Dilemma X

Comet landing: Philae detects organic molecules on the surface of comet By Paul Rincon Science editor, BBC The Philae lander has detected organic molecules on the surface of its comet, scientists have confirmed. Carbon-containing “organics” are the basis of life on Earth and may give clues to chemical ingredients delivered to our planet early in […]

Argentina receives second currency swap from China Reuters BUENOS AIRES – Argentina’s central bank on Monday, 17 November 2014 received the second installment of a currency swap from China worth $500 million at a time when the South American country is battling to shore up its ailing foreign reserves. In default on its debt and […]

Housing jewel emerges in Johannesburg City of Johannesburg Johannesburg Executive Mayor Cllr Mpho Parks Tau unveiled a R1.95 billion (US$173.85 million) mixed residential development in South Hills, southern Johannesburg, in a move aimed at reversing apartheid’s spatial planning and integrating communities. “People who used to say the South is long dead and buried had better […]

European Space Agency lands Rosetta’s Philae probe on comet European Space Agency ESA’s Rosetta mission has soft-landed its Philae probe on a comet, the first time in history that such an extraordinary feat has been achieved. After a tense wait during the seven-hour descent to the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, the signal confirming the successful […]

The United States and China to extend visas for short-term business travelers, tourists, and students The White House Office of the Press Secretary Starting November 12, the United States and the People’s Republic of China will reciprocally increase the validity of short-term business and tourist visas and student and exchange visas issued to each other’s […]

Sydney light rail line costs blow out to $2.2 billion – $600 million more than budgeted Jacob Saulwick The Sydney Morning Herald The cost of building the light rail line from the city to the eastern suburbs is likely to blow out to around $2.2 billion – $600 million more than first budgeted. Transport Minister […]

Judge approves Detroit’s plan to exit bankruptcy By Monica Davey and Mary Williams Walsh The New York Times DETROIT — Less than 16 months after Detroit became the largest city in the United States to file for bankruptcy, a federal judge on Friday approved a plan intended to help it escape years of financial ruin […]

U.S. unemployment 5.8% in October 2014, once again the lowest level since July 2008 White male decreased to 4.4% and Black male decreased to 10.7% U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 214,000 in October, and the unemployment rate edged down to 5.8 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported […]

Recreational marijuana use now legal in Washington DC, Oregon, Alaska and Colorado By David Knowles Bloomberg Politics When it came to the fast-expanding rights of marijuana smokers, Election Night was not a buzz kill. Voters in Alaska, Oregon and Washington, D.C. passed measures legalizing the drug for recreational use Tuesday, joining Colorado and Washington, which […]

Chinese-led consortium wins Mexico high-speed rail project China Daily A Chinese-led consortium has won an uncontested contract for a multi-billion dollar high-speed passenger rail link between Mexico City and the central city of Queretaro, the Mexican Transport and Communications Ministry said on Monday. The group led by China Railway Construction Corp Ltd was the only […]