Bloomberg Qatar National Bank (QNB), the biggest bank in the Middle East and Africa, is turning its focus to Southeast Asia for growth after hitting expansion goals in the region earlier than planned. “Our previous target to become a Middle East and Africa icon by 2017, was achieved in 2014, so we have upscaled our aspiration to become a ...

  Bloomberg UK inflation is almost back on target. Economists forecast that consumer-price growth accelerated to 1.9 percent in January, part of an upward trend that’s expected to continue through this year. While the prediction would leave inflation just shy of the Bank of England’s (BOE) 2 percent goal, last hit in 2013, there have been upside surprises for the ...

Bloomberg BNP Paribas SA shares dropped the most since June after France’s largest bank posted earnings that fell short of estimates and cast doubt over growth in its home market. The bank tumbled as much as 5 percent in Paris trading after reporting fourth-quarter net income of 1.44 billion euros ($1.55 billion), below the 1.63 billion-euro average estimate of seven ...

  Bloomberg China’s drive to reduce financial system risks is squeezing the nation’s banks. Caught between policy makers’ intensifying efforts to raise short-term borrowing costs, and benchmark interest rates that haven’t moved since 2015, Chinese lenders have few options but to absorb much of the higher costs. The gap between the three-month Shanghai Interbank Offered Rate and the one-year lending ...

  Bloomberg The Google Chromebook, a type of stripped-down laptop, isn’t a practical mobile device for many people — mostly because it basically turns into an expensive paperweight whenever it can’t find a Wi-Fi connection. Yet Chromebooks have defied expectations and made major inroads in an unexpected environment — US schools. In retrospect, that shouldn’t be too surprising. Chromebooks are ...

  Dubai / Emirates Business While we continue to make all Facebook apps a great experience, we heard from people they want an even more lightweight option. In many areas, networks can be slow and not able to support everything found in other Facebook apps. To help make sure everyone can have a great Facebook experience regardless of where they ...

  NEW YORK / AP Many people have heard of Twitter. Not enough of them are signing up to use it. Twitter’s role as a megaphone for the US president, countless celebrities and businesses hasn’t attracted regular people to the service — not in the way Facebook has, or even Instagram and Snapchat. The San Francisco company’s latest earnings report ...

  Potsdam / DPA “Everything’s a bit dusty in here,” Peter Armbruester, who looks after the props at the Babelsberg Film Studio outside Berlin, says apologetically. “But we’re not allowed to clean in here.” In fact, Armbruester’s customers value a used look. “If everything was brilliantly polished they wouldn’t want it any more,” he says. The Babelsberg studio is the ...

  LOS ANGELES / DPA Victor Leonardo stares out through the window of the tour bus winding its way through the palm-lined streets of the popular resort town of Varadero, Cuba. “Cuba has changed rapidly over the last decade,” he says. Leonardo, 50, comes from the eastern province of Granma. He worked as a Spanish teacher for decades, but it ...

  DUBAI / WAM Business deals worth US$3.03 billion were sealed during the 21st edition of the UAE International Dental Conference and Arab Dental Exhibition, (AEEDC) Dubai 2017, recording a 10 percent rise compared to the previous year. The event, held from February 7-9 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, attracted over 48,000 visitors and participants from 130 ...