Ecuador / AFP Rescuers in Ecuador raced to dig out people trapped under the rubble of homes and businesses on Sunday, following a powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake that killed at least 233. Vice President Jorge Glas called it the “worst seismic movement we have faced in decades.” President Rafael Correa said on Twitter that the death toll Sunday had risen ...

  Jerusalem / AFP Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Sunday that the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights would “forever” remain in his country’s hands as his cabinet held its first meeting in the territory. “The Golan Heights will remain in the hands of Israel forever,” Netanyahu said at the start of the cabinet meeting, in comments broadcast on public radio. “Israel will ...

  Myanmar / AFP Myanmar President HtinKyaw pardoned 83 political prisoners on the country’s traditional New Year on Sunday, a spokesman from his office said, as the fledgling civilian-led administration seeks to cast off the shackles of nearly half a century of military rule. The new government, steered by veteran democracy activist Aung San SuuKyi, has spent its first weeks in ...

  Tripoli / AFP The United Nations’ Libya envoy urged lawmakers to back a unity government as he landed in Tripoli on Sunday on the eve of a crucial confidence vote. Libya’s recognised parliament is set to vote Monday on the UN-backed Government of National Accord, supported by the international community in a bid to end years of chaos in the ...

  Washington / AFP Republican Ted Cruz picked up more delegates in the race for the White House, winning all 14 that were up for grabs at his party’s state convention in Wyoming. The sweep comes as the Texas senator is attempting to chip away at rival Donald Trump’s lead in the contest for the Republican presidential nomination. “Thank you Wyoming!” ...

  Somalia / AFP The African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia (AMISOM) apologised for accidentally killing four civilians after soldiers mistook them for Shebab fighters when they failed to stop at a roadblock. The incident happened in the area of BuuloMareer in the Lower Shebelle region, 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of the capital Mogadishu. “A speeding vehicle approached the roadblock ...

  DUBAI / WAM Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) said that DEWA realises the importance of developing future smart cities that make use of world-class infrastructure, to provide efficient and transparent government services around the clock, exceeding the expectations of the UAE’s citizens and residents, and improving their quality of life. He ...

  DUBAI / WAM Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) welcomed Abdulla Belhoul, CEO of Dubai Wholesale City. The visit comes as part of DEWA’s efforts to enhance cooperation and strategic partnerships with different government organisations in the UAE and Dubai, to improve different aspects of government work and enhance services. They ...

  ABU DHABI / WAM The UAE-Algerian Investment Forum opened on Sunday in the presence of Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, Abdessalem Bouchouareb, Algerian Minister of Industry and Mines, Saleh Attiyah, Algerian Ambassador to the UAE, Mohammed Thani Murshid Al Romaithi, Chairman of the Chambers Federation and also of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry ...

  DUBAI / WAM The Inflation Rate in Dubai record 1.61% in the First Quarter of 2016 compared to the same period of 2015, according to a report released by Dubai Statistics Centre. Inflation rate in major expenditure groups: Food and Beverages: Prices of Food and Beverages Group increased by 2.96%. Because of an increase in the prices of Fish ...