Srinagar / AFP A fierce gun battle killed two soldiers and five suspected militants Saturday in Indian-administered Kashmir near the de facto border with Pakistan, army officials said. The seven died during a heavy exchange of fire in the border village of Marsari, 130 kilometres northwest of the main city of Srinagar, defence spokesman NN Joshi said. The 16-hour gun …

Caracas / AFP Venezuelans are accustomed to severe shortages of oil, diapers and other staple products. But those hoping to buy what they could find got a new unpleasant surprise this week. They found malls dark and shuttered on the first day of a government electricity rationing regime. “This is madness, this is not the solution!” said Nataly Orta, 48, …

Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business The current slowdown in the UAE real estate market should be seen as a minor correction as opposed to a major crash, according to a Middle East property expert. David Dudley, International Director at JLL MENA, said that while the impact of reduced oil prices on the economy will lead to a short-term slowdown in …

BLOOMBERG The Bank of Japan’s adoption of negative interest rates two weeks ago hasn’t provided a lasting boost to stock investors or weakened the currency, but it has spurred some optimism for the housing market. With interest rates and bond yields dropping to record lows due to the BOJ’s decision, the Japanese people are starting to notice. Shinsei Bank Ltd. …

RAS AL KHAIMAH RAK Properties, Ras Al Khaimah’s biggest property developer listed on the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange, has announced that it has appointed award-winning American firms Perkins Eastman and Wilson Associates to provide their world-renowned expertise in architecture and interior design to Anantara Mina Al Arab Ras Al Khaimah Resort which is set to open in 2018. New York …

Bloomberg Landlords owning some of central London’s most valuable real estate, a haven for investors for the past five years as they sought to combat record-low interest rates, have fallen into the grip of the bears. Land Securities Plc, Workspace Group Plc and British Land Plc, declined more than 24 percent in London trading since October 28, when the FTSE …

DUBAI / EMIRATES BUSINESS Dream Design Properties, Australia’s first property investment, wealth-creation and mentoring organization is pleased to have finally open their office doors in the UAE, offering real opportunities for investors from the Middle East and GCC to invest in the booming property market in Australia. Founder, Zaki Ameer, a self-made millionaire, real estate expert and wealth development coach …

Washington / Bloomberg Americans are paying less at the pump and more at the toll booth, making municipal bonds for highway projects one of the rare winners from the oil-market crash. Tax-exempt toll-road and turnpike securities have gained 1.8 percent this year, outpacing the 1.6 percent return for the broad $3.7 trillion market, Bank of America Merrill Lynch data show. …

Bloomberg This is the kind of news that school- choice advocates and skeptics alike need to pay attention to: The Economist magazine reports that a team of academic economists found that students who won a lottery in Louisiana to receive vouchers to go to the public or private school of their choice did worse than students who didn’t win the …

Bloomberg You may have heard technology stocks have had an ugly start to the year. But while they’re battered, they still aren’t cheap. It is true that early 2016 has been unkind to the technology market. Check out this chart of the share price to estimated earnings of the S&P 500 information technology sector index, which includes mega-to-medium companies such …