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ARABIAN POST SPECIAL

Why Outsiders Need Insiders To Get Anything Done

Submitted by Charles Hugh-Smith via OfTwoMinds blog, You need Insiders who are loyal to an Outsider and an Outsider agenda to accomplish any real reforms. Readers ask a reasonable question: if Trump is a political Outsider, then why has he stuffed his staff with Insiders--Goldman Sachs alumni, generals, etc.? The question follows an understandable logic: wouldn't an Outsider appoint other outsiders? The doubt expressed also follows a [...]

Focus on the Philippines: Rachelle Ann Go and other Filipino stars head for Broadway

After starring in the West End production of Miss Saigon in London, Filipino performers Rachelle Ann Go, Eva Noblezada and Jon Jon Briones moved to New York City this week to begin rehearsals for the Broadway revival of the hit musical, which will return to the stage there on March 1. Noblezada, 20, will reprise the lead role of Kim, while Go will play Gigi Van Tranh. [...]

Taliban seeks to reassure UAE over Afghanistan terror attack

The Afghan Taliban has sought to reassure the United Arab Emirates that it was not behind an attack in the southern city of Kandahar that killed five UAE diplomats and injured the ambassador, senior Taliban officials said on Thursday. More than a dozen Afghan and foreign officials were killed last week by a bomb hidden under a couch in the Kandahar governor's residence in an attack Afghan [...]

Robots show their 'personality' at big tech show

Mayfield Robotics chief executive Michael Beebe unveils the Kuri robot at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, on January 6, 2017 Professor Einstein rolls his eyes, sticks out his tongue, and can give a simple explanation of the theory of relativity. With his lifelike rubbery "skin" and bushy mustache, he can almost make you forget he's a robot. The Einstein robot is among dozens roaming the [...]

Book review: a look at the best new Arabic titles in English translation

A bestselling 13th-century cookbook; stories by popular Al Bernameg TV host Bassem Youssef; a controversial book about Saudi women and award-winning Iraqi novels are among the noteworthy English works coming from Arab authors this spring.The new year promises several strong reads from and about Syria. This month, Haus Publishing kicks off their Modern Arabic Classics series with Ascension to Death by celebrated Syrian author Mamdouh Azzam. In [...]

Feature: When the National Bird Is a Burden

Harris was initially pleased by this development. Top predators have long played an important role in nature. Wolves and cougars once put pressure on bison to keep moving over long ranges of land, and he says, “There was never overgrazing because the predators were behind the animals pushing them on, giving the land naturally a chance to rest.” Harris mimics that cycle of rotation and rest in [...]

Raspberry Pi: A closer look at Raspbian PIXEL

Over the past three posts, I have looked at a number of different Linux distributions for various models of the Raspberry Pi - including SUSE/openSUSE, Fedora, Manjaro and Ubuntu MATE, and PiCore Linux. What I haven't done yet is look at the latest version of the Raspberry Pi Foundation's own Linux distribution, Raspbian with their PIXEL desktop. So I will look at that first, and then I [...]

Saudi's largest bank posts 7.5% rise in Q4 net profit

Saudi Arabia's National Commercial Bank (NCB) reported a 7.5 percent rise in fourth-quarter net profit on Wednesday as the kingdom's largest lender was boosted by higher income from commission and investments. The results are the strongest in four quarters for the bank, which like other lenders in the kingdom has seen its performance clipped by weaker activity as depressed oil prices drag economic growth to its lowest [...]

Blockchain sees data security potential in Singapore

Blockchain has moved on from its Bitcoin past and is being touted as an effective and inexpensive way to safeguard data, with one Singapore-based vendor launching its first blockchain-based authentication tool.Because it provides a shared replicated "immutable" ledger, blockchain can facilitate a "single source of truth" and a secure, tamper-proof system of record, according to Alan Lim, Asean practice lead for IBM Blockchain and Bluemix Garage. "Industrial [...]

Dubai Crown Prince approves new maternity leave policy for gov't staff

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum , Crown Prince of Dubai and chairman of the Executive Council, on Wednesday approved the new maternity leave policy for Dubai Government employees. The policy extends maternity leave to three months paid leave, effective from March 1 and covers all governmental entities, a statement said. The amendment to the maternity leave aims to extend the compulsory fully paid maternity [...]

Personal data fuels smart city programs

A few cities are already building data marketplaces, especially in light of the increasing streams of data from the IoT. Getty Images/iStockphoto If you live in a big city, chances are pretty good that you'll be sharing a lot more of your personal information with government entities within a few years. special feature Louisville and the Future of the Smart City Louisville, Kentucky is building a unique [...]

On Pro Basketball: Would You Vote Carmelo Off the Island? Or Phil?

