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☆ A deadline looms for rules governing deep-sea mining, but a rushed decision may be risky
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Proponents say that deep-sea mining there is a less damaging way to gather metals like nickel, copper, manganese and cobalt. Opponents of deep-sea mining say there is not enough information to make that kind of decision. Critics of the idea of deep-sea mining have said the process is being rushed. That's what's behind the drive for diversity of supply on land-based mining, as well as exploration of alternatives such as deep-sea mining." Finding consensus for the Wild West of the seaOpponents of deep-sea mining want to tap the brakes.

☆ 'It was agony': Why SVB's collapse is especially hard as a Black founder, says CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Isa Watson, founder of voice-only social messaging app Squad, was on a plane when she got the news: Silicon Valley Bank had collapsed, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation had taken over. Prior to the crash, Watson was a depositor at Silicon Valley Bank, using it as the primary bank for all of her business expenses, including cloud services, databases and products that her developers and designers use to collaborate. By Friday, March 10, regulators shuttered the bank and seized its deposits in what would become the largest U.S. bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis and the second-largest bank failure in U.S. history. At that point, Watson says she didn't know whether she'd be able to get her business's money back beyond the FDIC-insured $250,000. She put thousands of dollars' worth of business charges on her personal credit card to keep things running smoothly.

☆ Chinese search giant Baidu invests in RISC-V chip technology startup StarFive
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, March 23 (Reuters) - Shanghai-based RISC-V chip technology company StarFive said on Thursday that it has received a strategic investment from Chinese search giant Baidu Inc (9888.HK). The company added that to date it has raised 1 billion yuan ($146.46 million) in financing, calling that a first for the domestic RISC-V sector. In a statement, StarFive CEO Xu Tao said that StarFive would work with Baidu to implement RISC-V products in data centres. StarFive was established in 2018 as a China-facing offshoot of SiFive, a RISC-V instruction set architecture (ISA) chip design company based in California. Baidu's investment comes as enthusiasm for RISC-V rises within China's chip sector.

☆ Heavy rain in Australia triggers flood evacuations in Queensland
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, March 11 (Reuters) - Emergency services in Australia's Queensland state evacuated residents to higher ground on Saturday, as record-breaking floods sparked by heavy rain lashed the region's northwest. Fifty three residents of the isolated Gulf Country town of Burketown, about 2,115 km (1,314 miles) northwest of state capital Brisbane, had been evacuated since heavy rain triggered floods earlier this week, police said Saturday. At Burketown, the flood topped the March 2011 record of 6.87 metres after up to 293 mm of rain fell on Thursday and Friday, the Bureau of Meteorology previously said. Police were co-ordinating the evacuation via helicopter to the mining town of Mount Isa, about 425 km (264 miles) south. Flood alerts were current on Saturday for large swaths of Queensland, and there were also warnings for severe storms, heavy rainfall, and potential flash flooding in many parts, including the Gulf Country.

☆ Turkey's powerhouse drone industry is on the verge of another milestone: a stealthy unmanned fighter jet for its new aircraft carrier
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Turkey's Navy plans to make Kızılelma the primary aircraft on its first aircraft carrier. On January 23, the company announced that the Kızılelma, its newest and potentially most promising product, had successfully conducted its second flight test. The test is another step forward for what may become the company's crown jewel and the high point of Turkey's burgeoning drone industry. The KızılelmaThe Kizilelma drone during its first flight test, in Istanbul on December 14. The Kizilelma during its first flight test on December 14.

"Star Trek: Picard" is back for its third and final season. Stewart previously played the character on seven seasons of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and in four theatrical Star Trek films. Check out the trailer for 'Picard' season 3In the third season, Picard reunites with many of his former crewmates from "The Next Generation," including characters played by Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, and Michael Dorn. How to watch 'Star Trek: Picard' season 3You can watch "Star Trek: Picard" season 3 exclusively on Paramount Plus. You can watch "Star Trek: Picard" for free if you sign up for a trial to Paramount Plus.

