As if Uber’s woes couldn’t get any more taxing than it currently is. The company is dealing with extremely controversial sexual harassment allegations, being sued by Google over allegedly stolen designs, and now it has to deal with another controversy altogether, this time of its CEO, Travis Kalanick, arguing — with harsh words, no less — with an Uber driver in a video caught by the car’s dashcam. Travis […]
Australia’s corporate world has been warned that executives must disclose workplace romances or risk censure and financial penalties, following a decision by QBE Insurance to slash the pay of its chief executive over an affair. This week the insurer’s board cut A$550,000 (US$420,000) from the short-term bonus awarded to John Neal because he failed to notify them in a timely manner of a relationship he was having […]
Hospitality firm sbe has announced it will open its first hotel in the Middle East with the launch of Mondrian Doha, Qatar in the second quarter of 2017. This soft opening will set the stage for Mondrian Doha’s grand opening celebration, which follows in late September, the company said in a statement. The 270-room hotel has been designed in collaboration with world-renowned Dutch designer, Marcel Wanders, and […]
UK government The UK government has outlined plans for a post-Brexit digital strategy to move technology to the heart of the country. On Wednesday, the government announced the launch of the Digital Strategy, which promises to place “skills, infrastructure and innovation” at the forefront to support “Britain’s world-leading digital economy.” The government claims over four million free digital skills training courses will be created through the scheme. […]
Snapchat is displayed on a smartphone on September 27, 2016 in Berlin, GermanyImage: Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images By Kerry Flynn2017-03-01 06:19:41 UTC Snap Inc. has been playing with drones. The New York Times reported Tuesday that the company has worked on building its own drones, citing three people “briefed on the project who asked to remain anonymous because the details are confidential.” The piece doesn’t get […]
Shortly after breaking the Panama Papers, an international exclusive that shed light on illegal offshore banking around the globe, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists should have been riding high. Instead, the scrappy cross-border investigative team was facing the dreary prospect of laying staffers off due to a financial squeeze at its parent organization, the Center for Public Integrity. “I did feel a little deflated,” said Gerard […]
Schon Properties transferred 2.33 million square feet of development at Dubai Lagoon to Xanadu Real Estate Development LLC, it was announced today. The move is part of the overall development of the Dh7 billion master-planned mixed-use project. The agreement involves the development of three phases of Dubai Lagoon, including Rowan, Lilly and, Winterberry developments. Dubai Lagoon will now be developed by Xanadu Real Estate Development, a Dubai-based […]
· The 50 million man-hours spans three years, during which McDermott has installed over 80,000 tonnes of steel and laid over 200 km of pipeline 01 March 2017 Dubai – Leading EPCI contractor McDermott International, Inc. (NYSE:MDR), today announced it reached 50 million man-hours without a lost time incident in its Middle East Area. “Everyone at McDermott had a part to play in reaching the 50 million man-hour […]
Snap Inc, owner of popular messaging app Snapchat, will price its initial public offering after the U.S. stock market closes on Wednesday in the most eagerly awaited technology IPO since Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba went public in 2014. The pricing will be the first test of investor appetite for a social-media app beloved by teenagers and 20-somethings but which has yet to turn a profit. The company’s […]
YouTube is trying to carve a space in the broad spectrum of video streaming services currently occupied by formidables Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming services offering on-demand programming. It’s launching a $35-a-month TV service that could possibly further disrupt traditional cable providers. YouTube TV Takes On Cable Services YouTube officially unveiled YouTube TV on Feb. 28, its response to similar setups by Dish’s SlingTV, AT&T’s DirecTV Now, and even Sony’s […]
The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) has published a request for information (RFI), seeking help to narrow down what IT services the government agency needs to outsource before heading to tender from July next year. The ANAO has labelled the RFI a “mutual discovery process” which it said will allow the ANAO to gain information and insights on providers in the market and in return allow providers […]
Several news organizations, including BuzzFeed, Mic and Business Insider, were affected by today’s glitch with Amazon Web Services. Amazon Web Services, one of the largest hosting providers in the world, is experiencing problems in its U.S. East region, which contains many of the servers that news organizations headquartered on the East Coast rely upon. “We’re working as quickly as possible to resolve some issues caused by Amazon […]
