While there is no sign of our collective obsession with social media fading any time soon, there is also a growing determination by some to cut all ties and go on a technology detox. It sometimes feels as if new platforms for posting, sharing and pontificating are appearing by the day. With so many outlets for people to share their opinions and views of the world, and […]
QUITO Ecuador’s prosecutor said on Monday it does not see a quick way out for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been holed up in the country’s embassy in Britain for four years. Swedish prosecutors earlier this month questioned Assange at the London embassy in an investigation into allegations that he committed rape in Sweden in 2010. Ecuador must deliver a written version of the testimony to […]
The persistent notion that Mr. Castro’s fastball had made him a potential big league prospect has long been debunked by historians. By many accounts, his primary sport as a schoolboy was basketball. He was tall, at 6-foot-2 or 6-foot-3, and he told the biographer Tad Szulc that the anticipation, speed and dexterity required for basketball most approximated the skills needed for revolution. Yet it was primarily baseball, […]
It’s a well-known fact that water, at sea level, starts to boil at a temperature of 212 degrees Fahrenheit, or 100 degrees Celsius. And scientists have long observed that when water is confined in very small spaces, its boiling and freezing points can change a bit, usually dropping by around 10 C or so. But now, a team has found a completely unexpected set of changes: Inside […]
By Sue-Lin Wong | DANDONG, China DANDONG, China A labour agent sat in his bus on a recent frigid morning, waiting to cross the “Friendship Bridge” at China’s main border post with North Korea. He had come to pick up migrant workers and take them to jobs in factories and restaurants in China. The single-lane bridge in the border city of Dandong is the main gateway for international trade […]
By Idrees Ali | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON A small Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard vessel pointed its weapon at a U.S. military helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, two U.S. defence officials told Reuters on Monday, an action they described as “unsafe and unprofessional.” The incident is the latest in a series of similar actions by Iranian vessels this year, but the first reported since Republican Donald […]
Aramex founder and Wamda Capital chairman Fadi Ghandour has called on investors in the region to invest in startups in their early stages. Speaking at the 2016 Arabian Business Digital Forum, Ghandour said funding startups is a crucial part to building a healthy business ecosystem. “Not everyone like my friend Mohamed Alabbar can launch businesses with $1b. But thousands of startups, if we don’t fund them, we […]
Much of the markets’ mixed reaction reflects uncertainty about a new president who has never held public office, leaving political leaders, business executives and international institutions to make bets on how a Trump administration may rewrite rules that have governed global affairs under American presidents of both parties. Continue reading the main story “For allies and adversaries alike, the election of Donald Trump represents the likely abandonment […]
The Sennheiser GSX 1000 is not only pitched as a stylish DAC + amp combo that aims to provide better sound quality than your on-board audio. But also as a revolutionary virtual surround sound device that uses Sennheiser’s new Binaural Rendering Engine to simulate a “groundbreaking” 7.1 audio experience. It’s “surround sound reborn” claims Sennheiser, and while it may not be as sublime as its marketing hyperbole […]
Saudi Arabia has set a high bar for any oil supply deal ahead of Wednesday’s Opec meeting in Vienna, as it attempts to put pressure on regional rivals Iran and Iraq to accept a larger share of output cuts. The oil production cartel is trying to reach an agreement to curb supplies for the first time since the financial crisis and put an end to a two-year […]
Photo Syrians fleeing rebel-held parts of eastern Aleppo moved on Sunday toward an area controlled by Kurdish fighters. Credit Rumaf, via Associated Press BEIRUT, Lebanon — Thousands of people were sent fleeing for their lives on Monday as rebel fighters lost a large stretch of territory in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo to government forces and Kurdish fighters, in what could prove to be a turning […]
Mariah Idrissi was shopping at the Westfield London mall when she was stopped in her tracks by a stranger who asked to take her photo. Decked out in a tracksuit, a turban-style hijab and without any make-up on, she found herself being scouted by fashion label H&M. Sceptical at first as to why a western company might want a covered Muslim woman to model for them, Idrissi […]
