Opinion

The Munich Security Conference is an annual catalog of horrors. But the most ominous discussion last weekend wasn’t about IS terrorism but a new generation of weapons — such as killer robots and malignly programmed “smart” appliances that could be deployed in a future conflict. Behind the main events at the annual discussion of foreign and defense policy here was …

To sustain the competitive edge, the banking sector in the UAE has to digitize to keep pace with international standards, and retain customer base as well as reach out to young customers through the social media networking. Corporate banks that will lag behind the digitization process could risk drop of profits, and hence lose qualified staff compared to other competitors …

Barron’s cover story this weekend asked, “Trump and Sanders: Are They Killing the Stock Market?” Noting the correlation between the rise of so-called outsiders and movement in the equities markets, the business weekly said, “US stocks have fallen sharply since Trump and Sanders began rising in popularity in the polls. It could be more than coincidence.” The story hits upon …

China is going to set up its first air squadron in Antarctica in 2016, China Daily reports, citing the State Oceanic Administration. The squadron will support China’s ongoing scientific explorations in the Antarctic. As China Daily noted, China currently has 277 researchers in Antarctica, working out of four research stations. The SOA didn’t provide details about the squadron, other than …

When Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled the blueprint for the enormous $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project last year, Pakistan was understandably pleased. The Pakistani government considers the project a game changer for its fragile economic structure. This exhilaration partly stems from the country’s wobbly economic performance in recent years, which has seen it fall short of GDP and …

Peter Sands, the former chief executive officer of Standard Bank, is among those who want to abolish high-denomination currency notes, “the preferred payment mechanism of those pursuing illicit activities.” In the wacky world of negative interest rates, though, pallets of hundred- dollar bills and 500 euro notes are poised to become a fashionable store of value for any cash-rich company …

Kurt Campbell, then-assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, e-mailed then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands on October 2, 2012 – less than a month after the Japanese central government nationalized the islands – it was revealed in the latest batch of emails released by the U.S. State Department. Campbell wrote, “We assess …

Antonin Scalia, who combined a zest for intellectual combat with a vast talent for friendship, was a Roman candle of sparkling jurisprudential theories leavened by acerbic witticisms. The serrated edges of his most passionate dissents sometimes strained the court’s comity and occasionally limited his ability to proclaim what the late Justice William Brennan called the most important word in the …

The UAE-India friendship has not only been accelerated by business ties, but also cultural links, age-old maritime trade and vibrant people-to-people contacts. The two nations have potential and success models to share. Each has what it takes to strengthen cooperation with the other side. In recognition of the economic weight of the UAE, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited the …

Three asset classes — energy, high- yield corporate bonds and emerging-market currencies — became unhinged last year amid abnormal asset price volatility. Now the banking segment seems to be getting a lot closer to following the same route. Should this occur — thankfully, that’s still a big if at this stage — the consequences for the real economy and global …