By Michelle Martin | SAARBRUECKEN, Germany SAARBRUECKEN, Germany When voters head to the polls in the German state of Saarland later this month, they are likely to deliver an upset to Chancellor Angela Merkel that could be a foretaste of September’s national election. One of Germany’s smallest states, Saarland is – like federal Germany – currently governed by a ‘grand coalition’ of Merkel’s conservatives and the Social […]
By Mike Stone | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON U.S. President Donald Trump says he wants to build dozens of new warships in one of the biggest peace-time expansions of the U.S. Navy. But interviews with ship-builders, unions and a review of public and internal documents show major obstacles to that plan. The initiative could cost nearly $700 billion in government funding, take 30 years to complete and require hiring […]
Microsoft’s Surface Book wowed many with its sleek and unique design. However, it may have found its competition in the ultra-stylish laptop department with Porsche Design’s 2-in-1 Book One laptop. Unveiled at the Mobile World Congress last February, Porsche Design’s Windows-powered laptop grabbed many people’s attention with its ultra-stylish design that’s reminiscent of the Surface Book. It does, however, have its own unique style that may just […]
Tim Byrnes is an unlikely symbol of China’s bid to become the world’s high-tech superpower. For a start he is Australian. Yet the 39-year-old quantum physicist’s decision to swap a research post in New York for Shanghai goes some way to explaining the lengths to which Beijing is going in its efforts to upend the world order. “Quantum physics is very strong in China,” says Mr Byrnes. […]
Our round-up of the week’s best comment and analysis from the Financial Times focuses on positive signals for the word’s second-largest economy and the implications for investors of the Federal Reserve rate rise. The selection is taken from our Markets Insight and Smart Money columns, written by industry contributors and FT commentators. Investors may be wary of being burnt by China but the drumbeat of bullish noises […]
By Michelle Martin | BERLIN BERLIN Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) on Sunday formally endorsed former European Parliament President Martin Schulz as their leader and challenger to Chancellor Angela Merkel in what is set to be a tightly contested national election in September. The SPD has undergone a revival since nominating Schulz in late January, gaining around 10 points in opinion polls and signing up thousands of new […]
FRANKFURT A large Porsche SE (PSHG_p.DE) stake owned by former Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) chairman Ferdinand Piech may be bought by other members of the Porsche and Piech clans before May 30, German weekly Bild am Sonntag said. Porsche SE said on Friday that Piech wanted to sell his 14.7 percent stake in the family-controlled holding company, which is worth at least 1.1 billion euros ($1.2 billion). It said […]
Tech Times reported on March 11 that Tesla co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk backed up Lyndon Rive’s bold claim at the Powerwall 2 launch at Newport, near Melbourne, that the company can solve South Australia’s energy storage problems in 100 days with its new battery. Rive, Tesla’s Vice President for Energy Products, cited the company’s experience in building a power plant in South California in 90 […]
Employer-funded healthcare in the US is an accidental system. It came into being during the second world war, when wage freezes and 1.9 per cent unemployment forced the government to allow companies to offer fringe benefits like healthcare in an attempt to attract workers. In 1943, the Internal Revenue Service ruled that employer-based healthcare should be tax free — and we were off to the races. The […]
One day after Rex Tillerson warned that the US is contemplating a pre-emptive military attack on North Korea, the isolated nation announced it has conducted a ground test of a new type of high-thrust rocket engine that leader Kim Jong Un is calling a “revolutionary breakthrough” for the country’s space program, the North’s state media said Sunday. Kim attended Saturday’s test at the Sohae launch site, according […]
Nano satellites weighing just a few kilograms orbit the Earth. Pivotal point of these miniature computers are their solar-powered batteries. Computer scientists have now developed a procedure that allows for better planning of solar battery operations. (via WSJ)
In the months since the election, America’s major newsrooms have been recruiting investigative journalists with the knowledge and skills to dig into government institutions at the federal, state and local levels. The New York Times, BuzzFeed, ProPublica, The Washington Post and CNN have all posted or filled investigative reporting jobs in the days since the election, and announcements of new hires come on a near-weekly basis. “It’s […]
