28 November 2016 Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain: The Shari’ah Board of AAOIFI held its meeting No. 46 from 17 to 19 November 2016 in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Over more than 25 meeting hours, the board discussed specific issues and reviewed a number of technical and Shari’ah reports. The meeting was concluded with issuance of a number of resolutions as well as the adoption of two new […]
Theresa May will launch a charm offensive in a bid to win Polish support in the forthcoming Brexit negotiations, as pressure grew to guarantee the status of migrant workers. Mrs May will host Polish prime minister Beata Szydło and other senior Polish politicians at a meeting in Downing Street on Monday that will focus on Brexit and defence co-operation, and seek to ease diplomatic tensions caused during […]
A new network will bring European research, science and business together to further our understanding of the early universe and its constituents, say authors of a new report. (via WSJ)
Masdar Institute students’ blueprint for an integrated rapid transit system features choice of express or normal services to suit every pocket, and online ticketing and route planning to keep bookings simple. ABU DHABI // Imagine hopping on to a city bus knowing it will make fewer stops to your destination, and remove the stress from your morning travel. Or how about being able to plan the entire […]
It is hard to believe that less than 50 years ago, life in the UAE relied entirely on the natural environment. When you look at photographer Richard Allenby-Pratt’s images of landscapes across the country, the devastation to the fine balance of a desert ecosystem caused by modern consumptive lifestyles is heartbreaking. Shots of the Hajar Mountains in Fujairah reveal great trenches carved out for cement production. On […]
Pennsylvanians with minor criminal convictions are seeking to shield their records from public view under a new law that expanded criminal record sealing in the state. The measure, which Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law in February and took effect this month, allows certain residents convicted of nonviolent second- or third-degree misdemeanors to petition for their cases to be sealed. Petitioners must pay a $132 expungement fee, […]
Chinese electronics company Xiaomi witnessed a clear decline in its smartphone profit lately. The company, however, is not afraid of the drop, as it announced it derives its profits from other products aside from smartphones. Furthermore, company executives believe that the regression in its smartphone trade would have no significant negative impact to the company. Despite experiencing a fallback in terms of revenue as of late, Xiaomi […]
A new article highlights the requirements the Internet of Things (IoT) will place on search engines and brings together the latest research being carried out in this field. (via WSJ)
FRANKFURT German pilots union VC said on Sunday it was open to further talks with Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) to try to find a compromise over a long-running pay dispute that caused a four-day strike last week, adding the airline needed to present a new offer. “It will become clear in the course of the day how the dispute will continue,” a spokesman for VC told Reuters. Lufthansa said […]
A team of researchers from Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) has found that chronic jet lag may result in obesity and liver diseases including liver cancer. David Moore, the lead author of the study from BCM said that the incidence of liver cancer is increasing worldwide in recent years and it is also observed lately that individuals suffering from fatty liver disease develop liver cancer directly skipping intermediate […]
Construction vehicles waste fuel by remaining on full power whilst idle. New research is working to make vehicles more fuel efficient and cheaper with electrical systems, say investigators. (via WSJ)
By Edward Taylor and Jan Schwartz | FRANKFURT/HAMBURG FRANKFURT/HAMBURG Just as Porsche and Audi have fought for supremacy on the race track, the Volkswagen brands are now locked in a cut-throat battle to develop and manufacture the next generation of electric cars at a group embroiled in the “Dieselgate” scandal. Volkswagen Group denies that the kind of internal rivalry that it encouraged at the Le Mans 24 […]
BEIJING China will increase protection for property rights, including stepping up oversight of the management of state-owned assets, the Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday, citing guidelines issued by the State Council, China’s cabinet. New rules and policies are designed to “increase people’s confidence in the safety of assets, improve social trust, create positive expectations, and promote the drive for innovation among all economic actors”, Xinhua said. […]
Here are the big questions we are asking at FT Markets into the week when the calendar flips over into December. Will Opec deliver a meaningful production cut? All eyes are on Vienna and Opec’s annual gathering with a keenly awaited decision on production levels. An Opec deal on Wednesday that delivers a concrete supply reduction of at least 1m barrels a day, with non-members such as […]
By Simon Gardner and Ana Isabel Martinez | HAVANA HAVANA From the Bay of Pigs invasion to a historic visit by President Barack Obama to Havana, Cubans have known for generations that whenever the United States turns its face to Cuba, Fidel Castro would be staring right back. But the death of “El Comandante” has added to worries among Cubans that U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump will slam […]
Do bluebirds nesting in California’s vineyards help grape growers by eating agricultural pests, or hurt them by eating insects that are beneficial? The researchers behind a new study found that bluebirds’ presence is likely a net positive–and they did it by analyzing DNA in bird poop. Source
Every presidential election brings with it a renewed debate on taxes: should tax rates be increased or decreased (which in turn forces economists to break out their textbooks to brush up on their Laffer curve definitions)? Traditionally, the question eventually boils down to one thing: what should the tax treatment of the “rich” be: should the wealthy pay more or less in taxes? Why the particular focus […]
Sales and traffic at U.S. brick-and-mortar stores on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday declined from last year, as stores offered discounts well beyond the weekend and more customers shopped online. Internet sales rose in the double digits on both days, surpassing $3 billion for the first time on Black Friday, according to data released on Saturday. Data from analytics firm RetailNext showed net sales at brick-and-mortar stores […]
As mourners carried the coffin of a slain Hezbollah commander, they moved quickly to wipe away blood still dripping from his body — it had been washed in haste as it was rushed from the battlefields of Aleppo to its final resting place in Lebanon. While Russian war planes and bombs have dominated headlines about outside intervention in Syria’s five-year conflict, thousands of those fighting on the […]
By controlling a mix of clay, water and salt, researchers have created nanostructures that might help boost oil production, expand the lifespan of certain foods or that can be used in cosmetics or drugs. (via WSJ)
By Stephen Grey and Jack Stubbs | LONDON/MOSCOW LONDON/MOSCOW A little-known Russian businessman from St Petersburg has provided properties to multiple women who share one common theme: President Vladimir Putin. One of the women is Putin’s younger daughter; two are close relatives of a woman Russian media have reported to be Putin’s girlfriend – though the president has strongly denied any relationship. And a fourth is a student […]
By Noel Randewich | SAN FRANCISCO SAN FRANCISCO Wall Street expects consumers to open their wallets a little wider this holiday shopping season but bargains among red-hot retail stocks could be hard to find, especially as profit growth proves elusive for many big names. Retailers, including Best Buy, Kohls Corp and Macy’s, that were pummeled in last year’s disappointing holiday quarter have seen their shares surge recently […]
If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, why not have it for lunch and dinner, too? It seems the all-day breakfast trend is being embraced by cafes across the UAE, with options appearing at many venues. Much like the age-old chicken or the egg question, it is unclear whether the birth of the ‘Breakfastarians’ – a term popularised on the internet and in IHOP […]
Squeezing a platinum catalyst a fraction of a nanometer nearly doubles its catalytic activity, say researchers, a finding that could lead to better fuel cells and other clean energy technologies. (via WSJ)
