What a misfortune it is that Hillary Clinton was able to coast through three presidential debates without being pressed significantly on any of her weaknesses. At this point, I’m out of ways to express outrage at Donald Trump, who almost certainly will not become president. But let’s get this next part out of the way, at least, in reaction ...
Read More »Empower women to spur economic growth
Women are the drivers of the nation’s economy, pointed out HH Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah, at the inauguration of the ‘Investing in the Future’ (IFFMENA) conference on Wednesday. Women’s participation in economic activities is crucial as it ensures that they play a huge role in the decision-making process and implement policies effectively. ...
Read More »Samsung’s bigger problem? Its phones can’t be fixed
This week, Samsung representatives are standing by at some of the world’s busiest airports, ready to exchange Galaxy Note 7 phones for something new and less combustible. After dozens of fires, two recalls and the complete cancellation of the product, the U.S. government on Saturday warned that anyone knowingly bringing a Galaxy Note 7 and its potentially explosive battery ...
Read More »Why pioneering Nokia couldn’t beat the IPhone
In autumn 2007, Jorma Ollila, who had stepped down the year before as Nokia’s chief executive officer but was still the chairman, polled 12 top company executives on whether they thought Apple’s new iPhone posed a big threat. Two said no, Ollila recalls in “Against All Odds,†a surprisingly engrossing memoir first published in Finland in 2013 but just ...
Read More »The slow, painful death of the media’s cash cow
What do you do when you’ve been given a death sentence? Do you live your remaining time to the fullest, or do you spend that time taking long-shot chances at a cure? No, this isn’t a column about cancer. It’s a column about businesses whose core industries are doomed. The perennial staple of such discussions is the venerable buggy-whip ...
Read More »Mammoth bond issue boosts Saudi, Egypt rebounds
DUBAI / Reuters Saudi Arabia’s stock market rose sharply on Thursday as banks rallied after the kingdom’s mammoth international bond sale, which could help to unclog liquidity bottlenecks in the economy. Egypt bounced as investors bought into recent dips. The Saudi index gained 2.3 percent in sharply higher turnover as all but one of the banks advanced, with Samba ...
Read More »European equities aim higher before ECB move
London / AFP Stock markets in Europe trod higher on Thursday ahead of an eagerly-awaited monetary policy decision by the European Central Bank. Frankfurt and Paris both rose 0.2 percent ahead of the interest rate call due at 1145 GMT, while London flatlined on news of steady retail sales for September. ECB chief Mario Draghi is likely to prep ...
Read More »Qatar to weigh joining $100bn SoftBank tech fund
Bloomberg Qatar is considering investing in the $100 billion global technology fund formed by SoftBank Group Corp. and Saudi Arabia, according to people familiar with the matter. SoftBank Chairman Masayoshi Son has visited Doha and other parts of the Gulf region in recent months to discuss investments with global investors, one of the people said, asking not to be ...
Read More »Saudi fingerprinting scheme weighs on STC, Mobily
DUBAI / Reuters Saudi Arabia’s two biggest telecom operators reported weaker third-quarter earnings on Wednesday, as the cost of implementing a government initiative to register fingerprints with phone numbers weighed on both providers. A 7.5 percent drop in profit at market leader Saudi Telecom Co’s (STC) represented a continuation of an earnings slump which has now seen it report ...
Read More »Egypt’s economy to grow 3.5 percent
Reuters Egypt’s economy is likely to grow 3.5 percent in the 2016/17 fiscal year, missing the government’s target of around 5 percent and falling below last year’s growth rate, a Reuters poll showed. The poll, which surveyed 17 analysts, found growth would pick up only slightly to reach 3.7 percent the following fiscal year. Egypt has been struggling to ...
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