Abu Dhabi /Â WAM The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) reached a key stage in preparation for an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) review of efforts to advise personnel on radiation protection in the UAE. The final review, formally called an Education and Training Appraisal in Radiation Protection and the Safety of Radiation Sources, EduTA, is scheduled for February ...
Read More »UK pension deficits surge £100 billion in August
Bloomberg UK pension deficits surged by 100 billion pounds ($131.4 billion) in August, as the gap between company set-asides and their obligations to retirees ballooned by more than 16 percent in a month. So-called defined benefit pensions, which pay retirees fixed amounts based on service, were underfunded by 710 billion pounds as of August 29, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP’s ...
Read More »Apple accuses EU of ‘political crap’ over €13bn fine
AFP Apple chief Tim Cook on Thursday slammed a European Commission ruling demanding the US tech behemoth pay Ireland €13 billion in back-taxes as “political crap”, urging the Irish government to launch an appeal. “It’s total political crap,” Cook told the Irish Independent newspaper, of European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager’s assertion that the company had paid a tax rate ...
Read More »UK manufacturing rebounds to 10-month high in August
London / AFP Britain’s manufacturing activity hit a 10-month high in August, rebounding strongly from a slump triggered by the country’s vote in favour of exiting the European Union, data showed Thursday. A slump in the pound caused by longer-term Brexit fears lifted export orders last month, according to the closely watched IHS Markit UK Manufacturing purchasing managers’ index. ...
Read More »European Union clears Hutchison, VimpelCom mobile tie-up in Italy
Brussels / AFP The European Union on Thursday cleared a mobile phone tie-up between Hong Kong’s Hutchison and Russia’s VimpelCom in Italy after they agreed to sell some of the business to boost competition. Hutchison, owned by Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing, and VimpelCom agreed last year to merge their 3 Italia and Wind networks but the European Commission ...
Read More »IMF may lift Argentina censure in November
Washington / AFP The International Monetary Fund said that it could remove its unprecedented 2013 censure of Argentina in November after the country improved its reporting of key economic statistics. The IMF Executive Board said that Buenos Aires had made “extraordinary efforts and important progress” in improving the accuracy of growth and inflation data that they are required to ...
Read More »US to host world’s largest conservation meeting
Miami / AFP Some 8,000 heads of state, policymakers and environmentalists convene in Hawaii this week for the world’s largest gathering aimed at forging a path forward on the planet’s toughest conservation problems. US President Barack Obama is expected to be among the world leaders in Honolulu as the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) opens its ...
Read More »Cryan calls for bank mergers after Commerzbank pact
Bloomberg Deutsche Bank AG Chief Executive Officer John Cryan urged more consolidation among European banks struggling to shore up profitability, after his own firm held talks with its biggest German rival earlier in August about a possible deal. “We need more mergers, at a national level but also across national borders,†Cryan said at a conference hosted by Handelsblatt ...
Read More »UK banks slammed for elitism as study shows shoe colour counts
Bloomberg The British investment-banking industry is underpinned by entrenched elitism that blocks people from lower-income backgrounds winning jobs on the basis of ability, according to a report by a government advisory body. Recruiters seeking polished candidates who speak and dress a certain way often discriminate against applicants on the basis of details including shoe color and where they went ...
Read More »Deutsche Bank gains in Frankfurt trading
Bloomberg Deutsche Bank AG extended gains in Frankfurt trading on a report Germany’s largest bank considered the sale of all or part of its asset management business as it explores strategic options to revive profit. While small parts of the asset management division could be sold, executives at the bank are keen to hold on to most of the ...
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