There is an excellent reason for German Chancellor Angela Merkel to want a good relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: The European Union’s March deal with Turkey appears to have defused the refugee crisis for now. Merkel can now concentrate on political damage control and on restoring her position in the EU, undermined by a costly flutter of ...

  Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has launched a mobile application for the iPhone that enables guests to organise and manage their journey with even greater ease as the airline continues to adopt innovative technology to reimagine the flying experience. Etihad Airways guests will enjoy 10 percent off flights, and members of ...

  DUBAI / Emirates Business Dubai’s Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation (AMAF) has issued its annual report for 2015, recording a 19 percent growth in revenue to hit AED172 million compared with AED144 million in 2014. Over the past year, the Foundation has emerged as a global model for endowment development and nurturing of minors. In 2015, AMAF’s five endowment ...

  DUBAI / Emirates Business Cementing its position as a major player in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) hospitality market, Louvre Hotels Group, one of the largest hospitality groups in the world, has announced that it will open 11 new hotels in the region this year, including six hotels in the GCC. The move forms part of an ...

  Dubai / Emirates Business The Virgin Mobile Middle East and Africa has been recognised for the most successful MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) globally at the MVNO World Congress of 2016. Following high competition in the region, Virgin Mobile MEA won top honour of the main award at this year’s ceremony for its unparalleled success breaking into and innovating ...

  Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business Tadweer (the Center of Waste Management – Abu Dhabi) organised “Your Happiness is Our Goal” initiative at Al Ain Centre for Care and Rehabilitation by its Al Ain Branch, the initiative targeting the disabled people who require special care and attention from all members of the society. This initiative comes as part of a ...

  TRIPOLI / Reuters Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) said the country’s eastern government attempted to export 650,000 barrels of oil this week, but that workers at the Marsa el-Hariga terminal had refused to load the shipment. “This had the potential to be a very ugly incident and I am pleased that it has been resolved peacefully without injury to ...

  MUMBAI / Reuters Reliance Industries Ltd , India’s biggest oil refiner, said it is looking to buy more crude from Iran as the company seeks to rebuild ties to benefit from shorter shipping distances. The company had made small purchases from Iran in the current quarter and was currently engaged in talks for bigger supplies, indicating that it could ...

  London / AFP Barack Obama warned Britain against leaving the European Union, undercutting a key argument of eurosceptics by saying London would be “at the back of the queue” for a post-Brexit trade deal. The US president’s comments on Britain’s June 23 EU membership referendum at a press conference with UK Prime Minister David Cameron drew a furious reaction ...

  Moscow / AFP Russia said it had temporarily suspended its demand for full repayment of a disputed $3-billion loan to Ukraine, saying it wanted to give the new government in Kiev time to “assess the situation”. “We have given the new Ukrainian government an extension to assess the situation with a clear head, to reevaluate its position and open ...