☆ Shunned by the US, Turkey is preparing to launch its first aircraft carrier — but it will come with a twist
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Turkey will instead operate the Anadolu with drones, using them to project power across the region. The US kicked Turkey out of the F-35 program in 2019, leaving Ankara without fighter jets for its new carrier. Strictly speaking, Anadolu is not a dedicated aircraft carrier but an amphibious assault ship — specifically a landing helicopter dock, or LHD. Turkey was a Level III partner in the US-led F-35 program, with Turkish companies making about 900 parts for the aircraft. Turkish carrier dronesTCG Anadolu in Istanbul in September 2022.

☆ SpaceX's Starlink is active in Africa for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Starlink, SpaceX's satellite internet service, is now live in Nigeria. SpaceX's CEO, Elon Musk, announced Starlink's plans to expand into Africa last year. SpaceX's CEO, Elon Musk, announced Starlink's plans to expand into Africa last year. SpaceX has provided the country with thousands of Starlink dishes since Russia invaded in February. The billionaire said in October that only 10,630 out of 25,300 Starlink terminals in Ukraine were paying for service.

The Library of Congress named Medina the national ambassador for young people’s literature for 2023-24. Meg Medina. Medina is taking on the job in a political uproar over literature aimed at young people and in school libraries, largely with LGBTQ themes and characters. But to Medina's daughter, whose first language is English, the word means “story me,” said Medina, who now lives in Richmond, Virginia. She knew little about American literature, but she bought Medina the World Book Encyclopedia, on installment, and took her to the library.

☆ Colombia's Ecopetrol to invest up to $6.2 bln in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BOGOTA, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Colombia's majority state-owned oil company Ecopetrol will invest up to around 30 trillion pesos ($6.2 billion) in 2023, it said on Friday, with the main focus on energy security rather than energy transition. Third-quarter net profits more than doubled to 9.51 trillion pesos, Ecopetrol reported last month. Ecopetrol plans to invest between 25.3 trillion pesos and 29.8 trillion pesos. Of that, between 15.8 trillion pesos and 18.9 trillion pesos will ensure Columbia's energy security and financial stability and boost the country's trade balance, it said. Other investments include some 3.6 trillion pesos to 4.1 trillion pesos will go towards ensuring Colombia's self-sufficiency in gas, while 5.9 trillion pesos to 6.8 trillion pesos will fund the company's energy transition, it said.

☆ Pope ends Bahrain trip with visit to Gulf's oldest church
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Yara NardiMANAMA, Bahrain, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Pope Francis departed from Bahrain on Sunday after a four-day trip that culminated with a visit to the Gulf's oldest Catholic church, where he told bishops, priests and nuns to remain united as they ministered to the faithful in the majority Muslim area. Many Catholics also visit from neighbouring Saudi Arabia, which bars public worship by non-Muslims. At the end of the church service, Pope Francis thanked King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for Bahrain's "exquisite hospitality". Pope Francis' visit, where he closed an East-West dialogue hosted by Bahrain, continues his policy of improving ties with the Islamic world following a historic visit to the United Arab Emirates in 2019. Thousands of Catholics in Bahrain and from around the Gulf poured into a stadium to hear the Pope say Mass on Saturday.

☆ Pope Francis thrills small Gulf Catholic community with big Mass
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Pope Francis greets people as he attends a holy mass at Bahrain National Stadium during his apostolic journey, in Riffa, Bahrain, November 5, 2022. REUTERS/Hamad I MohammedAWALI, Bahrain, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said Mass for thousands of Catholics in Bahrain on Saturday, thrilling members of the small foreign Catholic community from around the Gulf and urging them to show kindness to their hosts, even if they feel sometimes badly treated. "This is a miracle," said Mary Grace Fortes, 36, a Filipino who works at the reception of a hotel in Bahrain. The prayers of the faithful during the Mass were read in languages spoken by foreign workers including Tagalog, Swahili, Malayalam, Tamil and Konkani. The Mass was attended by one of the sons of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and several government ministers.

