Stay true to the dreams of thy youth

News Round Up 04/20/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Sun, 20 Apr 2014 12:33:00 +0000

Global solar dominance in sight as science trumps fossil fuels - Telegraph

"Solar power has won the global argument. Photovoltaic energy is already so cheap that it competes with oil, diesel and liquefied natural gas in much of Asia without subsidies. Roughly 29pc of electricity capacity added in America last year came from solar, rising to 100pc even in Massachusetts and Vermont. "More solar has been installed in the US in the past 18 months than in 30 years," says the US Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). California's subsidy pot is drying up but new solar has hardly missed a beat."

tags: solar alternativeenergy renewableenergy unitedstates energysecurity climatechange
GE and Saudi Aramco Launch Global Innovation Challenge to Find Renewable Energy Solutions for Seawater Desalination - WSJ.com

"GE ecomagination and Aramco Entrepreneurship today launched an open global technology challenge to accelerate the development of solutions focused on improving the energy efficiency of seawater desalination. The US$200,000 challenge will be awarded to four winners with a prize of US$50,000 each, and further investments towards commercialization of the best ideas among all submissions will be considered. "

tags: desalination technology innovation aramco ge saudiarabia gcc

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News Round Up 04/15/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 12:32:00 +0000

EU clampdown on ‘flash boy’ traders turns technical - FT.com

"The battle to rein in high-frequency traders in Europe is about to shift to the arcane world of rule writing, as the EU seeks to give teeth to the world’s toughest clampdown on the sector. "

tags: hft trading investment technology lewis
Disruptive entrepreneurs: An interview with Eric Ries | McKinsey & Company

"To be pro-entrepreneurship as a matter of public policy means to make government a tool for helping entrepreneurs get started. That’s what we want. Entrepreneur start-ups are experiments. So just like in a science lab, the more experiments you run, the more likely you are to create something great. "

tags: innovation strategy entrepreneurship mckinsey government policy business

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News Round Up 04/09/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 12:32:00 +0000

Israel blocks shipment to Gaza after Palestinians sign treaties - FT.com

"Wataniya, the Palestinian mobile phone company, said on Tuesday that Israel had blocked a shipment of its equipment into the Gaza Strip, in apparent retaliation for the Palestinian decision last week to accede to 14 international treaties. "

tags: colonialism imperialism gaza israel middleeast palestine

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News Round Up 04/07/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Mon, 07 Apr 2014 12:32:00 +0000

Qatar quits consortium bidding for Occidental assets in Middle East | The National

"Qatar has dropped out of a consortium of bidders for Occidental Petroleum’s Middle East assets in the wake of a diplomatic spat with its neighbours. "

tags: occidental oxy gas energy oil oilandgas oman qatar abudhabi
$316 billion price tag to meet Middle East energy demand | The National

"The Middle East must invest US$316 billion on utilities over the next five years to keep up with its growing need for power, says a report by a regional development bank. "

tags: energy gcc middleeast energysecurity development economy

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News Round Up 04/06/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 12:32:00 +0000

To Strike at Kochs, Democrats Revive Tactic That Hurt Romney - NYTimes.com

"WASHINGTON — After months of wincing in the face of negative ads funded by the industrialists David and Charles Koch, Democrats believe they have finally found a way to fight back: attacking the brothers’ sprawling business conglomerate as callous and indifferent to the lives of ordinary people while pursuing profit and power. "

tags: koch washington democrats politics teabaggers unitedstates
Old Math Casts Doubt on Accuracy of Oil Reserve Estimates - Bloomberg

"In 1945, Arps, then a 33-year-old petroleum engineer for British-American Oil Producing Co., published a formula to predict how much crude a well will produce and when it will run dry. The Arps method has become one of the most widely used measures in the industry. Companies rely on it to predict the profitability of drilling, secure loans and report reserves to regulators. When Representative Ed Royce, a California Republican, said at a March 26 hearing in Washington that the U.S. should start exporting its oil to undermine Russian influence, his forecast of “increasing U.S. energy production” can be traced back to Arps. "

tags: reserves oil energy unitedstates gas energysecurity energysector energypolicy

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News Round Up 04/02/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Wed, 02 Apr 2014 12:32:00 +0000

