46 replies to this topic

[caltrek]

April 24, 2017 (continued)

 

(Daily Mail) Marine Le Pen announces “I am no longer the president of the National Front. I am the presidential candidate.” (2017 French Presidential Elections).

 

(Cornell University Library) Titan, Saturn's largest moon, is the only extraterrestrial body known to support stable liquid on its surface, in the form of seas and lakes that dot the polar regions. (Space News and Discussions).

 

(New Scientist) It will take more than six years to get there. But if long-anticipated signs of life are found on Europa, a newly-proposed joint American-European trek to the enigmatic moon of Jupiter will have been worth it. Called the Joint Europa Mission, the plan was unveiled on 24 April in Vienna, Austria, at the annual European Geosciences Union meeting. (Space News and Discussion).

 

(Pys.org) In a sign of the fading American Dream, 92 percent of children born in 1940 earned more than their parents, but only half of those born in 1984 can say the same, researchers said Monday. (Society and Demographics News and Discussion).

 

(Medicalxpress) Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes created a special type of neuron from human stem cells that could potentially repair spinal cord injuries. These cells, called V2a interneurons, transmit signals in the spinal cord to help control movement. When the researchers transplanted the cells into mouse spinal cords, the interneurons sprouted and integrated with existing cells.  (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).

 

(Medicalxpress) You wouldn't think chili peppers and marijuana have much in common. But when eaten, both interact with the same receptor in our stomachs, according to a paper by UConn researchers published in the April 24 issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research could lead to new therapies for diabetes and colitis, and opens up intriguing questions about the relationship between the immune system, the gut and the brain. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).
 

(Cleantechnica) The United States is closing 46 coal-fired generating units at 25 electricity plants across 16 states over the next few years, transitioning to natural gas or intentionally closing them, and a new report shows that this will likely result in eliminating about 30 million tons of annual coal demand by the end of 2018. (Environmental News and Discussions).

 

(New Atlas) Since its launch in 2012, Tesla's Supercharger network has grown to include more than 5,400 charging outlets across the globe. In a five-year time frame the company is eyeing some rapid growth, today confirming plans to double that number in the space of a year. (Environmental Nws and Discussion).

 

(New Scientist) Laser cooling has tackled its biggest molecule yet, bringing the temperature of a three-atom molecule to within a thousandth of a kelvin of absolute zero for the first time. The feat could eventually be used to build molecular quantum computers.  (Physics News and Discussions).

 

 

April 25, 2017

 

(Medicalxpress) A method for predicting someone's 'brain age' based on MRI scans could help to spot who might be at increased risk of poor health and even dying at a younger age. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).

 

(Next Big Future) Fight aging is a site that is highly focused on radical life extension medicine and science. They have a forecast that within five years the first meaningful life extension treatments will exist. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).

 

(ABC) Turkish officials say they have responded to Australian's warnings about a potential attack on this year's Anzac Day ceremony at Gallipoli by boosting the number of security personnel. An official in the Canakkale governor's office said the number of soldiers and police on hand would be doubled. (Military War News and Discussions)

 

 

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April 25, 2017 (continued)

 

(Phys.org) New survey hints at exotic origin for the Cold Spot. A supervoid is unlikely to explain a 'Cold Spot' in the cosmic microwave background, according to the results of a new survey, leaving room for exotic explanations like a collision between universes. (Space News and Discussions).

 

(Next Big Future) The Navy would have to spend $102 billion annually build, operate and maintain a 355-ship fleet over the next 30 years, according to a new report from the Congressional Budget Office issued on Monday. (Military and War News and Discussions).

 

(Next Big Future) Plastic bag womb with amniotic fluid equivalent helps healthy premature baby sheep develop. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).

 

(Medical Press) A method for predicting someone's 'brain age' based on MRI scans could help to spot who might be at increased risk of poor health and even dying at a younger age. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).

 

(Next Big Future)  Fight aging is a site that is highly focused on radical life extension medicine and science. They have a forecast that within five years the first meaningful life extension treatments will exist. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).

 

(New Atlas) This Tuesday, Uber announced that it has selected Virginia-based Aurora Flight Sciences as a partner to develop an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for its Uber Elevate Network – and a functioning model of it has already been flown. (Transport and Infrastructure News and Development)

 

(ZeroHedge) Trade Wars Begin: Trump Announces 20% Tariff On Canadian Softwood Lumber Imports.  (Business and Politics News and Discussions).

