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  Beijing / AFP Chinese exports surged in March, the first gain in nine months and the latest positive data out of the world’s number two economy, but analysts warned on Wednesday’s headline figure masked ongoing weakness in overseas demand. Official figures showing a better-than-expected jump in shipments abroad come just days after another strong inflation reading and last week’s ...

Brazil / AFP Brazilian President DilmaRousseff took off the gloves, branding her vice president a traitor and coup-plotter ahead of an impeachment vote in Congress, with a party once in the ruling coalition set to cast a ballot against her. In a blistering speech, Rousseff, 68, charged: “If there were any doubts about my reporting that a coup is under ...

Bloomberg Greek PM Alexis Tsipras will seek help from French President Francois Hollande after talks between his government and its creditors failed — again — to produce the approval needed to release funds from his country’s third bailout. Tsipras will meet his French counterpart in the Elysee Palace with Greek officials still struggling to convince inspectors from the European Commission, ...

  Bloomberg Some of the world’s top agricultural commodities traders say the era of slumping prices and low volatility isn’t over yet. Crop prices that slid in the past three years still aren’t low enough to encourage output cuts, Matt Jansen, the chief executive officer of trader Cofco Agri, said on Tuesday at the Financial Times Commodities Global Summit in ...

Bloomberg President Barack Obama assembles on Wednesday his top national security officials at the CIA to discuss options to increase pressure on the IS in Syria. With each additional step, he risks drawing the US further into the conflict he has spent five years trying to avoid. The meeting of the National Security Council Principals Committee brings together some of ...

DAMASCUS / AP Syrians in government-controlled areas headed to polling stations on Wednesday to elect a new 250-member parliament that is expected to serve as a rubber stamp for President Bashar Assad. Voters began turning up shortly after the stations opened at 7 a.m. Around 3,500 government-approved candidates are competing after more than 7,000 others dropped out. Early on Wednesday, ...

  BLOOMBERG The cloud that China cast over financial markets is starting to lift — and that’s a boon for stocks and commodities. After trade data pointed to stronger growth in the world’s second-biggest economy, global equities wiped out the last of this year’s losses, copper and iron ore jumped, and haven assets including the yen and gold retreated. European ...

Abu Dhabi / WAM His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, received on Tuesday Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Prime Minister of the Republic of Georgia, at Al Bahr Palace, for talks about ways of enhancing co-operation and friendship to serve mutual interests, particularly in economic, investment, trade and ...

Abu Dhabi / WAM HH Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, today opened the 10th edition of the Cityscape Abu Dhabi at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE ...

Dubai / WAM Retailing in the UAE is expected to reach AED 200 billion by 2017, growing by a 5% on average each year, according to an analysis by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Consumer spending is also expected to continue rising in the medium-term, with growth rates projected to stabilize at about 4% on average per year ...