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ARABIAN POST SPECIAL

Dubai to employ team of 717 to clean up NYE celebrations

More than 700 people will be tasked with the job of cleaning up parts of Dubai after the New Year's Eve celebrations, according to Dubai Municipality. The Waste Management Department at Dubai Municipality has prepared a comprehensive plan for the clean-up and removal of waste, news agency WAM reported. The main areas of clean-up will include Burj Khalifa, which becomes the focus of during the New Year [...]

2016 in transport: Rocket misery, EV traction, and supercomputers

Tesla Transport underpins and supports both urban and rural living worldwide.Whether this is just a runaround to get from A to B, a flight to get to a conference or distribution networks for parcels and supplies, companies and the general public require a strong transport infrastructure for cities and businesses to thrive. However, as transport is so ingrained, new and innovative solutions are required to lessen the [...]

Spain's Population Is Shrinking At 72 People Per Day

Since the economic crisis of 2008, Spain has seen a steady trend of increasingly fewer births. In the first half of 2016, 12,998 more people died than were born in Spain and the number of newborns fell by 4.6%. Put simply, as El Pais reports, Spain’s population is shrinking at a rate of 72 people per day, essentially due to a historically low birthrate, according to a [...]

Trend: labels we're loving

From eco-friendly fashion and street wear to beauty boutiques, here are five brands to watch out for.newslideEco-friendly fashionBeirut-based fashion-conscious label Vanina is known for its quirky upcycled statement accessories. This season, Tatiana Fayad and Joanne Hayek, the girls behind the brand, unveiled their first ready-to-wear collection, along with a range of chic handbags and festive footwear. Materials are ethically sourced, and many pieces are handcrafted in refugee [...]

Singapore startups must now grow up, think bigger

The Singapore government has invested significant resources and efforts in building up a thriving startup environment, but its inhabitants must now take risks and look beyond local shores. Jeffrey Paine, general partner at Golden Gate Ventures, believed Singapore's startup scene had progressed well over the last six to eight years. He said a number of successful startups had grown and executed well in the region, as well [...]

Obama, Feds outline technical, spear phishing details, sanctions vs. Russia over cyber attacks

The Obama administration along with the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation have released the technical details behind ongoing cyber attacks from Russian intelligence groups.Obama on Thursday outlined a series of sanctions on Russia's two intelligence services and officers for an ongoing hacking campaign on U.S. targets. The White House also said 35 Russian intelligence were ejected and two compounds in the U.S. were [...]

Humanoid robot Pepper is amusing, but is it practical?

In this Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016, photo, Emerson Hill, 6, plays with Pepper the robot at Westfield Mall in San Francisco. While merrily chirping, dancing and posing for selfies, Pepper looks like another expensive toy in the San Francisco mall where it will be entertaining shoppers through mid-February. But it would be a mistake to dismiss Pepper as mere child's play, even though kids flock around the [...]

Snap Spectacles Review: A fun way to capture memories, with potential for much more

The last time I wore glasses with a camera built into them, it was Google Glass. The idea, hype, and eventual demise of Google Glass was spurred on by privacy concerns, lack of true augmented reality capabilities, and just how plain goofy the gadget made users look. Snap, the company formerly called Snapchat, is looking to create its own path of wearable cameras with Spectacles. The $129 [...]

Back on track: 8 New Year's resolutions for Kim Kardashian West

Love her or hate her, there’s no denying that Kim Kardashian West has grappled with a tumultuous past few months, including being robbed at gunpoint in Paris in October and dealing with divorce rumours surrounding her marriage with rapper Kanye West, who was hospitalised earlier this month due to "temporary psychosis." The reality television star is likely welcoming 2017 with the prospect of a fresh start. She [...]

Big Data, Crystal Balls and Looking Glasses: Reviewing 2016, predicting 2017

How do big data people go about making end-of-year reviews and predictions? Using data is the obvious answer, but there's a few issues with that approach: there is no synthesis in data alone -- you have to find the story behind data, pick an angle and seek meaning. In addition, that approach does not account for subtle hints, industry knowledge, and big ideas.To paraphrase Carl Sagan, "we [...]

Twitter unveils 360-degree live video

The first 360-degree video was delivered over Twitter's live Periscope application from broadcaster Alex Pettitt, showing a Florida sunset, while allowing users to see it from different angles by clicking on the stream Twitter on Wednesday began streaming 360-degree video, allowing users to interact and get behind the scenes of live broadcasts. "Starting today, you can check out live, interactive 360 videos from interesting broadcasters and explore [...]

Saudi Arabia to introduce tax on harmful products from Q2 2017

Saudi Arabia has announced a timeline for implementation of a tax on harmful products including soft drinks and cigarettes, and said it has completely ruled out income tax contrary to previous reports, according to an official document. The Fiscal Balance Program 2020 report, published by the Saudi government last week, said the kingdom would impose a 50 percent tax on soft drinks and a 100 percent tax [...]

