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

  Dhaka / AFP A Bangladesh court on Thursday issued an arrest warrant for the country’s opposition leader after she failed to appear for a hearing over the date of her birthday. The bizarre controversy, which has been raging for more than a decade, centres on the fact that Khaleda Zia celebrates her birthday on August 15, the day Bangladesh’s former ...

  Ankara / AFP Turkish police on Thursday detained the pro-Kurdish co-mayor of the southeastern city of Van in the latest raids targeting municipal chiefs, expanding a widespread crackdown that has sparked international concern. Bekir Kaya was taken into custody as part of a “terror investigation”, the official news agency Anadolu reported, saying he was accused of membership of the outlawed ...

  Brussels / AFP European Union member states on Thursday approved visa-free travel for Ukraine citizens, long sought by Kiev to help cement ties as it combats pro-Russian rebels in the east. Visa-free travel was part of an EU-Ukraine partnership accord signed in 2014 as the country, a Soviet-era satellite, angered Moscow by casting its lot with the West. In return ...

  Paris / AFP Despite voting to leave the EU, Britain is deepening defence ties with France, agreeing to pool missile development research centres in a step presented on Thursday as “historic”. European countries have been slow to pool arms know-how, fearing an erosion of their sovereignty. The deal announced at a Franco-British defence council in Paris goes much further than ...

  Dubai / Emirates Business GCC airlines should transform their distribution business models and how they sell to customers, according to a recent study by management consultancy Strategy& (formerly Booz & Company), part of the PwC network. Three trends are reshaping the GCC’s travel sector and threaten to weaken the connection between airlines and their customers: 1) shifting customer behavior ...

  Dubai / Emirates Business UAE Exchange, the leading global remittance, foreign exchange and payment solutions brand, announced recently that it has signed a strategic partnership with Fujairah Government Human Resources Department (FHRD). Through this alliance UAE Exchange will offer special benefits with regards to the financial services and solutions provided to employees working in government entities in the Emirate ...

  Dubai / Emirates Business UAE Exchange, the leading global remittance, foreign exchange and payment solutions provider, partnered with Sony PlayStation for co-branding its popular multicurrency prepaid card, ‘gocash’. Commenting on the tie-up, Rajesh G K, Chief Product Officer, UAE Exchange, said: “Sony PlayStation is a great brand to engage Millennials. Through this association, the Sony PlayStation customers will experience ...

  Dubai / Emirates Business The Digital Marketing Summit – Outreach 2016 successfully concluded its second edition on Thursday at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Dubai. The two-day event featured a diverse line up of more than 40 marketing experts, entrepreneurs and influencers from major local and international organizations, such as Twitter, Coca-Cola, DHL, Landmark, Sky News Arabia, Careem, Fetchr, ...

  London / AFP Comments by Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen that an interest rate increase will likely be appropriate “relatively soon” gave a further shot in the arm to the dollar on Thursday. In testimony prepared for delivery to the Joint Economic Committee of Congress, Yellen said a rate hike would be appropriate as long as there is further ...

  DUBAI / Reuters Abu Dhabi’s banks were mixed in early trade on Thursday after soaring on Wednesday amid renewed speculation the government would merge more banks. Saudi banking shares were weak. Union National Bank lost 1.1 percent after jumping 12.3 percent on Wednesday. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank was flat after it gained 5.8 percent. Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank pulled ...