Latest news with #French-designed
Arabian Post
2 days ago
- Business
- Arabian Post
UK Invests £14 Billion in Nuclear Revival
A decisive £14.2 billion funding package has been confirmed to propel the construction of the Sizewell C nuclear power station and to seed the development of the country's first small modular reactor fleet. The government asserts this marks a pivotal moment in reshaping the national energy landscape, targeting energy security, net‑zero goals, and economic growth through job creation and industrial benefits. Energy secretary Ed Miliband described the commitment as heralding a 'golden age of nuclear', driven by the need to break free from volatile fossil‑fuel dependencies and rapidly rising electricity demand projected for mid‑century. The financing will facilitate two French-designed EPR reactors at Sizewell C in Suffolk—expected to supply electricity for approximately six million households—and support a pioneering SMR programme by Rolls‑Royce SMR, designed to generate up to 1.5 GW across multiple sites. The Sizewell C project has been under consideration since 2010, and the latest capital injection resolves enduring uncertainties surrounding its fate. State funding of £14.2 billion, alongside previous public commitments, brings total taxpayer investment to nearly £17.8 billion. EDF holds a 16.2% share in the project, with government ownership at 83.8% as of December—which is likely to shift over time. ADVERTISEMENT At the height of construction, Sizewell C is expected to employ around 10,000 people and create 1,500 apprenticeship roles. Contracts totalling £330 million have already been awarded locally, with forecasts indicating up to 70% of future contracts going to UK‑based suppliers, encompassing over 3,500 domestic firms. The SMR competition concluded with Rolls‑Royce SMR chosen as the preferred builder after two years of evaluation against rivals Holtec and GE Hitachi. HM Treasury has pledged £2.5 billion for SMR development over five years, and government agency Great British Nuclear anticipates deploying three Rolls‑Royce reactors, generating around 3 GW and supporting 3,000 jobs at peak construction. Rolls‑Royce SMR emphasises its reactors will be factory‑built pressurised water designs intended to reduce cost, complexity, and delivery times, with grid connection anticipated in the mid‑2030s. Chief executive Chris Cholerton hailed the decision as 'a milestone achievement' for domestic growth and high‑skilled jobs. Critics caution that such megaprojects often encounter cost overruns and delays—Hinkley Point C being cited as a cautionary precedent. Detractors warn that the Sizewell C cost may escalate to £40 billion and that consumer electricity bills may increase by approximately £1 monthly to fund the investment recovery. Alison Downes of Stop Sizewell C questioned whether full costs have been disclosed and argued the project risks burdening taxpayers and households. The government contends it has learned from Hinkley by establishing a new regulatory and commercial framework intended to align shareholder incentives with schedule and budget adherence. Ofgem will act as economic regulator to safeguard consumer interests. Complementary investments include £2.5 billion in fusion energy research over five years; £6 billion towards the submarine industrial base, and subsequent investments in advanced fuel infrastructure aimed at reducing reliance on non‑domestic nuclear fuel sources. EDF's UK CEO Simone Rossi welcomed the funding decision as an affirmation of Hinkley Point C's role in revitalising Britain's nuclear expertise and capacity. Industry leaders such as Tom Greatrex of the Nuclear Industry Association view the integrated Sizewell C and SMR strategy as a crucial industrial and export opportunity for British nuclear manufacturing.