British Prime Minister orders investigation of Muslim Brotherhood - CNN.com

"British Prime Minister David Cameron has ordered an investigation of the Muslim Brotherhood over concerns about its alleged links to violent extremism, his Downing Street office said Tuesday."

tags: uk muslimbrotherhood islam europe middeleast protest revolution

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News Round Up 03/31/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 12:32:00 +0000

SocGen accused over Libya deals - FT.com

"The Libyan Investment Authority has accused Société Générale of helping to funnel bribes worth tens of millions of dollars to close associates of Saif al-Islam, the son of former Libyan leader Muammer Gaddafi. "

tags: libya middleeast corruption gaddafi northafrica
Erdogan claims victory in national polls - FT.com

"Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s prime minister, declared victory in national polls on Sunday night, suggesting an imminent crackdown on foes he blames for a corruption probe and a series of leaks, and hinting that he might be ready to stand for the country’s presidency. "

tags: turkey erdogan politics akp middleeast democracy
Oil boom strains North Dakota infrastructure - FT.com

"The US energy revolution is putting unprecedented strain on roads, railways and housing in North Dakota, its governor says, as a surge in production has put the state at the heart of the country’s oil and gas boom. "

tags: unitedstates energy energyrevolution energyefficiency shale oil gas
US drive on LNG exports hit by delays - FT.com

"New plants for exporting liquefied natural gas from the US have been held up by regulatory delays as government agencies have failed to assess issues such as environmental impact as quickly as the projects’ backers had hoped. "

tags: oil gas energy lng unitedstates energysecurity exports obama

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News Round Up 03/28/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 12:32:00 +0000

Fracking’s Earthquake Risks Push States to Collaborate - Bloomberg

"Several U.S. states are banding together to combat the mounting risks of earthquakes tied to the disposal of wastewater from hydraulic fracturing for natural gas. Regulators from Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma and Ohio met for the first time this month in Oklahoma City to exchange information on the man-made earthquakes and help states toughen their standards."

tags: fracking hydrofracking energy shale unitedstates environment safety innovation

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News Round Up 03/26/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Wed, 26 Mar 2014 12:32:00 +0000

AFP: Qatar in biggest ever funding for Sudan archaeology

"Khartoum — Sudan's rich but under-developed archaeological heritage has received an unprecedented $135 million (98 million euros) in funding from the Gulf state of Qatar, Sudanese officials said on Sunday. "

tags: sudan qatar archaeology africa arab history politics

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News Round Up 03/25/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Tue, 25 Mar 2014 12:32:00 +0000

Bullish Chevron to outspend Exxon - FT.com

"Chevron has long been overshadowed by its larger rival ExxonMobil. Next year, however, it will overtake Exxon on one important measure: capital and exploration spending. "

tags: chevron oil gas energy energysecurity industry unitedstates
Assad regime lacks the total support of Syria’s Christians | The National

"As the Syrian civil war drags on, one issue that has been neglected is the status of the remaining Christians within the country. Media reports have generally focused on the concerns Christian residents have for their future but do not look into what role Christians play politically and militarily in the civil war. "

tags: syria civilwar revolution protest russia christians muslims levant
Dubai's bid to woo 500,000 medical tourists a year by 2020 | The National

" Dubai will build 22 hospitals as part of plans to attract 500,000 medical tourists a year and boost its economy by up to Dh2.6 billion by 2020. Thousands of staff will be hired and new visas offered as part of the emirate’s plan to become a major centre for medical tourism by the time it hosts Expo 2020."

tags: medicaltourism dubai uae middleeast tourism investment development

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News Round Up 03/23/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 12:32:00 +0000

Russia's Lukoil hopeful of new gas deal in Saudi Empty Quarter | Reuters

"KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia/MOSCOW, March 18 (Reuters) - Russia's Lukoil is negotiating a deal with the world's top oil exporter Saudi Arabia to tap unconventional gas deposits in the kingdom's "Empty Quarter" desert region, the company's overseas unit said. "

tags: lukoil russia gas oil energy fracking saudiarabia

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News Round Up 03/20/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 12:32:00 +0000

