Uncategorized

Damascus / AFP The United Nations prepared to deliver aid to thousands of besieged civilians in Syria on Monday as a fragile ceasefire entered its third day largely intact despite accusations of violations. UN humanitarian coordinator Yacoub El Hillo said the world body hoped to take advantage of the first major truce in five years of conflict to distribute supplies ...

Rawalpindi / AFP Thousands protested in Pakistani cities on Monday against the execution of a man hailed by hardlines as a hero for killing a provincial governor who was seeking reform of the blasphemy law. Protests against the hanging of Mumtaz Qadri were held in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and several smaller cities, with demonstrators burning tyres and chanting slogans. But ...

ALKESH SHARMA / Emirates Business Sustainable efforts of Ajman Emirate to sensitise merchants and end-consumers on their accountabilities and privileges have yielded positive outcomes. The field visits, exhibitions and educational events, have reflected fruitfully in the latest statistics issued by the Commercial Control and Consumer Protection Division (CCCPD) of the Ajman’s Department of Economic Development (DED). Thanks to its initiatives, ...

Bloomberg Petroleo Brasileiro SA secured a $10 billion loan from the China Development Bank as the beleaguered state-owned oil producer endures the worst crude market in a generation and faces more than double that amount in maturities over the next two years. The lifeline is part of a deal to supply crude to the Asian country, Rio de Janeiro-based Petrobras ...

Tokyo / AFP Japan has posted its first factory output expansion in three months, official data showed, offering some rare good news after a string of weak figures threw cold water on recovery hopes. The upbeat figures — a 3.7 percent rise on-month in January — comes as investors look for clues about the state of the world’s number three ...

Abu Dhabi / wam The UAE’s newly-reshuffled Cabinet, presided over by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, met on Sunday for the first time and discussed government-related issues. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said the UAE Government, under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa ...

LONDON / Bloomberg Two of the leading U.K. government ministers campaigning for an exit from the European Union played up the prospects for Britain if it votes to leave the bloc, rejecting warnings from Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne. “Britain is a great country, the people here are inventive, innovative, and they will find ...

Frankfurt / AFP As Germany’s banking capital, Frankfurt has long established itself as one of Europe’s leading financial hubs. But the city, which has a rather staid and strait-laced image, is now vying with hipper and trendier centres around Europe to woo financial start-ups known as FinTechs which want to revolutionise the way the world of money does business. FinTechs ...

Bloomberg Hillary Clinton scored a dominating victory over Bernie Sanders in South Carolina’s Democratic primary with the overwhelming support of black voters, helping solidify her path to the party’s nomination heading into Tuesday’s 11-state round of contests that represent the biggest prize of the 2016 primary campaign. “Tomorrow, this campaign goes national,’’ Clinton said in her victory speech in Columbia. ...

Athens / AFP Some 6,500 people were stuck at the Idomeni camp on Greece’s northern border with Macedonia after four Balkan countries announced a daily cap on migrant arrivals. The build-up began in earnest last week after Macedonia started refusing entry to Afghans and imposed stricter document controls on Syrians and Iraqis, slowing the passage of migrants and refugees to ...