By Roberta Rampton | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will seek on Saturday to soothe allies unnerved by his boss’ unorthodox statements on Russia and NATO as he stresses America’s commitment to Europe during the first major foreign address for the Trump administration. Pence will tell the annual Munich Security Conference that Europe is an “indispensable partner” for the United States, a message he will […]
By Hyunjoo Jin and Joyce Lee | SEOUL SEOUL Samsung Group chief Jay Y. Lee was arrested early on Friday over his alleged role in a corruption scandal rocking the highest levels of power in South Korea, dealing a fresh blow to the world’s biggest maker of smartphones and memory chips. The 48-year-old Lee, scion of the country’s richest family, was taken into custody at the Seoul […]
ABU DHABI // Despite the odd spot of rain and the grey and gloomy skies, the sporting spirit of thousands of budding athletes shone through as National Sports Day kicked off in the capital on Thursday. Teams, gyms and sporting clubs from across the capital offered free sessions in dozens of group and individual sports as well as a range of fitness classes for people to try […]
Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg mounted a broad defence of social media on Thursday, taking on growing concerns about his company’s contribution to everything from recruitment by terrorists to the spread of fake news. In a 5,700 word treatise posted on the social network, the 32-year-old founder also laid out ideas that could lead Facebook increasingly into new forms of social engineering, as it intervenes more directly to ensure […]
There was predictable consternation in Beijing and among foreign policy experts in Washington. They fretted that Mr. Trump was recklessly undoing the landmark China diplomacy of Richard M. Nixon and Mao Zedong — fears that were misplaced, it turned out. Continue reading the main story Last week, Mr. Trump telephoned President Xi Jinping and promised to abide by “one China,” having discovered that Mr. Xi was not […]
SYDNEY More than 1,400 residents of New Zealand’s Christchurch city returned home on Friday as firefighters contained a massive wildfire that led to their evacuation, destroying properties and power networks. The wildfire in Christchurch’s Port Hills district spread rapidly over Thursday, covering more than 1,800 hectares (4,447 acres) and forcing authorities to declare a state of emergency, which remained in place on Friday. The Civil Defence said […]
PATHUM THANI, Thailand — Thai police raided the head temple of a controversial Buddhist sect but failed to find and arrest the abbot, who faces criminal charges over accepting $40 million in embezzled money. The action Thursday followed several earlier failed attempts to seize Phra Dhammajayo, 72, head of the Dhammakaya sect. Police were previously thwarted when crowds of monks and followers blocked the way, risking a […]
By Aukkaraporn Niyomyat | BANGKOK BANGKOK Thai police hunting a fugitive Buddhist monk discovered medical equipment in the temple rooms where they had expected to find him and will keep searching, an officer said on Friday. The military government used an emergency law on Thursday to let police explore the scandal-hit Dhammakaya Temple after months of failing to get it to hand over Phra Dhammachayo in a […]
SHANGHAI A court in Shanghai jailed a man for eight years on Friday after he set off an explosive device last year at the city’s Pudong International Airport, injuring at least three travellers and delaying flights. In a brief statement, the court said that Zhou Xingbo set off the device because his “life was not smooth” and so he took extreme measures to “vent his spleen”, injuring […]
WASHINGTON Former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn told FBI agents in an interview last month that he had not discussed sanctions against Russia with Moscow’s U.S. ambassador before President Donald Trump took office, the Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing current and former U.S. officials. Flynn’s Jan. 24 interview with the Federal Bureau of Investigation could expose him to charges, since lying to the agency […]
Image: Relax VR The early promise of virtual reality (VR) was vast: We would be transported to new worlds and live in alternate realities. While scientists and programmers have been investigating the possibilities of VR since the 1960s, it’s only in the last few years that the technology started to gain mainstream traction, with VR applications spanning from education to real estate. Australian startup Relax VR is […]
Samsung’s heir apparent Lee Jae-yong has been arrested for bribery, embezzlement and perjury in connection with a massive corruption scandal, in a huge setback for South Korea’s largest conglomerate that could hinder its succession and restructuring plans. The 48-year-old de factor leader of Samsung is the highest-profile business figure engulfed by the influence-peddling scandal that is poised to topple President Park Geun-hye. The arrest of Samsung’s chief […]
