Najeeb asks ‘why be ashamed’ before first trial on 1MDB charges

Kuala Lumpur: Former Malaysian leader Najeeb Razzaq isn’t lying low ahead of his trial this week for graft and embezzlement, as he increasingly takes to social media to poke fun at the current government and attempts to shore up support after being ostracised by his own party. Crisp, tailored suits have recently made way for […]

Saudi Arabia allocates $3.1 billion for reimbursement of expat work permit fees

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has approved a scheme to reimburse some of the companies who struggled to pay steadily increasing fees for expatriate work permits in 2017 and 2018 and waive the fee hikes for some who weren’t able to pay, the labour minister said. The government is allocating 11.5 billion riyals ($3.1 billion) for […]

UK recession risk in next year climbs to 30%, economists say

London: There’s almost a one-in-three chance of a UK recession in the next 12 months, according to a Bloomberg survey of economists. The probability of two consecutive quarters of negative growth has increased to 30 per cent, the highest since the end of 2016, the survey of 10 economists found. That’s up from 25 per […]

IMF: Brexit will be ‘detrimental’ to UK, Europe

Dubai: The outcome of Brexit — whatever it may be — will be “detrimental” to both the United Kingdom and Europe, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned on Saturday. Christine Lagarde, managing director of the IMF, said in a speech in Dubai that the UK leaving the European Union by the end of March 2019 […]

Spain takes an economic gamble on an unprecedented wage hike

Madrid: Spain is embarking on a major economic experiment: A 22 per cent jump in the minimum wage that’s ignited a high-stakes debate about how it will impact the economy. The Socialist government says the increase will bolster spending and hiring, giving legs to Spain’s expansion. But opposition lawmakers and wary business executives say any additional […]

Yemen aims to export about 75,000 bpd oil in 2019

New Delhi: The government in Yemen hopes to scale up its crude production to 110,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2019, with exports touching about 75,000 bpd, its oil minister told journalists on Sunday. The government of Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi controls the southern port city of Aden and areas holding Yemen’s oil-and-gas fields. The Iranian-aligned […]

The slow boat to Brexit oblivion is leaving soon

Business is brisk at Nim’s Fruit Crisps. Pineapples are imported from Costa Rica, kiwis from Italy and oranges and lemons from Spain. They’re then turned into healthy snacks for export to South Africa, Hong Kong and elsewhere. You wouldn’t know that the company in southeast England is already about to head into the post-Brexit world […]