Author: AFP

5G competition, delays drop Nokia into deeper losses

HELSINKI: Intensifying competition and delays in rolling out 5G equipment for the next generation of mobile phone networks pushed Nokia deeper into the red in the first quarter, the company said Thursday. Net losses more than doubled from the same period last year to hit 446 million euros ($497 million),

Nintendo says full-year profit up nearly 40% on strong game sales

TOKYO: Nintendo said Thursday its full-year net profit jumped nearly 40 percent, lifted by strong sales of blockbuster game titles for its popular Switch console. The Kyoto-based games giant said “Pokemon” and “Super Smash Bros” gave an extra boost for the year as its shares surged on expectations of its

Crisis-hit Nissan issues fresh profit warning

TOKYO: Nissan issued a profit warning yesterday, deepening the woes of the Japanese car giant as it seeks to recover from the shock of former boss Carlos Ghosn’s arrest. The firm downgraded its projection for net profit in the fiscal year to March 2019 from 410 billion yen ($3.7 billion)

Twitter shares lift off as profits soar; Trump weighs in

WASHINGTON: Twitter shares flew higher Tuesday after a surprisingly robust quarterly report, which sparked a fresh tirade from President Donald Trump over his claims of unfair treatment by social media. The first-quarter report showed a profit of $191 million, compared with $61 million a year earlier, while revenues increased 18

North Korea’s Kim in Russia for talks with Putin

VLADIVOSTOK: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he was looking forward to his first talks with President Vladimir Putin as he arrived in Russia on Wednesday seeking support in Pyongyang’s nuclear deadlock with the United States. Kim’s armoured train rolled in to the Tsarist-era station in Russia’s Pacific port

Armed police to be deployed for Anzac Day, royal visit

WELLINGTON: Armed police will patrol Anzac Day services across New Zealand Thursday in the wake of the Christchurch mosque attacks, as thousands honour the country’s war dead and Britain’s Prince William arrives on a visit. Frontline officers have historically been unarmed in New Zealand, although this policy was changed following

China formally arrests ex-Interpol chief

BEIJING: China has formally arrested former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei on suspicion of accepting bribes, prosecutors announced Wednesday, as he faces possible corruption charges. In a remarkable fall from grace, Meng – who had also served as vice minister of public security – vanished last September during a visit to

Turkish police block Armenian ‘genocide’ rally in Istanbul

ISTANBUL: Turkish police on Wednesday blocked protesters trying to hold a commemoration in Istanbul of the 1915 massacres and forced deportation of Armenians. Troops from the Ottoman Empire – which preceded modern-day Turkey – were responsible for mass killing of Armenians, but Turkey has always denied that the incident amounted

New Zealand offers residency to families of mosque victims

WELLINGTON: New Zealand opened a two-year window Wednesday for people directly affected by the Christchurch terror attacks to apply to stay permanently in the country. The special visa category “recognises the impact of the tragedy on the lives of those most affected, and gives people currently on temporary and resident

Workers smoked at Notre-Dame cathedral, admits contractor

PARIS: Workers renovating Notre-Dame flouted a ban on smoking at the monument, a contractor admitted on Wednesday, while denying any link with last week’s devastating blaze that ripped through the cathedral.  “There were colleagues who from time to time broke the rules and we regret it,” a spokesman for scaffolding