We have just lived through the most spectacular global bullmarket run for the fixed income markets. This bull market rallied the bond market tothe lowest yields ever! Over a third ofall global fixed income was trading with a negative yield. The most accommodative central bank policiesmade heroes out of bond fund managers. Bond investors that stayed fullyinvested with fingers crossed, hoping for the greater fool theory to […]
By Dustin Volz and Jonathan Landay | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON The disclosure this week of documents describing secret CIA hacking tools shows that intensified U.S. government efforts to prevent leaks by intelligence agency employees and contractors have largely failed, cybersecurity professionals and intelligence officials say. If the Central Intelligence Agency disclosures are confirmed to be the work of an intelligence agency contractor, as government investigators currently suspect, it […]
There are efficiency gaps between the startup ecosystems in Singapore and Silicon Valley, which the former can address by introducing simpler and clearer investment terms. Doing so would, in turn, attract more mature startups to their fold and better set up founders for success, according to executives from muru-D’s Singapore outfit. The Telstra-owned accelerator had just completed its second batch of eight startups under the six-month programme, […]
Biomedical engineering researchers have developed inexpensive paper pumps that use capillary action to power portable microfluidic devices, opening the door to a range of biomedical tools. (via WSJ)
A medical device developed at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) is set to help surgeons navigate complex and delicate procedures by acting as a robotic aid for accuracy. Created at UAEU’s College of Engineering, the Manipulator for Surgical Tools – for which patent approval has now been secured – employs a compactor robotic manipulator, which is specially configured with a remote “centre-of-motion” function that effectively gives the […]
LONDON An animatronic leopard stopped Londoners in their tracks on Wednesday in Trafalgar Square, where it sat roaring as part of satellite TV channel Nat Geo Wild’s Big Cat Week campaign. Called “Lily,” the robotic leopard is intended to raise awareness about threats to the habitat of real leopards, who increasingly have to co-exist with humans. “These animals are roaming the streets in places like Mumbai because […]
Dubai, UAE 08 March 2017 Amlak Finance PJSC, a leading specialized real estate financier in the Middle East, today announced its Full Year Financial Results for the year ended 31 December 2016. Amlak reported net profits of AED 107 million at the end of December 2016, a decrease of 20% compared to AED 135 million in 2015. The Company’s total revenues, however, reached AED 778 million in […]
Even though the Nintendo Switch is flying off of shelves, many gamers are disappointed that the home and portable gaming console doesn’t include support for Netflix and other streaming services. But all that is about to change—in time. President and COO of Nintendo of American Reggie Fils-Aime revealed that streaming services could launch on its console in the future. The reason why support for Netflix and the […]
The Ivanka Trump boycott appears to have backfired. One month after several brand name retailers announced they would no longer carry the 35-year-old’s clothing and accessories, Ivanka Trump’s women’s fashion line has seen record February sales. The collection said they had some of the highest performing weeks since the brand was launched last month. “Since the beginning of February, they were some of the best performing weeks […]
Poisoned. Stabbed. Driven to suicide. These are just some of the unpleasant ways women in 19th-century opera meet their demise. Mimi, from La Bohème, is no different. Giacomo Puccini’s masterpiece – which comes to Dubai Opera for three performances from today until Saturday – sees the opera’s heroine end her days in poverty, coughing up blood, too poor to buy medicine, and estranged from her one true […]
For many, South Korea’s decision to host a missile shield to defend against its hostile northern neighbour should not be controversial. In the past month alone, North Korea has fired six ballistic missiles, with a barrage of four successful launches on Monday trumpeted by Pyongyang as being a drill targeting US bases in Japan. But in a region riven by simmering historical grievances, Seoul’s move has sparked a bitter […]
Photo A convoy of United States armored vehicles in Manbij, northern Syria. A Pentagon spokesman said Monday that the deployment was intended as a “visible sign of deterrence and reassurance” to dissuade Turkish-backed militias and other groups from attacking the area. Credit Delil Souleiman/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images WASHINGTON — The top American military officer met Tuesday with his Russian and Turkish counterparts to discuss how to […]
