Masonry Layout

  Bloomberg India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to move all government purchases, from paper clips to power plant turbines, to an Amazon-like online marketplace that could eventually be worth a fifth of the country’s $2 trillion economy. Modi’s government, which on Nov. 8 announced a sudden decision to replace 86 percent of India’s cash in a bid to cut ...

  Bloomberg It’s only a matter of time before Australia loses its AAA credit rating as the nation’s budget falls further into deficit, according to John Hewson, a former Liberal Party leader and central bank economist. “The fact that we are going to lose the triple-A credit rating is a foregone conclusion, it’s just a question of timing,” Hewson, who ...

  Bloomberg Just how much foreign money is contributing to rising property prices is a staple of dinner party conversations around the globe. Australians now have a near-official answer, and it’s less than most would think. The Australian Treasury estimates that foreign demand for real estate increased prices in Sydney and Melbourne by no more than A$122 ($90) a quarter ...

  Male / Emirates Business Etihad Airways has once again collected the ‘World’s Leading Airline’ award at the 23rd annual World Travel Awards (WTA) Grand Final Gala Ceremony 2016. This marks the eighth consecutive year that the airline has received the prestigious accolade. The beachside event was held before an audience of the industry’s leading luminaries and international media at ...

  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, on Saturday called on all countries to work together to curb the illicit trade in antiquities and protect archaeological sites and cultural heritage from violence and terrorism during armed conflicts. HH Sheikh Mohamed bin ...

  Dubai / Emirates Business Virtual kiosks, interactive mirrors, and hologram advertisements are among the many ways that GCC retailers are leapfrogging Europe in enhancing the customer experience, industry experts announced. Boosted by strong tourism growth, new and expanded malls and theme parks, and mega-events such as World Expo 2020 and 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, GCC retail sales are ...

  Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business Welcomed by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, and under the patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco and supported by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and ...

  Bloomberg US and Brazilian authorities are set to impose $2.5 billion in foreign-corruption penalties on Odebrecht SA, Latin America’s biggest construction company, and an affiliate for violating anti-bribery laws, people familiar with the discussions said. Prosecutors say Odebrecht and the affiliate, Braskem SA, paid officials at Petroleo Brasileiro SA, the state-run oil producer known as Petrobras, to win contracts. ...

  Washington / AFP The USA unemployment rate in November fell to its lowest level since August 2007 as the economy continued to add new jobs, all but guaranteeing an interest rate hike this month. The jobless rate fell an unusually large three-tenths to a surprising 4.6 percent, the Labor Department reported. A solid 178,000 net new positions were created, ...

  Beijing / AFP China protested to Washington on Saturday after US President-elect Donald Trump broke with decades of foreign policy and spoke with the president of Taiwan. It was not immediately clear whether Trump’s telephone call with Tsai Ing-wen marked a deliberate pivot away from Washington’s official “One China” stance, but it fuelled fears he is improvising on international ...