Green Fracking? 5 Technologies for Cleaner Shale Energy

"After all, hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in which high-pressure chemically treated water is used to crack rock formations and release trapped oil and gas, is a dirty term to many environmentalists. Critics decry the practice for consuming vast amounts of fresh water, creating toxic liquid waste, and adding to the atmosphere's greenhouse gas burden, mostly because of increased risk of leaks of the potent heat-trapping gas, methane. (See related quiz, "What You Don't Know About Natural Gas.") "

tags: fracking oil gas energy unitedstates energysecurity
Two Egyptian officers killed in shootout with militants - CNN.com

"(CNN) -- Gunmen killed two Egyptian military personnel and injured a third when security forces raided a militant hideout on Wednesday, the Interior Ministry said. "

tags: egypt islam militants politics northafrica mena middleeast
More than 100 immigrants found at suspected stash house in Texas - CNN.com

"(CNN) -- Police in Houston rescued more than 100 immigrants Wednesday from a suspected stash house where they were being held against their will. "

tags: immigration texas immigrationreform unitedstates northamerica
Fed moves economic goalposts - Mar. 19, 2014

"The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday that it will continue to gradually withdraw economic stimulus, but decided to move its goalposts for raising interest rates. At the conclusion of Janet Yellen's first meeting as chair, the central bank announced a decision to reduce monthly bond purchases by $10 billion, down to $55 billion a month starting in April."

tags: fed stimulus monetarypolicy fiscalpolicy unitedstates yellen
Chicago confronts dirty bonanza of Canadian tar sand boom - FT.com

"A bulldozer rumbles over a mountain of fine black powder amid the abandoned shells of long-shuttered steel mills in a poor neighbourhood on the far southeast side of Chicago. "

tags: chicago canada oil gas koch industry pollution
US Pacific Fleet commander warns Asia it risks Crimea-like crisis - FT.com

"The commander of the US Pacific Fleet has hit out at China’s “revanchist tendencies” and warned that Asia-Pacific nations must forsake “unilateral actions and inflammatory rhetoric” or risk stumbling into a Crimea-like crisis that would damage the global economy. "

tags: us military unitedstates china asia balanceofpower russia crimea
Penguin Random House buys Santillana’s trade and consumer arm - FT.com

"Penguin Random House has agreed to buy the trade and consumer publishing arm of Santillana, the Spanish and Portuguese language publisher, for €72m, as the world's largest publishing house by sales seeks to increase its footprint in emerging markets. "

tags: penguin randomhouse publishing spain unitedstates
Palestine considers backing full boycott of Israel if talks fail - FT.com

"US efforts to break the impasse in Middle East peace talks have brought no agreement on the major issues dividing the two sides, and the Palestinians are making contingency plans for an expected failure of the negotiations, a senior Palestinian official said. "

tags: palestine israel revolution colonialism imperialism zionism
Israel attacks Syrian military targets - FT.com

"Israel said its air force bombed Syrian government targets on Wednesday in response to an earlier attack on its soldiers, marking the country’s biggest publicly acknowledged military strike against its neighbour since the civil war against Bashar al-Assad’s regime began three years ago. "

tags: israel syria war revolution protest imperialism

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News Round Up 03/11/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 12:32:00 +0000

Tatars warn Russia risks provoking jihadi backlash in Crimea - FT.com

"Russia risks a repeat of its bloody entanglements in Chechnya if it annexes Crimea, a senior Crimean Tatar leader has warned, with extremist elements in the community threatening jihadi-style violence against Russian troops occupying the peninsula. "

tags: russia crimea colonialism imperialism balanceofpower ukraine revolution
UAE’s Arabtec signs $40bn housing deal with Egypt’s interim military rulers - FT.com

"Arabtec, the United Arab Emirates-based contractor, has agreed to develop a $40bn project to build 1m “affordable” housing units in Egypt as the Gulf state seeks to boost the country’s flagging economy. "

tags: uae arabtec construction egypt balanceofpower military government
BBC News - US Supreme Court removes school 'boobies' bracelet ban

"The US Supreme Court has rejected an appeal which sought to ban students in Pennsylvania from wearing controversial breast cancer awareness bracelets. The Easton Area School District had prevented youths from wearing bracelets emblazoned with "I (heart) Boobies!", alleging the words were lewd."

tags: freespeech school supremecourt law civilliberties
BBC News - UK joins 'super-microscope' project

