By Venus Wu and Jess Macy Yu | HONG KONG HONG KONG Hong Kong on Sunday will likely select Beijing’s favoured candidate for its next leader who some say will further divide a city where middle class families have become increasingly disaffected by political tension and economic hardship. The former British colony, governed under a “one country, two systems” arrangement, was promised a high degree of autonomy […]
Federal investigators are looking at whether the $81 million stolen from a Bangladesh central bank account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York last year has links to North Korea. This is due to similarities in the code used in the online heist and in an earlier breach of Sony Pictures, according to two insiders quoted by Bloomberg and who asked to remain unidentified since the […]
Putting on your make-up can be a struggle if the lighting is dim and space on your table is sparse. If not stored properly, lipsticks can go missing, foundation bottles can slip and crash, and brushes can lose their shape. Hand in hand with the contouring, baking and strobing beauty trends comes the need for a well-organised make-up station, where compacts are colour coordinated and lipsticks stand […]
By Frank Jack Daniel and Matt Spetalnick | MEXICO CITY/WASHINGTON MEXICO CITY/WASHINGTON A group of 14 nations on Thursday urged Venezuela to hold elections and release “political prisoners,” in a joint statement that kept open the option of seeking to suspend the South American country from the Organization of American States. The statement, which Mexico’s Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said was aimed at encouraging Venezuela to “re-establish […]
ZTE Corporation has released its financial results for 2016, reporting full-revenue of 101.2 billion yuan, an increase of 1.04 percent to the 100.18 billion yuan reported in the previous corresponding period. The Chinese telecommunications hardware vendor, which had delayed the release of its 2016 annual report to assess the impact of the Iran sanctions case, admitted it slipped to a net loss of 2.36 billion yuan in […]
SYDNEY China is not militarising the South China Sea, Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday, although he acknowledged that defence equipment on islands in the disputed waterway had been placed there to maintain “freedom of navigation”. China has drawn international criticism for large-scale building in the South China Sea, although Li told reporters in Australia the development was for civilian purposes only. “China’s facilities, Chinese islands and […]
Iconic French brand Hermes will launch a pop up concept ‘HermèsMatic’ in Dubai from April 13 to April 22 at the Place des Lumieres in City Walk 2. The concept, which focuses on the brand’s signature printed scarves, also appears in different locations around the world. This time, it revolves around a “retro laundrette” theme, which connects to Hermes’ aim at reviving its signature scarves. In line […]
By Michael Holden | BIRMINGHAM, England BIRMINGHAM, England Before he killed at least four people in Britain’s deadliest attack since the 2005 London bombings, Khalid Masood was considered by intelligence officers to be a criminal who posed little serious threat. A British-born former teacher and Muslim convert, Masood had shown up on the periphery of previous terrorism investigations that brought him to the attention of Britain’s MI5 […]
By Marco Aquino | CARAPONGO, Peru CARAPONGO, Peru Between rows of plastic tents on the outskirts of Lima, Martha Llanos takes her ration of rice and chicken alongside thousands of others who have been forced from their homes by the worst flooding to hit Peru in decades. The 43-year-old mother of three said she was less worried about the loss of her makeshift home in the destitute […]
DUBAI // Emiratis need to feel a “higher sense of responsibility” to help solve the conflicts around them, the head of a student programme says. “We’ve been able to write the first draft of a national document, which includes the world’s concerns, tolerance, women’s status, conflict and peace, and the skills that are taught to the students to reach this culture,” said Dr Ibrahim Al Dabal, general […]
Vodafone NZ has announced that it will be seeking approval to acquire 70 percent of Farmside, the rural broadband and satellite arm of small carrier TeamTalk, for NZ$10 million in cash as well as the option to acquire the remaining 30 percent for NZ$3 million. Vodafone NZ CEO Russell Stanners said the offer, subject to approval by TeamTalk’s shareholders, would allow the former to deliver improved services […]
In almost any other part of the world, a friendly, on-camera hug between two senior politicians at a public event would have raised no eyebrows. But in the febrile atmosphere of a Hong Kong bracing itself for the “election” of its fourth chief executive since the former British colony was handed back to China in 1997, Tung Chee-hwa’s embrace of Carrie Lam during a public ceremony in […]
