BEIRUT An evacuation of rebel-held areas of eastern Aleppo was delayed on Wednesday for reasons that were not clear, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, holding up implementation of an agreement to restore government control over the area. Observatory Director Rami Abdulrahman said the first group of evacuees was due to leave at 5 a.m. (0300 GMT), but nobody had left an hour later. A Reuters […]
Qatar called on Tuesday for an emergency Arab League meeting to discuss the situation in Aleppo, where Syrian government and allied forces were making a final push to capture the city from rebels, Qatar-based Al Jazeera television reported. Qatar is a main supporter of rebels who have been fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is backed by Russia and Iran. Thousands fled the front lines […]
By Patricia Zengerle | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON U.S. Senate Democrats plan to enlist accountants and legal experts to pore through the business records of Exxon Mobil Chief Executive Rex Tillerson, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of state, Democratic aides said. Tillerson could face a rocky confirmation process, given concerns among both Democrats and Republicans about his ties to Russia. If Tillerson can overcome the skepticism of Republicans, […]
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has deepened its rift with its Gulf allies over the ongoing conflict in Yemen, blocking a transfer of precision munitions to Saudi Arabia because of concerns about civilian casualties that administration officials attribute to poor targeting. Administration officials said on Tuesday that the White House had made the decision to block the sale by Raytheon of about 16,000 guided munitions kits, which […]
In a massive (in a literal sense, printing at 25 pages and over 8,000 words as there is little new information revealed in the piece itself) expose issued by the NYT tited “The Perfect Weapon: How Russian Cyberpower Invaded the U.S.” and meant to piggyback on the WaPo’s recent reporting and solidify the left-leaning media’s case that Hillary lost the election, the New York Times try to […]
By Matt Spetalnick and Timothy Gardner | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON President Barack Obama will make his case directly to President-elect Donald Trump not to derail the recent U.S.-Cuba detente, the White House said on Tuesday, insisting that “turning back the clock” would be damaging to American interests and the Cuban people. Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser, said the outgoing administration hopes to persuade the incoming Trump […]
newslide Dubai set to become online creation hub Dubai is set to join the world’s leading ‘content creation’ hubs following the revelation at Diff 2016 that YouTube is set to open a YouTube Space in Dubai Studio City. What is a YouTube Space, I hear you ask. According to Jamal Al Sharif, head of Dubai Film Commission and Dubai Studio City, it is everything the UAE needs […]
By Laila Bassam and Angus McDowall | ALEPPO, Syria/BEIRUT ALEPPO, Syria/BEIRUT Syrian rebels prepared to withdraw from Aleppo on Wednesday after a ceasefire agreement that ended years of fighting in the city and gave President Bashar al-Assad his biggest victory yet after more than five years of war. The agreement was a result of talks between Russia, Assad’s main ally, and Turkey, a leading backer of the […]
13 December 2016 Dubai, United Arab Emirates – DAMAC Properties today announced that it has awarded 15 major construction and consultancy contracts valued at AED 1.26 billion during the period between August and November 2016, bringing the total value of contracts awarded so far in 2016 to AED 6.51 billion for projects in Dubai and the UK. The awarded contracts are for the provision of services related […]
Investors are making a record bet on global bank shares following the US election, according to a new survey of institutional money managers that also highlights the risks to the sector if Donald Trump fails to deliver faster economic growth. The allocation that investors made to bank stocks this month climbed to a weighting of 31 per cent above their benchmarks, up from 25 per cent in […]
By Steve Holland | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON President-elect Donald Trump named the head of Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N), Rex Tillerson, as his choice for U.S. secretary of state on Tuesday and won backing from some Republican foreign policy figures ahead of a possible Senate fight over the oilman’s ties to Russia. The Exxon CEO potentially faces difficulties getting confirmed in the Republican-controlled Senate. Some lawmakers worry about his […]
IBM Chief Executive Ginni Rometty pledged to hire and train workers in the United States ahead of a Wednesday gathering where she and other technology executives will meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. “We have thousands of open positions at any given moment, and we intend to hire about 25,000 professionals in the next four years in the United States,” Rometty said in a USA Today editorial […]
