Can Ebola be stopped? 14th century Venice could teach us something August 27, 2014 In 1348, the Black Death arrived in Venice from Sicily. From there it travelled across most of Europe and ultimately killed off an estimated 45 per cent of the population. Spread by a simple flea bite, it turned out to be one of the most devastating pandemics in human history. Venice, the hub [...]
Fending off space junk to save millions: Lockheed Martin strikes deal with Australian tech firm August 27, 2014 Imagine investing millions in a space satellite, only to see it obliterated by an incoming piece of space junk. Damage caused by pieces of debris floating randomly in space is a risk faced by almost 2,000 commercial and government satellites on a daily basis. That's why US defence company Lockheed Martin has struck [...]
Ukraine crisis: President Poroshenko vows commitment to end fighting August 27, 2014 Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has vowed his commitment to end fighting between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country. His announcement followed two hours of direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Belarus; the first time such talks have taken place between the two leaders. "A roadmap will [...]
Foxtons’ share price is getting hammered, despite 57pc profit rise August 27, 2014 Foxtons has reported a 57.1 per cent rise in pre-tax profit for the six months to 30 June. The increase to £23.1m from £14.7m in 2013 was driven by strong sales and mortgage broking growth, according to its interim report. It announced it will pay out £12.8m of this in interim and special [...]
Fujifilm is in the picture as anti- flu drug is earmarked for ebola August 26, 2014 The Japanese government yesterday gave Fujifilm the go ahead to make an experimental anti-flu drug available for use on ebola patients. Favipiravir, developed by Fujifilm subsidiary Toyama Chemical, was approved as a flu treatment by Japan’s health ministry in March. It now seems to have potential applications for ebola treatment, too. Fujifilm is now involved in [...]
This is still a man’s world when it comes to entrepreneurship August 26, 2014 A study by the US Senate committee has exposed a large gender imbalance in entrepreneurship, with women lagging behind men in many of the areas crucial for business success. Called “21st century barriers to women's entrepreneurship”, it reveals that there were eight million women-owned firms in the US in 2007, but these accounted for [...]
What is the Higgs Boson? China’s collider to study particle in unprecedented detail August 26, 2014 Large Hadron Collider, eat your heart out. China is planning to build a bigger, better particle collider that will be able to study the elusive Higgs Boson particle in unprecedented detail. With a circumference of 52km, the “Higgs Factory” would be almost twice the size of Europe's equivalent, and significantly more powerful. The Chinese [...]
Islamic State in Syria: Obama authorises surveillance flights August 26, 2014 US President Barack Obama has authorised the use of surveillance flights to monitor the activities of Islamic State (IS) in Syria. The news came from a senior US administration official who spoke to the AP news agency on condition of anonymity. According to the Wall Street Journal, the US Central Command overseeing American [...]
Fujifilm share price soars as Ebola treatment gets green light August 26, 2014 The Japanese health ministry has made Fujifilm's experimental anti-flu drug available for use on Ebola patients. Favipiravir, which was developed by Fujifilm subsidiary Toyama Chemical Co., was approved as a treatment for influenza by Japan's health ministry in March. Whether it will be effective against Ebola is not yet certain, but company spokesman [...]
Space economy takes off: Mining asteroids becomes easier with legal bill August 22, 2014 The space economy has reached a watershed moment. A new legal bill in the US, called the Asteroids Act, would allow companies to mine asteroids for precious resources which they could call their own. Asteroids are host to a whole range of materials that are important for sustaining lives and lifestyles, from the essentials [...]
