A British Airways'  Airbus A380. Latam Airlines is awaiting approval of a deal it signed with the UK carrier and others and is adding capacity ahead of the decision. Paul Hackett / Reuters
A British Airways' Airbus A380. Latam Airlines is awaiting approval of a deal it signed with the UK carrier and others and is adding capacity ahead of the decision. Paul Hackett / Reuters

Latam boosts seats ahead of BA, Iberia and American deal approval



Latam Airlines will increase seats on flights between Chile and North America and Europe, and add a new route to North America, it said, as it seeks to win regulatory approval for a deal with British Airways and Iberia and American Airlines.

The carriers, all members of the Oneworld Alliance, signed a deal in January 2016 to coordinate flight schedules and prices.

Brazil, Uruguay and Colombia have already approved the deal, with some restrictions to ensure passenger choice in Latin America. Chile’s competition tribunal is expected to rule on the deal in coming weeks.

Latam Airlines also said it would also take steps to maintain competition on flights between Santiago and Madrid and Miami.

“These commitments are more than sufficient and resolve completely the competition risks,” Latam.

In November, Chile’s anti-competition regulator raised concerns, saying that the operation could increase fares and affect route availability.

* Reuters

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City's slump

L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1

If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
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The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol

Power: 154bhp

Torque: 250Nm

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Price: From Dh79,600

On sale: Now

PROFILE BOX

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Founder: Ayman Alashkar

Started: Established in 2020

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Sector: PropTech

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Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani

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Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

Business Insights
  • Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
  • The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
  • US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
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What is double taxation?
  • Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
  • Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
  • The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
  • Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.