Police came knocking on Ahmet Altan’s door at 6am. After searching his house, they bundled the journalist, who is one of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s fiercest critics, off to jail. Mr Altan has remained behind bars for some 200 days — except for one day when he was released and then rearrested after criticising the government again. And in that time, his lawyers have struggled to […]
Twitter has always been known for limiting tweets to 140 characters since it was launched in 2006, but the messaging platform has also been trying to relax its restrictions since 2016. It eased the limit further when the company announced on March 30 that Twitter handles will no longer count against the limit. Tech Times has reported about the welcome change to Twitter’s platform and how it works, but […]
Like many Hong Kongers with family and business ties in mainland China, Ceci Chong would often carry cash back across the border — until she was stopped last summer by a Chinese customs officer. She was caught bringing Rmb100,000 ($14,500) in family savings to Hong Kong — five times the cash limit imposed by China. Her case was part of a crackdown on “financial ants”, who smuggle […]
GENEVA: The UN on Friday said “incremental” progress was made during a fifth round of talks between Syria’s warring parties, but warned the “real peace negotiations” had yet to begin.Syrian government and opposition representatives had been “serious and engaged” during the latest nine days of talks in Geneva, UN mediator Staffan de Mistura told reporters.He said all sides were “keen and ready to return to Geneva for […]
More than a third of CEOs in the Middle East say they are very confident about their company’s prospects over the next 12 months, despite global challenges, according to a new survey. PwC’s Annual Global CEO Survey, which interviewed 50 company chiefs in the Middle East, painted a positive, albeit guarded, picture about growth in the region. Thirty-eight percent of CEOs said they are confident about the […]
Based on lab tests conducted in Switzerland, Black Insomnia could be the strongest coffee in the world. It contains 702 milligrams of caffeine per 12-ounce cup, which is far higher when compared to the same amount of Starbucks’ dark roast coffee, which contains only 195 milligrams of coffee . Mary Sweeney, from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, who conducts study on the effects of caffeine, said that Black […]
It can be a lonely business working outside a traditional office environment as a freelancer, independent professional or start-up entrepreneur. Given the costs associated with renting a commercial space, a popular option many choose in those circumstances is to build their empire from home. But while it can save money, this approach has downsides, not least when workers need quick access to a scanner, 3-D printer or […]
Colombians woke up on Saturday to a devastating landslide that left at least 193 dead in the south-west of the country, after heavy rains caused rivers to overflow. The avalanche propelled sediment on to buildings and bridges, as homes and cars were swept away in the city of Mocoa in Putumayo. “We have adults, women and infants,” police commander Colonel Omar Bonilla told a Colombian radio on […]
DUBAI // The price of items such as cars, televisions and restaurant bills will rise once value-added tax is introduced in the region early next year. But as the tax will be at a modest 5 per cent, experts say it is unlikely to affect overall spending. Details about goods and services to be subject to VAT will probably be released over the next few months, and […]
Didi Chuxing may have defeated Uber, but China’s dominant ride-hailing platform is no match for the country’s local governments after being forced to gut its urban fleet to comply with regulations. Didi’s core business of cheap ride-hailing now faces a tough fight in the big urban markets, which it built after a bruising battle with local and foreign rivals. Uber ceded the Chinese market — its largest — […]
Ecommerce platform MallfortheWorld has announced that consumers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar will now have access to more than 150 of US retailers through its app, marking its first foray into the Middle East. MallfortheWorld said in a statement that its cross platform app, with both desktop and mobile versions available, will launch in other Gulf countries by the end of the year. The website […]
By Aye Win Myint | YANGON YANGON Myanmar is training up hundreds of midwives in an effort to reduce the number of women who die in childbirth, one of many social policy reforms launched by the country as it emerges from decades of military rule. Statistics show childbirth and pregnancy-related complications are the leading causes of death among women in Myanmar, mainly due to delays in reaching […]
