A year in training: ESA's new astronauts graduate

After a year of training at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne,Germany,a class of five new ESA astronauts and an Australian Space Agency astronaut have graduated.They are: 1.Rosemary Coogan of the UK 2.Pablo Alvarez Fernandez of Spain 3.Raphel Liegeois of Belgium 4.Catherine Benell-Pegg of Australia 5.Marco Sieber of Switzerland 6.Sophie Adenot of France

Red supergiant star Betelgeuse's boiling surface 'mimics' rotation in animation - no sound - astrophysics

The animation is by the Max Planck Institute of Extraterrestrial Physics,Germany.The Atacama (Chile)Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) will be used in an attempt to definitively study the phenomena. Credit:MPA/Ma,Jung ze et al. 2024

Einstein Probe explained - astrophysics

The Einstein Probe is a collaboration of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS),ESA,and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE),Germany.The EP has nextgen X-ray instruments of high sensitivity and a very wide field of view to detect X-ray blasts from sources such as neutron stars and black holes.

Euclid's first images: the dazzling edge of darkness - mission milestone - cosmology

President Trump Makes Secret Visit to Iraq - second stop in Germany

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump flew into Iraq under cover of darkness on 25 December 2018,Christmas Night.The President had been taken to task in the media for not visiting the troops over the holidays.
Air Force One landed at a darkened Al-Asad Air Base west of the Iraqi capital,Baghdad.During his three-hour visit,the President thanked the US troops and their senior leaders for their service,success and sacrifice.He wished tham a Merry Christmas,posed for selfies and signed autographs for the broadly smiling Soldiers gathered in a dining hall.*
National Security Advisor John Bolton accompanied the Trumps.From Iraq,the presidential entourage flew on to Ramstein Air Base,Germany to visit US forces there.It was the President's first ever trip to a war zone.*
Islamic State militants persist in western Iraq by hiding in caves and tunnels of the desert region,and also range across the Iraqi border into Eastern Syria.President Trump told reporters on Wednesday that the US had intended all along to withdraw its 2,000 troops from Syria once all of the IS military bases there had been taken out.The withdrawal from Syria will be measured,rather than hasty.In any event,he had no intention of withdrawing US forces from Iraq,and they were capable of responding if IS staged a resurgence in Syria.
There have reportedly been plans to station US Special Operations Forces in Iraq who could mount raids into Syria as needed.Additionally,President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has promised to hunt down any IS remnants in Syria,Mr.Trump said.

Hudson's Bay Co. Reduces Debt - a good investment now?

On 18 November,the Hudson's Bay Company sold 533 million dollars of equity in its stake of HBS Global Properties Joint Venture (properties in the US and Germany) to three third party investors:real estate investment trusts Ivanhoe Cambridge (250 million) and Madison International Realty (150 million);plus a large US pension fund (133 million).Ivanhoe will have a seat on the Hudson's Bay board of directors.Proceeds of the sale will pay down Hudson's Bay's 1.085 billion dollar loan to 500 million.The company will retain a 63% stake in HBS Global Properties,which it said it may sell more of for further deleveraging or acquisitions.*
Hudson's Bay,of Toronto,Canada,began as a fur trader in 1670,and is the oldest North American company.It evolved into a department store titan with more than 460 stores and 65,000 employees worldwide.Its major banners include Hudson's Bay,Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue in North America;GALERIA Kaufhof in Germany;and Galeria INNO in Belgium.Hudson's Bay other retail holdings are FIND@Lord & Taylor,Home Outfitters and Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH in North America;and SPORTARENA in Germany.*
In addition to retail,the midcap growth company has acquired a substantial real estate portfolio consisting of its remaining stake in the aforementioned HBS Global Properties Joint Venture and the RioCan - HBC Joint Venture (Canadian properties).*
Keeping pace with change in the industry,Hudson's Bay has increased its digital sales by a substantial 30% as it increasingly invests in online sales.It will also benefit from the synergies generated by its acquisition of Saks Fifth Avenue,which are expected to appear in this quarter.This synergy,coupled with the weakness of the Canadian dollar,should result in better returns through 2016.Hudson's Bay is looking to be a retail momentum story backed by large real estate holdings.*
Hudson's Bay Co (TSX:HBC),(PINX:HBAYF)

