Sunaina Rana Emirates Business The internationally prominent digital lifestyle innovations company, BenQ Middle East & Turkey has recently reported theur growth upto 4.8 percent during the last quarter of 2015 in the Middle East. However, the UAE tops the charts in the region, where market share increased from 2.06 percent in Q4, 2014 to 6.52 percent in Q4, 2015. Following …

Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business Al Zorah, one of the UAE’s most innovative and eco-conscious mixed-use destinations, known for embodying the ethos of “natural living” pushed its environmental agenda, through the sponsorship of the 4th Ajman International Environment Conference, 2016. The symposium was held at the Sheikh Zayed Centre for Conferences and Exhibitions from March 2 -3. In its fourth …

ljubljana / afp The Balkan trail from Greece to northern Europe used by floods of migrants was blocked on Wednesday after a string of nations slammed shut their borders, hiking pressure on the EU and Turkey to nail down a “game-changing” grand bargain. Slovenia and Croatia, two of the countries along the well-trodden route, said late Tuesday that no migrants …

Riyadh / AFP Yemen’s Iran-backed rebels have freed a Saudi soldier in return for seven detained Yemenis as part of a tribal-mediated border truce agreed by both sides, the Riyadh-led coalition said Wednesday. The agreement reached during a visit by a Yemeni tribal delegation to the kingdom is the first of its kind since the Saudi-led coalition began a military …

Rabat / AFP Morocco accused United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon of speaking out of turn during a visit to restart talks between Rabat and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front on disputed Western Sahara. The Moroccan government noted “with great surprise the verbal outpourings… and unjustified gestures of deference” by Ban during his visit, according to a statement released by the official …

Jerusalem / AFP Two Palestinians opened fire on a bus and near Jerusalem’s Old City on Wednesday, seriously wounding one person, as an upsurge in attacks marred a visit by US Vice President Joe Biden. Six separate attacks have taken place shortly before or after Biden’s arrival on Tuesday, including a stabbing spree on the Tel Aviv waterfront by a …

Mogadishu / AFP Special forces operatives in two helicopters staged an overnight raid on Somalia’s Shebab insurgents, government officials and the Al-Qaeda-linked gunmen said on Wednesday. The raid, reportedly by foreign troops, targeted the Shebab-controlled town of Awdhegele, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Somalia’s capital Mogadishu. “There was an operation by Special Forces late last night around Awdhegele …

Hong Kong / AFP Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific said net profit almost doubled last year as tumbling oil prices slashed fuel costs and boosted passenger numbers, although global demand dented the cargo unit. With fuel accounting for a huge chunk of most airlines’ outlay, the slump in crude since mid-2014 has provided a much-needed boost to their bottom …

Philadelphia / Bloomberg Urban Outfitters Inc. shares rose the most in more than three years after fourth-quarter profit topped analysts’ estimates, helped by a shift toward higher-margin merchandise. Excluding some items, earnings were 61 cents a share, the Philadelphia-based retail chain said in a statement on Monday. Analysts had projected 56 cents on average, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. …

Bloomberg Two United Airlines shareholders will nominate Gordon Bethune, renowned for resurrecting merger partner Continental, to head an insurgent director slate as the carrier’s top executive returns from a heart transplant. Hedge funds Altimeter Capital Management LP and PAR Capital Management Inc. are backing six new board members led by Bethune, the former chief executive officer of Continental Airlines, which …