Governor Larry Hogan says goodbye
Governor Larry Hogan says goodbye
Governor Larry Hogan says goodbye
Pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow, who left Hong Kong for Canada and won't return to meet her bail conditions, said Thursday she felt still under the watch of the Chinese territory's police even after moving to Toronto. Chow is one of Hong Kong’s most prominent young activists and was arrested in 2020 under a Beijing-imposed national security law that was enacted following 2019 anti-government protests. While she was not charged and was released on bail, police confiscated her passport before returning her this year under certain conditions, including a visit to mainland China with authorities.
British energy infrastructure firm Smart Metering Systems (SMS) said on Thursday a company owned by funds advised by KKR and its affiliates will take it private in an all-cash deal of about 1.3 billion pounds ($1.63 billion). "KKR believes that SMS, under private ownership, will be able to accelerate its growth and continued transition from a metering provider and grid-scale battery storage operator to a fully integrated, end-to-end energy infrastructure company," the U.S.-based investment firm said in a joint statement.
UK house prices rose for the second month in a row in November, driven by a shortage of properties available on the market and some mortgage relief.
Sanofi said on Thursday it has 12 drug candidates with annual sales potential of more than $1 billion in development, as it faces investor pressure after abandoning 2025 margin targets to boost research and development (R&D) spending. The 12 blockbuster drugs include nine medicines and vaccines with 2 billion to 5 billion euros ($2.15-$5.38 billion) in peak sales potential, Sanofi said in a statement. It also highlighted three "pipeline-in-a-product" assets with a potential of more than 5 billion euros in peak sales thanks to their potential to treat several conditions.
Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Thursday said he showed Tesla executives around industrial estates in the country last week for potential investment. "I went out of my way to entertain them so they would fall in love with Thailand .... they are looking for 2,000 rai (320 hectares) of land," Srettha said, adding he was confident that the electric vehicle (EV) maker would invest in Thailand. Srettha, a political newcomer, became prime minister in August and held a meeting with Tesla chief Elon Musk a month later.
The Russian rouble hit a more than one-month low in early trade on Thursday before recovering to strengthen on the day, buffeted by relatively low oil prices and the reduced supply of foreign currency from exporters. President Vladimir Putin and the heads of Russia's central bank, finance ministry and economy ministry are due to speak at a forum hosted by VTB Bank later on Thursday. "Rouble devaluation is continuing," said Alexei Antonov of Alor Broker, expecting the rouble to head towards 97.5 to the dollar in the coming sessions.
Dream-seeking bears, a pancake-making lion, an ingenious guide to rewilding and more
As Senate Republicans blocked the advance of tens of billions of dollars in military and economic assistance for Ukraine Wednesday, President Joe Biden berated their tactics as “stunning" and dangerous. Yet he also signaled an openness to what GOP lawmakers ultimately want: border policy changes. Biden at the White House warned of dire consequences for Kyiv – and a “gift” to Russia’s Vladimir Putin – if Congress fails to pass a $110 billion package of wartime funding for Ukraine and Israel as we
Up to 600 North Koreans have "vanished" after being forcibly deported by China in October, a Seoul-based human rights group said on Thursday, warning they may face imprisonment, torture, sexual violence and execution in the isolated state. The report by the Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG) came about two months after South Korea lodged a protest with China over the suspected repatriation of a large of number of North Koreans who were trying to flee to South Korea. The TJWG said hundreds of defectors were transported in guarded buses and vans from Chinese detention centres across the border into the North on Oct. 9, calling the incident the largest such mass repatriation in years.
Robert Jenrick said new legislation to stop small boats ‘does not go far enough’
Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Thursday said he showed Tesla executives around industrial estates in the country last week for potential investment. "I went out of my way to entertain them so they would fall in love with Thailand .... they are looking for 2,000 rai (320 hectares) of land," Srettha said, adding he was confident that the electric vehicle (EV) maker would invest in Thailand. Southeast Asia's second-largest economy is the largest car producer and exporter in the region, with Japanese manufacturers including Toyota Motor Corp, Isuzu Motors and Honda Motor dominating the Thai sector for decades.
