London bistro makes diners sign Christmas pudding waiver
LONDON- A London restaurant has asked diners to sign a legal waiver before tucking in to their traditional Christmas pudding in case they hurt themselves on the silver charms inside,…
Conflict cones
This past year I traveled to two conflict zones, Afghanistan and Gaza. When traveling to these areas I tried to prepare myself mentally for the journey ahead. Going to Afghanistan,…
Bad breath fights monsters at Japan whacky tech fair
A monster-slaying bad breath blow gun, a rain-simulating funbrella and a navigation-aid helmet that steers users by pulling their ears: welcome to Japan s latest whacky inventions.These bizarre gadgets and…
Publishers fight the Web with behemoth cookbooks
What exactly is one person supposed to do with 2,000 Italian recipes? Or 1,400 French dishes?A new generation of comprehensive (some would say behemoth) cookbooks is cramming thousands of recipes…
'The Christmas Song' turns 65
It s the best-selling Christmas tune of all time and for more than six decades has evoked images of Santa Claus, roasting chestnuts, and, of course, Jack Frost nipping at…
Oil prices add gains from stockpile drop, cold weather
NEW YORK: Oil prices extended gains Thursday from a larger-than-expected drop in US energy stockpiles and an intense cold snap in the United States, the world s biggest energy consumer.New…
Jordan's central bank cuts key interest rate by 5 percent
The Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) cut basic lending rate 50 bps or 0.5 percent trimming the rediscount rate to 4.75 percent, the (repo) rate to 4.5 percent and the…
THE REEL ESTATE: Scorsese in Alexandria: a missed opportunity
It was the mother of all cinematic events. Film fans everywhere in the country were stunned to learn that the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is hosting Martin Scorsese, the greatest living American…
Investment strategy after the crisis
MILAN: Investors have been hit hard by the current crisis. Lessons are being learned and investment strategies revised. The central lesson for investors seems to me to be that not…
How Israelis see Obama
WASHINGTON, DC: Perhaps a US president's approval rating among Israeli citizens is somewhat trivial. After all, Barack Obama's re-election will be decided in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, not in Haifa,…