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Ardi

Israeli Military Revokes Use of Maximum Force to Foil Captures

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military has canceled a contentious directive known as the Hannibal procedure, which calls for the use of maximum force to prevent the capture of Israeli soldiers, even at the risk of harming them. A military official, speaking on the condition of anonymity in accordance with army rules, said on Tuesday that the chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, had given instructions several [...]

Deloitte: Mobile consumers check their phones over 80 billion times a day

UAE. Deloitte’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) practices highlight the increasing trends for connectivity and mobile phone usage across the board in Deloitte’s  latest report entitled: Global Mobile Consumer Trends. Both intensity in usage and ownership rates are increasing―in some categories more than doubling―pointing to dramatically changing consumer behaviors, and a shift towards non-voice communications such as text and instant messaging (IM). Deloitte conducted a survey designed [...]

Abu Dhabi student goes from being unable to speak Arabic to winning Quran Memorisation Award

ABU DHABI // Ahmad Murshed did not speak a word of Arabic when he challenged himself to read and learn the Quran cover to cover. Six years later, the 18-year-old Indian high school student was named winner in the annual Quran Memorisation Award run by the Islamic Affairs Authority & Endowments (Awqaf) “My father is an imam and he started teaching me the Quran when I was [...]

Covering the longest war

A journalist’s account of the conflict in Afghanistan details the cascading failures of the WestFarewell Kabul: From Afghanistan to a More Dangerous WorldBy Christina Lamb, William Collins, 640 pages, $25There is a certain subspecies of journalist who comes to feel more at home in a foreign war zone than in her native land, who gets so plugged in with power brokers and average people that her access [...]

Motivational text messages and counselling boost health of patients with RA

The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2016) showed for the first time that a combination of text messages and individual counselling sessions to motivate patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) to be more active resulted in improved patient-reported clinical outcomes. This type of behavioural intervention was effective at reducing daily sitting time by an average of more than [...]

The widening generation gap – demographic differences dictate Saudi Arabia's starkly diverse media consumption habits

SAUDI ARABIA.  According to a new report by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the digital age has ushered in a number of trends that have transformed the media consumption habits of each Saudi generation profoundly – and vastly differently. In parallel, with information and connectivity available at everyone’s fingertips – anywhere, anytime – the Kingdom’s traditional media landscape has, in recent years, been disrupted. The findings presented [...]

In Sweden, troubles haunt a Syrian family

One of Widad Majid’s brothers had to stay in Turkey for treatment of leukaemia, and her marrow could be the only hope for his survival Along with more than a dozen members of her extended family, Widad Majid spent last summer sleeping in sweltering refugee camps, open fields, train stations and a jail cell as she traversed Europe en route from Syria to Sweden, one small girl [...]

Periscope Unveils Virtual Jury System To Combat Trolls

Online abuse, harassment and trolling have proven to be stubborn problems for many social networking sites, but Periscope believes users might find help through a jury of their peers. The Twitter-owned video-streaming app announced yesterday that it was introducing a new and "community-led" tool to let users report comments they find spammy or abusive. Following such reports, a random group of viewers will be asked to vote [...]

A library in his UAE home, open to everyone

Dubai resident M. N. Vivekanandan with his 'Share 'n' Care Library in his home. Dubai: If you’re a student based in the UAE and looking for books to rent, Dubai resident M. N. Vivekanandan has initiated an easy way to do so. The 16-year-old student has a collection of over 1,000 books in his home’s ‘Share ‘n’ Care Library’. He told [...]

Rapid bone growth and underwater breathing: Putting the science of Harry Potter’s universe to the test

In the world of Harry Potter the young wizard undergoes two magical biological transformations: eating Gillyweed to grow gills in order to breathe underwater and drinking Skele-Gro to repair broken bones. Natural Sciences students from the University of Leicester have put these arcane medical practices to the test -- and have concluded that a little magic might indeed be required in both situations to make them scientifically [...]

The Saudisation of the retail sector

SAUDI ARABIA. The recent Ministerial Resolution on the Saudisation of the sale and repair of mobile phones, together with the earlier resolutions on the retail of female clothing, indicate a growing approach by the Ministry of Labour to require the complete Saudisation of certain activities within the retail sector. In this article we examine the existing requirements and also the proposal for a weighted Nitiqat. Sale and [...]

Lack of accurate data threatens to undermine performance of global business' talent and mobility programs

INTERNATIONAL. Inadequate data on workforce mobility is placing firms under increasing pressure as they struggle to deploy global human resource strategies, contain costs and comply with the demands of cross-border regulatory obligations. This is according to EY’s 2015-16 Global Mobility Effectiveness Survey, which provides insights from more than 200 professionals across 35 jurisdictions and 13 industry sectors. The report finds that poor data capture and poor analytics [...]

