The eurozone’s biggest stock markets are closing in on double-digit gains for the final quater of 2016, as a combination of resurgent banks shares and a weaker euro entice investors into a region that has disappointed for much of the year. On Tuesday’s return from the Christmas break, Germany’s Xetra Dax 30 advanced 0.1 per cent in early afternoon trading, and is now up more than 9 […]
Taiwan fears getting caught between the US and China as President-elect Donald Trump threatens a tougher approach toward Beijing and the Chinese government intensifies its sabre-rattling in the region. Politicians and analysts in Taiwan believe that Beijing is stepping up pressure on the self-governing and democratic island, which China claims is its territory, because of actions taken by Mr Trump. On Monday, the Chinese navy sailed its […]
Anyone willing to pay for it can get access to fast internet, right? Not exactly. Low income neighborhoods — those with median household incomes below $34,800 — are five times more likely not to have access to broadband internet than neighborhoods with a median income above $80,700. In an increasingly connected economy, internet inequality is more than an inconvenience. For many households in the U.S. tools like […]
Cyanogen started with a grand dream: Create a commercially-supported, vendor-neutral Android-fork that anyone could use to keep their smartphones and tablets up to date. The vision went from grand to grandiose. In 2015, then Cyanogen CEO Kirt McMaster said, “We’re putting a bullet through Google’s head.” Not two years later, Cyanogen shut down its Android fork, CyanogenMod and its services. Android vendor Cyanogen is abandoning its operating […]
Google’s first ever self-branded smartphone effort, the Google Pixel and its larger sibling, the Pixel XL, having dropped the Nexus naming scheme altogether, has so far received warm acclaim, even being heralded as the best Android smartphone today. But the pair isn’t without its problems. Those who are planning to get Google’s flagships should best learn some of its known issues. Sure, it’s an excellent smartphone bearing […]
Did the Russians really rig the 2016 US election? The Daily Telegraph’s Tim Blair exposes ‘the truth’ – You bet they did! Secret documents recently discovered in a bin behind a Kremlin-district 24-hour cabbage and tobacco store reveal for the first time the devious extent of Russian interference. These plans were decades in the making. Read on, as never-before-seen communiques between Russian agents Sergei Potrov and Dimitri […]
The European Central Bank has said that Monte dei Paschi di Siena’s capital shortfall has risen to €8.8bn from €5bn, significantly increasing the price tag of the rescue of Italy’s third-largest lender by the government. In a statement released late on Monday, MPS also revealed that the ECB had warned that the bank’s liquidity had suffered a “rapid deterioration” over the past month, as it tried in […]
The Sunday Times of Malta’s cartoonist Steve Bonello picked this effort as his favourite cartoon of the year. “The Panama Papers had not been published by that date (March 13), but it was what all of Malta was talking about, with the government pedalling hard to shift the focus on its three years of achievements,” Mr Bonello said in explaining his choice. It is indeed a remarkable […]
By Jeffrey Heller | JERUSALEM JERUSALEM Benjamin Netanyahu has been unrelenting in his criticism of the Obama administration over what he condemned as its “shameful” decision not to veto a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a halt to Israeli settlement-building. But with the clock ticking down on Barack Obama’s presidency, a possibly more amenable Republican Donald Trump waiting in the wings and a $38 billion U.S. […]
In 2016, we saw some phone manufacturers take big risks, trying to push the boundaries of what a smartphone should do, while other companies played it safe. LG and Lenovo each tried to create a modular ecosystem, while Google walked away from the idea altogether. Apple even got on board with water resistance, and then Google jumped into the smartphone war. Take your phone for a swim […]
MILAN The European Central Bank has told Monte dei Paschi it needs to plug a capital shortfall of 8.8 billion euros ($9.2 billion), higher than a previous 5 billion euro gap estimated by the bank, the lender said on Monday, confirming what sources told Reuters. Last Friday the Italian government approved a decree to bail out Monte dei Paschi (BMPS.MI) after Italy’s No. 3 lender failed to […]
December 26, 2016 by: Joanna S Kao in New York Last week ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ became the seventh new Broadway show of 2016 to pull in more than $1m at the box office in a single week, at the end of a year in which New York’s theatre takings have so far been roughly flat at $1.34bn. Rising ticket prices and better models for variable pricing have made […]
