First | Common News Update

Nov152019 by adminNo Comments

Hong Kong in first recession for a decade amid protests

Hong Kong has entered its first recession in a decade as the territory continues to be gripped by protests.Its economy shrank 3.2% in the July-to-September period compared with the prior quarter, figures showed, confirming earlier preliminary data.It means the economy has contracted for two quarters in a row, which is the usual definition of a recession.Tourists are staying away and shops are suffering amid battles between anti-government protesters and police.Compared with a year ago, Hong Kong's economy was 2.9% smaller in the third quarter of the year. Hong Kong's protests started in June after the government planned to pass a bill that would allow suspects to be extradited to mainland China.Many feared this bill would undermi...

Nov122019 by adminNo Comments

Lebanese man shot dead during demonstrations in south Beirut, marking first death in 27 days of nationwide protests

World

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Lebanese man shot dead during demonstrations in south Beirut, marking first death in 27 days of nationwide protests ABC News: International

Nov82019 by adminNo Comments

Keel laid for U.S. Navy’s first Arleigh Burke Flight III destroyer

Business

Nov. 8 (UPI) -- The keel has been laid for the first Arleigh Burke-class Flight III destroyer, the USS Jack H. Lucas, representing the ceremonial start of ship construction. A keel-laying ceremony was held Thursday at Huntington Ingalls Industries' shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., with ship sponsors Ruby Lucas, widow of the ship's namesake, and philanthropist Catherine B. Reynolds etching their initials into the keel plate. The vessel, designated DDG 125, will be the first of the Navy's new Burke-class ships in the Flight III configuration, which includes the new SPY-6 radar system and Aegis Baseline 10, both of which are said to be significant upgrades. "The Flight III ships will bring increased lethality and warfighting capacity to our warfighters, and today's milestone is the first of m...

Oct272019 by adminNo Comments

Bloodhound takes first drive across the desert

Science

The Bloodhound supersonic car has completed its first drive across the Hakskeen dry lake in South Africa.Pilot Andy Green took the jet-powered vehicle on a gentle 100mph (160km/h) shakedown test run on Friday. Bloodhound is in Northern Cape for high-speed trials as it works towards an assault on the land speed record next year.That mark - of 763mph (1,228km/h) - was set 22 years ago, also by Andy Green, in the Thrust SSC car.Thrust broke the sound barrier in the process - the first, and only, car to have achieved the feat. Bloodhound will be run at progressively faster and faster speeds in the coming days as engineers seek to verify its design and the proper working of its subsystems. With a Euro...

Oct272019 by adminNo Comments

Construction starts on first digital frigate for France

Business

Oct. 25 (UPI) -- A steel-cutting ceremony marked the start of construction for France's new frigate at Naval Group's Lorient, France, shipyard. The shipyard ceremony Thursday was led by French Defense Minister Florence Parly, and guests included Adm. Nicolaos Tsunis of the Greek Navy, the company said in a press release. Envoys of Poland and New Zealand also attended the event, an indication that their countries may be future customers. The first-in-class 393-foot vessel is known internally as an Admiral Ronarc'h-class FDI, or defense and intervention, frigate, and will be exported to customers under the name Belharra. The Greek navy ordered two ships last week. The diesel-powered ship can sail 5,000 nautical miles without refueling and can stay at sea for up to 45 days. Its weapons incl...