BEIJING Chinese state media has reacted with anger and threats of boycotts after the board of an affiliate of South Korea’s Lotte Group approved a land swap with the government that will enable authorities to deploy a U.S. missile defence system. The government decided last year to deploy the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, in response to the North Korean missile threat, on land […]
The fact that farm incomes have come under increasing pressure over the past couple of years should come as little surprise to our readers (for those who missed our latest update, see: “Midwest Farm Bubble Continues Collapse As Farm Incomes Expected To Crash In 2017“). Unfortunately, at least according to Bank of America’s Global Ag Chemical team led by Steve Byrne, farmers shouldn’t expect a reprieve any […]
KUALA LUMPUR Malaysia’s police chief said on Tuesday police were aware of two North Korea-linked companies that were identified in a Reuters report as firms operating an arms business in the Southeast Asian country. Khalid Abu Bakar said the two companies, International Global System and International Golden Services, were in the process of being “struck off”. “We have also taken all necessary actions to comply with international […]
SoftBank is leading efforts to consolidate the space technology sector with talks to merge OneWeb, the US satellite start-up it backs, with Intelsat, one of the world’s largest commercial satellite operators. Bonds sold by Intelsat surged on Monday after it was reported that the deeply indebted satellite operator was nearing a deal with SoftBank to merge with OneWeb, which raised $1.2bn from the Japanese group and other investors in December. […]
Chinese companies have borrowed more money from the international bond market than from domestic investors so far this year, breaking with tradition as authorities in Beijing focus on curbing capital outflows. Banks and other corporate borrowers have been quietly encouraged to raise money offshore in other currencies, limiting the need for Chinese companies to sell renminbi to finance overseas investments. Borrowing more outside the mainland also allows […]
BEIJING A youth named by China as the second-highest figure in Tibetan Buddhism, but reviled as a fake by many Tibetans, has praised the Communist Party’s religious policies in Tibet in a lunar new year message, saying they made him feel “very happy”. Although officially atheist, China selected Gyaltsen Norbu as the 11th Panchen Lama in 1995 in a drive to win the hearts and minds of […]
By Afp Published: 17:17 EST, 27 February 2017 | Updated: 17:17 EST, 27 February 2017 The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists gained notoriety last year by publishing leaked documents from Panama that linked some of the world’s most powerful leaders to unreported offshore companies The investigative reporting alliance known for uncovering the massive Panama Papers scandal has become an independent entity, a move that may help it […]
Cairo, Egypt 27 February 2017 An academic study today revealed that Uber provides Egyptians with new economic opportunities against the current and anticipated economic challenges, especially the rising unemployment of the youth and the educated. The study, entitled A Glimpse into the Sharing Economy: An Analysis of Uber Driver-Partners in Egypt, by Dr. Nagla Rizk, professor of economics & founding director of the Access to Knowledge for Development […]
The National Australia Bank (NAB) has announced the appointment of three executives on Tuesday, which includes former New South Wales Premier Mike Baird. Baird will join the bank in the capacity of chief customer officer, Corporate & Institutional Banking, after announcing his retirement from politics in January. Joining Baird at NAB is Patrick Wright, who leaves his tenure as global chief Operations & Technology at Barclays in […]
The UAE is one of the world’s leading food and beverage markets, worth Dh52.4 billion in 2015, according to global market research group Euromonitor. Dubai alone has about 7,500 places to eat, from street cafes and fast-food outlets to fine-dining and high-end restaurants established by big-name chefs. Many will showcase their best dishes during Dubai Restaurant Week, which ends on Saturday. Click here for our guide. Jean-Luc […]
Gold’s almost 10 per cent advance this year will be in jeopardy should US president Donald Trump’s key address to Congress on Tuesday reignite the dollar rally and prospect for higher interest rates. The yellow metal has been one of the chief beneficiaries of the cooling this year of the so-called “Trumpflation” trade, which sent the dollar to a 13-year high in early January and helped buoy […]
The number of mobile phone users globally will top 5 bn by the middle of this year, according to a study The number of mobile phone users globally will surpass five billion by the middle of this year, according to a study released Monday by GSMA, the association of mobile operators. With populations in Asia, and notably India, on the rise, the number, which stood at 4.8 […]
