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Paris / AFP Around 4.5 million pupils in OECD countries have failed to attain a sufficient level of proficiency in either reading, maths or science at the age of 15, according to a new study released by the think-tank. That figure equates to more than one in four of 15-year-olds in the 34 OECD nations. Analysis of results from the ...

Brasília / Bloomberg Zika is a rarity in Brazil: a crisis that isn’t widely blamed on Dilma Rousseff’s government. And a mobilization against mosquitoes may even help the president climb out of a political hole. In the northeastern town of Limoeiro, corruption scandals and a deepening recession have eroded support for Rousseff’s Workers’ Party. But the town in Pernambuco state ...

London / Bloomberg Thomas Cook Group Plc, the British originator of the package holiday, said public concern about terrorist attacks is prompting an upturn in demand for organized tours as people fear being stuck abroad on their own. While attacks on tourists in Tunisia, Egypt and Istanbul, as well as the Paris killings, have led some people to hold back ...

Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business Abu Dhabi’s Bawabat Al Sharq Mall is hosting the world famous Great Vegas Circus from February 8 to March 11. Audiences will be thrilled by the family-friendly show, which includes cutting-edge visuals, puppetry, stagecraft and performances from some of the best circus acts in the world at the Mall’s impressive 1,500-seat arena. The mind-blowing extravaganza ...

RITIKA SHARMA / Emirates Business Emiratisation rang loud and clear at the ongoing National Career Exhibition 2016, Sharjah. Backing UAE’s pledge to nurture local talent and provide superior training and growth opportunities to Emiratis, participating companies said they were fully dedicated to create a national workforce. Rashed Al Ansari, General Manager, Al Ansari Exchange, one of the main participants at ...

Sunaina Rana / EMIRATES BUSINESS Economic confidence among CEOs in the MENA region has hit a three-year low in the final quarter of 2015, according to a new survey, which attributes the trend to oil price plunge and political, social unrests in many of the nations. The YPO Global Pulse Confidence Index for the MENA declined for the fifth consecutive ...

Ritika Sharma / EMIRATES BUSINESS Gains are in for interior fit-out companies in the UAE as real estate in the region is getting a push from the ensuing Expo 2020. The estimated size of the interior and fit-out market grew at a pace of 8.5 percent and reached US$7.98 billion in 2015. On the same lines, Cloisall, the GCC’s leading ...

Sunaina Rana / EMIRATES BUSINESS UAE government enterprises will gain access to some of the world’s smartest applications in 2016 through their new cloud services, according to telecom giant du and software leader SAP. The announcement was made during the World Government Summit held in Dubai. The collaboration between the two organisationswill create digitalization and innovation across the country. According ...

Dubai / EMIRATES BUSINESS The Bayt.com ‘Passion for Work in the Middle East’ survey, recently conducted by Bayt.com – the Middle East’s leading career site – has revealed that the overwhelming majority of respondents from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) feel that the work they do adds purpose to their life (91.5%). Another 75% of MENA respondents are ...

Ritika SHarma / EMIRATES BUSINESS It won’t be an exaggeration calling her ‘master of many trades’. After successfully trying her luck in various fields, Dubai-based businesswoman Jelena, 36, is not ready to settle on one. Juggling between the demanding careers of a model and a fashion designer, Jelena has taken the Emirati fashion corridors with a storm and her bespoke ...