Microsoft launched officially its latest chat bot, Zo.ai, along with a new external AI web site with information on its various AI-related projects. Credit: Microsoft Microsoft officials talked up the company’s momentum across its various AI projects and initiatives at its AI day in San Francisco on December 13. A week ago, word leaked that Microsoft was providing early access to users on Kik to Zo. Zo […]
By Eric M. Johnson A 20-year-old British tourist who prosecutors say caused a security scare at a Donald Trump campaign rally in Las Vegas by trying to wrestle a gun from a police officer was sentenced on Tuesday to a year and a day in prison. Michael Sandford, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James Mahan in Las Vegas after pleading guilty in September under a plea […]
Iran has told its scientists to start developing a nuclear propulsion system for shipping, in what it says is a response to the extension of US bilateral sanctions against Tehran. The US Senate voted this month to extend the president’s authority to impose financial sanctions on Iran for a further 10 years. The Islamic Republic regards the move as a breach of last year’s nuclear agreement between […]
By Dustin Volz | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON More than 100 employees of technology companies including Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google, Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) and Salesforce pledged on Tuesday to not help U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s administration build a data registry to track people based on their religion or assist in mass deportations. Drawing comparisons to the Holocaust and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, the employees […]
By Sebastien Malo NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – New York City’s Times Square has long been famous for its neon advertising, giant billboards and characters dressed up as anything from Mickey Mouse to the Statue of Liberty. But in the past couple of weeks a look-alike of Vice President-elect Mike Pence has been attracting the attention of passersby in one of the city’s busiest areas. New […]
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales at the Meet the Inquirer forum. TRISTAN TAMAYO “Unpresidential” but “not illegal.” That was how Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales described President Duterte’s notoriously foul language, which includes curses at world leaders, threats against criminals and catcalls at women, saying even his repeated threats to kill drug users and dealers were not illegal unless he makes it happen. “That’s very unpresidential, of course. Unless […]
Miral partners with SeaWorld to create a next-generation marine life theme park and the UAE’s first Marine Life Research, Rescue, Rehabilitation and Return Center by 2022 13 December 2016 UAE – Miral and SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:SEAS) (“SeaWorld”) today announced their partnership to develop SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, a first-of-its-kind marine life themed park on Yas Island. This next generation SeaWorld Abu Dhabi will also include the United […]
ROME Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni won an initial vote of confidence in the lower house of parliament on Tuesday after laying out a limited programme for his new government. The former foreign minister was asked by the president to form an administration after Matteo Renzi resigned as premier last week following his heavy defeat in a referendum on constitutional reform. To take office, Gentiloni needs to […]
By Laila Bassam and Stephanie Nebehay | ALEPPO, Syria/GENEVA ALEPPO, Syria/GENEVA The United Nations said on Tuesday it had reports that Syrian soldiers and allied Iraqi fighters had summarily shot dead 82 children, women and men in recaptured east Aleppo and a military source said the last rebel pocket could fall “at any moment”. The Syrian army has denied carrying out killings or torture among those captured, […]
Law Blog rounds up the morning’s legal news: Trump tariffs: Trade lawyers said President-elect Donald Trump would have unilateral authority to impose tariffs on goods an offshore U.S. company brought home, but any attempt to use it would likely face challenges in U.S. courts and international tribunals. [WSJ] SCOTUS declines Greenberg appeal: The Supreme Court […] (via WSJ)
Russia’s rouble has cemented its position as the best-performing currency of the past three months, enjoying the benefits of a strong oil price at a time when the US appears to be tilting towards a more accommodating relationship with Vladimir Putin. A 2.3 per cent rise in the rouble’s value against the dollar on Monday was followed by a further half per cent gain during Tuesday trading. […]
By Gabriela Baczynska | BRUSSELS BRUSSELS The European Union will not pay towards rebuilding post-war Syria if Moscow and Damascus leave no space in the future for opposition to President Bashar al-Assad’s government, according to a draft joint statement from the EU’s 28 leaders. For weeks, Syrian, Russian and Iranian firepower has pounded rebels – including those backed by the West and Turkey – in what was […]