23 March 2017 Doha, Qatar – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) announced today that is has officially opened its new scientific office in Qatar. The new opening comes as part of the company’s overall expansion efforts across the region, and commitment to drive robust partnerships in Qatar with an aim to develop stronger healthcare outcomes. The opening ceremony included Her Excellency, Bahia Tahzib-Lie, Ambassador of the […]
Scientists report data from a new study providing evidence that random, unpredictable DNA copying ‘mistakes’ account for nearly two-thirds of the mutations that cause cancer. Their research is grounded on a novel mathematical model based on DNA sequencing and epidemiologic data from around the world. (via WSJ)
By Jane Chung and Geert De Clercq | SEOUL/PARIS SEOUL/PARIS South Korea’s KEPCO (015760.KS), the likeliest suitor for Toshiba Corp’s (6502.T) troubled nuclear business, is holding off from making an approach because of question marks over the scale of damage at the unit and political uncertainty in both South Korea and the United States, people with direct knowledge of the matter say. Japanese TV-to-rail conglomerate Toshiba has […]
A ban on most carry-on electronics on flights to the United States will not significantly affect passenger numbers at Dubai International, where flights depart to 12 US cities daily, the airport’s chief executive said on Thursday. The US announced on Tuesday new restrictions on flights from airports in eight Muslim-majority countries, including the United Arab Emirates, affecting international airline Emirates which flies from Dubai. The restrictions apply […]
MOSCOW — It’s 2017, and the new Cold War is in full swing. The West is winning, for now. U.S. sanctions have impoverished Russia. But the two sides are poised at a critical juncture. The Russians have come up with new technology to drill for gas that could send their economy skyrocketing again, putting the West on the back foot. And so, the CIA sends President Donald […]
By Michelle Nichols | UNITED NATIONS UNITED NATIONS The United States warned South Sudan’s government on Thursday that preventing humanitarian aid workers from reaching parts of the war-torn state that are suffering famine could “amount to deliberate starvation tactics.” A civil war erupted in 2013 when President Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, fired his deputy, Riek Machar, a Nuer, who has fled and is now in South […]
WASHINGTON A bipartisan group of U.S. senators including senior members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee introduced a bill on Thursday seeking to tighten sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile launches and other non-nuclear activities. Democratic Senator Robert Menendez, a co-author of the measure with the Republican foreign relations chairman, Bob Corker, told Reuters it had been written specifically not to interfere with the international nuclear […]
DHAKA A fire that broke out in Bangladesh’s central bank on Thursday night on floors 13 and 14 of the 32-story building has been brought under control. The cause of the blaze was not immediately known. “Twelve units of the fire fighting department controlled (the fire) after several hours of efforts,” a fire department official said. “Those floors are very important as those floors deal with foreign […]
Faisal Al Nuaimi is passionate about cycling. From hills to flats, this two-wheeled warrior loves pedalling the streets of Ajman City, his hometown and a growing sports-tourism hub. Cycling five times a week, mostly after work, Al Nuaimi covers up to 70 kilometres in a regular workout, interspersed with two days’ running. It has changed his body dramatically, trimming off 19 kilograms of fat in one year […]
CAIRO — Ten Egyptian soldiers and 15 militants were killed during a raid on an Islamist insurgent base in the restive Sinai Peninsula, a military spokesman said Thursday. The deaths underscored the strength of the Sinai insurgency, led by an Islamic State affiliate, despite almost four years of concerted Egyptian counterterrorism operations. In recent months Sinai militants have expanded their area of operations, targeted Christian civilians and […]
Investors rushed to participate in Volkswagen’s return to European bond markets on Thursday, with the German carmaker’s first benchmark issue following the emissions scandal attracting huge demand. The €8bn euro-denominated bond attracted €24bn of orders by late afternoon, when books were closed ahead of final pricing. Bankers said the deal was launched with a spread 15 basis points tighter than initial indications. “There was a lot of […]
The irony of revelations from the Global Laundromat scandal landing almost exactly a year on from the Panama Paper leaks is not lost on many readers. Clearly the lip-service to greater transparency that followed the financial leak has come to nought. The Laundromat scandal has exposed billions of dollars being moved out of Russia through anonymously owned UK companies and Britain’s high street banks. Anonymous companies – the […]
