March 8, 2017 by: Shawn Donnan and Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington ZTE has agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges of violating US sanctions on North Korea and Iran and to pay up to $1.2bn in fines, the largest sanctions-busting penalty levied against a Chinese company by Washington. The Chinese telecommunications group also admitted to obstructing a federal investigation as part of a settlement announced on Tuesday […]
Saudi Arabia has promised to launch major development projects towards the end of 2017 to re-energise an economy which has been hit by austerity measures, industry sources told Reuters. Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s top economic official, made the commitment at a recent meeting with a delegation representing the Saudi private sector, the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. While they pledged […]
The Panama Papers investigation has this week received its fourth major American journalism prize, the William Brewster Styles Award for Business/Economics Reporting from the Scripps Howard Foundation. The series, which illuminated offshore tax havens and shook up politicians around the world, was coordinated by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, at the time a project of the Center for Public Integrity. The two organizations have since separated. […]
Now fitness lovers can further tap into the power of having a personal trainer in their pockets that provides customized workouts thanks the latest update to Sworkit. The popular fitness app announced a new feature on Tuesday that provides flexible workout plans that are tailored to each its users. Called the Sworkit Workout Builder, this first-of-its-kind feature allows users to build the ideal workout plan that best […]
Your daily guide to community and cultural activities across the Emirates for March 8, 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 Al Ain Heritage event Register […]
The House of Lords has voted in support of a requirement for the government to bring the final terms of Britain’s exit from the EU before parliament for its approval, inflicting a second defeat on Theresa May’s Brexit strategy in the space of a week. With 634 peers voting — the largest number of peers to participate in a vote in the upper chamber on record, according […]
American employers increasingly rely on large datasets and computer algorithms to decide who gets interviewed, hired or promoted. While these data algorithms can help to avoid biased human decision-making, they also risk introducing new forms of bias or reinforcing existing biases, suggests a new report. (via WSJ)
Highlights of the day for U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday: HEALTHCARE Trump endorses a plan by Republican lawmakers to replace the Obamacare healthcare law but influential conservative groups come out strongly against it, complicating the proposal’s prospects for passage in Congress. Shares of large U.S. pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are selling off after Trump says he is working on a system to reduce prices in […]
With controversial moves to tighten immigration in the works, visitors from abroad and U.S. citizens alike are on edge about international travel. For the organizers of South by Southwest, that climate gave rise to a public outcry over controversial language in its artist contracts. In light of the ensuing backlash among attendees and performers, SXSW has issued a statement asserting its opposition toward the Trump administration’s actions around […]
Writing is a process – a set of predictable, repeatable steps in the journey to the finished work. While there are probably as many processes are there are writers, here are some of the identifiable steps. Explore: All good writers express a form of curiosity, a sense that something is going on out there. See your world as a storehouse of story ideas. Gather: Writers collect words, […]
By Laila Kearney | NEW YORK NEW YORK A new round of bomb threats against Jewish community centres across the United States and in Canada forced lockdowns and evacuations on Tuesday, and all 100 U.S. senators asked the federal government to help them enhance security. Threats were phoned in or emailed to JCCs in states including New York, Wisconsin, Illinois and Florida overnight and early on Tuesday. […]
Google Cloud on Tuesday unveiled a series of steps it’s taking to strengthen its partner program, such as simplifying requirements, creating new partner incentives, and introducing new partner specializations — along with a new collection of partners recognized in those areas. “Google Cloud partners are essential to our commitment to help enterprises innovate faster, scale smarter and stay secure,” Bertrand Yansouni, VP of Google’s Global Partner Sales […]
Canadian financial services group Canaccord Genuity’s aims to double the contributions to its investment banking business from the Middle East and India in the next five years, its regional head told Reuters. It recently helped broker a C$5 billion ($3.7 billion) investment partnership between Dubai ports operator DP World and Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, Canada’s second-largest public pension fund. “We think this could be […]
By Joel Schectman | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON The prosecutor tapped to fill the No. 2 position at the U.S. Justice Department declined on Tuesday to commit to appointing a special counsel to oversee an investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. If confirmed, Rod Rosenstein, nominated by Republican President Donald Trump to be deputy attorney general, would take control of the Russia investigation because Attorney General […]
A ground-breaking research in the field of neuroscience offers an in-depth analysis of the brain’s reward system, highlighting its influence on the decision-making process. The study encompasses three decades of investigation into the role of dopamine in everyday life choices and shows how the brain perceives different options, prioritizing those which prompt a better reward. For their outstanding merits, Professors Wolfram Schultz, Peter Dayan, and Ray Dolan received […]
Three-dimensional printing makes all conceivable varieties of layered, three-dimensional objects possible, a benefit appreciated by industry and private users alike. However, once an object is printed, any freedom of design is a thing of the past and the workpiece can no longer be modified. To address this restriction, computer scientists at Saarland University are working on the integration of specifically developed components at predefined points within such […]
ABU DHABI // Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed has told Emirati youth to think beyond expectations of “comfortable” government jobs and prepare to compete with the rest of the world. “If you want to participate in shaping the future then you need to stop thinking of a government job,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said. “No other country in the region supports youth-led projects like […]
As Abdelmonem Alserkal tours his latest architectural commission, his pristine white kandura stands in contrast to the monochrome building that broods in Alserkal Avenue – the warehouse creative community he has brought to life in Dubai’s industrial neighbourhood of Al Quoz. A muted study in steel, small mirrors, translucent polycarbonate and sprayed, shot-blast and polished concrete, the new venue is the latest milestone in Alserkal Avenue’s decade-long […]
The inner workings of the CIA’s cyber-espionage operations were at risk of being laid bare on Tuesday, after WikiLeaks published what it claimed was the first part of a large trove of documents detailing the US agency’s techniques for hacking into smartphones, internet-connected TVs and other devices. The documents purported to reveal a stockpile of malware used by the CIA to break into some of today’s most […]
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Bahrain’s justice ministry has filed a lawsuit intended to dissolve a major opposition group that it accuses of supporting terrorism, the state-run Bahrain News Agency reported on Monday. The group, the National Democratic Action Society, or Waad, was accused by the ministry of “serious violations targeting the principle of respecting the rule of law, supporting terrorism and sanctioning violence.” The secular organization […]
Lab to Enable ADNEC Employees to Lead Development of Cutting-edge Solutions to Meet Dynamic Customer Requirements and Enhance Abu Dhabi’s Competitive Edge Abu Dhabi-UAE: 07 March 2017 His Highness Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, officially inaugurated the Innovation Lab at Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) as part of its sustained efforts to instill a workplace culture based […]
The biggest impact investing deal to ever see the light of day — that is how a fascinating new hedge fund deal is being touted. Impact investing is the practice of trying to make a measurable, positive societal impact as well as making a financial return on your money. The US hedge fund Mariner Investment Group reckons it has found a way to turn an investment of about $150m into […]
Mozilla has released the latest version of Firefox, which it says will allow complex apps to run much faster in the browser. Firefox 52 adds support for WebAssembly, which Mozilla said allows for “near-native performance for games and apps”. It said WebAssembly – a low-level assembly-like language designed to run alongside JavaScript – will enable applications that have historically been too complex to run in browsers – […]
Dubai-based pay-TV firm OSN has welcomed the ruling of an Egyptian court which ordered a record fine of EP100,000 and one-year imprisonment for a man found guilty of illegally distributing and selling stolen entertainment content without holding the required licences. The Economic Court of Alexandria found the defendant guilty of two charges of setting up an illegal broadcast network as well as breaking intellectual property laws. The […]
