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Race to rearm: Telford gun hall brings tank barrel production back to the UK

Defence secretary says Britain must manufacture at scale as Germany’s Rheinmetall opens Midlands factory

For the last 20 years, Britain was unable to put a barrel on its tanks without buying from abroad. Relying on foreign allies seemed like a reasonable choice during years of relative security (for wealthy countries at least) after the end of the cold war.

But Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has changed the calculation – and prompted a scramble to rearm among European countries, including the UK.

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© Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

© Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

© Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

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Workers hit hard by rising employer health insurance costs

Costs are spiking for the millions of Americans who rely on workplace-sponsored health insurance, according to a survey released Thursday, with small businesses and their employees being hit especially hard.  The average cost of a family plan increased by 5 percent, topping $28,000 this year, according to the annual Employer Health Benefits Survey from KFF.…

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Big pharma accused of ‘free-riding on nature’ as global fund attracts just $7,000

The Cali Fund, set up to raise $1bn a year for biodiversity from drug companies, remains near empty

Big pharmaceutical companies have been accused of “free-riding on nature”, after a landmark biodiversity fund that invites businesses to put some of their profits back into conservation was left virtually empty.

The Cali Fund set out to raise $1bn (£750m) annually, by asking companies that profit from nature’s genetics to contribute towards conservation in low-income countries. But more than 18 months after the fund was launched, it remains far below this target.

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© Photograph: Rebecca Cole/The Guardian

© Photograph: Rebecca Cole/The Guardian

© Photograph: Rebecca Cole/The Guardian

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French borrowing costs overtake US amid budget turmoil

France’s bond market hit by another bout of selling as country recovers from weekend protests

French borrowing costs continued to rise on Thursday, as investors fret that France’s government is struggling to pass a federal budget after public protests gripped the country.

France’s bond market was hit with another bout of selling, with the difference between French and German 10-year borrowing costs – a metric for the risk premium attached to French debt – rising to its highest level in almost 15 years.

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© Photograph: Telmo Pinto/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Telmo Pinto/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Telmo Pinto/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

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Mushrooms, wine and gastronomy celebrated at Dão autumn festival

The Mushroom Edit Taboadella

The Dão wine region will celebrate the arrival of autumn with the second edition of The Mushroom Edit, a festival combining mushroom discovery, wine, gastronomy and music at the Taboadella

The post Mushrooms, wine and gastronomy celebrated at Dão autumn festival appeared first on Portugal Resident.

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Australia’s NextDC stock collapse fires a global AI warning

For two decades, data centers were relatively safe, lucrative real estate investments. They attracted investors because they served as digital infrastructure — the essential plumbing that keeps the internet running. The growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and its increased demands on computing power has meant data centre builders are in a race to build out […]

The post Australia’s NextDC stock collapse fires a global AI warning appeared first on Asia Times.

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