Shaul Arieli, an Israeli expert on political geography who prepared maps for past negotiations with the Palestinians and is a member of Commanders for Israel’s Security, the group behind the billboard campaign, said “one state is impossible” for Israel. Demographically and economically, absorbing millions of comparatively poor Palestinians would destroy it, he said. Results of a survey of Israelis and Palestinians released on Thursday, put out jointly […]
MUNICH, Germany European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Thursday that Europe must not cave in to U.S demands to raise military spending, arguing that development and humanitarian aid could also count as security. U.S. President Donald Trump has raised questions about his commitment to the NATO defence alliance if European countries do not raise defence spending to 2 percent of economic output. The United States puts […]
Saudi Arabia has broken up four ISIL cells suspected of providing shelter to wanted militants and recruiting fighters, the Interior Ministry said on Thursday, according to Saudi state television. Automatic weapons were seized from the four cells, which comprised 15 Saudis, two Yemenis and a Sudanese man, the ministry’s statement said. Security forces also seized more than 2 million riyals ($530,000) in cash. Among those helped to […]
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump’s choice for national security adviser, retired Vice Admiral Robert Harward, has turned down the offer, sources familiar with Harward’s decision said on Thursday. Harward was offered the job after Michael Flynn was fired by Trump on Monday for misleading Vice President Mike Pence over his conversations with Russia’s ambassador to the United States. Two sources familiar with the decision said Harward turned down […]
Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Marriyum Aurangzeb on Thursday said the name of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was not mentioned in the Panama Papers, but PTI Chairman Imran Khan made a deliberate attempt to link him with the case for political reasons. Talking to media persons outside the Supreme Court, the minister said that Nawaz Sharif was perhaps the first prime minister […]
By Steve Holland | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON The first gripe came three minutes into President Donald Trump’s first solo news conference on Thursday, when he accused reporters of ignoring a poll showing him with a 55 percent approval rating – a figure at odds with most other surveys. From there, the president’s criticism of the media went from barbed to personal in a cutting assessment of what he […]
By Patricia Zengerle and Matt Spetalnick | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON Wary Democrats on Thursday challenged Republicans who control the U.S. Congress to conduct a credible investigation into contacts between President Donald Trump’s associates and Russia, a process that will likely take months and may never become public. “We will be watching very carefully. If the Intelligence Committee investigation is not proceeding to unearth the entire truth, we will […]
The Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+, and Galaxy Note 5 are all set to be receiving the software upgrade to Android 7.0 Nougat imminently. The vice president of Samsung electronics in Turkey has confirmed the timeline for the release of the Nougat update to the devices in his country, meaning users of the smartphones in the rest of Europe should be receiving the […]
Your daily guide to community and cultural activities across the Emirates for February 17, 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 Dubai Performance Get tickets for […]
Video Haley Says U.S. Backs Two-State Solution Nikki R. Haley, United States ambassador to the United Nations, said on Thursday that the administration supports a two-state solution in the Middle East. By UNTV. Photo by Mary Altaffer/Associated Press. Watch in Times Video » UNITED NATIONS — Twenty-four hours after President Trump swatted away at a broad international consensus on how to achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians, […]
A $125 billion Abu Dhabi state investment firm, formed by merging two of the emirate’s biggest funds, is expected to start operating in May, its chief executive said on Thursday. Mubadala Investment Co is being formed through a merger of Mubadala Development Co and International Petroleum Investment Co, which own corporate stakes in the energy industry and other sectors in the United Arab Emirates and around the […]
SEOUL A South Korean court said on Friday it approved a warrant to arrest Samsung Group chief Jay Y. Lee, who is under investigation for his alleged role in a corruption scandal that led parliament to impeach President Park Geun-hye. The Seoul Central District Court also rejected a request to issue an arrest warrant for Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS) President Park Sang-jin, who also heads the […]
