Dubai / WAM HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Minister of Finance and Governor of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) for the United Arab Emirates, announced on Wednesday the launch of a new initiative to create a unified global legal and legislative framework for the Islamic finance sector. Launched by the UAE Ministry of Finance in partnership with the IDB, ...

Bloomberg India increased a special tax on gasoline and diesel as pressure builds on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to bridge a ballooning budget deficit. Additional levies on gasoline were raised by 10 rupees ($0.13) a litre effective on Wednesday and that on diesel by 13 rupees, according to government statements. Pump prices will, however, not change, the government said. ...

Bloomberg Hong Kong’s retailers will need to get creative to survive the deepening recession that’s enveloped the city as tourists from the mainland who fuelled past rebounds are unlikely to come to the rescue this time. The city’s retail sales by value in March sank 42% from a year earlier to HK$23 billion ($2.97 billion), according to a government release. ...