Renewing McDonald's

Change may be coming to a McDonald's near you.The storied fast food chain is seeking to reinvent itself in light of declining sales worldwide.It wants to be seen as a modern,progressive burger chain,in line with such peers as its former subsidiary Chipotle's,Burger King and Wendy's.Table service is being introduced in Germany.Other updates being tried are customised burgers;less antibiotics in chicken;digital ordering kiosks;and all-day breakfast food.
CEO Steve Easterbrook was brought on to spearhead the new direction,replacing Don Thompson as of 1 March.He will be focusing on turnarounds in the US,Germany,Australia and Japan.Easterbrook,who is British,had been chief brand officer before assuming his new position.Earlier in his career,he had been a McDonald's manager in London before leaving the firm to lead British casual dining chains PizzaExpress and Wagamama.Mr.Easterbrook returned to McDonald's in 2013 as head of UK and Northern Europe,and was credited with an uptick in UK sales.
McDonald's shares closed at 97.83 in New York on Monday,up 0.90%.*
McDonald's (MCD)

Monday Newsline:Kaymer Snares US Open as NBC Era Ends

Germany's Martin Kaymer became the first man from his country to win the prestigious 114th US Open Sunday at Pinehurst Resort,North Carolina,and Comcast NBC Universal sadly marked its final broadcast of the storied golf tournament after 20 straight years of coverage.Kaymer,29,had previously won the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Sraits,Wisconsin;the World Number One ranking for eight weeks in 2011;10 tournaments on the European Tour-plus the Ryder Cup as a member of Team Europe;as well as the 2014 Players Championship a few weeks ago in Florida.
Kaymer's nine under par 72 blew away the rest of the field by a margin of at least eight strokes.His closest competitors were Americans Erik Compton and Ricky Fowler,who shared second at one under par.Compton,34,a survivor of two heart transplants who is happy to just be alive,became the sentimental favourite as he notched his best PGA showing ever.*
Europeans have taken the last two US Open trophies,with Englishman Justin Rose taking America's national championship last year.Speaking of Kaymer's performance,Ricky Fowler said that Martin was in his own golf tournamnet.Seeing how in control his golf game was kind of pushes me,becuase I was not far off.*
Phil Mickelson,44,was calm as he reflected on his road ahead.The Hall of Famer had carded a poor seven over par at Pinehurst as his putting seemed to desert him,but he looked forward to the next four or five years and the exciting courses on the US Open schedule.The US Open is the only one of the four majors he has yet to win,and only five other men have accomplished this grand slam of golf.*
Meanwhile,the broadcast booth was dealing with another kind of drama.NBC analyst Johnny Miller choked up as he and colleague Dan Hicks signed off.After 20 consecutive years of televising United States Golf Association events,Comcast's NBC Universal and partner Disney's ESPN were outbid by News Corp's Fox Sports last August for the next 12 years of USGA events,which besides the US Open include the US Senior Open,US Women's Open and USGA amateur events.Fox got a 12 year multimedia deal running from 2015 through 2026.Its winning bid was reportedly around 74 million dollars a year-twice what NBC/ESPN were paying.
Fox Sports has zero experience at golf coverage,so there's a big unknown for USGA golf fans in the years ahead.The USGA is the official governing body of the sport in the USA.*
US futures and Asian markets reflected concern about the Iraq crisis and the Federal Reserve possibly raising interest rates sooner rather than later.The S&P futures were down 6.78 points,while the Dow and NASDAQ futures dropped 48.0 and 9.66 points,respectively.Oil futures climbed 0.4%,and gold rose 0.6% as Treasury rates fell.Most Asian markets were down or virtually flat on the Iraq and Fed worries.The Nikkei was down 1.04%,while the Hang Seng fell 0.6% and the KOSPI was flat in Monday trading.
Comcast(CMCST A),News Corporation(NWS)

Sochi Winter Olympics Medal Count

Total Medals as of Wednesday Night:
1.Norway 12
2.Canada 10
2.Netherlands 10
3.USA 9
3.Russia 9
4.Germany 8
5.Austria 5
6.Sweden 4
6.Switzerland 4
6.Slovenia 4
Germany has the most gold medals(6).

