MOSCOW Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that only the Russian people will choose who succeeds him as president, through the electoral process. Russia will hold a presidential election in March next year. Putin has not said whether he will run or not, but is widely expected to go for what would be his fourth term. “The president’s successor will be decided by the Russian people only during […]
It’s springtime. Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, and love is in the air. That can only mean one thing: It’s time to send pictures of your bits and pieces! If you’ve ever used your phone to send someone special a picture of your thing(s), you’re not alone. Data shows that sexting is a highly popular pastime enjoyed by men and women alike. As you […]
An exoplanet orbiting a red dwarf star 40 light-years from Earth may be the new holder of the title ‘best place to look for signs of life beyond the solar system.’ Using ESO’s HARPS instrument, and other telescopes, astronomers discovered a ‘super-Earth’ orbiting in the habitable zone around the star LHS 1140. This world is larger and more massive than the Earth and has likely retained most […]
By Roberta Rampton | JAKARTA JAKARTA U.S. Vice President Mike Pence toured Southeast Asia’s largest mosque on Thursday during a visit to Indonesia, calling the Muslim-majority nation’s tradition of following a moderate form of Islam “an inspiration to the world”. Pence, an evangelical Christian, has sought to use his trip to soften some of the harsher edges of rhetoric about the Muslim world used by U.S. President […]
Oil prices levelled off on Thursday after they dropped more than $2 a barrel following publication of data by the US energy department showing a rise in American gasoline stockpiles for the first time since February. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate edged 14 cents higher to $50.58 a barrel in early European trading while the global Brent benchmark ticked 17 cents higher to $53.10 a barrel. The […]
Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) has announced a contribution of AED330 million ($89.8 million) to implement development projects and programmes in key sectors in Somalia, particularly infrastructure and transport. The funding underpins efforts to improve public services, create new job opportunities and ensure stability and social development, state news agency WAM reported on Wednesday. It said the contribution aims to help Somalia overcome the economic challenges […]
By Sarah White and Yann Le Guernigou | PARIS PARIS Hard-left presidential challenger Jean-Luc Melenchon and conservative Francois Fillon were neck-and-neck behind the frontrunners in an opinion poll on Thursday, as candidates made last-ditch appeals to undecided voters. Voters will cast their ballots on Sunday in the first round of what has transformed into the most unpredictable French election in living memory, with four candidates within reach […]
By Adam Jourdan | SHANGHAI SHANGHAI German sports apparel brand adidas AG (ADSGn.DE) expects its huge operating margin in China to shrink slightly in the long term, while its small U.S. margin grows markedly in the near term, its new chief executive officer said on Thursday. Kasper Rorsted, on his first visit to China since taking the helm in September, said adidas’ margin in Greater China of […]
Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will hit the U.S. shelves on April 21. However, some users who preordered the Samsung smartphones have started receiving the devices. The flagships are being touted as two of the year’s best smartphones. Tech Times reported on Tuesday, April 18, how a YouTuber compared the latest Samsung handsets’ real-world speed performance against premium flagships from other OEMs such as the iPhone 7, OnePlus […]
Activist investor Elliott Management has released a letter sent to its founder Paul Singer by the ousted chief executive of US engineering group Arconic that it claims was a veiled attempt to “intimidate or extort” the hedge fund veteran over his celebrations at the 2006 World Cup. New York-based Elliott is the largest shareholder in Arconic and has been locked in a battle with the US engineering […]
With ‘Never-Trump’-ers still convinced he is Hitler and ‘Trump’-ers questioning their reality at his recent flip-floppery, many in the country are asking why should we support this President (even as his approval ratings rise with each warmongering threat). Well there is a simple – and perhaps greedy – reason… the world’s debt and equity markets have gained over $8 trillion since his election and a loss of […]
Poland’s NC Cyber director Juliusz Brzostek: “Our role is to secure national assets, which means that we protect key services.” Image: Bogdanski/NC Cyber With the NIS directive on protecting national network and systems in place since last year, EU countries are now having to streamline their cybersecurity efforts. The directive requires them to set up computer security incident response teams (CSIRTs) and computer emergency response teams, or […]