Samsung Announces H7 Wireless Speaker, New Soundbar, And UHD Blu-Ray Player Set For CES 2017

Based on Samsung's staggered announcements, it appears that the South Korean company is going to inundate CES with a host of new products. After revealing fresh projects baked in its Creative Lab, it has now confirmed three more gadgets: the H7 Wireless Speaker, a new soundbar, and a UHD Blu-ray Player. The trio is being touted as the future of audio on the strength of the so-called [...]

Emirati teachers resigning because they overworked and underpaid, FNC hears

ABU DHABI // More Emirati teachers are resigning because they overworked and underpaid while their grievances are not being heard, according to a member of the Federal National Council. "They are continuing to leave and there is still a shortage of teachers for some subjects," said Salem Al Shehhi, a member from Ras Al Khaimah."They tried to speak to officials at the ministry and their managers but [...]

Russians No Longer Dispute Olympic Doping Operation

Russian sports officials had vehemently denied the doping operation’s existence despite a detailed confession by the nation’s former antidoping lab chief, Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, in a New York Times article last May that was subsequently confirmed by global antidoping regulators. Continue reading the main story An investigator appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, Richard McLaren, published more extensive evidence this month that prompted the International Olympic Committee [...]

Secrets of the Kingdom: Saudi Royal Family Is Still Spending in an Age of Austerity

A Kingdom of OilFrom the beginning, the social contract between commoners and royals constituted a trade-off: a share of the country’s wealth in exchange for absolute rule by the Saud monarchs. A Life magazine correspondent visiting in 1943 described how, as King Abdulaziz waited on a roadside while a flat tire was fixed on his Packard, he gave a shepherd passing on camelback several gold pieces. In [...]

2016 in review: how Donald Trump defied US pollsters in a shocking victory

Given the number of people in the city, New Yorkers rarely feel they’re on the same page with each other. The day after Donald Trump was elected United States president, however, they quietly mourned together. The weather, as if set in a Shakespearean drama, reflected the solemn state of the city’s inhabitants. In the days leading up to the election, the weather was perfectly crisp. The annual [...]

Feature: How Jukin Media Built a Viral-Video Empire

In order to meet this demand for fresh content — a demand created by the process that supplies it — Jukin scales idle browsing to industrial proportions. A researcher, on average, watches 200 clips daily. That’s a thousand videos each week, or 50,000 per year, give or take. The company’s research is aided by proprietary software called Riff, which generates feeds based on niche viral keywords. Maybe [...]

Watch Out, Chromebooks: These Windows PCs Might Eat Your Lunch

Laptops with Qualcomm's 835 processor could be a promising alternative for thrifty shoppers who want a powerful PC. Chromebooks have been selling well, especially in education markets. These stripped-down notebooks basically provide access to the Internet via your Google account; anything you can do on the Web can be done on a Chromebook. Some are priced as low as $179, making [...]

Smartphone-obsessed Finns rank tops in screen time

Finland, once a world leader in mobile telephony with Nokia, is in a class of its own when it comes to internet usage on smartphones and tablets, thanks to cheap subscription plans On the crowded morning metro in Helsinki, silence prevails. Everyone is hunched over their smartphone screens, reading the news, checking emails or watching videos. A loud "yeah!" breaks the quiet, along with delighted screech from [...]

The story of 2016 | Panama, how it shook Labour to its core, leav… – MaltaToday

In 2016 it was all about Panamagate. But by retaining Konrad Mizzi in his executive and Keith Schembri besides him in Castille, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat stubbornly failed to recognise the extent of the public outrage at these revelations Jurgen Balzan 27 December 2016, 7:20am Joseph Muscat stood by his men and by his own admission, he evidently considers himself unable to complete the energy plans without [...]

"Operation Cankles" – Russian Intervention Exposed

Did the Russians really rig the 2016 US election? The Daily Telegraph's Tim Blair exposes 'the truth' - You bet they did! Secret documents recently discovered in a bin behind a Kremlin-district 24-hour cabbage and tobacco store reveal for the first time the devious extent of Russian interference. These plans were decades in the making. Read on, as never-before-seen communiques between Russian agents Sergei Potrov and Dimitri [...]

Our 10 favourite Abu Dhabi and Dubai restaurants in 2016

Stacie Overton Johnson and Adam Workman pick their favourite restaurants of the year, based on great decor and ambience as well as fabulous food.• Reviewed meals are paid for by The National and conducted incognito. Contact the restaurants as prices may have changed since our original reviewsnewslideAbu DhabiButcher & StillVery few of us will ever be cool enough to recreate the Al Capone gangster era of 1940s [...]