☆ Prisoners' families hold small protest in Bahrain during pope visit
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ISA TOWN, Bahrain, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Relatives of death row and life inmates in Bahrain held a small protest along Pope Francis' motorcade route on Saturday calling for freedom of political prisoners in the Gulf Arab state. A video of the protest, which included several women and children, was posted online by London-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) and by Bahrain's dissolved opposition al-Wefaq group. #Free Hassan Mushaima #Free Political Prisoners #End Sectarianism". Before the pope arrived in Bahrain on Thursday, families of death row inmates asked him to speak out against capital punishment and defend political prisoners during the trip. Last year, Bahrain conditionally released tens of prisoners under new rules allowing electronic monitoring and home detention instead.

☆ Pope, in Bahrain, condemns rearmament pushing world to 'the brink'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

AWALI, Bahrain, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Friday appealed to religious leaders to help bring the world back from "the brink of a delicate precipice" and oppose a new race to rearm that he said was redesigning Cold War-era spheres of influence. The visit continues the pope's policy of improving ties with the Islamic world following a historic visit to Abu Dhabi in 2019, the first by any pope to the Arabian peninsula. Apparently referring to Ukraine, Francis condemned a situation where "a few potentates are caught up in a resolute struggle for partisan interests, reviving obsolete rhetoric, redesigning spheres of influence and opposing blocs". The cathedral was built on land donated by the king and one of the monarch's sons welcomed him to the church. On Saturday, the pope was due to say Mass for an estimated 30,000 people at Bahrain's National Stadium.

☆ Argentina limit changes for Sunday's Twickenham test
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Argentina will field two new front rowers and have made a switch on the wing in three changes for Sunday’s test against England at Twickenham. England and Argentina share the same World Cup pool next year but Cheika told a virtual news conference on Thursday that was not an immediate concern in their approach to Sunday's test. "For us it's about changing a little bit the style of our and our mental approach as well," he said. Cheika has split this week with coaching Lebanon at the Rugby League World Cup, where they play Australia in the quarter-finals at Huddersfield on Friday. Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ In Bahrain, pope's message may get caught in Shi'ite-Sunni Muslim divide
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Workers take on last minute set up ahead of Pope Francis arrival at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Manama, Bahrain, November 2, 2022. It is home to the first Catholic church to be built in the Gulf area in modern times, which opened in 1939, as well as the cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia, the largest Catholic church on the Arabian Peninsula. The London-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) and other human rights groups have urged the pope to speak out on what they say are rights abuses, including the imprisonment of pro-democracy dissidents. Bahrain rejects criticism from the United Nations and others over its conduct of trials and detention conditions. Bahrain, along with the UAE, forged ties with Israel in 2020 under U.S.-brokered pacts known as the Abraham Accords.

☆ Pope unable to walk around papal plane due to knee pain
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Pope Francis arrives to celebrate Mass for bishops and cardinals who died in 2022, in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, November 2, 2022. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane/File PhotoABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Pope Francis' knee pain was so bad on the way to Bahrain on Thursday that he was unable to walk around the papal plane greeting accompanying reporters as he usually does. He said he had physical therapy on Wednesday and his knee always hurts the day after. Despite the pain Francis appeared in good spirits as journalists greeted him individually at the front of the plane. Reporting by Philip Pullella, writing by Gavin Jones Editing by Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

China became Germany's single biggest trade partner in 2016. A recent survey by the Ifo think-tank found that nearly half of German industrial firms now rely on significant inputs from China. But Scholz's trip comes at a time of growing concern in the West - particularly in Germany's top security ally, the United States - about China's trade practices, human rights record and territorial ambitions. FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai called the decision "naive" and criticized the timing of Scholz's trip to China as "deeply unfortunate". But the German chancellor declined Macron's offer, the sources said.