"Mr Willetts has agreed to participate in a project called the European Spallation Source, which is to be built in Lund, Sweden. Essentially, the ESS will be a powerful microscope that examines materials using particles called neutrons. When built, its role will be to discover new materials for planes, ships and batteries for electric cars. "

tags: science microscope europe intergovernmental
BBC News - New Zealand to hold referendum on national flag

"New Zealand is to hold a referendum on whether to change the national flag, Prime Minister John Key has announced. Mr Key, who on Monday called an election for 20 September, said the vote would be held within three years. The current flag shows the Southern Cross constellation and includes the Union Jack - the UK's national flag - in one corner. Mr Key said the flag represented a period of history from which New Zealand had moved on."

tags: newzealand colonialism flags nationalism history
BBC News - Colorado collects $2m in marijuana taxes in January

"The US state of Colorado collected $2m (£1.2m) in taxes from newly legalized recreational marijuana businesses in January. Colorado became the first US state to legalize the commercial sale of cannabis in 2012, and stores opened for business on 1 January 2014. In total, 59 marijuana firms filed tax returns on an estimated $14m in sales. Overall, the state collected a total of $3.5m in marijuana taxes if medical marijuana firms are included."

tags: colorado drugs marijuana taxes business law
BBC News - Missing plane: Search widens to Malaysia west coast

"Authorities searching for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane have widened their search, with the west coast of Malaysia now "the focus" of the hunt. The airline said in a statement it was looking at the possibility that the plane tried to return to an airport at Subang, near the capital, Kuala Lumpur."

tags: malaysia transportation airlines china tragedy

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News Round Up 03/06/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 12:32:00 +0000

Siege of Syrian arms depot in Tal Al Jabiyeh exposes chemical weapons fears | The National

"International military commanders based in Jordan were on the brink of ordering air strikes against a “strategic weapons” store in southern Syria, according to accounts of a dramatic incident last week. With rebels closing in on the fortified bunker at the Tal Al Jabiyeh military complex in south-western Deraa, military and intelligence officers from the US, Europe and Arab states who staff a clandestine operations room in Amman, scrambled to make sure the weapons inside did not fall into the hands of Al Qaeda-affiliated rebels."

tags: beirut amman syria unitedstates europe chemicalweapons war protest revolution

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News Round Up 03/05/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 12:32:00 +0000

Glencore Xstrata poised to take stake in oil group Russneft - FT.com

"Glencore Xstrata is poised to take an equity stake this year in Russian oil company Russneft under the terms of a renegotiated loan agreement. "

tags: russia xstrata glencore commodities europe unitedstates
Rand Wants Law for Senate-Prez Run - The Daily Beast

"Rand Paul wants to make sure any U.S. senators from Kentucky who want to be president in 2016 can keep their seats. Paul asked the leader of the Kentucky state senate, Damon Thayer, to push a new bill that would let him run for both his Senate seat and the White House at the same time. Thayer said, "The purpose of the bill will be to make clear that Rand Paul or anyone in a similar situation in Kentucky can run for both offices in the same year.""

tags: paul randpaul teabaggers teaparty kentucky senate government
BBC News - Mauritania's Nouackchott hit by protest over Koran

"Hundreds of Muslims have protested in Mauritania's capital, Nouakchott, after news spread that the Koran had allegedly been desecrated at a mosque. An imam reported that four men with their faces covered by turbans entered the mosque, tearing copies of the Koran and throwing them into a toilet."

tags: muslims mauritania africa islam protest

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News Round Up 03/04/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 12:32:00 +0000

Pope Francis's f-bomb: Pope mispeaks, utters Italian curse word during weekly sermon from the Vatican.

