Dubai / WAM Merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) declined in the first quarter of 2017 recording 84 deals, compared to 115 deals in Q1 of 2016, according to the Q1 2017 M&A report from global professional services firm EY. However, the report shows that MENA deal values remained broadly stable reaching ...

  Abu Dhabi / WAM His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, witnessed on Monday the launch of Miral’s AED12 billion master development plan to transform the southern end of Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. His Highness welcomed Miral’s delegation today at the Sea Palace Abu ...

  Once the initial market relief plays out — that, even during an unprecedented ‘anti-establishment’ wave in both Europe and the US, French voters rejected a far right president in Marine Le Pen of the National Front — interest will shift to how relative newcomer Emmanuel Macron will manage to govern in a country accustomed to mainstream politics. And it ...

  India’s bad-loan crisis, afflicting almost 20 of banks’ assets, has moved tantalizingly close to a resolution. Giving the central bank the power to force lenders to shed soured debt is a welcome policy move. But a nine-month target to clear 60 large corporate delinquencies may be wishful thinking. The reason is an untested bankruptcy court. That’s a risk investors ...

  The stick doesn’t seem to be working, so now China’s waving carrots to bring the country’s burgeoning media landscape into line. The State Council and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China plan to boost the development of online outlets by creating new media institutions and encouraging eligible websites to go public, the official Xinhua news agency ...

  Emmanuel Macron, who started his own party En Marche! — or On the Move! a year ago, defeated National Front’s Marine Le Pen in France’s presidential election. The election threw up many surprises. Although Macron, a 39-year-old centrist, was projected as a winner by opinion polls, what is remarkable is that he became France’s youngest elected president just a ...

  Abu Dhabi / WAM The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), signed new strategic partnerships with Etisalat and du telecommunications at its headquarters in Abu Dhabi. The memoranda are part of the TRA’s plan of action aimed at achieving the objectives of the UAE National Vision 2021 to raise the country’s ranking among the top 10 countries in the National Readiness Index ...

  Abu Dhabi / WAM The three-day International Conference on Investigation and Prosecution in Terrorism Financing, organised by the Ministry of Justice in co-operation with the US Department of Justice and the US Criminal Division, with the participation of a delegation of authorities from Gulf countries, representatives from local and federal prosecutions, and experts from France, Austria and Jordan, started in ...

  Zagreb / WAM The UAE has participated in the conference on science and religion, organised by the Islamic society in Croatia. Rashid Al Tunaiji, Acting Executive Director of the National Tolerance Programme, stressed during the conference titled “The Role of Religious Tolerance in the Advancement of Science” that the UAE’s wise leadership is keen to promote the values of tolerance, ...

  Dubai / WAM “Proud Expressions”, the touring art exhibition dedicated to honouring the UAE’s heroes, dropped anchor in its second stop at The Dubai Mall, running from May 8-15, before moving on to its third stop in Ras Al Khaimah’s Al Hamra Mall. Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Happiness, attended the inauguration ceremony, which features works ...