Author: News Desk

Counterfeit branded items are a billion-dollar business – which should not be supported by Christmas presents, warns the German Patent Office. But younger customers often consciously buy the plagiarism. Patent office warns against counterfeits as Christmas presents

Donald Trump saw another cabinet pick face strong opposition on Monday after dozens of Nobel prize laureates “strongly” urged the US Senate on Monday to deny Trump’s pick for Secretary of Health and Human Services, former presidential hopeful Robert Kennedy Jr., deriding in an  open letter Kennedy’s “lack of credentials” and anti-vaccine views. Nobel laureates sign letter slamming RFK Jr. as Trump's health secretary

How was Syria’s economy ravaged by the civil war? Syria’s economy was worth $67.5 billion (€63.9 billion) in 2011 — the same year that large-scale protests broke out against President Bashar Assad’s regime, which sparked a rebel insurgency that escalated into a full-blown civil war. The country was placed 68th among 196 countries in global GDP rankings, comparable to Paraguay and Slovenia. By last year, the economy had fallen to 129 in the league table, having shrunk by 85% to just $9 billion, according to World Bank estimates. That put the country on par with the likes of Chad and the Palestinian Territories. Almost 14 years…

See under “big films”: on 10 December 1962 – at the Odeon Leicester Square cinema in London – there was the world premiere of Lawrence of Arabia, based, rather loosely, on the life of the British writer and soldier TE Lawrence and his novel I seven pillars of wisdom. Over 220 minutes of film – not counting overture, interlude and final music – in a very sumptuous package (among other things, legendary soundtrack by Maurice Jarre). It won seven Oscars, a triumph for the public and critics, perhaps the greatest achieved by David Lean, the king of blockbusters at the…

The ieBusiness Podcast meets Tom Ryan, managing partner of SF Bloodstock in Kentucky In this week’s ieBusiness Podcast, Tom Ryan, managing partner of SF Bloodstock and racing manager for SF Racing talks about his career in horse racing that has taken him all over the world before he settled in Lexington, Kentucky where he works at the heart of the horseracing industry. A native of Wexford, Tom’s love of horses has seen him working in Australia and Japan before he headed to the US. However, an accident involving a horse – a stallion bit off his right thumb – caused him…

Search for The Hague explosion victims ends with six confirmed dead Search for The Hague explosion victims ends with six confirmed dead

Ministers must reassure consumers feeding cattle Bovaer is safe, says Lady Sheehan Government should point to evidence of FSA licensing of additive, says chair of environment and climate change committeeThe government must urgently reassure consumers that feed additives given to cattle to reduce methane emissions are harmless, and a vital tool in tackling the climate crisis, the chair of an influential parliamentary committee has warned.Lady Sheehan, chair of the environment and climate change committee of the House of Lords, called on ministers to step up as a row has blown up over the prospective use of the additive Bovaer in…

South Korean prosecutors are seeking to arrest the former defence minister alleged to have colluded with President Yoon Suk Yeol in imposing martial law last week.

  South Korean prosecutors are seeking to arrest the former defence minister alleged to have colluded with President Yoon Suk Yeol in imposing martial law last week. Martial law lasted only about six hours, but was the first of its kind in more than 40 years and has caused a domestic firestorm and large street protests. Mr Yoon and his associates face criminal investigations and impeachment attempts. The Justice Ministry has banned Mr Yoon and eight others from leaving the country as authorities see them as key suspects in the martial law case. It is the first time a sitting…

The Kings close the year of trips abroad with a state visit to Italy. This Tuesday, the Monarch and his wife will travel to Rome, the capital of the country, where they will be received, first of all, by the Spanish community, and then by the president of the republic, Sergio Mattarella and the rest of the State authorities, including Prime Minister Georgia Meloni. The Kings will leave Madrid on Tuesday at noon and fly to Rome, from where on Thursday they will travel to Naples. There, the Federico II University will appoint a doctor for the sake of honor…