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ABU DHABI // The number of Emirati students opting to enrol in Stem courses is slowly increasing, educators say. While about 70 per cent of students choose to study business or business-related subjects, more are looking at the benefits of choosing science, technology, engineering and mathematics courses, said Dr Warren Fox, head of higher education in Dubai’s education regulator, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority. “There’s change […]

The US government’s benchmark borrowing costs remained above 2.6 per cent on Friday as investors anticipated robust US employment data ahead of a likely Federal Reserve interest rate increase next week. The benchmark 10-year yield — one of the most widely followed interest rates in the global economy — was at 2.61 per cent by early in London, its highest level since December and up from below […]

The UAE leads the Middle Eastern wellness tourism market, with an average of 1.7 million wellness trips generating $2.7 billion annually, according to new research. The country accounts for 14 percent of the MENA spa market, said Colliers Experiential Travel Series in a report which added that Morocco, Tunisia and Jordan were also prominent players in the regional market. It said wellness trips in the UAE have […]

Comcast has completed its acquisition of Icontrol Networks’ Converge business, which creates Internet of Things (IoT) and connected home security solutions. Converge already powers Comcast’s XFinity Home, in that it allows Comcast to communicate with and manage security sensors that are part of Xfinity Home, and also supports home-automation devices like cameras and thermostats. While the terms of the deal remain undisclosed, Comcast SVP and XFinity Home […]

The connection between on-screen violence and off-screen aggressive behavior has been largely extrapolated. Most studies seemed to suggest that playing violent video games has a strong desensitizing effect and encourages negative demeanor. New evidence indicates, however, that violent content in video games doesn’t induce antisocial conduct in the long run, and leaves empathy levels unscathed. Although previous research established graphic media exposure can lead to aggression, these studies […]

DUBAI // The Middle East needs more people like Dr Ismahane Elouafi. In fact, much of the world does. An expert in food and water security, she has a crucial role to play at a time when farmers across the region are increasingly struggling to grow crops in what is clearly a harsh climate. But the director general of the Dubai-based International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture relishes […]

Saudi Arabia’s non-oil private sector saw a further pick up in growth momentum in February, with business conditions improving at the quickest rate since August 2015, according to a new survey. Data from the Emirates NBD Saudi Arabia Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) showed that both output and new orders rose sharply in February, with the rate of expansion in the latter picking up to an 18-month high. […]

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Montclair is a New Jersey bastion of the Trump-doubting privileged class that went back to the future Thursday with an imperiled species: a new broadsheet newspaper. But, if Trump could wind up president, who says a broadsheet Lazarus can’t rise from the media ashes and make it somewhere? The weekly Montclair Local debuted in the 36,000-person bedroom community of New York City rife with ink-stained and digitally […]

DUBAI // Drone users caught flying without a licence will face fines of up to Dh20,000 as part of renewed efforts to tackle disruption to aviation. The new penalty is part of broader regulations governing the aviation sector approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council. The move came after the closure of airspace over Dubai International Airport […]

China’s Uber rival Didi Chuxing announced that it has officially opened its first US-based research and development lab in Mountain View, California this week. Didi Labs will seek out engineering talent and focus on artificial intelligence (AI)-based security and intelligent driving technologies, according to a statement made by the company. Founder, chairman, and CEO of Didi Chuxing, Cheng Wei said the company’s vision is to build an […]

By Leigh Thomas and Sudip Kar-Gupta | PARIS PARIS Centrist Emmanuel Macron saw his position as favourite to win France’s presidential election boosted on Thursday in two polls, with one showing him ahead of far-right leader Marine Le Pen in the first round of the two-stage contest. A monthly Cevipof survey, considered the most authoritative because it has a far bigger sample size than most polls, put […]

The cost of shorting shares of Snap has fallen sharply as bets against the owner of the messaging app slowed and the share price rallied. Snap’s stock has rebounded in recent sessions after selling off earlier in the week as several analysts’ reports expressed scepticism about the group’s valuation, which had surged above $30bn in the initial euphoria following its high-profile listing last week. At midday in […]

By Ben Hirschler | LONDON LONDON Scientists have taken a big step toward designing complex forms of life from scratch by constructing five new artificial chromosomes of baker’s yeast, representing a third of the micro-organism’s genome, or genetic blueprint. The international team used computers to create laboratory-made versions of the threadlike structures that carry genetic code inside cells. Synthesizing genomes may alarm some who see biotechnologists “playing […]

Dutch paints and coatings maker Akzo Nobel has rejected an unsolicited €20.9bn takeover bid by US industrial chemicals rival PPG Industries and said it is instead looking at spinning off its specialty chemicals business. Akzo Nobel said on Thursday that the PPG bid substantially undervalued its prospects and it made a broader appeal to its stakeholders by saying the takeover was not in the interests of customers […]

Oil prices were under intensifying pressure on Thursday, with the US West Texas Intermediate benchmark dipping below $49 a barrel for the first time since late November. The falls came after oil prices fell the most in more than a year over the previous session when US crude inventories climbed for a ninth straight week to a record high. Renewed concerns about a supply glut sent ripples […]

A melting pot of nationalities and a new entry visa system to attract professionals has propelled the UAE to the top of the list of the best countries to start a career and study aboard, according to a new survey. The US News and World Report survey, released this week, ranked the UAE 22nd out of 80 countries surveyed for the best countries in 2017. The country […]

Atomic images of muscle molecules in action have now been captured by researchers, giving possibility of new nanomachines. (via WSJ)

Thursday 14:30 GMT Overview The euro is firmer and Bund yields are trundling higher with Treasuries after the European Central Bank stood pat on interest rates and indicated it was not looking to ease policy further. Oil prices tried to rally but have resumed their sell-off, putting energy stocks under pressure and weighing on equity benchmarks. Hot topic (1) After a period when politicians seemed to rule […]

New nanophotonics research could expand the color palette for companies in the fast-growing market for glass windows that change color at the flick of an electric switch. A team of researchers has used an inexpensive hydrocarbon molecule to create low-voltage, multicolor, electrochromic glass. (via WSJ)

Oil prices were back under pressure on Thursday, with the West Texas Intermediate benchmark falling under $50 for the first time since December. The falls came after oil prices fell the most in more than a year over the previous session when US crude inventories climbed for the ninth straight week to a record high. Renewed concerns about a supply glut sent ripples through the currency market […]

09 March 2017 AMMAN – Talal Abu-Ghazaleh & Co. Consulting (TAG-Consult) for Quality Management Systems and Sana Pharmaceutical Industries signed a cooperation agreement for the preparation and application of CE Marking (the European quality mark) under the supervision and with the funding of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The agreement is considered the first of its kind in the field of management system consulting […]

Researchers investigate why pebbles and boulders on asteroid Itokawa’s surface occupy separate regions. (via WSJ)

Your daily guide to community and cultural activities across the Emirates for March 9, 2017, including performances, festivals, art exhibitions, film screenings, health and fitness events, talks, classes, workshops and family fun. Aarti Jhurani rounds up 10 things to do today in the UAE. Want to see your event listed here? Email us with the details and contact information at [email protected] newslide Abu Dhabi Music festival Buy […]

Christopher Lutz of IBM Research Almaden standing with the IBM microscope used to store data on a single-atom magnet Image: Stan Olszewski IBM researchers have found a way to store one bit of data in a magnet consisting of just one atom, the company announced on Wednesday. Prior to the discovery, the smallest bistable magnetic bits consisted of 3 to 12 atoms, IBM said, and hard drives […]

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