And so it has happened. Less than 100 days into his presidency, Donald Trump is being cited by a corrupt and despotic regime to justify new restrictions on rights and freedoms. On Saturday, Cambodia’s council of ministers spokesman Phay Siphan vowed to “crush” media entities that endanger the “peace and security” of the kingdom, calling on all “foreign agents” to self-censor or be shut down. He justified […]
Saudi Arabia may increase its domestic gasoline prices by 30 percent from July, industry sources said, part of a reform plan by the world’s top oil exporter to align its fuel prices with global benchmark levels. In December 2015 the kingdom raised the price of 95 octane gasoline to 0.90 riyal ($0.24) per litre from 0.60 riyal. However, that still kept Saudi Arabia among the countries with […]
The Center for Public Integrity officially announced the spinoff of The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) today. “We’re intensely proud of the success of the consortium and also proud to have birthed it, nurtured it and sustained it for nearly two decades,” said John Dunbar, chief executive officer of the Center for Public Integrity. “We wish them nothing but continued success.” The ICIJ has tremendous momentum and […]
Arto Nummela, Chief Executive Officer at HMD Global, shows the new re-launched Nokia 3310 phone, ahead of Monday’s opening of the Mobile World Congress wireless show in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017. Finland-based HMD Global is re-launching the simple Nokia 3310 model along with unveiling three new devices at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) Samsung’s product showcase Sunday is notable for what’s missing: […]
It was less than a year ago that the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and more than 100 other media partners began publishing the largest investigation in journalism history: The Panama Papers. Even here at ICIJ – where we’ve grown accustomed to our work sparking major impacts – we were surprised by the reaction. Citizens hit the streets in protest. Governments and corporations around the world opened […]
27 February 2017 Dubai, UAE: The global food industry needs to make fundamental shifts in its operations to advance food safety worldwide, the Global Halal Industry Platform held in Dubai today has heard. The Platform, organised by the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Meteorogy (ESMA) and part of the educational programme of Gulfood, the world’s largest annual food event running at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) until […]
The UAE is coming of age in the health and fitness arena and this is particularly evident in not only the types of gyms and fitness centres that are opening, but the range of classes on offer too. No longer are fitness fans limited to the below-par gym in their apartment tower or the international chain at their nearest mall. Here’s a roundup of luxurious, unique and […]
On Tuesday evening, Donald Trump will head to Capitol Hill to deliver an address to both houses of Congress. Such speeches have provided the US president’s predecessors with the opportunity to convey three main messages: their assessment of the country’s overall situation, the domestic legislative programme they hope Congress will pass in coming months and the main areas of global focus — all this in the context […]
Alcatel’s new Plus 12, a Windows 10 two-in-one with 4G. Image: Alcatel Alcatel has unveiled a two-in-one Windows 10 device with 4G LTE built into its detachable keyboard. The device, aimed at business users, features a 12-inch HD display, a 5MP front camera and ‘loud’ dual speakers for videoconferencing, and is powered by a Intel Celeron N3350. The detachable 4G LTE keyboard can serve as a wi-fi […]
Telstra and Ericsson have announced that they will be launching an LTE-Broadcast (LTE-B) network across the country by 2018 using 3GPP standards. The network, announced during Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona on Monday morning, will be progressively deployed starting in 2017. As part of the rollout, Ericsson and Expway are working to implement multicast operation on demand (MooD) technology — which will shift customers between unicast […]
The Nokia 6 will be available globally this year. Image: Nokia/HMD Global The MWC trade show in Barcelona is the event where the smartphone industry shows off its latest innovations. This year, however, one of the biggest stories from the show has a distinctly retro feel: the launch of a new range of Nokia smartphones. At MWC on Sunday, HMD Global announced the launch of three […]
By Eric Auchard | BARCELONA BARCELONA Nokia (NOKIA.HE) sees demand for higher speed 4G network equipment starting to recover this year, led by Japan, the company’s chief executive Rajeev Suri said on Sunday as he announced a series of contracts with telecom operators. Speaking at a news conference ahead of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Suri also predicted a new wave of industry consolidation among telecom […]
