Every few seconds, our eyelids automatically shutter and our eyeballs roll back in their sockets. So why doesn’t blinking plunge us into intermittent darkness and light? New research shows that the brain works extra hard to stabilize our vision despite our fluttering eyes. Source
In the waning months of the Obama administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Civil Rights took modest steps toward repairing its tattered image. The office, which investigates complaints from communities alleging environmental racism, has issued new manuals to govern how cases are handled; given a strong rebuke to a state environmental agency; and rescinded a proposed rule that would have removed deadlines for resolving cases. It […]
By Diane Bartz and Stephen Nellis Apple Inc filed a $1 billion lawsuit against supplier Qualcomm Inc on Friday, days after the U.S. government accused the chip maker of resorting to anticompetitive tactics to maintain a monopoly over key semiconductors in mobile phones. Qualcomm is a major supplier to both Apple and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd for “modem” chips that connect phones to wireless networks. The two […]
In strange and confusing times, with disenchantment at successive governments aggravated by feelings of insecurity after terrorist attacks, looming elections threaten to produce a socially-divisive outcome France may come to regret. One essential question faces French voters: should they embrace the extraordinary political turmoil that has swept the West and elect Marine Le Pen, leader of the anti-immigration Front National, a party many see as racist, as […]
20 January 2017 The Roads and Transport Authority – Nashwan Atta’ee: A delegation from the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai has recently traveled to Paris to visit ALSTOM Company, a partner of RTA’s Rail Agency and one of the leading players in the rail industry worldwide. The visit was part of RTA’s efforts to keep abreast of the latest and most innovative solutions for broadening […]
NEW DELHI: India and 29 countries discussed their findings on investigations arising from the Panama Papers, including the role of tax intermediaries such as financial institutions and advisers in tax evasion. The two-day meeting of the Joint International Taskforce on Shared Intelligence and Collaboration (JITSIC) in Paris saw revenue authorities of 30 countries sharing their best practices and information based on legal instruments under the tax treaties […]
A British man has died while working on the construction of a stadium for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, authorities said. An investigation was under way to determine the cause of death, the Supreme Council for Delivery and Legacy, which is responsible for World Cup infrastructure, said in a statement. The 40-year-old man died on Thursday at the Khalifa International Stadium, it said, without giving other […]
Just hours after President Trump was sworn into office, amid Chuck Schumer’s jabs over HUD, the Senate has confirmed retired Marine General James Mattis as defense secretary and retired Marine General John Kelly as homeland security secretary. They were both expected to be confirmed easily, and were, but Democrats promised fights over several other nominees. Mattis was the first to be confirmed by a vote of 98 […]
By Steve Holland | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON Donald Trump took power as the 45th president of the United States on Friday and pledged to end what he called an “American carnage” of rusted factories and crime in an inaugural address that was a populist and nationalist rallying cry. Striking a defiant tone, Trump said American workers have been devastated by the outsourcing of jobs abroad. “From this day […]
If you still think laptops are generic and the only difference between them are their price-tags, Dell invites you to think again. The latest Dell XPS 13 developer editon is everything a programmer could want from a high-end laptop. The latest Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition is the best of the best Linux laptops. (Image: CNET) You don’t have to believe me. Linus Torvalds himself picked out […]
Your daily guide to community and cultural activities across the Emirates for January 21, 2017, including performances, festivals, art exhibitions, film screenings, health and fitness events, talks, classes, workshops and family fun. newslide Abu Dhabi Film screening Catch a screening of the 1925 Charlie Chaplin comedy film The Gold Rush at Cinema Space. The film is considered to be Chaplin’s masterpiece, and follows his character the Little […]
While Turkey’s government later said that Mr. Simsek’s remarks had been misconstrued, it was clear that he had said a settlement without Mr. Assad would be “not, you know, realistic.” Continue reading the main story Both developments came as Russia, Turkey and Iran prepared to convene Syrian peace talks in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, beginning on Monday. For the first time, it looked likely that the […]
Telecommuting may not be as advantageous as employees think. A new study shows working from home adds extra hours to the work week, at little additional pay. The findings may change workers’ perceptions of the value of telecommuting and could spur employers to better define the work-at-home workday. (via WSJ)
BERLIN Germany will need a new economic strategy geared toward Asia should the new U.S. administration start a trade war with China, Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said on Friday, warning against protectionism hours after President Donald Trump was sworn in. “I think we have to prepare for a rough ride,” Gabriel said in an interview with the public broadcaster ZDF, in the first official German reaction to […]
President , newly sworn in, says he plans to name his nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court within two weeks of taking office. The confirmation of his nominee would restore a conservative majority on the closely divided bench that many Republicans feared was lost when Justice Antonin Scalia died last February. But it will take more work, […] (via WSJ)
A driver sits in an Uber self-driving car in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 13, 2016 Evangelists for driverless cars see a bright future coming down the road: thousands of lives saved, countless driving hours freed up, cityscapes transformed with traffic jams vanquished. But the new technology also threatens millions of jobs and raises a slew of ethical dilemmas—prospects that were on the minds of business chiefs and […]
British investigators have opened “fresh lines of inquiry” into bribery and corruption at several companies, thanks to evidence gathered in a four-year investigation into illegal behaviour at Rolls-Royce. Ben Morgan, joint head of bribery and corruption at the Serious Fraud Office, told the Financial Times that information collected on a network of corrupt middlemen operating on behalf of Rolls-Royce and other companies was being pieced together “not […]
The inauguration of the United States’ 45th president made front pages around the country with images of President-Elect Donald Trump, stars, stripes and the White House. Trump’s big day also made front pages outside the U.S., where newspapers threw some shade. Here’s a quick collection, via Newseum and Kiosko: Argentina: Colombia: Czech Republic: France: Slovakia: South Africa: United Kingdom: Kristen Hare covers the media for the Poynter […]
By David Lawder and Scott Malone | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON Black-clad activists angry about U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration smashed store and car windows in Washington on Friday and fought with police in riot gear who responded with pepper spray and stun grenades. About 500 people, some wearing masks and kerchiefs over their faces, marched through the city’s downtown, breaking the windows of a Bank of America branch, […]
It’s official: at exactly noon on January 20, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the US. Supreme Court Chief Justice United States John Roberts administered the oath of office to Trump, as he vowed to “faithfully execute the Office of the President of the United States.” As he took the oath, Trump placed his hand on the Bible used by President Lincoln at […]
George Osborne, the former UK chancellor, is to join BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, as an adviser. BlackRock’s chairman and chief executive Larry Fink said the company wanted Mr Osborne’s “unique and valuable perspective on the issues affecting the world”, citing his work helping the UK and the G20 to recover from the financial crisis. “At the centre of our mission is helping people around the […]
The proposed Constitution comes during a period of emergency rule, also approved by Parliament, in the wake of the failed coup attempt in July against Mr. Erdogan. Since then, he has ordered the dismissal of 100,000 state employees and the jailing of more than 40,000 others suspected of supporting the coup. He has also cracked down on the independent news media, jailing about 140 journalists in the […]
If implemented, Microsoft’s power slider would let users adjust the balance between performance and battery use. Image: Microsoft Microsoft has unveiled a new power-slider feature for its Windows 10 Creators Update to help squeeze more life out of the battery on Windows devices. The power slider appears in the latest Fast Ring build 15014 for the Creators Update, which is scheduled for a wider release in the […]
New research shows that limpets can repair their damaged shells with biological material so that they are as strong as the originals. However, they are still vulnerable to multiple impacts and ‘spalling’ — a well-known cause of failure in engineering materials such as concrete. (via WSJ)