CNN —Singer Carly Simon paid tribute to her two sisters, Joanna and Lucy, who died just a day apart of each other this week, both from cancer. Joanna Simon, 85, died of thyroid cancer on Wednesday and Lucy Simon, 82, died of metastatic breast cancer Thursday, Simon’s manager, Larry Ciancia, confirmed to CNN. “I am filled with sorrow to speak about the passing of Joanna and Lucy Simon. Joanna Simon was an opera singer and Lucy Simon was a performer and composer who was nominated for a Tony Award for the score of the “The Secret Garden” musical. “As sad as this day is, it’s impossible to mourn them without celebrating their incredible lives that they lived,” Simon said.

The repatriation is part of a worldwide movement by cultural institutions to return artifacts that were often stolen during colonial wars. African nations and scholars have put pressure on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, to return stolen African artifacts for years, according to Chika Okeke-Agulu, program director of African studies at Princeton University. But he said most African artifacts tend to remain in Europe. The following year, he commissioned a report focusing on restitution efforts, which commenced a repatriation movement of African artifacts throughout Europe. Abba Isa Tijani, director-general of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments, agrees, hoping the recent transfer of the African bronze sculpture inspires more museums to return African artifacts, opening the door for better relationships.

☆ Video: Swedish politician cuts hair in solidarity with Iranian women
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-05 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

Swedish politician Abir Al-Sahlani cut her hair to stand in solidarity with Iranian women while addressing the European Parliament. Al-Sahlani spoke with CNN's Isa Soares about the courage of Iranian women and criticized world leaders for not having the courage to speak about the protests during the UN General Assembly.

☆ Regulations Set to Be Issued This Year Will Determine Course of Deep-Sea Mining
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-30 | by ( Yusuf Khan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

The International Seabed Authority, a United Nations observer organization, is drawing up a regulatory framework for deep-sea mining based on data collected from explorations conducted by TMC and other ventures to inform its decisions. PREVIEWThe ISA is expected to meet member nations in March, when deep-sea exploration and its regulations are expected to be discussed. TMC started conducting pilot testing in September 2022 to determine whether deep-sea mining would harm the environment. For most mining companies, exploration licenses usually are a significant step in attracting funds, but the lack of clarity around the legality of deep-sea mining is creating a barrier. TMC remains key but not imperative to the lobbying push to change or confirm regulations on mining of the deep sea, industry participants said.

CNN —Louise Fletcher, the actress who won an Academy Award for playing the villainous Nurse Ratched in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” died Friday in France, according to her agent David Shaul. “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” starred Jack Nicholson as a new patient at a mental institution, where Mildred Ratched – played by Fletcher – reigns as an authoritarian, controlling nurse. In her Oscar speech, Fletcher sweetly thanked her “Cuckoo’s Nest” colleagues and then, using sign language, acknowledged her deaf parents watching at home. Louise Fletcher Wins Best Actress: 1976 Oscars“I want to say thank you for teaching me to have a dream. The film swept the top five Oscars for 1975 – for Best Picture, director Milos Forman, adapted screenplay, actor Nicholson and actress Fletcher.

☆ I was a line cook working up to 80 hours a week. A coding bootcamp and online courses helped me land a 6-figure software engineering job with real work-life balance.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-14 | by ( Julia Pugachevsky | Read More | Read Less | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

He used the time to complete a General Assembly bootcamp and take online courses from Udemy. After some research, I decided to go all in on a four-month software engineering bootcamp from General Assembly — before I even knew if I'd like software engineering. After I signed up, I had about three weeks before the program started. General Assembly Online Coding Bootcamp - Become a Software Engineer Designed to help you launch your career in software engineering, this immersive bootcamp is available online, in-person in NYC, or in a part-time format. I reached out and he actually remembered me, so I was able to land a three-month unpaid internship to get started in software engineering.

☆ Lviv National Opera reopens in hopes art can help heal wounds of war
▼ + stars: | 2022-05-02 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

The Lviv National Opera opened for the first time since Russia began its assault on Ukraine. Dancers performed "Giselle" for an audience of 300 people. CNN's Isa Soares reports.

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