MANILA A typhoon weakened as it cut across the Philippines on Monday after bringing down trees and power lines, and authorities warned of flash floods and mudslides although casualties were few with police reporting only two deaths. Typhoon Nock-ten’s wind speed eased to 130 kph (80 mph) as it headed west toward the South China Sea, passing through provinces south of the capital Manila at a speed […]
British pop singer and songwriter George Michael, who rose to fame in the 1980s as the frontman of Wham! before pursuing a successful solo career, has died “peacefully” at his home in England at the age of 53. Michael, born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, first made his name on the UK pop scene in the early 80s as one half of Wham!, with chart-topping hits such as “Wake […]
It is easy to forget there was a time in the UAE before big concerts such as Coldplay’s New Year’s Eve performance that will rock du Arena on Saturday night. That major shows put on by world-class acts such as The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Rihanna and Justin Timberlake were not always the norm in the UAE. The country has become such a regional entertainment hub in […]
JERUSALEM: In the days following the UN Security Council’s resolution affirming the illegality of Israeli settlements, it is business as usual as the Jerusalem municipality is expected to approve about 5,600 more homes.Israeli officials acknowledged that the move to expand the settlements in East Jerusalem was a direct response to the Security Council Resolution 2334 that was approved by 14 countries — Britain, Russia, China, France, Egypt […]
China’s land ministry will automatically renew residential leases set to expire next year, temporarily dispelling homeowners’ concerns about an erosion of their property rights. In an announcement at the weekend, the land ministry said that 20-year residential property leases in the eastern city of Wenzhou would be automatically extended without charge, ending speculation that homeowners would face steep renewal fees equivalent to one-third of their property’s value. Ever […]
If your New Year’s resolution is to try something that gets the adrenaline pumping and takes you out of your comfort zone then read on. We have rounded up 14 ideas to get you started. newslide Skydiving The ultimate thrill for adrenaline-seekers is a tandem jump from 13,000 feet over the Palm Jumeirah. Although somewhat pricey, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but the fee includes a video […]
By Jeffrey Heller | JERUSALEM JERUSALEM Israel summoned the ambassadors of 10 nations to Jerusalem to reprimand them on Sunday and had more harsh words for the Obama administration over a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding an end to settlement-building. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put his personal imprint on the show of anger by repeating at the weekly cabinet meeting what an unidentified Israeli government official contended […]
A Russian military aircraft crashed into the Black Sea on its way to Syria on Sunday, and none of the 92 people on board were expected to have survived, according to the Russian defence ministry. Among those on board the Tupolev-154 were members of the well-known Alexandrov Choir, who were to perform at Hmeymim air base. From that base, in Latakia province, Russia has flown most of […]
Photo Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attending the weekly cabinet meeting at his Jerusalem office on Sunday. Credit Pool photo by Dan Balilty JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel further escalated his criticism of the departing Obama administration on Sunday, publicly accusing it of having orchestrated the United Nations Security Council resolution that condemned Israel’s settlement construction. It was the second consecutive day of rising […]
Israel on Sunday summoned ambassadors of countries that belong to the UN Security Council for a Christmas Day reprimand for their support of a resolution condemning Israel’s illegal settlements on Palestinian lands. The UK was among the countries which saw its diplomats called into Israel’s ministry of foreign affairs on Sunday. David Quarrey, Britain’s ambassador to Israel, told the Financial Times. While Mr Quarrey was in the […]
“Once you start doing good things week in and week out,” said Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler, who had two interceptions and a fumble recovery, “you start to conquer teams.” Graphic Week 16 Playoff Trees: Explore Every N.F.L. Contender’s Path to the Postseason Exploring the playoff chances and potential seedings of every N.F.L. team that hasn’t been eliminated. OPEN Graphic Presumably, the Patriots will face better quarterbacks in […]
As I was scrolling through my Instagram for the fifth time before I slept I saw a meme that was all too familiar. The meme was of an interviewer saying: “We are looking for someone between the ages of 22 and 26 with 30 years experience.” It made me laugh as it brought back memories of job rejections after graduating from university due to my lack of […]