A new contract for future Olympic Games hosts that makes the protection of human rights a core requirement earned praise from rights groups on Tuesday who say preparations of major sports events lead to rights violations. The International Olympic Committee has now made a specific reference to the protection of human rights in its revised host city contract, sent out to the 2024 summer Olympic bid cities, […]
Just under 70 minutes, 4,825 words, and the message was clear – the speech was about “will” and “Americans” Additionally “Obamacare” was mentioned 5 times, “Historic” was mentioned 3 times, and “massive” twice. .. I am here tonight to deliver a message of unity and strength, and it is a message deeply delivered from my heart. #JointAddress — President Trump (@POTUS) March 1, 2017 President Trump got […]
King Salman’s extravagant travel arrangements have captured the public imagination ahead of the Saudi monarch’s high-profile visit to Indonesia beginning Wednesday, but billions of dollars in oil and other investment deals are also at stake. The trade deals could be worth as much as $25 billion, including a $6 billion project between the two nation’s oil companies, according to Indonesian officials who briefed reporters on the scheduled […]
By David Shepardson | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON German automakers dominated Consumer Reports’ annual ranking of automotive brands released on Tuesday, with Volkswagen AG’s (VOWG_p.DE) Audi (NSUG.DE) leading the pack, while U.S. brands continued to lag despite gains for many. Jake Fisher, director of auto testing at the magazine, said German automakers rose largely due to improvements in reliability. “Building one or two great vehicles is achievable, but making […]
March 1, 2017 by: Nicole Bullock in New York and Hannah Kuchler in San Francisco Investor interest in shares in the owner of the Snapchat messaging app is likely to ensure enough demand to price its initial public offering above the range set by the company, according to people with knowledge of the deal. The shares could price at $17-$18 a piece compared with the range set […]
In recent years the idea that no person or fund can consistently outperform the wider stock market by skill alone has been fashionable. Emboldened by traditional investment houses haemorrhaging market share to automated passive funds, the once-maligned advocates of the efficient market hypothesis have revised their mantra: you can’t beat the market, so buy an exchange traded fund instead. Outsiders listening in to this debate may conclude […]
28 February 2017 A host of local and international experts discussed the requirements needed for the UAE to successfully establish a Reproduction Rights Organisation (RRO), during the second day of the Emirates Reproduction Rights Forum, which took place yesterday (Tuesday) in Sharjah. Hosted at the emirate’s Flag Island, the concluding activities in the first forum of its kind in the region featured experts on reproduction rights who […]
The six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will discuss the likelihood of constructing a regional rail network by 2021 at a meeting of regional ministers in April, a United Arab Emirates minister said on Tuesday. The regional bloc made up of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar last year reached an agreement in principle to delay the 2018 completion date until 2021. “Commitment is there. […]
Image by Arafat Uddin (Creative Commons) The financial services industry is undergoing digital disruption and change. Insurance, as part of that industry, also faces new opportunities and challenges. To explore these issues, I spoke with the CIO for Information at Swiss reinsurance giant, Swiss Re. Rainer Baumann handles the data and tools that experts inside the company use to understand and evaluate a broad range of insurance […]
By Steve Holland | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON After a turbulent start to his presidency, Donald Trump goes before the U.S. Congress on Tuesday night to give a speech that will be closely watched for details of his plans for the economy and whether he can strike a more conciliatory tone. World financial markets will be scrutinizing the 9 p.m. (0200 GMT Wednesday) address in the House of Representatives […]
By Christine Murray | MEXICO CITY MEXICO CITY Mexico’s telecoms regulator has discussed forcing billionaire Carlos Slim to legally separate his fixed-line company Telmex from his wireless business, three people familiar with the matter said. On Monday evening, the regulator’s seven-person board voted on whether to toughen, maintain or loosen rules against America Movil (AMXL.MX) and broadcaster Grupo Televisa (TLVACPO.MX), according to the three people, who declined […]
First Gulf Bank (FGB) chief executive officer Andre Sayegh on Tuesday said its merger with the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) will create a “large and strong” bank that can compete on an international scale. The merger of the two Abu Dhabi-based banks was announced in July last year which when completed by end of first quarter 2017 will create one of the largest banks in […]
