Masonry Layout

  Bartalla / AFP Iraqi special forces advanced on the eastern city limits of Mosul on Monday, tightening the noose as the offensive to retake the IS group stronghold entered its third week. Elite counter-terrorism forces were facing mortar fire as they pushed from the Christian town of Bartalla towards Mosul’s eastern suburbs, AFP correspondents at the front said. As an ...

  Bloomberg Japan’s three biggest shippers agreed to combine their container operations to create the world’s sixth-largest box carrier, as the industry steps up consolidation this year amid a global turmoil in the sea-cargo business. Nippon Yusen KK, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd., which are predicting operating losses this year, will create a company that will ...

  Sydney / AFP Sony Corp. cut its annual profit forecast by 10 percent after taking an impairment on the sale of its battery unit in the latest move by the consumer electronics giant to focus on its most lucrative businesses. Operating income will be 270 billion yen ($2.6 billion) in the 12 months ending March, down from a projection ...

  Brussels / AFP Euro-area growth stayed its course in the third quarter, a sign the European Central Bank’s efforts to revive the economy have borne fruit even in the face of inadequate structural reforms. Gross domestic product rose 0.3 percent in the three months to September, according to an initial estimate published by the European Union’s statistics office on ...

  Bloomberg General Electric Co. agreed to combine its oil and gas business with Baker Hughes Inc., creating an industry giant with a broader suite of offerings amid the ongoing slump in crude prices. GE will own a 62.5 percent stake in the combined provider of oilfield services, which will be publicly traded and have $32 billion in sales, the ...

  Dubai / WAM Providing the public with the safest and most secure air travel is the goal of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) strategic plan for 2017-2021. The new plan focuses on various areas, including the improvement of local and global civil aviation safety, through participating in initiatives that gather all stakeholders, in addition to enhancing capabilities and supporting ...

  Abu Dhabi / WAM His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, asserted that the federal government, led by the UAE President His Highness Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, continues to achieve the happiness of its people and to ensure security and a decent life for them. “Utilizing ...

  Dubai / WAM The Dubai Financial Market (DFM) successfully attracted 2,627 new investors during the first nine months of 2016 including 418 institutions, lifting the total number of DFM-registered investors to approximately 839,000. The foreign investors’ ownership in DFM also increased to 22.2 percent during the period, in a strong indication of their confidence in the market and its ...

  Dubai / Emirates Business DAMAC Properties, one of the leading luxury real estate developers in the region, unveiled AKOYA Fresh, a collection of 3-bedroom villas in an international golf community, presenting millennials, including young professional couples and families, with a refreshing way of life. Priced at AED 1.2 million payable over 3 years, each villa comes with a plot ...

  DHAKA / AP By government accounts, four foreign-backed cellphone operators owe $500 million to Bangladesh in unpaid taxes. By the companies’ accounts, the figure is closer to $50 million — if it isn’t zero. As the legal row drags into its fourth year without resolution, telecommunications analysts warn it is putting pressure on the industry that is Bangladesh’s single ...