PARIS A severe strain of H5N8 bird flu that has hit several countries in Europe leading to the culling of thousands of poultry was detected in wild ducks in Northern France, the farm ministry said on Monday. “A first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 was confirmed on Nov. 26 in the commune of Marck (Pas-de-Calais), on 20 wild ducks used as callers for waterfowl hunting,” […]
Monday 12:00 GMT. Overview Stock markets in Europe are slipping back, led by losses for embattled Italian financials, on concern about potential contagion spreading from the sector into the eurozone financial system after Italy’s reform referendum. Meanwhile the dollar is cooling after its sustained run higher, with the index tracking the world’s reserve currency against six of its rivals down 0.1 per cent, although it is holding […]
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, November 28, 2016/ — The Ashish J Thakkar Global Entrepreneurship Index of 85 countries ranks Singapore as the best environment for entrepreneurs Of the African nations, Namibia scores highest and comes 42nd overall – ahead of other prominent African markets, such as Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa The research, conducted by Mara Foundation and Opinium Research, examines the state of entrepreneurship around the […]
By Andrew Callus | PARIS PARIS France’s centre-right rallied behind free market reformist Francois Fillon as its candidate for president on Monday after a snap opinion poll showed him clear favourite to beat far-right leader Marine Le Pen in an election showdown next year. Fillon, a former prime minister who vowed to change France’s “software” with an assault on public sector spending, moved one step closer to […]
Bail in risk – €4 Trillion Italian banking system at risk as referendum looms Sunday according to Financial Times Concerns of multiple bank failures – Eight banks at risk of failure and bail ins Monte dei Paschi di Siena, third largest by assets and mid-sized banks Popolare di Vicenza, Veneto Banca and Carige and four smaller banks Italy’s banks have €360 billion of problem loans Contagion poses risks to Unicredit, […]
Monday 11:30 GMT. Overview The dollar is cooling after its sustained run higher, with the index tracking the world’s reserve currency against six of its rivals down 0.5 per cent, although it is holding the 100-point mark at 100.940. Stock markets in Europe are slipping back, led by losses for embattled Italian financials. Hot topic Oil is likely to loom large over the week before Wednesday’s Opec […]
Stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before. Italian bank stocks are being hit hard this morning, leading declines across European financials ahead of a key referendum on December 4 that could have major consequences for plans to revive Italy’s troubled financial system. UniCredit – Italy’s most systemically important bank – is the biggest loser, falling 4 per cent, while Banco Popolare, Banca Popolare di […]
No Man’s Sky is finally getting closer to what it was supposed to be, as the new Foundation Update finally adds some features that should’ve been available from day one. The Foundation Update that Hello Games announced a couple of days ago is now live and it brings a number of cool new tricks, including base building, freighters, survival mode, and stackable items. Base Building With the latest Foundation […]
Given its enormity, India offers an array of local specialities. From clothing and gemstones to handicrafts and fabrics, every region has its own retail identity. One of the benefits of visiting Delhi, its capital city, is that it eloquently showcases a cross section of the country’s regional specialities, and over the past decade, the ancient city has grown rapidly beyond the exquisite and conventional to include whimsical […]
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 […]
It’s laudable that Trump wants to bring factories back to USA. But how about virtual, monetary factories? Moving financial institutions such as banks, insurers, brokerage houses, exchanges, and other institutions brings the most bang for the buck when it comes to revitalizing America’s economy. As we explain in Splitting Pennies, even though money doesn’t exist, it’s the most important part of a healthy economy. The business climate […]
By Lisa Barrington | BEIRUT BEIRUT Several thousand residents of rebel-held eastern Aleppo fled shifting frontlines, residents and a monitor said on Sunday, after a rapid advance by the Syrian army and allied forces that rebels fear could split their most important urban stronghold in two. The army and its allies took control on Saturday of the large Hanano housing district, on the northeast frontline of the […]