 

Edit:  (Washington Post) A security firm claimed Tuesday that a new cyberattack against the campaign offices of the front-runner in France's presidential race carried similar digital “fingerprints” to the suspected Russian hacking of the Democratic National Committee and others. (2017 French Presidential Election).

 

 

April 26, 2017

 

(Next Big Future) China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier slipped into the sea for the first time on Wednesday. (Military and War News and Discussions).

 

(Next Big Future) Russian news agencies have reported a successful firing test of the mach 8 hypersonic Zircon missile.  (Military and War News and Discussions).

 

(CBC News) A team of scientists believe they have found evidence of human activity in North America that dates back 130,000 years — more than 100,000 years earlier than believed. (See the Evidence That Humans MAY Have Arrived in North America 100,000 Years Earleir Than Previously Thought in The Histroy Forum).

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April 26, 2017

 

HGST has unveiled the Ultrastar He12, the fourth generation of its helium-based hard drives. Cramming 12 TB of storage space into the standard 3.5-in form factor, the new drive is also faster, more energy efficient and more stable, to help businesses and data centers manage ever-increasing loads of data. (Computers and the Internet News and Discussions)

 

(New Atlas) While graphene can claim the title of science's sexiest wonder material, other substances called metal-organic-frameworks or MOFs, have been quietly changing the world while their single-atom-thick cousin hogs the spotlight. Now, researchers at Northwestern University (NU) have used MOFs to extend the speed and duration of ibuprofen, a result that could mean better pain relief for all of us. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).

 

 

(Medical Press) In two independent studies, scientists at the University of Basel have demonstrated that both the structure of the brain and several memory functions are linked to immune system genes. The scientific journals Nature Communications and Nature Human Behaviour have published the results of the research. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).

 

April 27, 2017

 

(Phys.org) NIST has been granted a patent for technology that may hasten the advent of a long-awaited new generation of high-performance, low-energy computers. One highly promising alternative approach, called "spintronics," utilizes the quantum spin of the electron to hold information in addition to the charge. (Computers and the Internet News and Discussions)

 

(Clean Technica) According to Teslarati, a person claiming to be a field service engineer for Kuka Robotics has taken several photos of 467 new robots that have been delivered to the factory recently and are awaiting installation. The photos were posted on the Southeast Traders forum by a person with the user name Mac11FA, who says he will be onsite for the next 7 weeks to help get the robots mounted and operating properly. (AI & Robotics News and Discussion).

 

(CleanTechnica) Australia’s total solar power capacity has reached 6GW and is expected to double over the next few years as Australian households continue to invest in rooftop panels to reduce electricity bills, and the large-scale solar sector takes off after years of promise. The latest industry analysis on installed capacity – released by the Australian Photovoltaic Institute – shows that rooftop solar capacity has now reached 5.6GW and large-scale solar capacity is now at 496MW, and growing fast. (Energy and Environmental News and Discussions).

 

(Think Progress) Donald Trump has already launched an almost unending series of attacks against some of America’s most fundamental environmental protections, from seeking to significantly limit the federal government’s ability to regulate water pollution to crippling the Environmental Protection Agency. (Energy and Environmental News and Discussions).

 

(New Atlas) One day we may thank scientists at Augusta University for playing a role in saving all that sweat. A team there has found that suppressing a particular protein can enhance muscle mass and help obese people reduce their risk of a number of health concerns. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).

 

(Medical Press) Substances produced by a harmful bacterium in the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients may enhance the growth of other bacteria that, in turn, inhibit the harmful bacterium's biofilm, according to new research published in PLOS Pathogens. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).

(New Atlas) Combining two cellular-editing processes, researchers have developed cartilage that fights inflammation. The scientists hope that the breakthrough could eventually lead to localized injections that combat arthritis or perhaps a vaccine that would eliminate the condition altogether. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).

(New Atlas) Over a series of flight tests in the last 12 months, Lockheed Martin's Fury drone has demonstrated a reliable ability to fly for more than 12 hours at a time. Built for electronic surveillance, recon, intelligence and communication link missions, flight tests of the Group 3 Unmanned Air System have recently been ramped up ahead of low-rate production. (Military and War News and Discussions).

