Photo Mayor Nir Barkat of Jerusalem says he is optimistic that when Donald J. Trump is president, he will move the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, whose status is contested by Israel and the Palestinians. Credit Associated Press/Tsafrir Abayov The mayor of Jerusalem says that he is optimistic that once Donald J. Trump becomes president, the United States will quickly move its embassy in […]
By Ahmed Mohammed Hassan and Ali Abdelaty | CAIRO CAIRO A bombing at Cairo’s largest Coptic cathedral killed at least 25 people and wounded 49, many of them women and children attending Sunday mass, in the deadliest attack on Egypt’s Christian minority in years. The attack comes as President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi fights battles on several fronts. His economic reforms have angered the poor, a bloody crackdown […]
In the past 70 years, the world’s population tripled to more than seven billion and average global temperature increased by nearly one degree Celsius. Population growth and climate change are associated with big challenges facing modern agriculture. New research combines computer science and biology to identify genes that make plants more resistant to stress factors, such as drought and saline soils. (via WSJ)
By Doina Chiacu and Howard Schneider | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON U.S. President-elect Donald Trump rejected as “ridiculous” reported U.S. intelligence findings that Russia intervened in the presidential election on his behalf through targeted hacking, saying he did not believe it, according to an interview on “Fox News Sunday.” The Republican president-elect’s comments casting doubt on reported U.S. intelligence findings pits him against some leading foreign policy voices in […]
An astounding 60 percent of employees have been given their walking papers at Yik Yak, a chat app particularly popular among college students. The massive layoff saw the 50-strong startup reduced to a motley crew of 20 on Dec. 8. Yik Yak Layoff The recent development has been surprising for tech industry observers because Yik Yak has managed to raise $73.5 million from investors since it began its […]
By Edward McAllister | BANJUL BANJUL Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh, who initially accepted his defeat in a Dec. 1 election before making a dramatic about-face, will challenge the poll result before the Supreme Court, the ruling party said in a statement. His loss to opposition candidate Adama Barrow, announced by the elections commission last week and followed by his rapid concession, had sparked hope for change in […]
Photo A nun surveyed the scene after a deadly bombing at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Cairo on Sunday. Credit Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters CAIRO — A bomb ripped through a section reserved for women at Cairo’s main Coptic cathedral during Sunday morning Mass, killing at least 25 people and wounding 49, mostly women and children, Egyptian state media said. The attack was the deadliest against Egypt’s Christian minority […]
MUMBAI Tata Sons on Sunday renewed its appeal to shareholders of Tata group companies to remove Cyrus Mistry from the board of those companies, saying his presence as chairman “is likely to lead to fragmentation of the Tata Group”. In a boardroom coup in October, Mistry was ousted as chairman of Tata Sons, holding firm of the $100 billion Tata empire, but he remains on the board […]
Rick Telander admits he has an addiction. “I read three to four hours each day,” Telander said. “Sometimes as much as eight hours. I can’t stop myself. I am addicted to the English language.” Naturally, Telander jumped at the opportunity to be the editor of “The Best American Sports Writing: 2016.” The annual anthology, overseen by series editor Glenn Stout, should be a must-read for every sports […]
In a move that is certain to infuriate those who see Trump as nothing more than a puppet of the Kremlin, moments ago NBC reported that Rex Tillerson, CEO of Exxon Mobil and late entrant into the SecState race after his first meeting with the president elect this past Tuesday at the Trump Tower, has been picked by Trump to serve as his next Secretary of State. […]
DUBAI Iran may spare the life of businessman Babak Zanjani, sentenced to death for fraud, if he can pay back large sums he owes to the government for oil sales despite sanctions, a judiciary spokesman said on Sunday. Earlier this month, Iran’s supreme court upheld the death penalty against Zanjani, accused by prosecutors of owing the government more than $2.7 billion for oil sold on behalf of […]
Dylan breaks Nobel prize silence Bob Dylan has expressed awe at receiving the Nobel Prize in literature and thanked the Swedish Academy for including him among the “giants” of writing. Dylan was absent from Saturday’s award ceremony and banquet in Stockholm. But in remarks read by the US ambassador, he alluded to the debate about whether the award should go to a songwriter. Dylan said when Shakespeare […]