Bloomberg
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Trump's Freebie Qatar Jet Is Nightmare Scenario in Spyworld
Qatar's offer of a luxury Boeing 747 to President Donald Trump has set off alarm bells within the US intelligence and diplomatic community, where gifts from foreign powers have long been viewed with suspicion. Aside from any legal and ethical qualms about Trump accepting the plane — an 89-seater with a sumptuous French-designed interior — there are technical and security concerns too. Experts say any such gift on a foreign government's behalf presents opportunities for surveilling, tracking or compromising communications of the president and anyone traveling with him.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Normalizing Relations
Trump says we might normalize relations with Syria: Last year, Bashar al-Assad's regime collapsed. Now, President Donald Trump is in the Middle East, exploring normalizing relations with the new government of Syria and promising to lift sanctions. Trump met with Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa (a historic moment, because the heads of the U.S. and Syria have not sat down together since 2000). "With the support of leaders in this room, and the great leaders you are, we are currently exploring normalizing relations with Syria's new government," said Trump. "It gives them a chance for greatness," he added. "The sanctions were really crippling, very powerful." Normalizing relations with Syria would align with Saudi Arabia's goal of ensuring the new Syrian government doesn't establish too close a relationship with Iran, one of Assad's closest backers. It would also possibly complicate the U.S.-Israel relationship, as Israel has been conducting airstrikes on southwestern Syria since the toppling of the Assad regime. (Syria's Foreign Ministry said that Israel's strikes in April were responsible for the "near-total destruction of the Hama military airport and the injury of dozens of civilians and military personnel"; multiple cities and air bases have been targeted over the last few months.) But the possibility of ending sanctions on Syria and the new government being able to rebuild the country is a welcome one; a slightly more stable Middle East might be in sight. This one Resistance trick will surely work: "As President Trump visits Qatar amid the controversy over its proposed gift of a $400 million luxury plane," reports The New York Times, "the Democratic National Committee announced plans to fly a sky banner over his Mar-a-Lago club today that reads 'Qatar-a-Lago.'" Wow, they really got him, didn't they? Look, a Qatari plane being used as the new Air Force One certainly presents issues. "Aside from any legal and ethical qualms about Trump accepting the plane—an 89-seater with a sumptuous French-designed interior—there are technical and security concerns too," reports Bloomberg. "Experts say any such gift on a foreign government's behalf presents opportunities for surveilling, tracking or compromising communications of the president and anyone traveling with him." Trump should probably be a touch less flattered and a bit more worried by this possibility. But if this is the Democratic Party's best shot at countering the many legal, ethical, and constitutional violations by the Trump administration, we're in for a very long four years. Excellent points made by Curtis Sliwa, who will definitely not become mayor but is nevertheless running. (Classic Sliwa, whose iconic beret always reminds me of this Norm Macdonald quote.) Sure looks like she's running: "Qatar spent three times more in the U.S. than Israel did on lobbyists, public-relations advisers, and other foreign agents in 2021—and nearly two-thirds as much as China did, according to the government's latest reports," reports The Free Press in a thorough investigation on Qatari influence. Never forget Joe Biden's vigorous young aides: From Noah Smith (this week's Just Asking Questions guest): "I do think there's some evidence that many forms of U.S. pop culture—music, movies, video games, books—are stagnating, at least as far as mass consumption is concerned….An increasing percent of what Americans consume comes from franchises, sequels, remakes, and established creators," he writes. And Katherine Dee writes that books and music and movies have become less important (excerpted within Smith's piece): "[T]here's a new culture all around us…We just don't register it as 'culture.'…We're witnessing the rise of new forms of cultural expression. If these new forms aren't dismissed by critics, it's because most of them don't even register as relevant….The social media personality is one example of a new form….not quite performance art, but something like it….The same is true of TikTok….There is a lot of innovation on TikTok—particularly with comedy….Creating mood boards on Pinterest or curating aesthetics on TikTok are evolving art forms, too. Constructing an atmosphere, or 'vibe,' through images and sounds, is itself a form of storytelling, one that's been woefully misunderstood….They're a type of immersive art that we don't yet have the language to fully describe." Writer David Marx "differentiates 'art' and 'entertainment' based not on their quality, but on the intent of their creators," notes Smith. "'Art' is when creators try to push the boundaries of creative expression with new forms and new ideas; 'Entertainment' is when creators just want to please the masses. When creators stop trying to make art and just make entertainment, you get a decrease in novelty, because people aren't trying as hard to push the boundaries—there is no avant-garde." How did Mississippi fix its public schools? It retrained teachers and focused on phonics instruction: The post Normalizing Relations appeared first on
