BANGKOK / AP Thailand’s military-appointed legislature approved a bill tightening the country’s already harsh Computer Crime Act, defying critics who said it infringes on the right to free expression. The National Legislative Assembly voted 168 to 0 with four abstentions to approve amending the 2007 law. Internet activists had campaigned against the amendment, which will allow the authorities to ...

  Bloomberg For more than a century, Aizawa Hospital provided medical care to the people of Japan’s mountainous prefecture of Nagano. Last year, it looked to broaden its patient base, opening a clinic in Beijing in March, and has been approached by hospitals in other cities to open more. “In the age of globalization, we want to go wherever we ...

  NEW YORK / AP The revelation of Yahoo’s latest hack underscores what many Americans have known for years: All those emails, photos and other personal files stored online can easily be stolen, and there’s little anyone can do about it. The only saving grace is that the attackers apparently did not exploit the information for fraud. But their true ...

  Relaxnews Column inches in newspapers and on tech blogs may still outnumber the devices in the average consumer’s home but 2017 could be the year that the Internet of Things (IoT) truly becomes a thing. According to Juniper Research, by 2021, the number of connected devices, sensors and activators in use will total 46 billion, that’s a 200% jump ...

  DUBAI / Emirates business LG Electronics (LG) has long been a key driver in innovation, applying analytics-driven insights to its appliances and electronics to produce a unified consumer experience that is as intuitive as it is effortless. The home appliances and home entertainment market is currently undergoing a great change where consumers are starting to shift from traditional products ...

  Bloomberg Facebook Inc. is changing its powerful news feed in an effort to stamp out fake stories following a firestorm around the social network’s role in spreading false information. The new features, rolled out to select US users on Thursday, add options for readers and third-party fact checkers to flag articles, tweak Facebook’s algorithm and provide more restrictions on ...

  ABU DHABI / WAM Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) signed on Saturday an agreement with BP, awarding the British oil and gas giant a 10 percent interest in Abu Dhabi’s onshore oil concession operated by ADCO, the Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Petroleum Operations. As part of BP’s interest in the concession, it will become asset leader for ...

  DUBAI / WAM The Ministry of Finance (MoF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre (DIEDC) to exchange experiences and coordinate on matters related to the strategic plan for ‘Dubai the Capital of Islamic Economy 2017-2021’, aimed at strengthening country’s position and enhancing the Emirate of Dubai as the capital of the Islamic economy. ...

  Ajman / WAM The Humaid Bin Rashid Al Nuaimi Foundation’s board of trustees has approved an estimated budget of AED27 million for 2017. Approved at a board meeting chaired by HH Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, the budget funds the foundation’s charitable and humanitarian projects. Sheikh Ammar directed the board of trustees to launch ...

  UMM AL QAIWAIN / WAM From humble beginnings in late 2014, the Umm Al Qaiwain Free Trade Zone (UAQ FTZ) has progressed dramatically in this bustling emirate with investors leapfrogging from a few hundred to over 2,500 licenses till date. Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mu’alla, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Umm Al ...