Monday, March 25

Author: Michael Kitching

Republicans Ready to Temporarily Give Biden Extra Budget
News, US

Republicans Ready to Temporarily Give Biden Extra Budget

Republicans in the US Senate have proposed to raise the US debt ceiling until December. It is not yet clear whether Democrats will agree to the plan, which offers only temporary relief. A vote has been postponed.   The US government is approaching the limit on the total amount it can borrow. If the $28.4 trillion ceilings are not raised soon, the United States may not be able to meet all its financial obligations before October 18. In that case, a new 'shutdown' threatens, in which the government has to stop some tasks temporarily. The issue has been a hot topic among US Congressmen for weeks. "To protect Americans from a short-term crisis caused by the Democrats," Republican Senate faction leader Mitch McConnell proposes a two-pronged plan. On the one hand, he wants the Democrats ...
Workshop Safety Tips
Finance

Workshop Safety Tips

Workplace accidents are one of the most common claims received by insurance companies. Businesses need to make sure they are fully protected and should review workshop insurance quotes to ensure that they have all the required policies. Companies of all sizes that operate a workshop based business will need to observe important safety rules to keep their business safe and accident-free. Avoiding hazards and taking some precautions can help to reduce the risk of accidents and personal injury. While many incidents may be small or inconsequential, some workplace accidents can be fatal or life-threatening. Workplace accident prevention can be managed and improved by observing some simple rules: Reduce trip hazards Keeping the workspace organised and free from clutter can help to reduce a...
Sweden Temporarily Does Not Give Moderna Vaccines to Young People
Europe, News, Sweden

Sweden Temporarily Does Not Give Moderna Vaccines to Young People

The Swedish health service is temporarily not administering Moderna corona vaccines to young people born in 1991 or later. The decision was made as a precaution due to concerns about an increased risk of side effects.   Vaccinated people, in rare cases, have to deal with inflammation of the heart muscle and the pericardium. Symptoms include shortness of breath, palpitations and chest pain. The complaints often disappear on their own and can be treated well, but a doctor must be consulted. The health service reports based on preliminary research that cases of inflammation of the heart muscle and the pericardium are linked to the vaccine. The side effects often started in the first weeks after the second injection. The side effects mainly occurred in young men. The Moderna vaccine w...
EU Removes Tropical Resorts From Tax Haven Blacklist
Business, Europe, News

EU Removes Tropical Resorts From Tax Haven Blacklist

The EU's finance ministers are reviewing their blacklist of tax havens at a time when revelations about tax avoidance by prominent politicians such as Minister Wopke Hoekstra have once again sparked outrage. But the list is not getting longer, but shorter.   According to insiders, of the twelve countries on the blacklist, three will be deleted that say they are improving their lives. These are the Seychelles, Dominica and Anguilla. The British Virgin Islands, the Caribbean tax haven where the letterbox company Hoekstra invested in was located, was removed from the list some time ago. The list has been in existence since the end of 2017 and is updated twice a year. Only countries and areas outside the EU where the authorities levy (almost) no corporate tax, are not transparent or ar...
Media: Also Application in US for Booster Shot with Janssen Vaccine
News, US

Media: Also Application in US for Booster Shot with Janssen Vaccine

Johnson & Johnson, the parent company of the Leiden vaccine maker Janssen, will ask the American authorities to approve a booster shot for people who have been vaccinated with the Dutch corona vaccine.   Insiders tell the American newspaper The New York Times that an application is expected early this week. Earlier, Pfizer and Moderna also asked to approve an extra corona jab for Americans who have already been fully vaccinated with their vaccines. These booster shots are supposed to give people extra protection, although not all scientists are yet convinced of the added value of such an extra shot. In addition, critics have argued, among other things, that it is still unclear how great the long-term effects of a third vaccination are. The US authorities emphasize that the thr...
Bitcoin Gains Value in A Short Time
Business, News

Bitcoin Gains Value in A Short Time

The value of cryptocurrency bitcoin rose almost a tenth in a few minutes on Friday. As a result, the digital currency was traded for nearly 48,000 dollars. It is also the most significant daily profit in months.   It is not entirely clear why bitcoin suddenly rises in value so fast. However, some analysts point to comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. He said on Thursday that the American central bank does not intend to ban cryptocurrencies. There are also experts who point to more technical factors, and others think that the rally in the price is related to developments in the financial markets in the broad sense. Cryptos are moving more and more with the sentiment in the regulated markets as regulators keep a closer eye on the tokens. More than a week ago, bitcoi...
Opel Factory to Close Until Early 2022 Due to Chip Shortage
Business, News

Opel Factory to Close Until Early 2022 Due to Chip Shortage

Opel car brand will close a factory in Germany until early next year due to the significant lack of computer chips that the car sector has been struggling with for some time.   The plant in Eisenach in the state of Thuringia will close next week. Opel is part of car group Stellantis, including brands such as Citroën, Peugeot and Fiat. An Opel spokesperson speaks of an extraordinary situation due to chip shortages, which means that production has to be adjusted. The Opel Grandland is built in Eisenach. It employs approximately 1,300 employees who are sent on leave. The Eisenach site also had to interrupt work in August due to the shortage of semiconductors. Other major German car manufacturers, including Volkswagen and Daimler, have also had to shut down production lines because o...
Evergrande Wants to Sell 9.99 Billion Yuan Stake in Shengjing Bank
Business, China, News

Evergrande Wants to Sell 9.99 Billion Yuan Stake in Shengjing Bank

Troubled Chinese property developer Evergrande said it plans to sell a 9.99 billion yuan stake in Shengjing Bank on Wednesday.   Evergrande must pay 40.7 million euros in bond interest on Wednesday, a deadline that investors are closely watching. The buyer of the Evergrande stake, which represents nearly 20 percent of the bank's issued share capital, is Shenyang Shengjing Finance Investment Group, a state-owned capital and asset management company. According to sources, the Chinese government urges state-owned companies to buy up some of Evergrande's assets. State-owned Shenyang Shengjing's stake in Shengjing Bank will grow to 20.79 percent after the deal. This makes the state-owned company the largest shareholder in the bank. With the sale, Evergrande will reduce its stake in Sh...
Development of Instagram for Kids Put on Hold
News, Tech

Development of Instagram for Kids Put on Hold

A children's version of the Instagram photo platform is not yet available. The development of Instagram Kids has been put on hold, the social media company Facebook, owner of Instagram, has announced.   Instagram is officially only intended for people over 13, but younger children can also create an account in practice. Facebook wants to solve that problem with a modified version for 10- to 12-year-olds, without advertising and with more parental controls. The company maintains that such a modified version makes sense. Still, even before its launch, there had been a lot of criticism, especially about its possible impact on children's mental health. As a result, Facebook now says it wants to take more time "to work with parents, experts and politicians to demonstrate the value and n...
Bundesbank: Strong Growth in German Economy in Third Quarter
Business, Germany, News

Bundesbank: Strong Growth in German Economy in Third Quarter

The German economy will show strong growth in the third quarter of the year.   According to policymakers at the German central bank, Europe's largest economy will benefit from the unwinding of the corona restrictions, with the recovery becoming stronger, according to a monthly report from the Bundesbank. However, the pre-crisis level will not be reached this summer. The report shows that the new German government inherits an economy that has gained momentum in recent months. The German economy contracted in the first months of the year as a result of the corona measures. In the first quarter, the gross domestic product fell by 2 percent. After that, the recovery started with a growth of 1.6 percent a quarter later. Bundesbank economists are now noting that the recovery is continui...