ABU DHABI // The UAE increased foreign aid by 43 per cent in 2015, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation revealed on Saturday. In its report, UAE’s Foreign Aid In 2015, the ministry said the UAE spending on humanitarian, charitable and developmental forms rose to Dh32.34 billion, up from Dh22.64bn in 2014. The goal was to help improve the living standards of individuals, regardless of […]
When Madonna and Oprah Winfrey publicly endorse your new product, it is perhaps safe to put in the order for that Rolls-Royce you have been promising yourself. When they did just that for Swiss watch and jewellery brand Philip Stein, it sent the company and its president, Will Stein, soaring to dizzying new heights. Stein flew from his base in Zurich to Abu Dhabi last month to […]
Good morning. Here’s our morning roundup of all the media news you need to know. Want to get this briefing in your inbox every morning? Subscribe here. Bob Dylan just won the Nobel Prize for Literature, enough said. “Poet laureate of the rock era.” But media critic, too? Patti Smith gained deserved attention for a notable performance of “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” at the Nobel ceremony […]
A new deal has been reached to complete the evacuation of rebel-held areas of Syria’s east Aleppo which ground to a halt on Friday over demands from pro-government forces that people also be moved out of two villages besieged by rebels. Syrian rebel official al-Farouk Abu Bakr, speaking from Aleppo to news channel al-Arabiya al-Hadath on Saturday, said the deal comprised an evacuation from the two Shi’ite […]
Microsoft is building out a number of “graphs,” or data indexes, across the company. There’s the Bing knowledge graph, the Office Graph, and now, the LinkedIn professional graph. This week, the company announced plans to add another graph to its stable: A “world graph.” It’s partnering with HERE, TomTom, and Esri to build this geographic data index. The data in the coming world graph isn’t just about […]
DUBAI Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned Britain on Saturday as a “source of evil and misery” for the Middle East after British Prime Minister Theresa May called Iran a regional threat. “Shamelessly, the British have recently called … Iran a threat to the region, but everyone knows that … it is the British who have always been the source of threats, corruption and misery,” the […]
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte(Photo: Tang Chhin Sothy, AFP/Getty Images) President Rodrigo Duterte threatened Saturday to terminate a pact that allows U.S. troops to visit the Philippines, saying “bye-bye America” as he reacted with rage to what he thought was a U.S. decision to scrap a major aid package over human rights concerns. A U.S. government aid agency, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, said earlier in the week that […]
ABU DHABI // The fifth batch of female national service military recruits has graduated at a ceremony at the Khawla Bint Al Azwar Military School. The ceremony was attended by Major General Sheikh Ahmad bin Tahnoun, Chairman of the National and Reserve Service Authority, who praised the graduates, state news agency Wam reported. Colonel Afra Al Falasi, commander of the military school, said National Service sought to […]
Your daily guide to community and cultural activities across the Emirates for December 18, 2016, including performances, festivals, art exhibitions, film screenings, health and fitness events, talks, classes, workshops and family fun. newslide Abu Dhabi Festival tickets Buy tickets for the Abu Dhabi Festival, which runs from March 14 to 31 and features artists across a variety of genres and nationalities, opening with Saudi singer Mohamed Abdo. […]
By all accounts, the June charity gala at Skylight, a Beaux-Arts building in midtown New York, was a very glitzy affair. Whoopi Goldberg served as master of ceremonies, while Naomi Campbell and Leonardo DiCaprio were among the A-list guests. The hosts for the evening were Martin Chavez, named this week as the next chief financial officer of Goldman Sachs, and his husband, Adam Norbury. In many respects […]
As millions of children around the world drag their parents to shopping malls to sit on Santa’s lap and tell him their wishes, hardly anyone is coming to Demre. Turkey has an abundance of problems — frequent terror attacks, a swelling population of Syrian refugees, mass arrests after a failed coup — that have driven tourists away. The only foreign visitors to Demre these days seem to […]
With Net Profit Reaching SAR 159 Million; a 41.8% Increase Compared to the Same Period Last Year: 15 December 2016 Riyadh: Saudia Dairy and Foodstuff Company (SADAFCO) has commenced operations of the new solar project that comes in line with the Kingdom’s 2030 vision for renewable energy, offering new employment opportunities and creates economic diversification. “The new 2 SAR million solar power project at our Riyadh Regional […]
