Saudi Aramco is likely to list its shares simultaneously on more than one exchange but this is still under evaluation, Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said on Thursday. Asked by reporters if Aramco would list first on the Saudi bourse and then on another exchange abroad, Falih said: “It will probably be done concurrently, but we have not announced. We are evaluating. All our options are open.” The […]
By Christopher Johnson | LONDON LONDON Oil prices rose on Thursday as evidence that OPEC and other big exporters were cutting production outweighed a sharp rise in U.S. crude and gasoline stockpiles. Brent crude was up 50 cents at $57.30 a barrel by 1115 GMT (6:15 a.m. ET) after settling up $1.22 in the previous session. U.S. light crude gained 30 cents to $54.18 after climbing by […]
Boston Dynamics is showing off its latest creation: a “nightmare-inducing” robot equipped with two wheels called Handle. At the Abundance360 event in Los Angeles, company founder Marc Raibert took the stage to unveil the machine via a video, and he had this to say as an introduction: “This is the debut presentation of what I think will be a nightmare-inducing robot, if you’re anything like me.” Looking […]
The number of high earners across the EU’s financial institutions leapt in 2015 compared with a year earlier, increasing by 33 per cent. The European Banking Authority, which collated the data, attributed the rise to the weak euro against the pound at the time. Since the UK’s vote to leave the EU last June sterling’s strength against the euro has been battered. The vast majority of those […]
Targeting the weak The us-versus-them dynamic is “easy for many people to rally around,” said Jonathan D. Weiler, a political scientist at the University of North Carolina. Targeting feared or unpopular minorities is a way of “setting a boundary,” said Sheri E. Berman, a political scientist at Barnard College — a way to distinguish between “us” deserving of protection, and “them” who are a threat. Continue reading […]
Chocolate industry executives breathed a collective sigh of relief earlier this year after the impact of the bankruptcy of a key cocoa industry player at the end of 2016 remained muted as a result of a weak cocoa market. Expectations of bumper supplies from west Africa, the leading regional producer of cocoa beans, have been weighing on bean prices of the key chocolate ingredient. This has helped […]
Grab has announced plans to invest US$700 million in Indonesia over the next four years, as part of efforts to increase its footprint in a market where it has seen growth. The Southeast Asian ride-sharing operator said Thursday the new investment would support the Indonesian government’s ambition of becoming the region’s largest digital economy by 2020. It would include plans to set up a research and development […]
The Atlanta Falcons will defeat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 51. This prediction comes from a researcher who backs his claim with seven years of National Football League (NFL) data and statistics. (via WSJ)
The Western Australian government has awarded a contract to Telstra Health to roll out a AU$10 million Community Health Information System in an effort to “close the gap” in access to health information between metro residents and those living in rural areas. The health information system is designed to record data on children’s health, including their vaccinations, as well as providing information about public health issues, management […]
This worldview borrows from the “clash of civilizations” thesis of the political scientist Samuel P. Huntington, and combines straightforward warnings about extremist violence with broad-brush critiques of Islam. It sometimes conflates terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and the Islamic State with largely nonviolent groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood and its offshoots and, at times, with the 1.7 billion Muslims around the world. In its more extreme […]
Almost a decade on from the financial crisis, a global deadline for reform of the $544tn derivatives market has triggered a last-minute scramble by hundreds of small banks, insurers and pension funds. Many of these institutions use bespoke derivatives such as swaps to protect their operations from sudden changes in asset prices. In a month’s time they face higher costs and regulatory burdens. Plenty are not ready. […]
Image: Rick Rycroft/AP/REX/Shutterstock/@JohnJohnsonson By Ariel Bogle2017-02-02 06:27:02 UTC Telstra probably hoped the hashtag #TelstraOutage would be left behind in 2016. Sorry honey, no such luck. On Thursday afternoon, Australia’s largest phone network went down for some users following a fire at a Chatswood exchange, which impacted mobile and fixed services. While the outage was genuinely disruptive, many could not resist making the joke of the day. And […]
The banking caucus Economic stability and improved bank safety haven’t stopped supporters of the Choice Act from moving forward with tearing down Dodd-Frank. The bill was introduced in September by Rep. Jeb Hensarling, a Texas Republican who is a deregulation crusader and friend of Vice President Mike Pence; Pence represented Indiana in the House from 2001 to 2013 and was a critic of Dodd-Frank when the law […]
Telstra has said that as a result of a fire at its Chatswood exchange, it is possible that customers’ SMS messages have been delivered to people other than the intended recipients. “As a result of the Chatswood exchange fire today, it’s possible some SMS messages have been incorrectly delivered,” a Telstra spokesperson said. “As mentioned previously, customers won’t be receiving SMS messages in the short term while […]
A heart failure team is using big data to kick-start a project that is working to improve communication across the continuum of care, and ultimately reduce readmissions for heart failure patients. (via WSJ)
TOKYO Asian shares inched up to four-month highs while the dollar was finding its feet on Thursday after the U.S. Federal Reserve stuck to its mildly upbeat economic view but gave no hint of accelerating rate hikes. While strong economic data from the United States and elsewhere have underpinned risk assets, uncertainty and concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies have markets on edge. “With many of […]
The death of Chief Petty Officer William Owens came after a chain of mishaps and misjudgments that plunged the elite commandos into a ferocious 50-minute firefight that also left three troops wounded and a $75 million aircraft deliberately destroyed. There are allegations — which the Pentagon acknowledged on Wednesday night are most likely correct — that the mission also killed several civilians, including some children. The dead […]
February 2, 2017 by: Hudson Lockett in Hong Kong Thursday 02.00 GMT Overview Stock markets were mixed in Asia after the US Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged but hinted at further rises this year. The Australian dollar gained against its US counterpart on data showing a record trade surplus, while oil pared back some of Wednesday’s gains. Hot topic The Australian dollar gained 0.6 per cent […]
Samsung Electronics will launch Samsung Pay Mini, the company has announced, which will offer online payment services for all Android-powered smartphones. To be launched within the first quarter, the new app will also allow non-Samsung Android phones to use Samsung Pay services such as membership, lifestyle, and transportation. They will not be able to use offline payments using a reader, however, as offline payment support requires Samsung’s […]
This May 13, 2014, file photo shows a row of Google self-driving Lexus cars at a Google event outside the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif. California regulators release safety reports filed by 11 companies that have been testing self-driving car prototypes on public roads on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017. The papers report the number of times in 2016 that human backup drivers took control from […]
Saudi Arabia will invite international and domestic companies to bid for renewable energy projects in April, the energy minister said on Wednesday, adding that he expected to award the deals in September. Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih, speaking at a news conference in Riyadh said the projects would include two new solar and wind power plants with a capacity to produce 700 megawatts of power. The projects are […]
IBM Watson can now do your taxes for you IBM’s Watson is going to start doing taxes via a partnership with H&R Block. The companies said that H&R Block will apply Watson to tax preparation starting February 6. Tax professionals will use Watson to improve customer service, identify credits and deductions. IBM and H&R Block sais Watson will augment humans. In addition, H&R Block with Watson will […]
Researchers have set a new record in the transfer of information via superdense coding, a process by which the properties of particles like photons, protons and electrons are used to store as much information as possible. (via WSJ)
By Rodrigo Campos | NEW YORK NEW YORK The S&P 500 edged higher on Wednesday to cap a four-day losing streak, buoyed by gains in Apple shares and after the Federal Reserve kept U.S. interest rates unchanged, as expected. Apple (AAPL.O) shares rose 6.1 percent to $128.75, its highest close in a year and a half. This made it the biggest positive influence on the three major […]
