WASHINGTON Two U.S. special forces troops killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday could have been struck by friendly fire in an operation targeting the emir of Islamic State in Afghanistan, a Pentagon spokesman said on Friday. Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis told reporters that the military was investigating the circumstances of the deaths. Davis added that the target of the raid was Abdul Hasib, the emir of Islamic […]
BERLIN German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday that Emmanuel Macron would make a “strong president” for France, throwing her weight behind the centrist favourite to win a run-off on May 7 against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. Asked in an interview if Germany would accept future French demands that it increase its contributions to the European Union, Merkel said: “We will see. I can’t anticipate the […]
Your daily guide to community and cultural activities across the Emirates for April 28, 2017, including performances, festivals, art exhibitions, film screenings, health and fitness events, talks, classes, workshops and family fun. Ellen Fortini 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 Ajman Theatre See the final […]
‘Demagogic’ populism does not help cause of peace. The pope invoked Egypt’s “glorious history” as an ancient cradle of civilization to argue on Friday that the delivery of a more peaceful future required a new civility that appreciated differences, resisted the violent path of close-minded absolutism and condemned extremists who camouflage terror in religious language. Continue reading the main story “An education in respectful openness and sincere […]
Destination weddings are as popular as ever, with one in four of all affluent couples choosing to tie the knot abroad. From intimate barefoot ceremonies on a white sandy beach, to elaborate events in any imaginable location, destination weddings come in all shapes and sizes. However, some destinations are more convenient than others, because they’re easier to get to, require less red tape and offer a truly […]
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Education is open to receiving feedback from the public on caning of students in school, said Deputy Education Minister Datuk Chong Sin Woon. “At this moment we would not consider to abolish corporal punishment, but we are always open for opinions. If the public think we have to stop it totally, we have to discuss (it first),” he said. He was commenting […]
Sheikh Mubarak Al Sabah Hailed Industry Pioneer at Arabian Hotel Investment Conference April 28 2017, Dubai UAE: His Excellency Sheikh Mubarak A M Al Sabah, founder and chairman of Action Hotels has been acknowledged by the region’s hospitality sector after receiving the signature Industry Pioneer award presented by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum at the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC 2017) in Dubai (yesterday, […]
By Philip Pullella and Mahmoud Mourad | CAIRO CAIRO Pope Francis, making a two-day visit to Egypt, urged Muslim leaders on Friday to unite in renouncing religious extremism at a time when Islamist militants are targeting ancient Christian communities across the Middle East. Francis’s trip, aimed at improving Christian-Muslim ties, comes just three weeks after Islamic State suicide bombers killed at least 45 people in two Egyptian […]
By Julia Fioretti | BRUSSELS BRUSSELS Power plants in the European Union will have to cut the amount of toxic pollutants they emit such as nitrogen oxides under new rules approved by EU member states on Friday and widely applauded by environmental groups. The decision imposes stricter limits on emissions of pollutants like nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide, mercury and particulate matter from large combustion plants in Europe. […]
By Jacob Greaves and Kylie MacLellan | LONDON LONDON The election campaign launch of Britain’s eurosceptic UK Independence Party got off to a troubled start on Friday, when protesters accused its leader Paul Nuttall of promoting racist propaganda after he promised to ban full face veils. UKIP, whose former leader Nigel Farage helped drive support for Brexit before last year’s referendum, was once seen as a threat […]
I’m a PC gamer who hasn’t owned a home video game console in five years. I don’t mention that to obnoxiously flex my PC Master Race muscles or look down upon filthy console peasants. Instead, it’s to highlight how thoroughly done I am with those generic black boxes that sit in entertainment centers and simply…exist. I may not be the most hardcore PC gamer, but […]
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. When Barack Obama was vacationing recently with Bruce Springsteen, Tom Hanks and Oprah Winfrey aboard a $300 million yacht in Tahiti, one wonders if he ever hummed Springsteen’s “All Or Nothin’ At All.” At the moment, it seems like he […]