A new theoretical framework for stabilizing high-energy accelerators has been developed by a team of scientists. (via WSJ)
By Aaron Ross | KINSHASA KINSHASA Talks in Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday between the ruling coalition and the opposition failed to reach a compromise on the political future of President Joseph Kabila, who is set to stay in power when his mandate ends on Monday. Delegates said the talks will resume on Wednesday once the Catholic bishops mediating the negotiations have returned from a trip […]
Newspapers reach nearly seven in 10 Americans in any given month, according to a new report from the ratings agency Nielsen. The report, drawn from a Nielsen Scarborough study, found that “more than 169 million adults in the U.S. read a newspaper in a month — whether it be in print, on a website or via mobile app.” Notably, more than half of monthly newspaper readers are reading […]
When the first commercial solar photovoltaic panel was unveiled in 1954, it was only capable of converting into electricity six per cent of the Sun’s light. Efficiency has increased since then, making solar a viable option for homes and power plants alike. The gains started plateauing in the 1990s and today’s panels, which convert about a quarter of the sunlight they capture into electricity, are only slightly […]
There have been many paths to the White House over the centuries, but few as diverse or demanding as the one taken by Barack Obama. Now a new Netflix movie, Barry, explores the college days that raised his consciousness and shaped him into presidential material. Obama’s childhood was unusual, to say the least. He grew up in Hawaii, Jakarta and California, the son of a black Kenyan […]
Christmas is coming: an event as exciting for the toymakers hoping to fill stockings with this year’s hottest new playthings as it is for the children who will open them on December 25. Expectations of a bumper festive period have brought early Christmas presents for investors in companies such as Spin Master, Hasbro and Nintendo — manufacturers behind some of the biggest hits — that have all […]
In this photo taken Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016, an Uber driverless car heads out for a test drive in San Francisco. Uber is bringing a small number of self-driving cars to its ride-hailing service in San Francisco – a move likely to both excite the city’s tech-savvy population and spark a conflict with California regulators. The Wednesday, Dec. 14, launch in Uber’s hometown expands a public pilot […]
Re: Investigation fallout felt around the world, Dec. 11 Investigation fallout felt around the world, Dec. 11 Kudos to the Star for their continuing coverage of “The Panama Papers “ investigation. With every new revelation, it never fails to amaze me, the extent of devious manipulations employed by obscenely wealthy individuals to avoid contributing their fair share of taxes. There is a growing resentment among the rest […]
The smart home is gaining ground, but it’s still a muddle of confusing standards, competing platforms, and gadgets that don’t do what you might expect. But the promise of products that can make your life a little easier is hard to resist, so I’m here to answer the inevitable questions that arise. Whether it’s figuring out the best connected door lock to assembling the right […]
Thursday’s exciting launch of eight microsatellites carried by Pegasus XL rocket under the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System mission, or CYGNSS, was special in many ways. Prime among the pull factors was the live coverage accorded by NASA’s F-18 support aircraft while chasing Orbital’s L-1011 carrier aircraft. The launch at a predetermined drop point, 39,000 feet high above the Atlantic Ocean had winged Pegasus XL rocket getting dropped […]
Designer-to-the-stars Furne One, from the label Amato, rarely talks about his many achievements. Despite having found worldwide success dressing celebrities including Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé and Katy Perry, the Dubai-based Filipino couturier’s reputation for being self-effacing precedes him. Seeking to shine a light on his talent is Los Angeles film producer, and founder of the Fashion News Live (FNL) network, Rocco Leo Gaglioti. His film, Inside Amato, had […]
To do otherwise, he said, would have required the United States to be “all in and willing to take over Syria.” Continue reading the main story The recent developments in the Syrian conflict send a message to autocratic leaders in the region and elsewhere that force works — and brings few consequences, said Maha Yahya, the director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. The lesson […]
