full suite of free zone and ...

  Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business Etihad Airways’ Premium Lounge at Melbourne Airport has been voted Australasia’s Leading Airport Lounge for 2016. The announcement was made at the 23rd Annual World Travel Awards Asia and Australasia ceremony in Danang, Vietnam on October 15. Etihad Airways’ Chief Executive Officer, Peter Baumgartner, expressed delight at the win, the airline’s first ever at ...

  Sharjah / Emirates Business In the presence and under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and his wife, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed al Qasimi, Chairperson of the ‘Big heart’ Foundation, Chairperson of NAMA Women Advancement Establishment, the second edition of the ‘Investing in the ...

  Aleppo / AFP Dozens of civilians were killed as air strikes flattened residential buildings in rebel-held east Aleppo Monday, despite Western warnings of sanctions against Syria and Russia over attacks on the city. Once Syria’s thriving commercial hub, Aleppo has been ravaged by bombing raids and intensifying clashes as President Bashar Al-Assad’s forces fight to capture opposition-held parts of the ...

  Malakal / AFP At least 56 rebels and four government troops were killed in heavy weekend clashes in northeastern South Sudan, in a worrying surge of violence in the world’s youngest nation. Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) spokesman Brigadier General Lul Ruai Koang said on Monday that rebels aligned with former vice president Riek Machar attacked government troops near ...