"The above clip is from Pope Francis' weekly blessing from the Vatican, footage of which normally goes unnoticed by your Twitter feed and mine. Then again it's not everyday that the Holy See accidentally drops a curse word while speaking from a window in St. Peter's Square. "

tags: CatholicChurch pope popefrancis argentina vatican italy
Russia’s Aggression - NYTimes.com

"There was a lot to criticize about the way President Viktor Yanukovych’s government was thrown out in Ukraine and hurriedly replaced with an interim team. The victorious opposition should have known how critical it was to reassure all groups in that country that their rights would be respected in any new order; instead, one of the Parliament’s first actions was to abolish a law that ensured a legal status for Russian and other minority languages, thus raising fears among Russian speakers that Ukrainian nationalists were taking over. "

tags: ukraine russia revolution balanceofpower politics europe

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News Round Up 03/03/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 12:32:00 +0000

Frustrated With the Pace of Change, Rioters Storm Parliament Building in Libya - NYTimes.com

"CAIRO — Dozens of armed rioters stormed into the Libyan Parliament in Tripoli on Sunday, setting fire to the grounds, looting furniture and wounding a prominent lawmaker in a spasm of anger at the clotted and chaotic transition after the ouster of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi. "

tags: libya parliament tripoli revolution
Air pollution in Sharjah as toxic as in Beijing, survey shows | The National

"Air pollution in Sharjah on some days reaches the same toxic levels as notoriously smog-ridden cities such as Beijing, Tokyo and Mexico City. Scientists studying air quality in the emirate found pollutants including ethane, propane, acetylene, benzene, butane and toluene."

tags: sharjah pollution uae dubai middleeast gcc

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News Round Up 03/02/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 12:33:00 +0000

Sierra Nevada goes hop heavy with first variety pack - Craft Brewing Business

"For the first time, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is aggregating its whole-cone hop prowess into one box, the 4-Way IPA variety 12-pack. Shipping to distributors is underway, the 4-Way IPA variety pack features two brand new India Pale Ales, as well as a year-round powerhouse and an updated rendition of a Beer Camp creation. While different in color and character, the 4-Way IPAs unite through intense hop aromas and flavors that underscore Sierra Nevada’s passionate and progressive take on whole-cone hops. "

tags: ipa sierranevada beer alcohol slowfood craftbeer

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News Round Up 02/26/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 12:32:00 +0000

Papers reveal Yanukovich plans to turn army against protesters - FT.com

"The Yanukovich regime had drawn up plans for a massive crackdown on protesters in Kiev using thousands of police and troops – and the chief of Ukraine’s armed forces on Thursday last week ordered 2,500 army troops into the capital for an “antiterrorist” operation. "

tags: ukraine europe protest revolution democracy balanceofpower
Hagel faces battle with Congress over defence cuts - FT.com

"Chuck Hagel, the US defence secretary, announced steep cuts to the army and to several weapons programmes on Monday in order to meet lower budgets, but his proposed changes are likely to generate strong opposition from Congress in an election year. "

tags: hagel congress unitedstates military military-industrial
Washington hawks urge tougher stance on Ukraine - FT.com

"When Ukraine was teetering on the edge of civil war last week, Barack Obama declared that the US was not engaged in a “cold war chess game” with Russia over the country’s future. "

tags: ukraine europe washington obama balanceofpower russia

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News Round Up 02/25/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 12:32:00 +0000

Company proposes turning the Moon into Earth's solar plant - SmartPlanet

"We are used to harnessing the sun's power on Earth, but once fossil fuels dwindle, we are still likely to be left with an energy shortfall. However, if a Japanese company's dreams are realized, Moon real estate could provide us with solar energy for generations to come. The Shimizu Corporation has proposed a strip of solar cells 11,000 miles long on the Moon's surface. The construction of the solar cells -- dubbed the "lunar ring" -- would take decades; involving material transport from Earth of ceramics, water, oxygen, glass and concrete, as well as the construction of robots to operate the ring alongside astronauts."

tags: energy alternativeenergy renewableenergy moon random
BBC News - Fragments of ancient continent buried under Indian Ocean

"Fragments of an ancient continent are buried beneath the floor of the Indian Ocean, a study suggests. Researchers have found evidence for a landmass that would have existed between 2,000 and 85 million years ago. The strip of land, which scientists have called Mauritia, eventually fragmented and vanished beneath the waves as the modern world started to take shape."

tags: world continent geography landmass history
BBC News - Israel police shoot dead US killer Sheinbein in prison

"Israeli special forces have shot dead an American-Israeli prisoner - jailed for a brutal murder in the US - after he opened fire on prison guards. "

tags: israel random unitedstates murder prison death
Mohamed Morsi accused of passing state secrets to Iran | World news | theguardian.com