 

(New Atlas) NASA's Cassini spacecraft has re-established contact with Earth following its historic first dive between Saturn's surface and its iconic ring system. The flyby was the closest that any spacecraft has ever got to the atmosphere of the gas giant, and the probe is currently busy beaming back images and science data collected during the event. (Space News and Discussions).

 

(Extreme TechO) Folks at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have debuted a new kind of engineered metallic fabric that they hope will see diverse applications in space — and on other worlds. The new metal fabric is a flexible hybrid of chain mail and plate armor, in the horticultural sense of a hybrid: the offshoot of two different parents, having certain distinct and hopefully desirable characteristics from both. NASA officials said in a statement that this fabric and its kin have four essential functions: reflectivity, passive heat management, fold-ability, and tensile strength. (3D printer news).

 

Edit: (Reuters) ISTANBUL - A Russian naval intelligence ship sank off Turkey's Black Sea coast on Thursday after colliding with a vessel carrying livestock, and all 78 personnel on board the navy ship were evacuated, Turkish officials said. (Military War News and Discussions).

 

Edit: (Reuters) Israel struck an arms supply hub operated by the Lebanese group Hezbollah near Damascus airport on Thursday, Syrian rebel and regional intelligence sources said, targeting weapons sent from Iran via commercial and military cargo planes. (Syrian Civil War News and Discussion).

 

Edit: (Mother Jones)  Students in Washington, DC's federally funded voucher program performed worse academically, particularly on math test scores, after a year of private school, according to a new federal analysis released Thursday. The study, conducted by the US Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences, found that students who left public schools as part of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program performed significantly lower on math scores than those who did not. (President Trump News and Discussions).

 

 

 

April 28, 2017

 

(Astronomy and astrophysics) The discovery of Proxima b, a terrestrial temperate planet, presents the opportunity of studying a potentially habitable world in optimal conditions.  (Space News and Discussions).

 

(Phys.org) British inventor Richard Browning lifted off from the shore of Vancouver Harbor on Thursday in a personal flight suit that inspired references to comic superhero 'Iron Man.' (British inventor takes flight in Iron Man suit).

 

Edit:  (Teslarati)  An employee at SpaceX snapped a photo at work yesterday and posted it on Instagram. The photo has since been removed, but not before it was captured by Business Insider. It shows three large round pieces about the size of a tunnel boring machine. One of those pieces has the words “The Boring Company” painted on it. (Transport & Infrastructure News and Discussions).

Edit: (Next Big Future) The UK’s newest fusion reactor has been turned on for the first time and has officially achieved first plasma. The reactor aims to produce a record-breaking plasma temperature of 100 million degrees for a privately-funded venture. This is seven times hotter than the centre of the Sun and the temperature necessary for controlled fusion. (Nuclear Fusion News and Discussion).

 

Edit: (CNBC) North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile on Saturday in local time, but the missile exploded soon after launch, U.S. officials told NBC News. (North Korea News and Discussion).

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April 28, 2017 (continued)

 

(Think Progress) President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday that seeks to increase offshore oil drilling in federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico, the Arctic Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean. The order leaves out the Pacific Ocean and Eastern Gulf regions. (Energy and the Environment News and Discussions).

 

(MedicalXpress) A gene previously identified as critical for tumor growth in many human cancers also maintains intestinal stem cells and encourages the growth of cells that support them, according to results of a study led by Johns Hopkins researchers. The finding, reported in the Apr. 28 issue of Nature Communications, adds to evidence for the intimate link between stem cells and cancer, and advances prospects for regenerative medicine and cancer treatments.  (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).

(Next Big Future) Stephen Helms Tillery wants to make you smarter — by electrically stimulating your brain. The Arizona State University neuroscientist has been awarded funding for a four-year study to develop a method of brain stimulation that may boost learning and retention up to 30 percent. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).

 

Edit: (Clean Technica) A new effort  has been initiated by the Energy Department to investigate whether tax policies, mandates and other efforts to support clean energy are “responsible for forcing the premature retirement of baseload power” like nuclear and coal plants

 

 

April 29, 2017

 

(BBC) Turkey has blocked all access inside the country to the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia, one of the world's most popular websites. Social media was in uproar as news of the ban emerged, with some users speculating that it might be a bid to suppress criticism on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Wikipedia page.  (Erdogan Watch Thread).

