Tuesday 19:45 GMT Overview A robust session for US equities saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average climb to within a whisker of the 20,000 milestone as participants shrugged off geopolitical concerns and focused on the prospect of stronger growth under the presidency of Donald Trump. The “risk-on” mood in the markets left US Treasury prices and gold lower while the yen — viewed by many as a […]
Photo The funeral on Monday of a high-ranking security officer killed in an assault in Karak, Jordan. Credit Muhammad Hamed/Reuters AMMAN, Jordan — The Islamic State claimed responsibility on Tuesday for a terrorist attack in the southern Jordanian city of Karak that killed 10 people, including the head of the military’s special forces, according to an organization that monitors militant groups. As the authorities continued their investigation […]
The “animal spirits” that Donald Trump’s incoming US administration may unleash would have more far-reaching consequences on the economy and financial markets than any specific stimulus package he delivers, according to Bridgewater’s Ray Dalio. Mr Dalio, the founder of the world’s largest hedge fund group, wrote that “if this administration can spark a virtuous cycle in which people can make money, the move out of cash (that […]
Top government leaders of Vietnam and Cambodia have expressed wishes to cement and develop bilateral ties in the spirit of “good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, all-faceted and long-lasting cooperation”. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (L) and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc During talks with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi on December 20, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen said his visit […]
HTC HTC just sent out this very cryptic image to members of the press. The text of the email doesn’t offer any further clues, simply stating the company “wanted to share the date of our next big announcement.” Even more puzzling is that HTC’s announcement comes after the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show, a stage where companies typically make product and partnership announcements. However, HTC has made its […]
The Dow and the Nasdaq hit record highs on Tuesday, with the blue-chip index just 13 points shy of the 20,000 mark, a level it has never scaled. Goldman Sachs (GS.N), which was up about 1 percent, gave the biggest boost to the Dow. U.S. stocks have been on a tear since the Nov. 8 presidential election, with the Dow up 9 percent and S&P more than […]
The Star Wars universe has some of the most iconic looking planets ever to be seen on the big screen. From arid planets such as Jakku and Tatooine to watery worlds such as Kamino and Scarif, the places shown in the movies have captured the imaginations of moviegoers for decades. Now, NASA plans to use these colorful Star Wars worlds as inspiration in its hunt for other […]
Photo Petra Kvitova, shown serving in the 2016 French Open, is a two-time Wimbledon champion. Credit Michel Euler/Associated Press Petra Kvitova, the two-time Wimbledon tennis champion, was attacked by a man with a knife on Tuesday morning in her apartment in Prostejov, Czech Republic. “In my attempt to defend myself, I was badly injured on my left hand,” Kvitova wrote in a statement posted to her Facebook […]
Turkey’s lira, the second-worst performing currency of 2016, reverted to type with a bout of volatile trading after the country’s central bank kept interest rates unchanged. After strengthening by nearly 1 per cent ahead of the meeting, the lira came back under pressure and was trading at around TL3.54 to the dollar, although another bout of volatility subsequently pushed it higher in late London trading. Concerned about […]
Law Blog rounds up the morning’s legal news: Authorities allege $1 billion fraud at Platinum Partners: Top executives at the hedge-fund firm, including founder Mark Nordlicht, were arrested and charged with defrauding investors in one of the biggest such cases since Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. [WSJ, Bloomberg] Judge Persky cleared: A California judicial disciplinary panel found no grounds to sanction Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky over the six-month sentence […]
Good morning. Here’s our morning roundup of all the media news you need to know. Want to get this briefing in your inbox every morning? Subscribe here. It could be called the “NBC Very, Very Late Nightly News With Brian Williams.” Instead, it’s “The 11th Hour With Brian Williams” on MSNBC — a new show starring an old face who’s honorably doing what he does well in […]
A unit of UAE-based KEF Holdings has launched a $100 million manufacturing park, spanning one million sq ft, to cater to the infrastructure needs in India and GCC markets. With 10 manufacturing lines featuring the latest technology, KEF Infra One in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu in India, promises significant cost and time savings in building hospitals, homes, schools, hotels and specialised infrastructure. Faizal E Kottikollon, founder and chairman, […]