Stuart and Carole Hockley voted for Britain to leave the EU, along with 68 per cent of the population of Rotherham. But in February they returned to the polls to help the Liberal Democrats to an unexpected victory for the anti-Brexit party in a council by-election. Mrs Hockley, 73, and a retired nurse, says she still believes in Brexit — but that her area has been neglected […]
Yas Marina Circuit has announced a brand-new, limited edition driving experience featuring the race-prepared Ferrari 458 GT through the circuit’s regular DriveYAS activity days. An experience previously only available to professional drivers or gentlemen racers, the Circuit is now offering members of the public the unique chance to drive a race-prepared Ferrari 458 GT on the world famous track at the home of the Formula 1 Etihad […]
Authored by Daniel Lang via SHTFplan.com, For most of its recent history, China has largely been a land power with no significant naval capabilities. They haven’t been able to exert much military influence beyond their coastline for hundreds of years. In fact, one of the reasons why Western powers had no trouble bullying China during the 19th and 20th centuries, was because the Imperial Navy under the […]
After three seasons of speedy villains, The Flash will hit the brakes in Season 4. “Next season we’re not going to have a speedster [as the main villain],” showrunner Andrew Kreisberg revealed during a panel at Los Angeles’ PaleyFest on Saturday, where the stars and producers of The Flash, Arrow, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow were gathered to celebrate the four CW shows. But before Barry Allen […]
18 March 2017 Dubai, UAE – The UAE’s wise leadership has worked tirelessly to anticipate the future, as a fundamental element of its strategies and plans. The vision of the UAE’s leadership, led by HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE; HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; and HH Sheikh […]
Scientists have discovered the world’s first fluorescent frog by accident while studying the pigment of polka-dot tree frogs found in the forests of Amazon basin. The South American polka dotted tree frog (Hypsiboas punctatus) appears to have dull browny-green skin dotted with red spots under normal light but herpetologist Carlos Taboada, from the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina, and colleagues found that it gives off a greenish-blue […]
A few days ago Jeanne Shaheen, a Democratic Senator from New Hampshire, introduced a piece of legislation that would give the Department of Justice “new authority” to investigate potential violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act by the ‘Russian Times’. Among other things, Shaheen said the legislation was necessary to determine whether “RT News is coordinating with the Russian government to spread misinformation and undermine our democratic […]
PARIS Eleven people have received the 500 endorsements from elected officials needed in order to run in the first round of the French presidential elections on April 23. The top two will qualify for a run-off on May 7. The Constitutional Council announced the final list on Saturday. NATALIE ARTHAUD, 46, WORKERS’ STRUGGLE Economics professor who runs for the far-left Trotskyist party. Wants the voice of the […]
By Elisabeth O’Leary | ABERDEEN, Scotland ABERDEEN, Scotland Refusal by Britain’s prime minister to discuss an independence referendum would “shatter beyond repair” the United Kingdom’s constitutional structure, Nicola Sturgeon told her Scottish National Party on Saturday. Sturgeon pledged to press on with plans to hold a new Scottish referendum as announced earlier this week, deepening a standoff with the UK government. Party faithful gave her a rapturous […]
Nicola Sturgeon has backed her demand for another independence referendum with a call for disaffected citizens in the rest of the UK to move to Scotland and a promise of continued immigration from Europe. In a speech closing her Scottish National party’s spring conference, Scotland’s first minister dismissed UK prime minister Theresa May’s rejection of a second referendum, saying that while timing could be discussed, a plebiscite […]
Forced applause usually follows a regulator’s remarks to the regulated. Not so inside the pink stucco walls of the Boca Raton Resort and Club in Florida this week. Chris Giancarlo of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission received a standing ovation when he spoke to hundreds of traders, brokers and exchange executives. The enthusiastic response reflects hopes in the derivatives industry for a better relationship with the CFTC, its principal […]
Saudi Arabia said on Friday it had completed all necessary arrangements for Iranian pilgrims to attend the annual haj pilgrimage, the official SPA news agency said, an issue that has created tensions between the two regional powers in the past. The news agency said the arrangements were completed after a meeting took place with an Iranian delegation on February 23. Iran’s Tasnim news agency said on March […]
