TEHRAN / AFP Reformist allies of Hassan Rouhani swept all 30 parliamentary seats in the Iranian capital, handing the moderate president a major boost on Sunday in elections seen as vital to his government. The List of Hope, a pro-Rouhani coalition of moderates and reformists, was on course to wipe out its conservative rivals in Tehran with 90 percent of ...

Chad / AFP The nationwide strikes which brought Chad’s biggest cities to a halt this week over President Idriss Deby Itno’s planned bid for re-election are some of the most significant protests of the hardliner’s 26-year rule. The strike, which ran under the slogan “That’s Enough”, successfully locked down N’Djamena, leaving classrooms emptied and the capital’s two big markets deserted ...

“Hell,” said Alabama’s Democratic Gov. George Wallace before roiling the 1968 presidential race, “we got too much dignity in government now, what we need is some meanness.” Twelve elections later, Wallace’s wish is approaching fulfillment as Republicans contemplate nominating someone who would run to Hillary Clinton’s left. Donald Trump, unencumbered by any ballast of convictions, would court Bernie Sanders’ disaffected ...

There has been a growing interest in public-private partnerships (PPPs) worldwide in recent years, being a popular way of procuring public-sector infrastructure. This alliance is gaining momentum at a time regional economies face increasing budgetary pressures resulting from the weaker price of oil. Most examples of successful PPPs are in transportation, housing, roads, public parks and others. So the PPPs ...

Foreign ministers from the ten Southeast Asian countries said Saturday that they were “seriously concerned” by recent developments in the South China Sea. China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea has shown few signs of easing, with Beijing positioning a surface to air missile system on Woody Island, one of the disputed Paracel Islands in the northern half of the ...

In a battle against declining economic outcomes, China is attempting to regain a semblance of control by changing existing policies and halting pessimistic statements in the media. The task is overwhelming and endless, as new measures appear to have little effect in the face of declining growth, capital flight, and rising anxiety. Still, Beijing is fighting a downturn on several ...

ALKESH SHARMA / Emirates Business Female entrepreneurs considerably identify importance of business networks to build contacts, gain resources and reduce isolation prior to business plan validation while 5,200 new jobs have been created by the women-led businesses the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards have supported in the last few years. These morale-boosting findings were put on table by the Abu Dhabi-based ...

DUBAI / Emirates Business The Dubai Entertainment Amusement and Leisure (DEAL) Show 2016, together with Blooloop, the attraction industry’s leading website and event organiser, is set to launch a new conference for the themeparks and amusement industry in the UAE. This ‘DEAL Live’ conference will be held on April 18 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Blooloop conferences bring together ...

Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business After a record-breaking 2015, Abu Dhabi Airports has reported a 14.1% increase in passenger traffic at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) for January 2016 compared to the same period last year. A total of 2,154,241 people travelled through AUH last month, surpassing the previous January 2015 figure of 1,887,631. “The remarkable growth of Abu Dhabi ...

Abu Dhabi / EMIRATES BUSINESS Al Bateen Executive Airport, the only exclusive business aviation airport in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, has announced 9% year-on-year growth in passenger traffic figures in 2015, surpassing its previous performance in 2014. Arriving passenger traffic stayed above 7,600 passengers in each of the final four months of 2015, with November clocking ...