Paolo Gentiloni, Italy’s foreign minister, has been chosen to replace Matteo Renzi as prime minister amid signs of a quick solution to the political crisis that has convulsed the eurozone’s third-largest economy during the past week. After three days of consultations with parliamentary leaders of all stripes, Sergio Mattarella, Italy’s president, on Sunday summoned Mr Gentiloni to the presidential palace in central Rome and asked him to […]
JAKARTA Indonesian police on Sunday were hunting for more suspects linked to a foiled plot to bomb targets in Jakarta, with the arrest of a woman among a trio detained a day earlier pointing to a new recruitment tactic by Islamist militants, they said. Authorities are also concerned about smaller cells being formed by militants in Muslim-majority Indonesia, which is grappling with a resurgence in homegrown militancy, […]
By Patrick Markey | QARAQOSH, Iraq QARAQOSH, Iraq For decades, the Immaculate Conception Church in Qaraqosh was the heart of Iraq’s largest Christian town. After two years under Islamic State rule, it lies scarred and desecrated. In the church’s inner courtyard, Islamic State fighters set up a shooting range for target practice, leaving behind bullet-riddled female mannequins and hardboard figures when they were driven out. The yard’s […]
11 December 2016 Riyadh – Under the patronage of the governor of small and medium enterprises authority, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), represented by Badir Program for Technology Incubators and accelerators, is hosting the fifth ArabNet Riyadh – the largest and most influential digital conference in the Kingdom – on December 12-14, 2016 to be held at the Four Seasons Hotel. […]
When there is news about banks having a security issue or a systems-related problem, the story often ends with customers having their sensitive information compromised and banks scrambling to chase after the hackers who breached their systems. Earlier in the year, hackers were found to have stolen $80 million from the Bank of Bangladesh due to its poor security system, and another report revealed that the central bank of […]
Uncover some of the cool new features hidden in iOS 10. Here is a quick rundown of some of the new features contained in the latest iOS 10 update that you might have missed. While most of these should be available on all devices that support iOS 10, some will only be available on newer devices. See also: How to make the rechargeable battery in your smartphone, […]
They confided their dilemmas over whether to flee to government-held areas or stay put until the bitter end, a choice that split up many families. They described escalating bombardment and attacks that have killed women and children trying to reach safe ground. They revealed deepening rifts among rebel groups, and between fighters and civilians, over whether and how to surrender. Continue reading the main story Some told […]
By Angus McDowall | BEIRUT BEIRUT When President Bashar al-Assad turns from the wreckage of Aleppo to assert his authority across a fractured Syria, it will be as a figure who is virtually unassailable by rebels, but still faces great challenges in restoring the power of his state. The expected fall of Aleppo would mean rebels have almost no chance of ousting Assad, but their revolt has […]
Those living in warmer climes will know that colds and flu appear to have little to do with actually being cold. In winter – when temperatures in the UAE are usually pleasant – many people get hit by the flu bug. “The influenza virus survives better in colder and drier climates, and therefore is able to infect more people, especially those who spend more time indoors with […]
A team of researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, the ETH Zurich, have produced artificial beta cells for the treatment of diabetes. Artificial Beta Cell Production The artificial beta cells produced by ETH Zurich researchers are capable of performing all the functions of typical pancreatic cells. It is noted that the cells have the ability to measure the concentration of glucose in the bloodstream and produce […]
Photo Alexander Novak, Russia’s energy minister, left, with Khalid Al-Falih, Saudi Arabia’s energy and industry minister, after OPEC members and 12 other countries met in Vienna, Austria, on Saturday. Credit Lisi Niesner/European Pressphoto Agency Russia and other oil producers agreed on Saturday to join OPEC nations in a rare, coordinated reduction in oil output meant to lift petroleum prices and revenues to shore up their sagging government […]
By Ayman al-Warfalli | BENGHAZI BENGHAZI Just 10 people left a besieged neighbourhood in the east Libyan city of Benghazi on Saturday after forces surrounding the area said they would grant safe passage to trapped civilians, security and Red Crescent officials said. The eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) has been besieging the district of Ganfouda for months as it tries to take full control of Benghazi following […]