Submitted by Jayant Bhandari via Acting-Man.com, India’s Currency Ban – Part VI India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, announced on 8th November 2016 that Rs 500 (~$7.50) and Rs 1,000 (~$15) banknotes would no longer be legal tender. Linked are Part-I, Part-II, Part-III, Part-IV, and Part-V, which provide updates on the demonetization saga and how Modi is acting as a catalyst to hasten the rapid degradation of […]
ABU DHABI // Motorists will pay more for their car insurance from January 1 when new tariff rates are introduced and companies pass on the cost of ambulance services and courtesy cars to customers. New maximum and minimum premiums will be set for third-party and comprehensive policies, depending on vehicle type. The UAE Insurance Authority has issued a new vehicle insurance tariff system, on which premiums are […]
With so many toys on the market it can be hard to know which one to buy, especially in the pre-Christmas shopping rush. A Disney figurine might draw gasps of delight, but will it be forgotten after a few weeks? And what about that state-of-the-art, remote-controlled car? Will the lights break off and become a choking hazard for younger siblings? With so much to consider, it’s worth […]
Photo Andrey G. Karlov, left, with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia at Ataturk airport in Turkey in October. Credit Osman Orsal/Reuters Russia’s ambassador to Turkey, Andrey G. Karlov, was killed by a gunman on Monday in Ankara, the capital. Turkish officials said the killer had been a police officer who, after shooting, shouted: “Don’t forget Aleppo! Don’t forget Syria!” Russia’s Foreign Ministry called the assassination a […]
The Turkish lira is climbing off its weekly lows this morning in the wake of the assassination of the Russian ambassador in Ankara on Monday and ahead of another key interest rate decision later today. At publication time, the lira has gained 0.35 per cent against the dollar to TRY3.5180 per dollar, having slumped to as low as TRY3.5340 in the aftermath of the shooting of Andrei […]
Why does Apple want to open stores in India? Its sales in China, previously a huge market for growth, are slowing and it doesn’t want to miss out on India’s rapidly-expanding smartphone market. Opening its own stores in India, which is set to become the world’s second biggest market for the devices by next year, could help boost brand awareness and sales. (via WSJ)
ABU DHABI // Iran’s nuclear deal and the republic’s support for militias across the region are some of the major threats GCC countries face, the head of an Abu Dhabi think-tank told the British Parliament. Dr Ahmed Al Hamli told the International Relations Committee this threat had led to a regional shift of power from legitimate states to illegitimate terrorist groups, weakening the region for the Islamic […]
It’s a hot July day in Bethlehem, and white-robed pilgrims from Nigeria stand in the courtyard entrance to the ancient church, singing and beating drums. They’ve travelled more than 3,500 kilometres to enter the church’s low wooden door, pass through a nave under restoration and down one of the staircases in the sprawling church, to the grotto. There, they will kneel in prayer and devotion at the […]
To appreciate this inherent tension, consider Hillary Clinton’s words from the second presidential debate: “It is important for us as a policy not to say, as Donald has said, we’re going to ban people based on a religion. How do you do that? We are a country founded on religious freedom and liberty.” Here Clinton establishes a minimum standard of liberal decency that few American Jews would […]
Italy’s bruised bank stocks are getting a welcome kick higher this morning after the country’s government asked the Italian parliament to authorise up to €20bn to help prop up its most troubled lenders last night. The request comes after long-standing concerns about the health of the Italian banking system, which lumbers under the highest bad loan pile in the eurozone. Rome’s finance minister Pier Carlo Padoan said […]
Submitted by Michael Shedlock via MishTalk.com, On December 9, a panel of 3 judges in the Netherlands convicted Geert Wilders of incitement to discrimination, and also of insulting an ethnic group. Nonetheless, the two most recent polls show Geert Wilders, an anti-Islam, anti-migration politician far ahead of the pack. Wilders Heads Polls A quick check of Opinion Polling for the Dutch General Election, 2017 shows Wilders strongly […]
TEHRAN: Iran’s president lashed out at the country’s hard-liners on Monday, accusing them of ignoring human rights, which he said are enshrined in the constitution.Hassan Rouhani’s remarks were apparently an attempt to appeal to the liberal-minded among the country’s middle class ahead of Iran’s May presidential elections. Without naming names, Rouhani said in a televised speech that “some individuals do not like to hear about some of […]
