Oil prices holding after Tuesday's gains
Washington (UPI) Mar 4, 2015 -
Oil prices were holding steady early Wednesday ahead of the release of U.S. oil inventory data.
West Texas Intermediate for the April contract was trading at $50.60 Wednesday morning, up 8 cents from Tuesday's close. Brent, the global benchmark, was trading at $60.33, down 69 cents from Tuesday's close.
Prices closed higher on Tuesday after Saudi Arabia raised the price of its li ...
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China free trade zone a bust so far: US business survey
Shanghai (AFP) March 4, 2015 -
Nearly three-quarters of American firms in Shanghai say China's first free trade zone (FTZ) offers them no business benefits almost 18 months after it was established, according to a survey Wednesday.
The Chinese commercial hub set up the FTZ in September 2013, promising a range of financial reforms, including full convertibility of the yuan currency and free interest rates, which remain unf ...
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Dubai to build 'Museum of the Future'
Dubai (AFP) March 4, 2015 -
Dubai on Wednesday announced plans to build an oval ring-shaped "Museum of the Future" to showcase innovation and solutions to challenges facing cities of the coming decades.
The museum is to be built on a grassy hill near the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower, with a 500-million-dirham ($136-million) price tag and aiming to open in 2017.
The Museum of the Future will "actively pr ...
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China lowers 2015 growth target to 'approximately 7%'
Beijing (AFP) March 5, 2015 -
China lowered its 2015 economic growth target to "approximately seven percent" Thursday, scaling down expectations in the face of "formidable" difficulties for the world's second-largest economy after its decades-long boom.
The figure announced by Premier Li Keqiang is the lowest since a similar goal in 2004 and comes after China's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 7.4 percent in 2014, t ...
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Europe still off mark on sustainability goals: report
Paris (AFP) March 2, 2015 -
Europe could miss several key targets for safeguarding its species, water, air and land, said a study Tuesday that warned economic recovery would add to the pressure on natural resources.
While it has made great strides in recycling and greener energy, the continent has failed to stop habitat destruction, overfishing and pollution, said a five-yearly assessment by the European Environmental ...
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Scientists question rush to build Nicaragua canal
Houston (UPI) Mar 4, 2015 -
An international consortium of environmental scientists - featuring leading researchers from 18 institutions in the United States and Central and South America - have voiced their opposition to the Nicaragua Interoceanic Grand Canal and the haste with which the project has been initiated.
Late last year, the Hong Kong-based HKND Group announced it had begun construction on the Nicarag ...
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Sony virtual reality head gear set for 2016 release
San Francisco (AFP) March 4, 2015 -
Sony was at a major game developers' gathering Wednesday showing off a prototype of "Morpheus" virtual reality head gear set for release next year.
The Japanese consumer electronics titan did not disclose how much it planned to charge for the virtual reality (VR) system synced to work with its popular PlayStation 4 video game consoles.
"With the technical specs achieved on the new protot ...
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