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ABU DHABI / WAM The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), a part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), has launched an initiative to establish “Reading Corners” at several cultural institutions across the UAE capital. The initiative was launched to mark the “National Reading Month” and aims to promote a culture of reading ...

DUBAI / WAM The 19th edition of the Dubai International Wood and Woodworking Machinery Exhibition concluded, with 412 exhibiting companies from 42 countries, including the US, Russia, China, India, Portugal, France, Turkey, Panama, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in attendance. The founders and top executives of participating companies emphasised the distinguished position of the Dubai WoodShow and its ...

BLOOMBERG Sea Ltd and GoTo Group, two of Southeast Asia’s largest internet companies, are embarking on fresh layoffs as the region’s once high-flying tech leaders retrench to focus on profitability over growth. Singapore’s Sea is cutting fewer than 500 jobs at e-commerce unit Shopee in Indonesia, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said, days after the company reported ...

BLOOMBERG Indonesia lowered taxes on some investments and sweetened land acquisition terms as part of efforts to attract funds for its $34 billion new capital project that’s struggling to take off. The government will provide up to 100% corporate tax holiday for companies investing at least 10 billion rupiah ($650,745) in the new capital in Borneo, according to a new ...

BLOOMBERG The US and India will sign an agreement to boost coordination of their chip-industry incentive plans and are discussing the best ways to avoid over-subsidisation as the South Asian nation looks to boost its role in the global technology supply chain. The memorandum of understanding focusses on information-sharing and policy dialogue, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told reporters. While she ...

BLOOMBERG AirPods maker GoerTek Inc’s Vietnam business chief is leaving the company, days after the executive outlined how Apple Inc’s Chinese suppliers are likely to move capacity out of the country far faster than anticipated to pre-empt fallout from escalating Beijing-Washington tensions. Deputy Chairman Kazuyoshi Yoshinaga is departing for “personal reasons,” the Chinese firm said in a brief exchange filing, ...

BLOOMBERG Copa Holdings SA is planning to boost flights to Venezuela as a budding economic recovery boosts demand for travel, and new connections to Colombia are set to open. The Panama-based airline aims to add eight new flights to its existing 35 per week, Copa’s general manager in Venezuela, Roberto Pulido, said. These will connect the capital and three other ...

BLOOMBERG Seven & I Holdings Co is closing roughly one out of every four of its Ito-Yokado stores in Japan, marking the retailer’s latest response to pressure from an activist investor to streamline its business. Shares in the world’s largest convenience-store operator rose 4.1%, the most in two months, after public broadcaster NHK reported the store closings. The Tokyo-based company ...

BLOOMBERG Advent International and CVC Capital Partners are among private equity firms weighing bids for a minority stake in Deutsche Lufthansa AG’s aircraft maintenance and repair unit, people with knowledge of the matter said. A stake in Lufthansa’s Technik business is also attracting initial interest from Bain Capital and Blackstone Inc, according to the people, who asked not to be ...

BLOOMBERG WHP Global, the owner of the Toys ‘R’ Us and Express retail brands, has secured $375 million in growth capital from private equity giant Ares Management Corp. The transaction values the company at $1.6 billion, according to a statement reviewed by Bloomberg News. The investment will add significant cash to the retail operator’s balance sheet and spur its “next ...