(Image: Genesis Robotics) Despite major advancements in robotics and the huge potential it has to make our lives easier, robots are still mostly stuck in industrial settings. We have seen a few robots enter homes, healthcare, and other work settings, but for the most part, they are still a novelty. In order for robots to become as ubiquitous as the other technology that consumers have recently embraced, […]
BRUSSELS European Union leaders promised on Saturday to embrace the British province of Northern Ireland into the EU if a referendum in the future were to unite it with the Republic of Ireland. At a summit on the EU’s plan for negotiating with Britain as it leaves the bloc, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny asked fellow members to acknowledge that Northern Ireland would, like East Germany in […]
European leaders are warning Theresa May over her “completely unreal” expectations of a swift trade deal, as they gathered in Brussels to agree a tough opening stance on Brexit talks. Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president, briefed an EU summit on Saturday on a recent dinner where the British prime minister said any Brexit exit payment would only pass before 2019 if accompanied by a full trade […]
When it comes to repackaging bad loans in the eurozone, 2017 has been a tale of two peripheries. While global investors who had been hoping to buy debt backed by Italy’s non-performing loans have been left disappointed, in Ireland deals are gathering momentum. Lone Star this week priced its latest securitisation of Irish mortgages, with the US private equity firm selling €420m of bonds backed by distressed […]
BRUSSELS The European Union will only be able to conclude talks on Britain’s exit if it stays united, which means the bloc’s unity is in Britain’s interest, the chairman of EU summits Donald Tusk said on Saturday. Speaking to reporters before an EU summit to approve EU guidelines for negotiations with Britain, Tusk repeated the 27 countries remaining in the EU wanted a “close and strong future […]
Emerging from an Hermès store in Shanghai with a shiny new watch costing “tens of thousands” of renminbi, Zhao Feifei is emblematic of a younger generation of Chinese consumers driving a rebound in sales of European luxury brands. “I’m earning more than before so I’m more willing to spend,” says Ms Zhao, who works in an internet finance company. The 30-year-old is one of the many customers […]
Russia’s central bank cut its key interest rate, citing the country’s continued emergence from a two-year recession — but the move failed to stop the rouble pushing higher on Friday. The cut — by 0.5 per cent to 9.25 per cent — went further than the incremental 0.25 per cent drop the bank implemented last month, suggesting that the bank was confident of reaching its inflation targets […]
That it fell to Barcelona’s Lionel Messi to score the match-winning goal away to arch-rivals Real Madrid on Sunday was of little surprise to his legions of devotees, who already view the diminutive Argentinian as something of an immortal giant on the football field, and even to casual fans. El Clasico – the lyrical Spanish name for matches played between the two powerhouses of the country’s domestic […]
Donald Trump plans to end or renegotiate any trade deal that does not increase US economic growth, reduce the US trade deficit or contribute to higher US wages, according to a leaked draft of an executive order obtained by the Financial Times. The draft of the order Mr Trump had been planning to sign on Saturday before his high-profile U-turn this week calls for US officials to […]
MANILA, Philippines (AP) – Philippine marines have killed an Abu Sayyaf extremist commander and a notorious kidnapper who had sailed across the sea border into Malaysia to snatch tourists and sailors for ransom, the military chief said Saturday. Gen. Eduardo Ano told The Associated Press that Alhabsy Misaya was slain in a clash with marines late Friday in the jungles between the towns of Indanan and Parang […]
By Alastair Macdonald | BRUSSELS BRUSSELS European Union leaders will endorse a stiff set of divorce terms for Britain at a summit on Saturday, rejoicing in a rare show of unity in adversity, but well aware that may start to fray once negotiations begin. Meeting for the first time since British Prime Minister Theresa May formally triggered a two-year countdown to Brexit in late March, the 27 […]
ABU DHABI// The contribution made by labourers in helping to build the UAE was praised yesterday by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, the Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development. He was speaking to thousands of labourers at the Al Dar Camp 3 on Yas Island, as part of early celebrations to mark International Labour Day in the capital. Sheikh Nahyan thanked them for their hard work over the […]