"An Egyptian prosecutor on Sunday accused the ousted Islamist president of passing state secrets to Iran's Revolutionary Guard, the first such explicit detail in an ongoing espionage trial. "

tags: egypt morsy revolution protest coup

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News Round Up 02/24/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 12:32:00 +0000

Global dividend payouts surpass $1tn mark - FT.com

"Dividends paid out by listed companies across the globe in 2013 totalled more than $1tn for the first time, according to research. "

tags: dividend investment stocks equity markets
Netflix to pay Comcast for better speeds - FT.com

"Netflix and Comcast have struck a landmark agreement for internet providers and content distribution companies, with Netflix agreeing to pay to ensure faster, smoother access to its library of programming for Comcast customers. "

tags: shady netneutrality netflix comcast cable internet
Norway’s oil fund to double specialists - FT.com

"The world’s biggest sovereign wealth fund is looking to more than double the number of industry specialists in its equities team as the $840bn Norwegian oil fund steps up efforts to outperform global stock markets. "

tags: norway oil gas swf europe investment finance

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News Round Up 02/21/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 12:32:00 +0000

Suicide bombers target Iranian center in Beirut | Reuters

"(Reuters) - Two suicide bombers targeted the Iranian cultural center in Beirut on Wednesday, killing four people and themselves in an attack claimed by Sunni militants who said it was a response to the intervention of Iran and Hezbollah in the Syrian war. "

tags: iran beirut lebanon balanceofpower

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News Round Up 02/20/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:31:00 +0000

David Ignatius: Regional spymasters make tactical changes to bolster Syrian moderates - The Washington Post

"Underlying these tactical changes is the fact that Saudi Arabia and the United States are working together again on Syria policy after a year of increasingly bitter disagreement. The revived U.S.-Saudi alliance won’t topple Assad, but it will reduce what had become a dangerous regional feud. "

tags: syria revolution protest violence balanceofpower middleeast unitedstates saudiarabia

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News Round Up 02/19/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Wed, 19 Feb 2014 12:32:00 +0000

Crew member accused of attacking cruise passenger - CNN.com

"The fight started because of an alleged slight -- and ended with a crew member being accused of attempted murder. Ketut Pujayasa, a 28-year-old room service attendant with Holland America's ms Nieuw Amsterdam, physically and sexually assaulted a female passenger while in international waters, according to a criminal complaint."

tags: cruise unitedstates indonesia travel transportation
Does formula mystery help keep Coke afloat? - CNN.com

"London (CNN) -- Coca-Cola -- the world's ubiquitous brown fizzy drink -- is staying afloat as the soda market shrinks, and many point to a marketing strategy around the so-called "secret recipe" as key to its resilience in a struggling industry. "

tags: coke random business unitedstates beverages
Gulen’s shadowy network is a formidable enemy - FT.com

"Mr Erdogan is autocratic and ambitious. He does not welcome opposition. Now that he has convinced himself that the Gulen network poses a threat, he is determined to weaken it. However it will not easily be defeated. Nor will it even be obvious when victory has arrived. It could be a long struggle. "

tags: Turkey politics Islam balanceofpower democracy akp erdogan
China considers larger tanks as soldiers pile on pounds - FT.com

"China already has the largest army in the world. Now its soldiers are getting bigger too. A People’s Liberation Army study has concluded that its soldiers are significantly taller and heavier than they were 20 years ago – so much so that they are in danger of outgrowing their equipment."

tags: china military health fitness fat asia
US minimum wage rise may cost half million jobs, says CBO - FT.com

"Barack Obama’s preferred option for lifting the federal minimum wage could cause a loss of 500,000 jobs in the US by the second half of 2016, according to the non-partisan congressional budget agency. "

tags: unitedstates obama jobcreation economy cbo
Opposition leader detained in Venezuela - FT.com

"Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López surrendered to security forces to face charges of fomenting unrest as thousands took to the streets to demand the resignation of President, Nicolás Maduro. "

tags: venezuela protest authoritarianism southamerica politics balanceofpower
Nespresso has shot at larger coffee sale - FT.com

"Nespresso is betting that a new machine that brews larger coffees will help double its US sales to $600m in the next two years as the single-serve coffee maker seeks to boost its international growth. "

tags: nespresso coffee unitedstates food beverage
Mondelez set for new cost-control strategy - FT.com

"Mondelez has hired Accenture to help it implement a severe cost-control budgeting system championed by 3G Capital, the Brazilian private equity fund that took over Heinz last year. "

tags: mondelez kraft food business europe
Edward Snowden, University of Glasgow: NSA leaker appointed a rector at Scottish school.