You, the long-suffering Knicks fan, applauded the team’s acquisition of Carmelo Anthony in 2011. You rejoiced over the reset Dolan orchestrated three years later when he landed 11 Rings Jackson to clean up the mess, to change the culture. Continue reading the main story Now you have pretty much had it with Melo the Martyr and Invisi-Phil. You would probably vote to move on from both, but [...]

How to Solve Twitter's Biggest Problems

There has been a lot of discussion about Twitter lately, most of it negative—it can't make money on advertising, growth is down, and online bullies remain a problem. Meanwhile, Donald Trump tweets daily; more every day since the election. This alone, you'd think, would draw more attention to Twitter and make it more popular. Twitter actually does over $2.5 billion in revenue, but tech companies are [...]

Review: Cats at Dubai Opera is as purr-fect as it timeless

Given that Cats has been seen by more than 73 million people worldwide, it is more than likely that a fair number of those who watched the first UAE performance of the musical – at Dubai Opera, where it runs until January 28 – will have seen it before.They would not have left this international touring production disappointed. Yet it is those new to the show who [...]

Obama’s Stark Options on ISIS: Arm Syrian Kurds or Let Trump Decide

The White House declined to disclose what decision Mr. Obama had reached, but some administration officials believe it is unlikely that he will resolve the contentious issue in the waning moments of his presidency. Continue reading the main story That such a pivotal decision has been left to Mr. Obama’s final weeks in office reflects the complexity of the debate about working with the Y.P.G., as the [...]

Ford's GT supercar mirrors fighter jets and racing cars

Ford has turned to jet fighters and racing cars as inspiration for the all-new digital dashboard that features in the latest incarnation of its GT supercarThe "smart" digital display, which works in a way similar to those used in modern jet fighters and racing cars, shows data based on five special driving modes."Driver focus and attention are key with such high performance," said Jamal Hameedi, the chief [...]

My Kind of Place: Megève, French Alps

Why MegèveMegève is old France at its classiest best – a magical village with a medieval heart and effortlessly chic atmosphere. It’s moneyed, certainly, but without the vulgarity you see in other glitzy resorts in the Alps. When you’re strolling through the main Place de l’Eglise, with its dazzling fairy lights, it’s hard not to sigh at the immaculate prettiness of it all.It was the Rothschild family [...]

10 things to do today: Plan to attend the Bukhara Kite Festival, take part in a special Valentine's Menu cooking class, and more

Your daily guide to community and cultural activities across the Emirates for January 17, 2017, including performances, festivals, art exhibitions, film screenings, health and fitness events, talks, classes, workshops and family fun.newslideAbu DhabiPerformancesSwiss performers take to the stage for Swiss Days 2017 over two days in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. On the first night, Inmotion (pictured) will present mind-boggling yo-yo tricks, throws and catches, and Special Elements [...]

Jordan's king reshuffles cabinet amid growing security, economic challenges

Jordan's King Abdullah reshuffled his cabinet but retained Hani Mulki as prime minister on Sunday, granting him more scope to tackle the threat of Islamist militants and to press ahead with unpopular IMF-mandated reforms to cut spiraling public debt. The reshuffle, the second since the business-friendly Mulki was appointed last May, comes at a time of sluggish economic growth, poor business sentiment and concerns over Jordan's political [...]

Cagayan de Oro under state of calamity – Rappler

(UPDATED) Forced evacuation has been ordered in several flood- and landslide-prone barangays. Some parts of the city are in neck-deep water. Bobby Lagsa Published 2:15 AM, January 17, 2017 Updated 2:37 AM, January 17, 2017 STRANDED. Vehicles and commuters have been stranded in Cagayan de Oro since Monday night, January 16, after nonstop rains triggered flash floods across the city. Photo by Bobby Lagsa/Rappler CAGAYAN DE ORO, [...]

Turkey Faces Double-Digit Inflation Due To Crashing Lira, As Budget Deficit Hits Record

Turkey's biggest headache, its crashing currency which the central banks appears unable to contain due to an Erdogan order not to hike rates, could soon translate into another major problem. According to two senior economy officials, Turkish inflation could reach double digits in the first quarter for the first time in almost five years as a result of the lira's falls, putting more pressure on the central [...]

Can Marine Le Pen Pull Off French Election Stunner? Germany Loses No Matter Who Wins

Submitted by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk.com, Conventional wisdom suggests National Front candidate Marine le Pen will make it to the second round in French elections, then lose in a landslide to whoever her opponent happens to be. I believe le Pen’s odds of winning it outright are far better than most think. Current Polls Chart from Wikipedia, with image clips added. Top Five candidates Marine le Pen: [...]

Dubai Food Festival is back with a delicious 17-day programme

Gastronomes can dig into the world cuisines and culinary workshops when the Dubai Food Festival returns next month. The next edition will be a 17-day programme of events, activities, promotions and celebrity chef appearances from February 23.Organised by Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), the festival bring together the best eats, fine dining, hole-in-the-wall and hidden gems from the emirate and shed light on the [...]