 

(BBC) European Union leaders have unanimously agreed the negotiating guidelines for Brexit talks with UK. European Council President Donald Tusk, chairing the talks in Brussels, tweeted that the "firm and fair political mandate" for the talks was ready. (Post Brexit UK News and Discussion).

 

(Space.com)  A relocatable lander could explore the hazy skies of Saturn's intriguing moon Titan, according a new mission proposal. As the eight-bladed whirlybird travels across the moon, it could investigate some of the most promising potentially habitable sites on the Saturn satellite, where methane and ethane fall from the sky and flow as rivers and lakes. (Space News and Discussions).

 

(Mother Jones) The latest version of organized protest against President Donald Trump is officially underway with the third annual People's Climate March in Washington, D.C. (Energy and Environment News and Discussions).

 

Edit: (Phys.org) SpaceX is set to launch a classified US government payload Sunday.  (Space News and Discussions).

 

Edit: (Futurism) If we average expert predictions, we will reach human-level AI by 2040, and we will achieve super intelligent AI by 2060. (AI & Robotics News and Discussions).

 

Edit: (Futurism)  University of Columbia Mathematics Professor Ben Tippet and University of Maryland astrophysicist David Tsang have developed a mathematical formula that uses Einstein’s General Relativity theory to prove that time travel is possible, in theory.  (Physics News and Discussions).

 

Edit: (Electrek)   Ever since Tesla released its second generation Autopilot hardware and started offering an option called “full self-driving capability”, there’s been some confusion about Tesla’s plan for rolling out fully autonomous driving.  CEO Elon Musk has clarified the plans this week and now predicts that true level 5 autonomy is about 2 years away – though Tesla should still have advanced autonomous driving systems before that. (Autonomous Vehicles News and Discussions).

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April 29, 2017 (continued)

 

(BBC) The Turkish government has sacked almost 4,000 more public officials in what appears to be the latest purge related to a failed coup last July. They include more than 1,000 justice ministry workers, a similar number of army staff and more than 100 air force pilots, officials said. (The Erdogan Watch Thread).

 

(Futurism) Four years ago, the acclaimed neurosurgeon announced his plan to complete the world’s first human head transplant, and this week, in an interview with OOOM, he confirmed that the controversial operation will take place within the next 10 months. According to Canavero, the operation will occur in Harbin, China, with Xiaoping Ren of Harbin Medical University leading the surgical team, and contrary to previous reports, a Chinese citizen, not Russian Valery Spiridonov, will be the recipient of a donor body. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).

 

 

However, the most remarkable news to come out of Canavero’s interview doesn’t have anything to do with the head transplant at all, but what he plans to do afterwards: “As soon as the first human head transplant has taken place, i.e., no later than in 2018, we will be able to attempt to reawaken the first frozen head.”  (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).

 

 

April 30, 2017

 

(Al Jazeera) Donald Trump called Rodrigo Duterte to affirm the U.S. - Philippines alliance. US official says President Trump's invitation to Rodrigo Duterte to the White House is mostly about North Korea. (The DU30 (Duterte) Watch Thread).

 

Guys who might not be so great at thinking things through may be able to blame their impulsiveness on testosterone, according to new research that seems to backup the old stereotype of the hot-headed guy. A new study links the sex hormone to relying on "gut instincts" over self reflection and more deliberate, slow consideration.  (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).

 

(Medical Express) Ten patients at Penn Medicine have been cured of the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) following lifesaving kidney transplants from deceased donors who were infected with the disease. The findings point to new strategies for increasing the supply of organs for the nation's more than 97,000 patients who are awaiting kidney transplants - often for as many as five or more years. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).
 

(Clean Technica) Colorado auto dealers are being encouraged to partner with two solar energy companies — SunPower Corp. of San Jose, California, and Independent Power Systems of Boulder, Colorado — to add solar power to their facilities before the federal tax credit for businesses begins to phase out at the end of 2019. (Energy and Environment News and Discussions).

