The Gulf Time Newspaper One of the finest business newspapers in the UAE brought to you by our professional writers and editors.

  The Pentagon has accused China of seizing an unmanned naval probe in international waters in the South China Sea. The incident can stoke tensions around Beijing military presence in the disputed area. Reports that emerged after the incident said that the underwater vehicle was taken around 50 nautical miles (90 kilometers) northwest off Subic Bay in the Philippines. The ...

  This week, after four and a half years of faithful service, I finally replaced my old laptop. I will not bore you with the litany of troubles that led to this decision. The only interesting thing about my decision to replace my old 15-inch Macbook Pro is what I chose to replace it with: a nearly identical Macbook, about ...

  Last week, ECB chief Mario Draghi promised another nine months of quantitative easing, but cut his bond purchase program. While the move is a deft way to introduce the prospect of tapering without triggering a market meltdown, the economic backdrop suggests it’s still too soon for tighter monetary conditions. By reducing the dose while extending the prescription, the ECB ...

  Facebook has detailed its plan for combating fake news. It will effectively outsource the fact-checking of news stories flagged by users as possibly fake to third-party groups that should, at a minimum, be signatories to a code developed at the Poynter Institute, a Florida-based journalism training organization. But by making a small group of vetters the arbiters of “truth,” ...

  Reuters Stock markets in the Gulf posted small gains on Sunday after crude oil prices climbed back towards 17-month highs at the end of last week, but trading volumes shrank across the region. Foreign buyers continued to bid up shares in Egypt. Brent futures rose 2.2 percent to settle at $55.21 a barrel on Friday after Goldman Sachs boosted ...

  Bloomberg Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA will begin taking orders for shares on Monday as it aims to complete raising 5 billion euros ($5.2 billion) by the end of the year to avoid a rescue by the Italian government. Monte Paschi will sell stock to institutional investors through Thursday, while the offer for retail investors will end ...

  Bloomberg Bombardier Inc. gained sales momentum for its flagship C Series jetliner this year with major orders from Air Canada and Delta Air Lines. Now it’s looking to get away from the pricing discounts that fuelled the aircraft’s rebound. The plane maker expects to book new sales in the coming months after racking up 360 firm orders and more ...

  DOHA / Reuters Qatar Airways is in talks with Airbus to convert its order for up to 80 A320neos to the larger A321neo, its chief executive said. The airline has refused to accept four A320neos so far this year over performance issues with the aircraft’s engines, a spokeswoman said. “We are in negotiations with Airbus about how we can ...

  Bloomberg Heathrow Airport Ltd. will offer hundreds of homeowners a £1,000 ($1,250) festive sweetener to participate in environmental studies vital to expediting planning for its controversial 16 billion-pound third runway. The owners of houses and farmland on which the new landing strip is due to be built will qualify for the payment in return for agreeing to a handful ...

  Bloomberg British Airways flight attendants voted to take industrial action over the Christmas and New Year travel season, threatening what would be the carrier’s first major walkout in six years. More than 2,500 of BA’s 16,000 cabin crew will strike some time after Dec. 21 if a raise better than the 2 percent currently on offer isn’t forthcoming, the ...