IMF’S KRISTALINA GEORGIEVA: OMICRON VARIANT LIKELY TO USHER GROWTH DOWNGRADES

IMF’S KRISTALINA GEORGIEVA: OMICRON VARIANT LIKELY TO USHER GROWTH DOWNGRADES

Global economic growth projections from the International Monetary Fund will likely be downgraded due to the emergence of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Friday. “A new variant that may spread very rapidly can dent confidence, and in that sense, we are likely to see some downgrades of our October projections for global growth,” Georgieva said during the Reuters Next conference. The IMF said in October it expected the global economy to grow 5.9% this year and 4.9% next year, pointing then to…

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U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT APPLE IPHONE HACKED WITH ISRAELI COMPANY SPYWARE – SOURCES

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT APPLE IPHONE HACKED WITH ISRAELI COMPANY SPYWARE – SOURCES

Apple Inc iPhones of at least nine U.S. State Department employees were hacked by an unknown assailant using sophisticated spyware developed by the Israel-based NSO Group, according to four people familiar with the matter. The hacks, which took place in the last several months, hit U.S. officials either based in Uganda or focused on matters concerning the East African country, two of the sources said. The intrusions, first reported here, represent the widest known hacks of U.S. officials through NSO technology. Previously, a list of numbers with potential targets including…

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Amazon’s Black Friday Greeted by Climate Activists, Strikes in Europe

Amazon’s Black Friday Greeted by Climate Activists, Strikes in Europe

Climate activists targeted 15 Amazon depots across Europe on “Black Friday” and the world’s biggest e-commerce company also faced protests by workers and delivery drivers in Germany, France, and Italy. Amazon, based in Seattle, is facing criticism from climate activists who say excessive consumption harms the environment while an alliance of trade unions say the company does not pay workers enough nor enough tax to governments. “Black Friday epitomises an obsession with overconsumption that is not consistent with a liveable planet,” the Extinction Rebellion group said after blocking 13 Amazon…

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Norway’s Oil Boom Is Only Just Beginning

Norway’s Oil Boom Is Only Just Beginning

Norway’s revenues from oil and gas production hit a record high this year and are showing no signs of slowing down.While Norway is a major supporter of clean energies, it is also a firm believer that the energy transition can only be achieved by using the profits from oil and gas production. The future is bright for Norway’s energy giant Equinor, which will be able to take advantage of growing energy demand and play a leading role in the coming energy transition. Norway’s oil and gas production is at an…

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Sweden asks EU to ban Bitcoin mining because while hydroelectric power is cheap, they need it for other stuff

Sweden asks EU to ban Bitcoin mining because while hydroelectric power is cheap, they need it for other stuff

The directors general of Sweden’s Financial Supervisory Authority and Environmental Protection Agency have called upon both the EU and Sweden’s government to ban cryptocurrency mining. Since China banned Bitcoin ,wannabe get-rich-quick artists have been looking for somewhere else to squander squillions of megawatt-hours minting imaginary internet money. Cheap hydroelectric power makes the Nordics tempting, with Sweden alone using 1TWh on it last year, but they would rather keep it for other uses than ransoming encrypted files and buying illegal drugs. Some will doubtless call that selfish and short-sighted of them….

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BITCOIN APPEARS TO CRASH 87% IN A FLASH ON BINANCE’S US VENUE

BITCOIN APPEARS TO CRASH 87% IN A FLASH ON BINANCE’S US VENUE

The plunge occurred at 7:34 a.m. New York time, according to Binance’s website The price of Bitcoin appeared to rapidly — and only temporarily — plunge about 87% on Binance’s U.S. exchange Thursday morning, sinking to as low as $8,200 from around $65,000. The price did nothing like that on other venues, and on Binance the level almost immediately snapped back to where it had been. The plunge occurred at 7:34 a.m. New York time, according to Binance’s website. Volume on the exchange in that minute was 592.8 Bitcoins, which…

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GERMANY’S EXOLAUNCH EXPANDS BUSINESS OPERATIONS IN NORTH AMERICA

GERMANY’S EXOLAUNCH EXPANDS BUSINESS OPERATIONS IN NORTH AMERICA

Exolaunch, a provider of launch, deployment, and in-space transportation services, has expanded its business operations and sales in North America by opening offices in Denver, CO and Washington, DC. To lead its US operations (Exolaunch, Inc. doing business as Exolaunch USA), capture new market opportunities, and continue business growth in the region, Exolaunch USA has hired aerospace executive Chris Hearsey as its chief executive officer. Having doubled sales globally, compared to last year, in 2022 Exolaunch is expecting to further increase its sales and keep its high launch rate by…

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Norway raises interest rates, says another hike likely in December

Norway raises interest rates, says another hike likely in December

Norway’s central bank raised its benchmark interest rate on Thursday and said it expects to hike again in December, as it joins a short but growing list of nations moving away from emergency-level borrowing costs. Norges Bank’s monetary policy committee raised the sight deposit rate to 0.25% from a record low of zero, as forecast unanimously in a Reuters poll of analysts and in line with the central bank’s own plan. “There is a strong recovery in the Norwegian economy,” Norges Bank Governor Oeystein Olsen told a news conference. “It’s…

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UK manufacturers to get big concession on post-Brexit quality mark

UK manufacturers to get big concession on post-Brexit quality mark

The UK government is to grant a major concession to British business by prolonging the deadline for companies to adopt a new “UKCA” safety and quality mark for their goods after Brexit. The one-year extension for UK products to continue using the EU’s “CE” safety mark came after businesses warned that they would not be ready for the planned post-Brexit shift away from EU certification at the end of 2021. The government climbdown will give vital breathing space for UK manufacturers, which had warned over risks to the British supply…

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Government bows to pressure and extends deadline for post-Brexit certification rules

Government bows to pressure and extends deadline for post-Brexit certification rules

Industry raised concerns about capacity to test products before CE replacement introduced – and warned of ‘devastating’ consequences The government has extended the start date for the new post-Brexit certification rules for construction products by 12 months after being told that sticking with next year’s deadline would have caused chaos across the industry. The current CE markings, which have been used to certify products across an array of sectors in Europe since 1985, had been due to be replaced by the UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) mark in just over four…

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