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's Freebie Qatar Jet Is the Stuff of Nightmares in Spyworld
(Bloomberg) -- Qatar's offer of a luxury Boeing 747 to President Donald Trump has set off alarm bells within the US intelligence and diplomatic community, where gifts from foreign powers have long been viewed with suspicion. As Coastline Erodes, One California City Considers 'Retreat Now' A New Central Park Amenity, Tailored to Its East Harlem Neighbors What's Behind the Rise in Serious Injuries on New York City's Streets? How Finland Is Harvesting Waste Heat From Data Centers Lawsuit Challenges Trump Administration Policy on Migrant Children Aside from any legal and ethical qualms about Trump accepting the plane — an 89-seater with a sumptuous French-designed interior — there are technical and security concerns too. Experts say any such gift on a foreign government's behalf presents opportunities for surveilling, tracking or compromising communications of the president and anyone traveling with him. 'If we had built the plane, knowing it was going to a foreign government, we would probably have bugged it,' said Thad Troy, a former station chief with the Central Intelligence Agency. He recalled serving in Cold War-era Moscow when the American Embassy was being dismantled brick by brick to remove a tangle of surveillance devices embedded into the very concrete of the building. Trump ordered up two new presidential planes from Boeing Co. for $3.9 billion during his first term. Frustrated at delivery delays, he's been on the lookout for alternatives – and apparently had his eye on the Qatari plane even before it was offered to him as a gift this month. Parisian Finish The jumbo in question, built in 2012, was previously on call for Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani. The 66-year-old is one of the Qatari royal family's wealthiest figures, having served as prime minister and head of the sovereign wealth fund. It has creamy white and tan furnishings, rugs and artwork by Cabinet Alberto Pinto, a Paris interior design firm. There are custom-made Tai Ping rugs, sycamore and wacapou wood fixtures, and artwork by Alexander Calder. The upper deck has a master bedroom and bath, guest bedroom and private lounge, and downstairs there are lounges, an office and crew areas. The plane would need to be retrofitted to standards that Air Force One currently maintains, according to Troy. That would include a hardening of its surface to withstand explosions and attacks, and technical extras like air-to-air refueling capabilities and classified communications and weapons systems. It would also take months if not years for defense department officials and intelligence officers to take the plane apart and thoroughly sweep it for any tracking devices or detect monitoring of systems that could, among other things, reveal the plane's location. 'This is why it takes so long to build Air Force One,' said Troy. 'It has so many things attached to it to make the president safe.' 'Such a Stain' Trump, who's blamed Boeing for falling 'way behind,' has defended the gift. 'Some people say, oh, you shouldn't accept gifts for the country,' the president told Fox News while en route to Saudi Arabia where he began a Middle East visit on Tuesday. 'My attitude is, why wouldn't I accept a gift? We're giving to everybody else.' He also said that Gulf monarchies have bigger and newer planes than the American government, and 'I believe that we should have the most impressive plane.' But some of the fiercest criticism has come from devoted supporters, who've called it a bribe or a brazen push for influence by the Gulf state. Commentator Ben Shapiro asked how Trump voters would react if a Democrat had done this. 'I think if we switched the names to Hunter Biden and Joe Biden, we'd all be freaking out on the right,' Shapiro said Monday on his podcast. 'President Trump promised to drain the swamp. This is not, in fact, draining the swamp.' 'This is really going to be such a stain on the admin if this is true,' far-right activist Laura Loomer posted on X. 'And I say that as someone who would take a bullet for Trump.' Qatar is a longstanding US ally, and has been a key mediator along with Egypt in efforts to broker a truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The country also hosts Hamas's political office. Relationships like that pose a risk 'in terms of potential information falling into the hands of people who would use it for their own purposes,' according to James Der Derian, who heads the Centre for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney in Australia. 'To be sure, Qatar is not the Soviet Union, but it does have a pretty robust intelligence footprint,' he said. 'It punches above its weight.' Still, while there are dangers in accepting gifts from foreign governments, turning them down isn't risk-free either. Since gift-giving is significant in Arab culture, it could amount to a diplomatic blunder – especially when Qatar is playing such an important role in the search for an end to the Gaza war. That's why 'this plane has taken on so much symbolic value right now,' Der Derian said. Refuse the gift, and 'there could be a lot of upset leaders — not just the US but also Qatar and other Arab countries that think hospitality is a very important part of their culture.' Cartoon Network's Last Gasp DeepSeek's 'Tech Madman' Founder Is Threatening US Dominance in AI Race Trump Has Already Ruined Christmas Why Obesity Drugs Are Getting Cheaper — and Also More Expensive The Recession Chatter Is Getting Louder. Watch These Metrics ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