Alphabet/Google announced first quarter financial results that beat Wall Street estimates. But the jump in revenues hides a large problem that hasn’t been solved. From Matthew Lynley at Techcrunch The Google core business is, as usual, quite boringly efficient. We tend to see the same story every quarter – the value of each ad (cost-per-click) goes down while the number of ad impressions goes up, and Google […]
Nobody should ever attempt to judge an investment over a period of just 100 days. It is far too short a time to assess the quality of performance and far too prone to random effects. And in any case, most of us need results over very much more than 100 days. It is therefore a little random to be judging the Trump presidency’s impact on investors after […]
HARGEISA// Medical aid has been delivered to thousands of children and elderly people in Somalia by the Zayed Giving convoys. The treatment, was carried out under the supervision of an Emirati-Somali volunteers’ team and is part of a global humanitarian initiative that aims to alleviate the suffering of the needy. The initiative forms part of 2017 being designated as the Year of giving by Sheikh Khalifa bin […]
By Alastair Macdonald | BRUSSELS BRUSSELS European Union leaders at a Brexit summit on Saturday will give a formal undertaking to embrace the British province of Northern Ireland in the EU if a referendum unites the island, diplomats said on Friday. Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny has asked fellow members of the bloc to acknowledge that Northern Ireland would, like East Germany in 1990, automatically enter the […]
Boarding completed, seatbelts are fastened and the aircraft is slowly rolling over the tarmac to the runway, almost ready for takeoff. But before the plane can leave the ground, all passengers are made aware of the safety features on board via video on screen. Safety videos are a necessary form of visual communication to ensure all passengers can follow procedures in case of an unlikely emergency. However, […]
Our round-up of the best comment and analysis from the Financial Times during the week focuses on US corporate earnings, eurozone interest rates and the future of US economic reforms. The selection is taken from our Markets Insight and Smart Money columns, written by industry contributors and FT commentators. The FT’s John Authers says US corporate earnings have reached a turning point — the earnings recession that […]
The US economy expanded at its weakest pace in three years during the opening months of the year, underlining the daunting task facing Donald Trump’s administration as it seeks to attain ambitious growth targets. Gross domestic product grew at a 0.7 per cent annual rate in the first three months of 2017, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, a sharp drop from 2.1 per cent at […]
‘Demagogic’ populism does not help cause of peace. The pope invoked Egypt’s “glorious history” as an ancient cradle of civilization to argue on Friday that the delivery of a more peaceful future required a new civility that appreciated differences, resisted the violent path of close-minded absolutism and condemned extremists who camouflage terror in religious language. Continue reading the main story “An education in respectful openness and sincere […]
By Philip Pullella and Mahmoud Mourad | CAIRO CAIRO Pope Francis, making a two-day visit to Egypt, urged Muslim leaders on Friday to unite in renouncing religious extremism at a time when Islamist militants are targeting ancient Christian communities across the Middle East. Francis’s trip, aimed at improving Christian-Muslim ties, comes just three weeks after Islamic State suicide bombers killed at least 45 people in two Egyptian […]
By Julia Fioretti | BRUSSELS BRUSSELS Power plants in the European Union will have to cut the amount of toxic pollutants they emit such as nitrogen oxides under new rules approved by EU member states on Friday and widely applauded by environmental groups. The decision imposes stricter limits on emissions of pollutants like nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide, mercury and particulate matter from large combustion plants in Europe. […]
JERUSALEM Israel intends to build 15,000 new settlement homes in East Jerusalem, the Housing Ministry said on Friday despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s request to “hold back” on settlements as part of a possible new push for Israeli-Palestinian peace. A formal announcement of the settlement plan, quickly condemned by the chief Palestinian negotiator, could come around the time Trump is scheduled to visit Israel next month. Israel […]
Deutsche Bank said on Friday that it had appointed Citigroup treasurer James von Moltke as its new chief financial officer. Germany’s biggest lender has been looking for a new finance director since it announced last month that Marcus Schenck would take on a new dual role as co-head of the investment bank and joint deputy chief executive. Citi declined to comment on the news, which was first […]