By Syed Raza Hassan and Saad Sayeed | ISLAMABAD ISLAMABAD Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Thursday ruled there was insufficient evidence to order Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s removal from office over corruption allegations levelled by the opposition and ordered further investigations. A verdict to remove Sharif would have left his party in power but would, nevertheless, have sparked turmoil at a time when Pakistan is experiencing modest growth […]
ANKARA Turkey’s justice minister said on Thursday that any opposition challenge to a referendum that expanded President Tayyip Erdogan’s powers would be rejected by the constitutional court, and Europe’s human rights court had no jurisdiction on the matter. The main opposition CHP party said on Wednesday it was considering taking its appeal for the referendum to be annulled to Turkey’s Constitutional Court or the European Court of […]
India’s space agency on Wednesday broke a world record by launching 104 satellites from a single rocket. The mission reinforces India’s reputation as a reliable and cost-effective option for launching satellites. These photos show the moment the Indian Space Research Organization’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle released the satellites. For breaking news, features and analysis from India, follow WSJ India on Facebook. (via WSJ)
MANILA Russian navy vessels arrived in the Philippines on Thursday for joint exercises as part of a drive for new security ties under President Rodrigo Duterte’s revamped foreign policy of courting the traditional foes of Manila’s top ally, Washington. The guided-missile cruiser Varyag, accompanied by the fuel tanker ship, Pechenge, are on a four-day goodwill visit to the Philippines, the second port call by Russian warships in […]
A couple of weeks ago, the authority that oversees broadcast licensing in Germany concluded that internet streaming services should be subject to the same licensing imposed on broadcast radio and television. The focus is on Twitch.tv which exemplifies this new paradigm; according to a press release, the Germans see streaming platforms as little more than tiny TV stations operating without a license. This […]
SYDNEY Australia plans to raise the bar for handing out citizenships by lengthening the waiting period, adding a new “Australian values” test and raising the standard for English language as part of a shake up of its immigration programme. The move comes in a week when Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced axing a temporary work visa popular with foreigners and replacing it with a tougher programme in […]
Google is reportedly planning to equip Chrome with a built-in ad blocker, which is quite of a shock considering Google’s biggest money-making strategy is through advertisements. So why is the search company baking an ad blocker into Chrome, the most popular web browser in the world? What Are You Thinking, Google? As The Wall Street Journal reports, the ad block move is a “defensive” one, as described by people […]
Residents driving on the Sheikh Zayed Highway going to Dubai from Abu Dhabi hit heavy traffic this morning due to an accident near Al Safa 2. Commuters driving from Mall of the Emirates to Dubai World Trade Centre were told to expect delays of up to 45 minutes. Those finding other ways into Dubai from the Northern Emirates along Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road could save time […]
Television fans and fashionistas alike have been eagerly awaiting Netflix’s latest TV show, Girlboss, which debuts on April 21. The 13-episode series is loosely based on the autobiography of fashion-industry phenomenon Sophia Amoruso. As noted in our preview, she is an unconventional figure in the fashion scene. After hitchhiking around America, working odd jobs in record and bookstores and resorting to shoplifting when money was tight, in […]
Waiting for a friend to message you back? Learn some vocabulary while you wait with WaitSuite. Credit: Jason Dorfman, MIT CSAIL Hyper-connectivity has changed the way we communicate, wait, and productively use our time. Even in a world of 5G wireless and “instant” messaging, there are countless moments throughout the day when we’re waiting for messages, texts and Snapchats to refresh. But our frustrations with waiting a […]
April 20, 2017 The UAE Banks Federation (UBF), a professional body representing 49 member banks operating in the UAE, today hosted a high-level delegation from SWIFT, the global provider of secure financial messaging services. The delegation – led by Mr. Alain Raes, Chief Executive for Europe, Middle East and Africa and Asia Pacific for SWIFT – met with UBF’s executive management and chairmen of concerned technical committees […]
BEIJING Britain will lose more than the European Union from its decision to leave the bloc, the EU’s top diplomat said on Thursday, and talks with London were expected to be difficult. Prime Minister Theresa May formally began Britain’s divorce from the EU last month, declaring there was no turning back, ushering in a tortuous exit process that will test the bloc’s cohesion and pitch her country […]
