Bloomberg Sri Lanka’s opposition plans to file a motion soon to abolish President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s sweeping executive powers that lawmakers and critics say has contributed to the economic mismanagement of the country and prompted street protests calling for his ouster. “It will be an opposition motion. It will be to abolish the executive presidency,” Harsha de Silva, a lawmaker ...

  Bloomberg India’s central bank signalled a shift in policy focus as it ramped up efforts to mop up excess liquidity in the banking system and raised its inflation forecasts, sending bond yields higher. While the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) rate-setting panel decided to hold rates and keep its accommodative stance, it also voted unanimously to focus on “withdrawal ...

  Bloomberg BNP Paribas SA reached one of the most comprehensive work-from-home deals among major banks, with more than 132,000 employees given the option of doing their jobs from home for up to half the week. Staff in 22 countries across Europe can decide to work from home every week for as much as 2.5 days or to adopt a ...

  Bloomberg Credit Agricole SA acquired a minority stake in Italy’s Banco BPM SpA, in a deal that may spark speculation it is aiming for a full takeover. The French bank said it has built a 9.18% holding in Banco BPM. It’s not applied for authorization from regulators to increase its holding above 10%, according to a statement. Consolidation of ...

Bloomberg In most of the world, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are simply tools that allow investors to track a certain set of stocks. In Japan, they’ve been saddled with everything from propping up the market and boosting inflation, to accelerating economic growth, improving corporate governance and even encouraging gender equality. Such wide-ranging goals have led the Japanese central bank to amass ...

  Bloomberg Stocks are ending the week on a positive note, with European equities snapping two days of declines sparked by the Federal Reserve’s plan for aggressive monetary-policy tightening. The Stoxx Europe 600 index climbed more than 1%, with all industry sectors in the green and energy and basic resources leading the advance. Swedish truck maker Volvo AB declined after ...

DUBAI / WAM The Vision Pavilion, celebrating the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, will continue to delight and enthral as part of the legacy of Expo 2020 Dubai. The pavilion – one of the undeniable highlights of more than 200 pavilions across Expo ...

ABU DHABI / WAM The UAE has reinforced its global stature by achieving significant successes, most notably by advancing its healthcare system. The UAE and the world celebrate the annual World Health Day on April 7, held this year under the theme, “Our Planet, Our Health,” to highlight the many related issues affecting humanity. Under this framework, the World Health ...

  Abu Dhabi / WAM Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, the capital’s first low-cost carrier, has announced a new service to Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, starting from May 5. Abu Dhabi travellers will now be able to fly direct to Jaipur International Airport at competitive prices, the airline company said on Thursday. Jaipur or the Pink city, is the capital ...

  Abu Dhabi / WAM Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) and Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden), Saudi Arabia’s national mining company, signed an agreement to extend their exploration of potential collaboration on technology in the aluminium value chain. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, EGA’s Vice Chairman, and Musabbeh Al Kaabi, EGA Board member, witnessed the signing in Dubai by Abdulnasser bin Kalban, ...