 

 

May 1, 2017

(Mirror) 'What's happening in Britain worries me': Tony Blair reveals why he's returning to politics 20 years after 1997 victory. (2017 UK General Election).

 

(BBC) European Council President Donald Tusk has called on the UK to come up with a "serious response" on what will happen to EU citizens in Britain after Brexit. "We need guarantees," he said in Brussels as 27 EU leaders backed the bloc's Brexit negotiating guidelines. (Post-Brexit UK News and Discussions).

 

(Medical Press) A computer-driven automated drill, similar to those used to machine auto parts, could play a pivotal role in future surgical procedures. The new machine can make one type of complex cranial surgery 50 times faster than standard procedures, decreasing from two hours to two and a half minutes. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).

 

(New Atlas) Back in February, NASA announced the discovery of seven Earth-sized exoplanets orbiting the nearby red dwarf star, TRAPPIST-1. With three of those planets orbiting within the star's Habitable Zone (HZ), the system is one of our best bets for finding life beyond Earth, and new research from the University of Chicago suggests that if it is there, life could jump between the tightly-packed planets in a matter of decades. (Space News and Discussions).

 

(Futurism) The China National Space Administration and the European Space Agency want to work together to create an international moon base in the 2020s. (Space News and Discussions).

 

Edit: (IFL Science) Based on an advanced copy of America’s budget for the 2017 financial year, it looks like there has been an actual increase in science funding across the board. (Business and Politics News and Discussions).

 

Edit: (Space.com) CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A SpaceX Falcon rocket lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday (May 1) to boost a classified spy satellite into orbit for the U.S. military, then turned around and touched down at a nearby landing pad. (Space News and Discussions). 

 

Edit: (Phys.org) A new field of physics seeking information storage advancements is called valleytronics, which exploits the electron's "valley degree of freedom" for data storage and logic applications. Simply put, valleys are maxima and minima of electron energies in a crystalline solid. A method to control electrons in different valleys could yield new, super-efficient computer chips. (Computers & the Internet News and Discussions. Also in The Future of Language thread).

 

Edit: (Clean Technica) India added more renewable energy capacity than thermal power capacity in the financial year 2016-17, the Central Electricity Authority of India has reported. The renewable energy capacity added during the period of April 2016 to March 2017 was nearly twice as much as the thermal power capacity added during the same period. A total of 6,990 megawatts of coal-based power capacity was added in India in FY2016-17 while the thermal power capacity addition during the financial year stood at 7,655 megawatts. In comparison, 14,140 megawatts of renewable energy capacity was added in the same period.  (Energy & Environmental News and Discussions).

 

Edit: (Electrek) Tesla surprised its shareholders earlier this year when they wrote in their quarterly letter that they plan to announce 2 or 3 more Gigafactories by the end of the year. (Energy & Environmental News and Discussions).

[caltrek]

May 1, 2017 (continued)

 

(New Atlas) Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh have used the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing system to target what they call cancer's command center, in a treatment that's been shown in mice to shrink aggressive tumors and increase survival rates without harming healthy cells. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).

 

(Next Big Future) Britains new aircraft carriers will have mach 3 anti-missile missiles while Russia will be deploying new mach 6 missiles. (Military War News and Discussions).

 

(Futurism) After being turned on for the first time, the UK’s newest fusion reactor has achieved first plasma. This simply means that the reactor was able to successfully generate a molten mass of electrically-charged gas — plasma — inside its core. (Nuclear Fusion News and Discussions).

 

(The Next Big Future) The new Lockheed fusion reactor design requires about 2000 ton reactor that is 7 meters in diameter and 18 meters long. (Nuclear Fusion News and Discussions).

 

May 2, 2017

 

(Medical Xpress) Researchers from the UK and Belgium have discovered a new pathway within the immune system that triggers an asthma attack, and they believe some drugs already licensed or in development could be used to block various points on the pathway. One of these is commonly used to treat cystic fibrosis. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).

(Medical Xpress) A study completed by an international consortium showed thinning of gray matter in the brains of patients with bipolar disorder when compared with healthy controls.  Future research will test how well different medications and treatments can shift or modify these brain measures as well as improve symptoms and clinical outcomes for patients. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).