Venezuela’s government-controlled supreme court has reversed its ruling to strip the opposition controlled assembly of legislative powers in an effort to ease tensions amid growing cries of dictatorship. “This controversy is over,” embattled President Nicolás Maduro said, “the constitution has won”. The unexpected move came after a “state security committee”, convened by the socialist Mr Maduro, ordered the court to reconsider. The head of the supreme court […]
Photo Iraqis bathed in a sulfur pond not far from the southern outskirts of Mosul on Saturday. Iraqi forces are pushing to take western Mosul from the Islamic State. Credit Ahmad Gharabli/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images WASHINGTON — Facing mounting pressure over civilian casualties in American airstrikes, the United States-led coalition fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria said on Saturday that it was likely that […]
Once upon a time Washington was simple: on one hand you had Republican interests, on the other: Democrats, and inbetween them perhaps, the occasional independent or “green.” Now… it’s less simple. At last check, DC currently boasts at least nine different parties, groups, factions or ideologies. Which is why keeping track of who wants what, and how the various groups allign, in US politics has become quite […]
It’s no secret that vending machine offerings are not always the healthiest options for snacks and drinks. As one of the most convenient means to get a quick fix, vending machines are often the sources of high calorie snacks when you’re on the go. According to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health, the simple act of making people wait for your snack in […]
DUBAI // Easy recovery of VAT for tourists is required to ensure they continue to come and spend. A tourist refund scheme is provided for in the GCC agreement and is being considered by the UAE, said David Stevens of accountancy firm E Y. He said such a scheme would encourage tourist spending. Marie-Claire Accordino, founder of the The Accounts Dept, which provides bookkeeping services for small and […]
The Middle East Film and Comic Con, which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre from April 6 to 8, has made a few big-name late additions to its line up of celebrity guests. Appearing in person will be Anthony Mackie, an actor best known to genre fans for his role as superhero Sam Wilson, aka Falcon, in Marvels Avengers and Captain America movies. He also appeared […]
Paraguay was plunged into a constitutional crisis after congress was stormed and set on fire by protesters, enraged by attempts by President Horacio Cartes to amend the constitution to allow his re-election. Furious protesters, one of whom was killed by police, accused Mr Cartes of engineering a coup, echoing similar cries elsewhere in the region after Venezuela’s government-controlled Supreme Court dissolved congress on Thursday. What is going […]
BOGOTA A landslide in Colombia’s southwestern border province of Putumayo has left at least 14 people dead and 60 injured, officials said on Saturday. Heavy rains overnight caused several rivers to overflow, sending mud and sediment onto homes and roads in the provincial capital of Mocoa, which has around 100,000 inhabitants. “It is a very critical situation,” Carlos Ivan Marquez, the head of the country’s disaster response […]
The latest Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer brings in some much needed good news because results show a downward trend in the overall cancer death rates in the United States between the years of 2010 and 2014. However, researchers find limitations in certain cancer types, and see the need for discovering new strategies for prevention, early detection, and screening. Men And Women The […]
Event will gather together CEOs, CMOs, Presidents and VPs from across the region and beyond Riyadh KSA, April 1 2017: For the first time, Saudi Arabia will host the ‘Top CEO Conference and Awards’ – an event which will see CEOs, CMOs, Presidents and VPs from across the Arabian Gulf region and beyond gather together on 10th and 11th April 2017 at Bay La Sun Hotel & […]
South Africa’s new finance minister, Malusi Gigaba, that said that he would pursue radical transformation of its economy while defending the country’s investment-grade credit rating in his first comments after the divisive firing of his predecessor by President Jacob Zuma. Mr Gigaba, formerly home affairs minister and a close ally of Mr Zuma, became the fourth Treasury chief in two years this week after the president used […]
Game of Thrones season 6 left fans with a flurry of dread and excitement as Cersei Lannister, Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow, and the Night King rose to power, and hinted at the inevitable and massive war that will soon happen in season 7. Now HBO is hyping up fans for the premiere of season 7 in July by releasing the first official promotional trailer aptly titled “Long Walk.” Destruction Of […]
