By Nick Carey | ORWELL, Ohio ORWELL, Ohio Three years ago if a customer walked onto Dan Reel’s used car lot seeking a late-model off-lease Ford Escape, his answer was short: tough luck. The supply of lightly-used cars and trucks was tight because automakers had drastically cut back on bargain leases during and after the Great Recession. Recently, though, a computer search for available used vehicles within […]
In 2005, when Alan Murray was rising through the ranks at The Wall Street Journal, he ponied up for an executive education program at Stanford. The cost? Around $45,000, back then. The length of the program? A few weeks. The whole experience left him thinking these programs were ripe for disruption from a competitor who could do it better and cheaper. “Businesses spend a lot of money […]
To watch the performance of the N League’s topchis and assorted bandmasters, it almost seems as if their leadership has scored a Waterloo triumph against the uniformed lot in the matter of the Dawn leaks. By announcing a virtual ceasefire the army has taken a step back, that’s for sure. To appease the army’s mood a few small sacrificial offerings have been made and that’s about it. […]
Why Zadar? On the northern half of Croatia’s sunny Adriatic Coast, Zadar’s old town centre is crammed with rich, multilayered history – Roman, Romanesque, medieval, Venetian – enhanced by art installations and a vibrant cafe scene. For many years, Zadar remained off the main Croatian tourist trail, in favour of Dubrovnik and Split, which is a shame because it’s as beautiful as either of these and its […]
BANGKOK Thailand’s new King Maha Vajiralongkorn attended an annual ploughing ceremony on Friday where sacred oxen predicted a bountiful harvest, auguring well for the world’s second largest rice exporter’s hopes of selling more this year. The royal ploughing ceremony is an ancient Brahminical rite which heralds the start of the new rice growing season. Broadcast on state television, the rite is celebrated in Thailand as a national […]
Pantech, Korea’s third-largest handset maker, has suspended its smartphone business and will commence restructuring, a move that could see it end for good despite surviving a dramatic bankruptcy filing two years ago. In an email to employees, Jung Jun, the chairman of Optis, the parent company of Pantech, said the company will halt production of smartphones and commence the restructuring. The company will retain its Internet of […]
Good morals and just values are the beginnings of religious belief and the reasons why believers should look to the Prophet Mohammed’s example, mosque-goers will hear on Friday. The Prophet urged Muslims to embrace the best of character, which was exemplified in his saying: “Indeed, by his good character, a believer will attain the status of the one who stands for prayer in the night and fast […]
The welcome I arrive using the minivan shuttle service that runs between the Monte Carlo SBM’s four hotels every 20 minutes. Travelling from the five-star Hermitage, with its old-world beauty dating from 1900, to the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, a four-star, 10-storey structure opened in 2005, is less jarring than expected – the newer hotel is both inviting and more laid-back. Check-in is done quickly […]
Kuala Lumpur, 11 May 2017 The fifth edition of Islamic Financial Services Board’s (IFSB) annual Islamic Financial Services Industry Stability Report 2017 examines the implications of the recent economic developments and changes in the global regulatory and supervisory frameworks on the global Islamic financial services industry (IFSI). Amidst a challenging external environment brought on by the changing policy directions and uncertainties in the global economic landscape, institutions […]
The future of the popular Hitman video game franchise seems uncertain for now, as Square Enix just announced that it has dropped developer IO Interactive. Square Enix broke the news upon announcing that it has booked an “extraordinary loss” in the fiscal year that ended on March 31, 2017 and as a result, it’s rethinking its strategy going forward. Square Enix Drops IO Interactive: What Now? Moving […]
A lot has changed in the past 14 years. Our big ol’ soft spot for Love Actually isn’t one of them. And NBC knows this, which is why they’ve just dropped a brand-new trailer for Red Nose Day Actually – the reunion special that brings the entire gang back together for a good cause (a version of which already aired in the U.K.). Everyone looks older and […]
Lexar’s microSD reader for Lightning devices Lexar Tired of paying Apple big bucks for extra storage when Android users get to enjoy an SD card slot? Here how you can add a microSD card slot to your iPhone or iPad. And best of all, it is only going to cost you $35. Must read: iOS 10: Pro tips and tricks All you need is Lexar’s tiny microSD […]
