The number of internet users in the country has increased though there has been a declining trend in mobile subscribers’ growth, according to BTRC.…

AFP, WASHINGTON: Google’s massive book-scanning project cleared its final legal hurdle yesterday as the US Supreme Court denied an appeal contending…

AFP, SEOUL: Ratings agency Moody’s yesterday downgraded its outlook for South Korea’s banking system from stable to negative, predicting a deterioration in creditworthiness over the next year. “While our previous stable outlook had anticipated some weakening of profitability and pressure…

AFP, TOKYO: The yen rallied yesterday in Asia while emerging currencies slumped after the collapse of weekend talks between key producers in Doha aimed at capping output. Hopes had been high that a deal could be reached to address a global crude glut that has hammered the commodity for the past two…

The price of oil has dropped sharply after a meeting of oil producers failed to agree a cap on output, reports BBC Brent crude fell 7per cent at one point,…

AFP, BEIJING:  China’s top internet finance company, e-commerce giant Alibaba’s affiliate Ant Financial, could start the process of going public this year, reports said Monday, with the firm’s latest fundraising valuing it at $60 billion. Ant Financial Services Group, which owns…

AFP, LONDON: If Britain leaves the European Union its economy could be six percentage points smaller than it would otherwise have been by 2030, the finance ministry warned in a report on Monday that was dismissed as scaremongering by eurosceptics. The report said a Brexit would cause “permanent”…

AFP, JERUSALEM: The Palestinian economy is losing hundreds of millions of dollars every year over outdated or insufficiently enforced fiscal agreements…

A mobile testing laboratory for waste water and sludge generated by effluent treatment plants in the readymade garments (RMG) factories was inaugurated in the city yesterday, aiming to help reduce pollution, reports UNB. The laboratory is equipped with sampling and measuring instruments and accessories…

AFP, LONDON: World equity markets slid yesterday with the energy sector taking a tumble, as oil prices tanked following the collapse of weekend output talks in Doha. "Discord in Doha has left oil prices weaker and has prompted a drop across European equity markets," said CMC Markets analyst…

AFP, ATHENS: Greece is examining a proposal by its creditors for additional cuts in return for debt relief, a government source said yesterday as reform talks with senior EU-IMF officials were due to resume. "Among various proposals... is one for additional measures decided now, but applied only…

AFP, RIYADH: State-owned Saudi Arabian Airlines plans to launch a low-cost offshoot next year under initiatives to restructure the kingdom's oil-dependent economy, official media said yesterday. Known as "Flyadeal", the low-cost carrier will begin operations from the middle of next year,…

AFP, KARACHI: Pakistan's Habib Bank Limited yesterday announced it had received a licence to open a branch in China, a move that would make it the first South Asian lender to operate in the world's number two economy. More commonly known by its acronym 'HBL', the bank said it would open…

AFP, SINGAPORE: Singapore exports tumbled at their fastest pace in three years in March on falling shipments to Europe and China, official data showed Monday, supporting forecasts for slower economic growth and further monetary easing this year. Non-oil domestic exports shrank 15.6 percent year-on-year…

AFP, NEW DELHI: An Indian court yesterday issued an arrest warrant for the embattled tycoon Vijay Mallya, who left the country owing more than $1 billion, an official told AFP. The 60-year-old liquor baron, once dubbed the "King of Good Times", left India on March 2 despite calls for his arrest…