About nine months before George W. Bush became president I, along with about 70 others, were asked to join an independent tech advisory board to help Bush, then governor of Texas, understand the role of tech in the new decade and help craft a tech policy should he become president. Our first meeting took place in Austin, and from that came various subcommittees to research […]
By Angus McDowall and Ellen Francis | BEIRUT BEIRUT Thousands were evacuated from the last rebel-held enclave of the city of Aleppo on Monday after a deal was reached to allow people to leave two besieged pro-government villages in nearby Idlib province. Convoys of buses from eastern Aleppo reached rebel-held areas of countryside to the west of the city in cold winter weather, according to a U.N. […]
Lennar Corp (LEN.N), the No. 2 U.S. homebuilder, reported higher-than-expected quarterly profit and revenue and said the housing market continued to make a “slow and steady recovery.” An improving job market and attractive mortgage rates continue to fuel demand for housing in the United States, helping homebuilders such as Lennar and PulteGroup Inc (PHM.N). U.S. home prices are set to rise almost 5 percent next year, despite […]
We’ve heard a lot about Microsoft’s plan to compete with Amazon Echo and Google Home without ever having to create and sell a device. Apparently, the company is planning to transform every Windows 10 device into what is called a Home Hub, but what about those who are not interested in Windows 10? That’s an easy question to answer. You see, Microsoft is planning to release the SDK […]
In this Sept. 5, 2014, file photo, the Apple logo hangs in the glass box entrance to the company’s Fifth Avenue store in New York. Ireland is appealing the European Union’s landmark order to collect 13 billion euros ($14 billion) in taxes from Apple. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) Ireland will appeal the European Union’s landmark order to collect a record 13 billion euros ($14 billion) in taxes […]
Bank supervision and anti-money laundering standards need to be toughened in global geopolitical hotspots as a way of tackling the recent decline in so-called correspondent banking, a global group of policymakers has said. The Financial Stability Board, the group of policymakers and regulators that makes recommendations to the G20 nations, said on Monday that its members should assist other countries in drafting legislation and training supervisors to […]
Photo Buses evacuated residents from Fua and Kfarya, Shiite villages near the Syrian city of Aleppo, on Monday. Credit Agence France-Presse — Getty Images BEIRUT, Lebanon — After days of delays and sporadic violence, the evacuation of civilians and fighters from besieged communities in Syria has resumed, with convoys taking people out of Aleppo and two nearby Shiite villages, Syrian state television and opposition conflict monitors reported […]
MOSCOW At least twenty-five residents of the Siberian city of Irkutsk have died after drinking bath oil, hoping it would give them the same sensation as alcohol, Russian investigators said on Monday. Use of counterfeit or surrogate alcohol is rife in Russia’s regions, where two years of economic pain have pushed more people below the poverty line, though the death toll from this latest incident is unusually […]
TOKYO Asian shares slipped to four-week lows on Monday as the prospect of higher U.S. interest rates and a strong dollar stemming from the incoming Trump Administration’s purported policies of cutting taxes and spending heavily threatened to suck capital out of emerging markets. European shares are seen having better luck, following recent gains in shares of banks, resource companies and some automakers. Spread-betters see a rise of […]
By Jack Kim | SEOUL SEOUL A friend of South Korean President Park Geun-hye at the centre of a corruption scandal that led to Park’s impeachment in parliament denied charges of fraud and abuse of power on Monday on the first day of her trial. The friend, Choi Soon-sil, 60, is charged with pressuring big businesses to pay money to foundations that backed Park’s policy initiatives. Prosecutors […]
Cloud accounting software firm Reckon has recently expanded its product scope, offering up finance for Australian small to medium business in a bid to remove red tape and give SMEs cashflow within hours. According to Reckon COO Dan Rabie, the move into the small business lending market was almost a natural progression. “We’ve been selling accounting software to small businesses for many, many years and a lot […]
By Henning Gloystein | SINGAPORE SINGAPORE Oil prices rose on Monday in anticipation of tighter crude supply going into 2017 following the decision by OPEC and other producers to cut output to prop up prices. Brent crude futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, were trading at $55.57 per barrel at 0401 GMT, up 36 cents, or 0.7 percent, from their last close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate […]