Out of abundance of caution, the U.S. military grounded entire fleet of Osprey following a deadly crash that happened off the coast in Japan last week. A preliminary investigation of the crash indicated a possible material failure, rather than a human error.
A low front sweeping the UK may also result in flooding as wet winter conditions set in
Twitch, a popular video service, will shut down its struggling business in South Korea, a decision its chief executive blamed on allegedly “prohibitively expensive” costs for operating in the country. In a blog post announcing the company’s plan this week, Dan Clancy said the network fees the company has been paying to South Korean internet operators were 10 times more than in most other markets. Twitch was able to lower costs by limiting video quality, he said, but “our network fees in Korea are still 10 times more expensive than in most other countries."
European markets are set to fall after a poor session on Wall Street left the Nasdaq Composite 0.6% lower and S&P 500 index down by 0.4%. In today’s Asia trading, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 was the worst performer due to speculation the Bank of Japan could end its negative interest rate policy later this month. Germany’s Dax closed at a fresh record last night as speculation of European Central Bank rate cuts in the early part of 2024 helped to extend its run of gains to seven session.
Chain controls in the Sierra are likely to remain in place for much of Thursday while more snow is expected in the afternoon. Chief Meteorologist Mark Finan said while more rain and snow is in the forecast, the morning commute is expected to be dry for people in the Sacramento Valley.
"KKR believes that SMS, under private ownership, will be able to accelerate its growth and continued transition from a metering provider and grid-scale battery storage operator to a fully integrated, end-to-end energy infrastructure company," the U.S.-based investment firm said in a joint statement. Glasgow-headquartered SMS is listed in London's junior market and employs about 1,500 people, primarily in the UK.
STORY: The U.S. Senate blocked an emergency spending bill on Wednesday which would have provided billions of dollars in new security assistance for Ukraine and Israel. That’s as Republicans insisted on tougher measures and more money to control immigration.Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said in a floor speech on Wednesday that Senate should “start meeting America's national security priorities, including right here at home”… referring to the illegal immigration at the U.S. border with Mexico. The bill, which includes $20 billion for border security, provides about $50 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine as well as money for humanitarian and economic aid for the government in Kyiv, plus $14 billion for Israel. The final tally of votes was 49 in favor to 51 against, short of the 60 votes needed to start debate. Every Senate Republican voted no, along with Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who expressed concerns about funding Israel's "current inhumane military strategy". Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, also voted "no" so that he could introduce the measure again in the future. The stalemate in negotiations about Ukraine and Israel funding has been going on for weeks. On Wednesday, Biden warned that a victory for Russia in Ukraine would put Moscow in a position to attack NATO allies – and draw U.S. troops into war. “If Putin takes Ukraine, he won't stop there. It's important to see the long run here. He's going to keep going. History is going to judge harshly those who turned their back on freedom's cause. We can't let Putin win.” On the streets of Kyiv on Wednesday, residents said they were worried and already felt the pain from delays in Western military aid. “We already feel it. A friend of mine recently died fighting. We need to get the help as soon as possible, every day of delay means loss of human lives. Yes, thanks to our partners, our defence is holding up, but regarding this issue, the congressmen need to speed up their actions because we all understand that we have less manpower than Russia.” Congress has approved more than $110 billion for Ukraine since Russia's February 2022 invasion but it has not approved any funds since Republicans took over the House from Democrats in January. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff said on Tuesday postponing U.S. assistance for Kyiv would create a "big risk" of Ukraine losing the war with Russia. Ukraine conducted a major counteroffensive push this year, but was unable to break through Russian defensive lines. Russia is now on the offensive in the east.
France's interior minister Gérald Darminin has announced the dissolution of the ultra-right Division Martel group following their involvement in violence and inciting racial hatred in the Drôme department last month. Founded a year ago by former members of a previously disbanded ultra-right group, the Division Martel was officially shut down this Wednesday.The move was announced at the French government's Council of Ministers meeting, following the group's violent clashes with police that took p
Australian foreign minister also endorses US defence secretary’s comments on Israel-Hamas war that ‘you can only win in urban warfare by protecting civilians’