Alone in Istanbul:American Mother Still Missing

An American mother of two,Sarai Sierra,33,has been missing in Istanbul,Turkey for more than 10 days now.The Staten Island,New York aspiring photographer was to fly home on January 21,but never made it.
Ms.Sierra had originally planned to make the expedition with a friend.When the friend bowed out,she resolved to go on alone.She meticulously researched how to safely visit Istanbul by herself:where to go and at what time of day.Photos and video show that she dressed in a nondescript way,wearing drab clothing and a hat.
Ms.Sierra also visited Amsterdam,Netherlands and Munich,Germany,then returned to Istanbul,where she stayed in a hostel.She had reportedly planned to meet a man named Taylan,an Internet friend,on a bridge she wanted to photograph.Police are looking for this individual as well.
The Turkish police have formed  a special task force to work the case.They are reviewing thousands of hours of surveillance video from downtown Istanbul for clues as to Ms.Sierra's whereabouts.They also seek her cell phone records.
A group of Turkish citizens have joined the search.The Association For Families With Lost Relatives is distributing fliers with Ms.Sierra's photos along with fliers for their own relatives.Ms.Sierra's husband and brother have flown to Istanbul to help police.Her children are ages 9 and 11.
Turkey is a NATO ally of the US and aspires to join the European Union.

The Weather Channel:Winter Storm Brutus-Really?

Is The Weather Channel embarked on a serious effort or a publicity stunt by naming winter storms this season?So far,no one else is acknowledging the practice or the names.
The National Weather Service has forbidden its employees from using TWC names for winter weather systems.In a statement,the NWS said it has no opinion about private weather enterprise products and services.A winter storm's impact can vary from one location to another,and storms can weaken and redevelop,making it difficult to define where one ends and another begins.While the NWS does not name winter storms,we do rate major winter storms after the fact.
TWC competitor AccuWeather complained that we are concerned about the lack of strict criteria with naming winter storms.TWC lists its criteria as being 1.an event that involves snow and ice and/or extreme temperatures or wind;2.that significantly affects travel;3.and that the network thinks people need to know about.
TWC winter weather expert Tom Niziol said that an organized system of naming winter storms will raise public awareness of the weather system and make it easier to track its progress and plan ahead.If we can hashtag a storm with a name,that leads to a one-stop shop to exchange information about a storm.
He predicts 6-8 named winter weather events for the season.They have already named two storms,however,and it's only November-not even winter yet.
In Germany,naming storms has gone even further.There,people and companies pay for naming rights to weather systems.The Weather Channel's naming venture may seem more fiasco than forecasting to many observers.It will be interesting to see if the iconoclastic project makes them more the subject of ridicule than enhances their credibility as a leader in the field of meteorology.
The Weather Channel is co-owned by NBC Universal;Bain Capital;and The Blackstone Group,L.P.

Shop Talk:Thunderstorms Could Harm Autumn Leaves

Dear Readers,
A strong line of thunderstorms crossed the Mid-Atlantic region tonight.Tomorrow,we will see how many of the autumn leaves were lost.This could harm tourism and deprive residents of their own recreation.
In any event,I posted a National Geographic article on a German national park,Saxon Switzerland National Park,just in case.You can appreciate that at least,if your autumn leaves have fallen off.
Andrew Taylor

Backstopping With Gold and Cash

The European debt discussion has been going on since the beginning of last year,says Abhay Deshpande,a portfolio manager at First Eagle Investment Management.European authorities keep finding ways to prevent its stopping.In the end,practical people will come to the conclusion-probably after the summer-that the European Central Bank needs to get directly involved.
We have 20% cash in case there's another Lehman-type meltdown.That means 17% commercial paper;some Treasury bills;and the bonds of well-financed governments.It's unpleasant,but if we can't find anything,we tend to default to cash.
Gold bullion is our number one holding.It acts somewhat as a hedge against the declining purchasing power around the world.One of the lessons we learned from the financial crisis is that sometimes we get it wrong,Mr.Deshpande admitted.
First Eagle Investment Management,LLC serves corporations,foundations,endowments,major retirement funds and individuals.Its staff of 156 has 60 billion dollars under management worldwide.With a lineage dating back to nineteenth century Germany,it emphasizes risk management and long term,value-oriented investing.
Commercial paper is an unsecured money market instrument sold by large banks and other firms.It is often contained in bond and money market funds.

