Tokyo /Â AFP The wife of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has visited Pearl Harbor, bombed by Japanese planes nearly 75 years ago in an attack that brought the United States into World War II. It was not clear exactly when Akie Abe made the visit. But she posted 11 pictures on her official Facebook page, apparently early Monday. “I offered ...
Read More »Mother in Japan questioned after 4 children found dead
Tokyo /Â AFP A mother in Japan is under investigation for murder after her four children, including a girl as young as three, were found dead at home, Japanese media reports and police said on Monday. Local media reported the victims were killed by their mother before she tried to take her own life. A 10-year-old boy, two six-year-old girls, ...
Read More »Voting begins in UK’s bitter Labour leader contest
London / AFP Voting starts on Monday to decide if veteran leftist Jeremy Corbyn will remain leader of Britain’s Labour party, with an ill-tempered campaign deepening divisions that threaten the party’s future. Ballots and online voting forms were being sent to party members, who have until September 21 to decide whether to replace Corbyn with MP Owen Smith, previously ...
Read More »Japan, China, South Korea foreign ministers to meet
Tokyo /Â AFP The foreign ministers of Japan, China and South Korea will meet this week in Tokyo, with their countries at odds over territorial disputes and a US missile defence system. Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, China’s Wang Yi and South Korea’s Yun Byung-Se will have dinner on Tuesday before formal talks on Wednesday, Japan’s foreign ministry said in ...
Read More »Philippines hopes for peace deal with rebels within a year
Oslo/Â AFP The Philippine government said Monday it hoped to reach a peace deal with communist guerrillas within a year, as the two sides kicked off talks in Norway aimed at ending one of Asia’s longest insurgencies. “On the part of the (government) panel, we have imposed a timeline of nine to 12 months,” Silvestre Bello, the government delegation’s head of ...
Read More »Gulf sinks, Drake & Scull badly hit in Dubai
Dubai / Reuters Gulf stock markets fell early on Monday after oil and Asian equities dropped because of the threat of a U.S. interest rate hike, while Dubai builder Drake & Scull declined sharply because of concern about its financial situation. Brent crude dropped back to just above $50 a barrel in Asian trade amid talk that a U.S. ...
Read More »European stocks diverge awaiting clear US rate outlook
London / AFP Eurozone stock markets rose on Monday looking ahead to a key meeting of central bankers at the end of the week, but London retreated on heavy falls for heavyweight mining shares. Around 1000 GMT, London’s benchmark FTSE 100 was down 0.4 percent compared with the close on Friday. In the eurozone, Frankfurt’s DAX 30 rose 0.3 ...
Read More »Tokyo stocks end higher on weaker yen
Tokyo / AFP Tokyo stocks closed higher on Monday on a weaker yen after the vice chairman of the Federal Reserve talked up the US economy while the Bank of Japan’s boss indicated there could be fresh easing measures next month. In the US, Stanley Fischer on Sunday said the world’s top economy had met the bank’s targets and ...
Read More »Cleaning sector goes green
ABU DHABI / Emirates Business Continuous improvement, innovation, and environmental sensitivity have become the watchwords for the cleaning industry in the region as more and more companies in the sector are sourcing products and equipment keeping sustainability in mind. Globally, the market for green cleaning products is expected to reach US$51 billion in value terms with a CAGR of ...
Read More »New classification for Ajman desert camps
Ajman / Emirates Business The Ajman Tourism Development Department (ATDD) announced the launch of two classification programs for desert camps and tourism villages, the first of its kind in the United Arab Emirates. Desert camps are divided into two types which are day use and overnight but will fall under one category while tourism villages will have different categories ...
Read More »