House Republicans Move To Eliminate Net Neutrality

A new proposal by House Republicans would effectively put an end to net neutrality while slashing funding for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The legislation would reduce the agency’s funding by more than 17 percent, likely leaving the agency crippled and incapable of enforcing its regulations. The proposal would also explicitly prohibit the agency from making any rules regarding either cable set-top boxes or Net neutrality. “The [...]

Al Arabiya fires dozens in restructuring move

Sources tell Gulf News media reports have exaggerated the reasons behind the lay-offs Dubai: The Saudi-owned pan-Arab Al Arabiya has fired dozens of employees in a restructuring move. Saudi Akhbaar24 broke the story claiming fifty employees had been let go, among them some well-known and long-serving staffers. A trusted source, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the news to Gulf News but [...]

Extreme sports deal with Red Bull sends GoPro flying

A GoPro Hero 3+ camera is seen at the Nasdaq Market Site before before GoPro Inc's IPO in New York City, June 26, 2014. Reuters/Mike Segar SAN FRANCISCO Shares of GoPro Inc (GPRO.O) got a lift on Tuesday after the struggling action camera maker said it was partnering with extreme sports sponsor Red Bull in a marketing and promotion deal. Briefly a Wall Street favorite following an [...]

Apple rehires prominent security pro as encryption fight boils

A 3D printed Apple logo is seen in front of a displayed cyber code in this illustration taken February 26, 2016. Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration SAN FRANCISCO Apple Inc (AAPL.O), which has resisted pressure from U.S. law enforcement to unlock encrypted iPhones, this month rehired a top expert in practical cryptography to bring more powerful security features to a wide range of consumer products. Jon Callas, who co-founded several [...]

New disease gene will lead to better screening for pediatric heart disease

Cardiomyopathy, or a deterioration of the ability of the heart muscle to contract, generally leads to progressive heart failure. It is frequently inherited, and, because approximately 40% of children born with it are likely to die within five years of diagnosis, being able to identify its genetic basis is particularly important. Now, an international team of researchers has identified a new disease gene which is implicated in [...]

EY Global Fraud Survey: 29% of executives in the Middle East recognize cybercrime risk, compared to 47% globally

UAE. According to EY’s latest Global Fraud Survey, Corporate misconduct – individual consequences, only 29% of executives in the Middle East recognize cybercrime risk, compared to 47% globally. T he survey found that many respondents maintain the view that fraudulent activity is not their problem, despite recognizing the prevalence of the issue in their own countries. Michael Adlem, EY’s MENA Fraud Investigation & Dispute Services (FIDS) Leader, [...]

Rule of law is losing out to mob rule

This is the age of the disgruntled — in domestic politics and foreign affairs alike. Anti-establishment sentiment within countries is somehow echoed by the way the rule book of international relations is being torn up. These dynamics feed on each other. They are at play in America (the rise of Donald Trump), Europe (growing populism) and Asia (nationalism and an arms race). Finding a way to [...]

Toothpaste can clean up gut bacteria, cause heart disease

Although the health implications are not certain, dysfunction of the gut microbiome has been associated with several diseases New York: An antimicrobial agent found in many consumer products, from hand soaps to toys and even toothpaste, can rapidly disrupt bacterial communities in the gut, new research shows. Although the health implications are not certain, dysfunction of the gut microbiome has been [...]

EgyptAir Was Aware of Threats to Security, Including One Scribbled on Plane

By DECLAN WALSH, NOUR YOUSSEF and KAREEM FAHIMMay 21, 2016CAIRO — In an eerie coincidence, the EgyptAir jetliner that plunged into the Mediterranean on Thursday was once the target of political vandals who wrote in Arabic on its underside, “We will bring this plane down.”Three EgyptAir security officials said the threatening graffiti, which appeared about two years ago, had been the work of aviation workers at Cairo Airport. Playing on the phonetic [...]

Apple boss Cook meets PM Modi to plot India strategy

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI Apple Inc chief Tim Cook met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, concluding a four-day trip to India that could set the stage for Apple's expansion plans in one of the world's fastest growing smartphone markets. Modi and Cook met for an hour in central Delhi and discussed Apple's plans for its India business, including the possibility of manufacturing and retailing in the country. Apple [...]

10 songs you didn’t know were inspired by literature

From David Bowie’s We Are the Dead to Katy Perry’s Firework, art imitates art in this selection of literature-inspired songsKaty Perry performs at the Odyssey Arena, Belfast. Do you know which book inspired her song Firework? Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush is inspired by Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte Perhaps the most famous song with literary references, Kate Bush’s Wuthering [...]