Bioluminescent mushrooms, an unusual and beautiful sight of nature, have intrigued researchers for years. Scientists have also attempted to unravel the mystery behind why some mushrooms glow in the dark. A team of researchers from Japan, Russia, and Brazil have finally decoded the mystery of the glow-in-the-dark mushrooms. In a new research paper, scientists detailed the reason why two mushroom types exhibit bioluminescence. The researchers focused on […]
JERUSALEM Israel intends to build 15,000 new settlement homes in East Jerusalem, the Housing Ministry said on Friday despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s request to “hold back” on settlements as part of a possible new push for Israeli-Palestinian peace. A formal announcement of the settlement plan, quickly condemned by the chief Palestinian negotiator, could come around the time Trump is scheduled to visit Israel next month. Israel […]
On the last day of the busiest earnings week in a decade, here is a striking statistic from Goldman Sachs, showing just how dominant a handful of large cap companies have become in terms of both overall profitability and market impact: Year to date the top 10 contributors have combined to account for 37% of the S&P 500 index return (more than double their market cap representation […]
GENEVA El Nino weather conditions associated with droughts and flooding have a 50-60 percent probability of returning this year, the U.N. World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Friday, revising its view from two months ago. “Sea surface temperatures in the far eastern tropical Pacific Ocean increased to 2.0° Celsius or more above average during February and March, creating very heavy rainfall and a trade wind collapse from […]
Emerging market equities have been the darling asset class de jour in 2017, mainly in Asia and Latin America, despite the March FOMC rate hike, a US Dollar Index at or above 100 and a mini-swoon in crude oil after a Saudi-Russian output cut spat. Earnings growth (India/Thailand) a stabilized currency (China), policy reforms (India, Brazil, Indonesia) local interest rate cuts (Brazil) and lower US protectionist policies […]
Richard Browning attends the TED Conference in his personal flight suit in Vancouver, Canada, on April 27, 2017 British inventor Richard Browning lifted off from the shore of Vancouver Harbor on Thursday in a personal flight suit that inspired references to comic superhero ‘Iron Man.’ Using thrusters attached to his arms and back, Browning flew in a circle and hovered a short distance from the ground, captivating […]
Distribution agreement boosts Eikon’s robust research offering with economic sovereign reports London, 28 April 2017 – Users of Thomson Reuters flagship financial platform Eikon can now access Oxford Business Group’s full range of research on emerging economies, following a distribution agreement between the two firms, giving financial professionals instant access to OBG’s extensive range of reports and economic updates. OBG content is available through Eikon’s real-time and […]
CAIRO Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has ratified legal amendments that allow the president to make judicial appointments to its top courts, a move judges said would erode the independence of the judicial system. Parliament passed the amendments on Wednesday but some judges had called on Sisi to hold off on ratifying them, calling the amendments an unconstitutional breach of separation of powers. The amendments were issued […]
WASHINGTON U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday spurned the Taiwanese president’s suggestion that the two leaders hold another phone call, saying he did not want to create problems for Chinese President Xi Jinping when Beijing appears to be helping efforts to rein in North Korea. In a White House interview, Trump brushed aside the idea after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen told Reuters on Thursday she would not […]
By Manolo Serapio Jr | MANILA MANILA Philippine police sacked the chief of a Manila police station on Friday and launched an investigation after a human rights group responding to a tip-off found a secret cell that was illegally holding drug suspects without charge. The discovery of the cell will raise more questions about the Philippine National Police (PNP), which is coming under intense criticism for a […]
That small drama points to the bigger issue confronting Francis as he lands in Cairo against a backdrop of swirling anxiety and turmoil. Christians across the Middle East are under intense pressure. After years of persecution by Islamist militants, half of Iraq’s Christian population has fled, and a lonely beach in Libya was the setting for the 2015 beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians in orange jumpsuits. Continue […]
By Philip Pullella | ROME ROME They will not be drawing swords like their predecessors did 1,000 years ago, but battle lines have been drawn between conservatives and reformers in the Knights of Malta, the Catholic chivalric order and global charity. Its former leader, Briton Matthew Festing, has returned to Rome for a decisive boardroom confrontation over its future this Saturday, defying a request to stay away […]