Federer landed on his still-fragile left knee, which in February had required him to have surgery for the first time in his career, keeping him out for more than two months. Though he got up slowly at Wimbledon and finished the match, he did not finish the season. He even missed the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, which had long been one of his major late-career […]
Monday 02:20 GMT Overview Stocks across Asia were weaker, retreating in line with Wall Street’s slight pullback on Friday from last week’s record highs, and as the US dollar softened. What to watch Investors are turning their attention to the Bank of Japan’s policy decision on Tuesday, in the wake of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate rise last week. While the dollar’s strength over recent weeks seems […]
By Ben Blanchard | BEIJING BEIJING An underwater drone taken by a Chinese naval vessel in the South China Sea last week is part of U.S. surveillance efforts in the disputed waterway, but Beijing won’t likely make a big fuss about its handover, Chinese state media and experts said. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed to take a more aggressive approach in dealing with China over […]
SHAH ALAM: Malaysia is of the opinion that only consistent unity among the 10 ASEAN countries can ensure any dispute in the region, especially involving the South China Sea is free from geopolitic intervention by the world’s superpowers. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said ASEAN countries must continue to strengthen their relationship to prevent the occurrence of any disputes that may affect harmony, peace and […]
By Brenda Goh, Allison Lampert and Brad Haynes | SHANGHAI/MONTREAL/SAO PAULO SHANGHAI/MONTREAL/SAO PAULO New rules governing Chinese airline startups are fueling hopes at Embraer SA (EMBR3.SA), Bombardier Inc (BBDb.TO) and other regional jet makers for a spike in orders next year, but local competition and doubts about size restrictions still loom as major obstacles. The new policy is aimed at encouraging fledgling carriers to boost domestic flights […]
Not everyone has the time or budget to keep up a gym membership, so having a fitness tracker, smart wearable device, or even simply a fitness application in your smartphone are all good ways to keep one’s health in check. Luckily, there are many available apps that offer basic to customized fitness plans and allow us to reach our goals. Since it is already the middle of […]
Senior American officials and top commanders in the Middle East say the brutal urban fight for Mosul is succeeding — however slowly — but is proving to be tougher than expected. These officials predict that the battle to oust the Islamic State from Iraq’s second-largest city could last two to four more months. Continue reading the main story Brett H. McGurk, President Obama’s envoy to the international […]
Image: Sarah Tew/CNET Every week, we sound off on the most important technology trends in our Monday Morning Opener. Looking back on 2016, we’ve identified the five tectonic plate shifts that have made the biggest impact on the industry and our readers who use these tools to drive the progress of the planet. So, without further ado, here are the five big tech trends of 2016 according […]
LONDON Leading Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage said on Sunday he wanted to be a bridge between the British government and the new U.S. administration. Last month U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said Farage – the former leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) – would be great as Britain’s envoy to Washington, but the British government dismissed the suggestion. “I can help to be a bridge between […]
By Jeffrey Heller | JERUSALEM JERUSALEM Settlers due to be evicted from an outpost in the occupied West Bank under an Israeli court order accepted a government-proposed deal on Sunday to head off a forced evacuation and confrontation with troops. The Supreme Court had ruled that the Amona outpost, where 330 settlers live, must be evacuated by Dec. 25. The court found that Amona was built illegally […]
The Federal Reserve will wait six months before raising interest rates again, according to a survey of top economists that suggests policymakers will maintain a cautious approach to tightening policy until they see the economic package US president-elect Donald Trump has promised. Officials will raise the Fed’s key short-term rate just twice in 2017, starting with a move in June, an FT survey of 31 Wall Street […]
By Stephen Kalin | ERBIL, Iraq ERBIL, Iraq Seven-year-old Anas lies in a hospital bed in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil, his little body wrapped in bandages following four surgeries to remove shrapnel that shredded his intestines. He is considered lucky for being alive. Two of his brothers did not survive the Islamic State mortar attack three weeks ago on their family’s home in Mosul. One […]