"Students at the University of Glasgow on Tuesday tapped Edward Snowden as their new rector. The election means that, technically speaking, the former NSA contractor will spend the next three years as a student body representative, but in practice the vote was more of a political statement than anything else. Here's the Guardian with more: "

tags: snowden protest nsa spying bigbrother unitedstates obama
Ukraine protests: Kieve burns as protesters, police clash in bloodiest day of months-long protests.

"Kiev Burns: New York Times: "Mayhem gripped the center of the Ukrainian capital on Tuesday evening as riot police officers moved on protesters massed behind barriers raised throughout Independence Square, the focal point of more than two months of protests against President Viktor F. Yanukovych. As the attack began just before 8 p.m. local time, the police tried to drive two armored personnel carriers through stone-reinforced barriers outside the Khreschatyk Hotel in the square. But they became bogged down and, set upon by protesters wielding rocks and fireworks, burst into flames, apparently trapping the security officers inside and prompting desperate rescue efforts from their colleagues." Live-feed."

tags: ukraine protest revolution europe easterneurope balanceofpower russia
Peace talks on hold after Taliban executes Pakistani soldiers - FT.com

"Peace talks between Pakistan’s government and Taliban militants broke down on Monday after 23 army soldiers in Taliban captivity were killed. Hours after the head of the main Taliban group in Mohmand – an unruly region near the Afghan border – claimed responsibility for the killing, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said in a statement: “Pakistan cannot afford such bloodshed . . . The situation is very sad and the whole nation is shocked.”"

tags: pakistan taliban death terrorism war destruction balanceofpower
Abu Dhabi works to lure top investors to fledgling financial hub - FT.com

"Abu Dhabi’s new financial centre has appointed a veteran Dubai regulator to oversee its launch and lure top global banks to the wealthy capital of the United Arab Emirates. "

tags: abudhabi uae finance gcc middleeast dubai

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News Round Up 02/18/2014

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 12:32:00 +0000

Saudis Agree to Provide Syrian Rebels With Mobile Antiaircraft Missiles - WSJ.com

"AMMAN, Jordan—Washington's Arab allies, disappointed with Syria peace talks, have agreed to provide rebels there with more sophisticated weaponry, including shoulder-fired missiles that can take down jets, according to Western and Arab diplomats and opposition figures. "

tags: saudiarabia syria unitedstates revolution protest balanceofpower
Spying by N.S.A. Ally Entangled U.S. Law Firm - NYTimes.com

"Still, the N.S.A. can intercept the communications of Americans if they are in contact with a foreign intelligence target abroad, such as Indonesian officials. The N.S.A. is then required to follow so-called minimization rules to protect their privacy, such as deleting the identity of Americans or information that is not deemed necessary to understand or assess the foreign intelligence, before sharing it with other agencies. "

tags: indonesia spying nsa unitedstates australia newzealand
Nuking the Budget

"confidential study by the U.S. Energy Department has concluded that completing a controversial nuclear fuel factory in South Carolina may cost billions of dollars more than the department has previously promised, according to government officials and industry sources briefed on its results. "

tags: nuclear unitedstates energy government waste
The Art of Crafting a 15-Word Strategy Statement - Alessandro Di Fiore - Harvard Business Review

"In the January issue of HBR, Roger Martin sets out some rules for avoiding common mistakes in strategy making. As he writes in “The Big Lie of Strategic Planning”, the first rule is “keep the strategy statement simple.” Rather than a long, often vague document, the company’s strategy should summarize the chosen target customers and the value proposition in one page. I couldn’t agree more. In my consulting work, I take this idea even further by asking my clients to summarize their strategy in less than 15 words. This statement must identify the target customer, the value proposition, and how the latter fits two requirements: Focus: What you want to offer to the target customer and what you don’t; Difference: Why your value proposition is divergent from competitive alternatives."

tags: strategy martin business companies

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.