By Tim Kelly and Nobuhiro Kubo | TOKYO TOKYO Rattled by North Korean military advances, influential Japanese lawmakers are pushing harder for Japan to develop the ability to strike preemptively at the missile facilities of its nuclear-armed neighbour. Japan has so far avoided taking the controversial and costly step of acquiring bombers or weapons such as cruise missiles with enough range to strike other countries, relying instead […]
Via Soeren Kern of The Gatestone Institute, “The threat to the UK remains from homegrown terrorism, and is heavily youth- and male-oriented with British nationals prevalent among offenders.” — Islamist Terrorism: Analysis of Offenses and Attacks in the UK (1998–2015). “The increased prevalence of smaller cells and individualistic offending, suggests a rise in terrorism cases that feature shorter lead times to offending and fewer opportunities for identification.” […]
By Rozanna Latiff and Liz Lee | KUALA LUMPUR KUALA LUMPUR Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak struck a softer tone with North Korea on Wednesday, a day after accusing it of treating Malaysians as “hostages” amid a diplomatic meltdown over the murder of the estranged half-brother of the North’s leader. Malaysian police have identified eight North Koreans wanted for questioning in connection with the killing of Kim […]
SEOUL A man claiming to be the son of the slain, estranged half brother of North Korea’s leader said he was lying low with his mother and sister, in a video posted online by a group that said it helped rescue them following the murder a month ago. The governments of Netherlands, China, the United States, and a fourth unnamed country provided emergency humanitarian assistance to protect […]
SAN DIEGO Major aircraft leasing companies have offered a lukewarm response to proposals by Boeing to build a bigger version of its 737 MAX family to counter the Airbus A321neo. Boeing has begun offering the model code-named 737 MAX 10X to airlines, saying it would be the most efficient single-aisle jetliner in the business – a claim disputed by Airbus. Steven Udvar-Hazy, executive chairman of Air Lease, […]
The two Fortune 500 companies, International Business Machines corp. (IBM) and Salesforce, have agreed to integrate their artificial intelligence platforms and some of their software and service components. As part of the deal, Salesforce customers could make use of the data from IBM’s Watson artificial intelligence platforms whereas IBM would be deploying Salesforce Service Cloud for internal use, more or less a sign of good will. The […]
Security is still the most important aspect of network digitisation, Cisco has said, with the networking giant now focused on embedding its security technology into its “next generation” of products. “The best digital offence starts with the best security defence,” Chris Dedicoat, executive VP for Worldwide Sales and Field Operations at Cisco, said during his keynote speech at Cisco Live Melbourne on Wednesday. “We’re focused on two […]
Providing Innovative Financing Solutions to Buyers Interested In Purchasing Residential Units Muscat, March 08, 2017 Sohar Islamic, Bank Sohar’s Islamic Banking Window signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with National Mass Housing, a developer of integrated housing communities, to provide preferential Shari’ah Compliant financing solutions to potential Omani’s buyers for purchasing residential units in the upcoming Areej project – phase 2 located in Muscat. The purpose of […]
By Matt Spetalnick and David Brunnstrom | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON Faced with a growing test of resolve for a new U.S. president who vowed while campaigning to get tough on North Korea, Donald Trump’s aides are pressing to complete a strategy review on how to counter Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear threats. Pyongyang’s latest missile launches and the assassination in Malaysia of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s estranged […]
By Saikat Chatterjee | HONG KONG HONG KONG Asian stocks edged lower on Wednesday after a strong start to the week due to profit-taking as investors lacked conviction to buy risky assets before a U.S. policy meeting next week that may see interest rates rising for the second time in three months. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan eased 0.1 percent in early trade, a […]
After the calls to scale back the buffs on Bastion and the introduction of Orisa as the game’s 24th hero, Blizzard has released an update to the Overwatch PTR that applies changes to several heroes. The changes, which will affect Ana, Junkrat, Sombra, Winston, Zenyatta, and the new hero Orisa, will likely shake up the Overwatch competitive meta. ‘Overwatch’ Buffs And Nerfs In a post on the official Overwatch forums, […]
Muneera Al Hubail is one of the first women from Abu Dhabi to compete internationally at CrossFit, having reached the finals in the Battle of the East international competition in Kuwait in November. The 28-year-old Emirati passed another important milestone last month when she managed to lift the equivalent of her own body weight over her head. Al Hubail’s ultimate goal is to be a grandmother who […]