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Business Standard
14-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
What makes Trump's freebie Qatar jet the stuff of nightmares in spyworld
Aside from any legal and ethical qualms about Trump accepting the plane - an 89-seater with a sumptuous French-designed interior - there are technical and security concerns too Bloomberg Qatar's offer of a luxury Boeing 747 to President Donald Trump has set off alarm bells within the US intelligence and diplomatic community, where gifts from foreign powers have long been viewed with suspicion. Aside from any legal and ethical qualms about Trump accepting the plane — an 89-seater with a sumptuous French-designed interior — there are technical and security concerns too. Experts say any such gift on a foreign government's behalf presents opportunities for surveilling, tracking or compromising communications of the president and anyone traveling with him. 'If we had built the plane, knowing it was going to a foreign government, we would probably have bugged it,' said Thad Troy, a former station chief with the Central Intelligence Agency. He recalled serving in Cold War-era Moscow when the American Embassy was being dismantled brick by brick to remove a tangle of surveillance devices embedded into the very concrete of the building. Trump ordered up two new presidential planes from Boeing Co. for $3.9 billion during his first term. Frustrated at delivery delays, he's been on the lookout for alternatives – and apparently had his eye on the Qatari plane even before it was offered to him as a gift this month. Parisian Finish The jumbo in question, built in 2012, was previously on call for Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani. The 66-year-old is one of the Qatari royal family's wealthiest figures, having served as prime minister and head of the sovereign wealth fund. It has creamy white and tan furnishings, rugs and artwork by Cabinet Alberto Pinto, a Paris interior design firm. There are custom-made Tai Ping rugs, sycamore and wacapou wood fixtures, and artwork by Alexander Calder. The upper deck has a master bedroom and bath, guest bedroom and private lounge, and downstairs there are lounges, an office and crew areas. The plane would need to be retrofitted to standards that Air Force One currently maintains, according to Troy. That would include a hardening of its surface to withstand explosions and attacks, and technical extras like air-to-air refueling capabilities and classified communications and weapons systems. It would also take months if not years for defense department officials and intelligence officers to take the plane apart and thoroughly sweep it for any tracking devices or detect monitoring of systems that could, among other things, reveal the plane's location. 'This is why it takes so long to build Air Force One,' said Troy. 'It has so many things attached to it to make the president safe.' 'Such a Stain' Trump, who's blamed Boeing for falling 'way behind,' has defended the gift. 'Some people say, oh, you shouldn't accept gifts for the country,' the president told Fox News while en route to Saudi Arabia where he began a Middle East visit on Tuesday. 'My attitude is, why wouldn't I accept a gift? We're giving to everybody else.' He also said that Gulf monarchies have bigger and newer planes than the American government, and 'I believe that we should have the most impressive plane.' But some of the fiercest criticism has come from devoted supporters, who've called it a bribe or a brazen push for influence by the Gulf state. Commentator Ben Shapiro asked how Trump voters would react if a Democrat had done this. 'I think if we switched the names to Hunter Biden and Joe Biden, we'd all be freaking out on the right,' Shapiro said Monday on his podcast. 'President Trump promised to drain the swamp. This is not, in fact, draining the swamp.' 'This is really going to be such a stain on the admin if this is true,' far-right activist Laura Loomer posted on X. 'And I say that as someone who would take a bullet for Trump.' Qatar is a longstanding US ally, and has been a key mediator along with Egypt in efforts to broker a truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The country also hosts Hamas's political office. Relationships like that pose a risk 'in terms of potential information falling into the hands of people who would use it for their own purposes,' according to James Der Derian, who heads the Centre for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney in Australia. 'To be sure, Qatar is not the Soviet Union, but it does have a pretty robust intelligence footprint,' he said. 'It punches above its weight.' Still, while there are dangers in accepting gifts from foreign governments, turning them down isn't risk-free either. Since gift-giving is significant in Arab culture, it could amount to a diplomatic blunder – especially when Qatar is playing such an important role in the search for an end to the Gaza war. That's why 'this plane has taken on so much symbolic value right now,' Der Derian said. Refuse the gift, and 'there could be a lot of upset leaders — not just the US but also Qatar and other Arab countries that think hospitality is a very important part of their culture.'