Early Edition:Merkel Pleased With Summit

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the weekend's G20 summit in Toronto,Canada was ahead of her expectations because of the detail involved.The world leaders agreed to cut their deficits in half by 2013.By 2016,the debt,or accumulated deficits,will start to come down.Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that,as our stimulus programs expire,we will focus on getting our fiscal houses in order.
The G20 leaders of leading economic nations also agreed to raise capital requirements for banks.The specificity of the goals was indeed unusual for such a gathering,which typically would have a statement of general principles released as a communique.This highlights the fragility of the global economy,which cannot accept anything less than exactitude at this point.
Ms.Merkel was in a jovial mood,given this adoption of German policy by the G20,not to mention Germany's decisive victory over England in the World Cup.The leaders followed the World Cup on their Blackberries and even watched some of it together on a big screen TV.Chancellor Merkel spoke animatedly with President Barack Obama.Clearly they have become friends during this difficult period of history.It is perhaps somewhat reminiscent of the late President Ronald Reagan and former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of Great Britain.

CME Does It Best

Mark Fisher of MBF Asset Management has been analyzing the recent flash crash in U.S. markets.He says computers took his job away on the trading floor.They process 20,000 orders in a millisecond.If the flash crash had happened at 10:30 in the morning instead of in the afternoon,it would have been a complete disaster,with the European markets being still open.
The computer types are making a lot of money.It's games,arbitraging back and forth.In times of stress,people cut back their trading,thinning volume dangerously.At that point,anything can and will happen.The Chicago Mercantile Exchange puts the market in suspension for a few seconds;it works.It's like at the Indy 500 putting out a yellow caution flag.Indeed,the Securities and Exchange Commission is planning to institute such brakes on erratic trading.
With regard to the Euro Zone debt problem,in Mr.Fisher's view,it will never work out with the Euro.You've got the Germans,working a 40-hour week,bailing out a different culture.Wait till you see the German elections.

Early Edition :Portfolios Affecting Health

That haggard look is returning to faces as citizens and their leaders once again try to deal with their eroding wealth.You could definitely see it on German Chancellor Angela Merkel's face as she emerged from a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy a few weeks ago.Investors whose portfolios had more than recovered from their lows of March 2009 are finding themselves in the red again.It is an ordeal that can be described as Dantesque,a scene from a personal financial Inferno.The effects on the general health cannot be good.
To counteract the stress,music is very significant;so is exercise.And they cost little if anything.That in itself is a relaxing thought.Even little bits of recreation improve our health prospects.The longer we feel self-pity,the worse it will be for us.Remembering that we've been through all this before-we recovered then,and we can do it again-will help to lift us out of this red danger as well.
Many of our ancestors had to deal with financial issues such as the Great Depression.Survival is in our heritage.

Australia Stabilizes Markets

Australia has joined the U.S.,U.K. and Germany in banning the practice of short-selling,which is a kind of betting that a stock will fall.On Monday,Australian authorities expanded the ban to include not only naked short-selling,which is the most aggressive form,but covered short-selling as well.The ban won't apply to some hedging positions.Investment bank Babcock and Brown had complained about the short-selling of its shares.It rallied 70% at the news of the expanded ban on the practice.Meanwhile,Morgan Stanley(MS) and Goldman Sachs(GS) are to become commercial banks.The last two large,independent investment banks in the U.S. will acquire a depository base and be subject to Federal Reserve supervision,in a bid to secure their futures.Goldman Sachs will be known as Goldman Sachs Bank U.S.A..

Exxon Expands Search

Exxon Mobil(XOM) has ramped up its quest for new hydrocarbon fields.In 2007,Exxon replaced 76% of its production-the least in 14 years.A map of the Irving,Texas firm's drilling plans to meet this challenge is literally a map of the world.From Alaska to Indonesia,Exxon will be returning to its wildcat roots,drilling wells in areas not known for their oil and gas reserves,such as inland Germany,Ireland,Greenland,New Zealand and Madagascar.Using advanced technology that allows drilling from huge floating rigs up to two miles into the ocean floor,Exxon will explore off the coasts of Qatar,Angola,Nigeria and Libiya.By 2012,it expects 50% of its production to come from West Africa,Central Asia,Russia and the Middle East-up from today's 36%.Other exploration sites include Colombia and Brazil.The Brazil project is near Brazil's recent large discovery in the Tupi field.The largest Western oil company,Exxon will increase its capital spending by 25% to 125 billion U.S. over the next five years.