 

(Medical Xpress) Transcription factor Heat Shock Factor 1 (Hsf1), which the developing brain releases to shield the vital organ from the ravages of environmental stress, actually can contribute to impairing the embryonic brain when too much Hsf1 is produced, research led by Children's National Health System scientists indicates. Neural cells with excessively high levels of Hsf1-Hsp activation due to ethanol exposure experience disruptions to normal development. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).

 

(New Atlas) LG's new 4K monitor packs four full HD displays in one. (Computers & the Internet News and Discussions)

 

(LBC) In a Nick Ferrari interview with Diane Abbott, she simply didn't know how much Labour's policy to add 10,000 more police officers would cost. The Shadow Home Secretary was speaking to Nick Ferrari to announce Labour's new plan for police and crime ahead of the General Election. (2017 UK General Election News and Discussions).

 

Edit: (Phys.org)—A team of researchers working on the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) project report passing an important milestone in their search for the axion—they have moved below established astrophysical constraints and are now working in an area that is expected to reap many rewards regarding both the axion and other avenues of physics research.The axion is a theorized particle that was introduced to explain why there is a difference in symmetry between the strong forces in respect to time. (Physics News and Discussions).

Edit: (New Atlas) Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity suborbital spacecraft took to the skies over the Mojave desert in an unpowered flight test of the ship's feather re-entry system. (Space News and Discussions).

 

Edit: (New Atlas) Scientists believe they've spotted the biggest wave ever discovered. This wave is roiling through an extremely hot gas cloud in the Perseus cluster and stretches 200,000 light-years across, meaning it's twice the size of the Milky Way galaxy. (Space News and Discussions).

 

Edit: (Cornell University Library) The discovery of two planetary systems has been announced, consisting of a Saturn-mass planet orbiting an M-dwarf, which were detected in faint microlensing events. (Space News and Discussions). 

 

Edit: (Climate Central) Even as the cold and darkness of winter  blankets the bottom of the world, the region’s most watched ice shelf is is continuing its epic breakdown. A crack started spreading across the Larsen C ice shelf in 2010, reaching 100 miles in length in February. (Energy & Environmental News and Discussions). 

 

Edit: (The Verge) A new survey titled “Do you speak human?” was launched late last month by SPACE10, Ikea’s “future-living lab,” which is tasked with exploring how our houses will look and feel in the decades to come.“Ikea could accommodate people’s individual needs as well as empower the 285 million people who are visually impaired using AI and conversational interfaces. We are curious to hear from the many people how they feel about AI.” (AI & Robotics News and Discussions).

 

Edit: (Next Big Future) An improved J-31 stealth fighter prototype has increased test flights in April 2017. This stealth fighter could be used for Chinese aircraft carriers. China now has a refurbished Ukrainian aircraft carrier and a domestically produced aircraft carrier. (Military War News and Discussions).

 

Edit: (BBC) French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has been accused of plagiarising defeated rival François Fillon in a speech she delivered on Monday. (2017 French Presidential Elections).

 

Edit:  (The Guardian) Angela Merkel has urged Vladimir Putin to investigate reports of the torture and persecution of gay men in Chechnya and to ensure the safety of LGBT people across the region. The German chancellor, making her first visit to Russia for two years, in a trip described by her officials as bridge-building mission, said she had raised the issue with the Russian president along with other human rights concerns. (Germany Watch News and Discussion).

 

 

May 3, 2017

 

Edit: (BBC) The UK won't pay a 100bn-euro (£84bn) "divorce bill" to leave the EU, Brexit Secretary David Davis has said, as the two sides clashed over the issue. He told ITV's Good Morning Britain the UK would pay what was legally due, in line with its rights and obligations, but "not just what the EU wants". (Post-Brexit News and Discussions)

 

Edit:  (Phys.org) China plans to launch its own online encyclopaedia next year, hoping to build a "cultural Great Wall" that can rival Wikipedia as a go-to information source for Chinese Internet users who Beijing fears are being corrupted by foreign influences. (Society & Demographics News and Discussions). 

[caltrek]

I have been busy preparing for a cross country move.  I will also be separated form my main computer for a few days. I will have access to a lap top, but it is much harder for me to work with the lap top in the way needed the to keep the timeline current.  So I will not be doing any updates on this timeline for at least a couple of weeks.  At the end of that period, I will decide whether to start up again.