Verizon had a bidding war with AT&T over Straight Path Communications and it just sealed the deal, acquiring the company for more than $3 billion. More specifically, Verizon outbid AT&T and agreed to pay $184 per share in an all-stock transaction, amounting to $3.1 billion in total. The bidding war started when AT&T offered $95.63 per share, but Verizon raised and AT&T folded. Verizon Outbid AT&T “[T]he […]
Moon Jae-in’s presidency of South Korea began with admirable pledges to handle an unpredictable and belligerent next-door neighbour, North Korea, and tackle economic problems. He will also tackle broader regional tensions, China’s outrage at the United States THAAD missile defence system in South Korea and rising fears over that same northern neighbour‘s nuclear programme. But one other challenge may be almost as crucial in determining the success […]
By Diana Asonova | YAKUTSK, Russia YAKUTSK, Russia For millennia, extinct mammoths lay undisturbed in the permafrost in Russia’s Yakutia region. They have now turned into a source of wealth, and the local government is keen to start tapping it. Mammoth ivory is highly sought after for use in trinkets and jewelry, especially in Asia. The material is promoted by people in the trade as an ethical […]
Al Ain, UAE, 11 May 2017: According to Dubai Chamber, Dubai is estimated to have around 717,000 sq. meters of new retail space by 2018, while Abu Dhabi is expected to see a supply of 467,000 sq. meters of new space over the same period. Industry insiders seem positive about the announcement. “Abu Dhabi is a magnificent location. Recent years have seen the emirate invest heavily in […]
There can’t be many global brands that have the means, or even the inclination, to shut down an entire city block in Los Angeles – but that is precisely what Hermès did earlier this year. As part of its touring spring/summer 2017 men’s collection, for one night, Hermès transformed a forgotten warehouse in Los Angeles into DwnTwnMen LA, an interactive exhibition, fashion show venue and art space. […]
By James Pearson and Ju-min Park | SEOUL SEOUL Like many other Americans who came to teach at the foreign-funded Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST), Kim Hak Song was a Christian missionary who raised money from a church to come to North Korea. Kim had been running PUST’s experimental farm before he was detained on Saturday, travelling by train from Pyongyang to China’s border town […]
BT’s own goals cost the boss dearly. FT Opening Quote, with commentary by Matthew Vincent, is your early Square Mile briefing. You can sign up for the full newsletter here. Two months ago, all Paris St Germain had to do to reach the quarter finals of the European Champions League was not concede three goals in the final 2 minutes of their match against Barcelona. Barcelona’s ensuing […]
By Ben Blanchard | BEIJING BEIJING When leaders of 28 nations gather in Beijing next week for a summit to map out China’s ambitious new Silk Road project, one question is likely to be on attendees’ minds – what exactly is the Belt and Road Initiative? Proposed in 2013 by President Xi Jinping to promote a vision of expanding links between Asia, Africa and Europe underpinned by […]
By Nandita Bose | WHEATON, Ill. WHEATON, Ill. German grocery chain Aldi Inc is trying to beat the world’s biggest retailer at its own game: low prices. Already with 1,600 U.S. stores, Aldi has set a minimum target of selling groceries at a 21 percent discount to its U.S. rivals, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N), Chief Executive Jason Hart told Reuters. His strategy, previously unreported, centers on […]
11 May 2017 The Bahrain based leading Islamic banking group, Al Baraka Banking Group B.S.C (ABG) announced that it achieved a total operating income of US$ 249 million during the first quarter of 2017 and the total financing and investments recorded slight increases at the end of March 2017 compared to end of December 2016. Al Baraka Banking Group has continued during the first quarter of 2017, […]
Vice President Leni Robredo’s trust rating remains to be ‘good’ based on SWS’ classification Patty Pasion Published 12:54 PM, May 11, 2017 Updated 1:03 PM, May 11, 2017 DECLINE. Trust ratings for Vice President Leni Robredo slid down by 15 points based on the lates survey by the Social Weather Stations. Photo by Ben Nabong/Rappler MANILA, Philippines – The trust rating for Vice President Leni Robredo remains […]
By Steve Holland and Jeff Mason | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON The anger behind Donald Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday had been building for months, but a turning point came when Comey refused to preview for top Trump aides his planned testimony to a Senate panel, White House officials said. Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had wanted a heads-up […]
