Controversy is raging in the UK over whether to ‘stay’ or ‘leave’ the European Union (EU) membership, with each camp stuck to its own guns. The ‘stay’ campaign received a significant boost from G20 finance chiefs who warned last week that the departure of the UK from the EU could harm the global economy. And as the debate spirals, it …

Singapore’s minister for foreign affairs, Vivian Balakrishnan, spent two days in China this week, meeting with Chinese officials to set a positive tone for both the bilateral relationship and the China-ASEAN relationship. It was Balakrishnan’s first visit to China since assuming his post in October 2015. In an op-ed for China Daily, Balakrishnan cited Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first prime …

LONDON / Bloomberg A company controlled by the Shaw Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the late Hong Kong movie mogul Run Run Shaw’s empire, agreed to acquire an office building in London’s main financial district from Malaysia’s second-largest pension fund, according to three people familiar with the matter. The foundation, which is being advised by Knight Frank, will pay Kumpulan …

BEIJING / Bloomberg After getting burned by the bursting of China’s stock-market bubble, Liu Yihui is seeking salvation from the country’s latest investment mania: big-city properties. The 35-year-old civil engineer dumped his equity holdings after losing 40 percent last year, using the proceeds to buy a 5 million yuan ($763,464) apartment in Shenzhen. Prices in the southern business hub have …

Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business While reports from developers and analysts indicate Dubai’s real estate market is down, experts on the ground are confirming transactions are up and the state of the market is in line with expectations. Figures released by Allsopp & Allsopp, one of the UAE’s leading property agents, show transactions for 2016 are up 18 per cent …

Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business Themed ‘Innovative approaches for a safe nation’, the upcoming ‘Crises and Emergencies Management Conference (CEMC)’ with a host of local, regional and international experts and specialists in attendance, will discuss critical aspects and sensitive topics that are closely linked to events and developments witnessed on the Arab and international stages. Being organised under the patronage …

Ritika Sharma / Emirates Business A collective figure of US$1 billion in startup investment funds will be present at the STEP conference this year, which will host more than 200 start ups and exhibitors, organisers announced. STEP, the largest tech and interactive gathering in the Middle East to be held in Dubai next month, plans to host more than 5,000 …

Dubai / Emirates Business Eight Dubai Government entities joined hands to inspect 12 companies in the emirate involved in the illegal trade of diesel. The inspections occurred over a two-day period in Ras Al Khor Industrial Area in Dubai from which a number of trading companies and agents were penalised for numerous violations ranging from use of unsafe fuel facilities …

Dubai / Emirates Business Contemporary French jewellery house ‘dinh van’ opened its first mono-store at City Walk, Dubai on Wednesday. The brand has been a symbol for elegant, eclectic designs in the UAE after having a strong following in the region. Founded by Jean Dinh Van in Paris in 1965, the House of dinh van was born from the will …

Beijing / AFP Ratings agency Moody’s on Wednesday cut its outlook on China’s sovereign bonds from stable to negative, warning of increasing government debt and further capital outflows and questioning Beijing’s ability to implement economic reforms. The Chinese government’s fiscal strength has weakened with borrowing increasing across the economy and financial system and stress mounting in state-owned enterprises, Moody’s Investors …