A private investor list reveals individuals with ties to Chinese military contractors and entities linked to the Qatari royal family were among overseas investors in SpaceX. The rocket company, which handles sensitive US government work, has barred Chinese investors from its IPO due to regulatory concerns.
The Senate Armed Services Committee approved a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act that could bar defense contractors from stock buybacks or dividends without Pentagon approval. The measure, supported by both parties, aims to increase discipline among contractors and faces opposition from industry groups.
A US B-52 bomber crashed and caught fire shortly after take-off at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Monday, killing all eight people on board. The heavy bomber was on a routine testing mission for radar modernization when it went down in a fireball.
China's Norinco showcased a model of its drone manufacturing process at the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris. The display included a miniature assembly line for drones like the BZK-005E, which is reportedly used in Mauritania and Sudan.
Repairing the Nord Stream gas pipeline, damaged by explosions, could take approximately three years if financing is secured and no delays occur, according to a joint memorandum by engineering experts cited by RBC. The High Court of London is hearing a dispute between Nord Stream AG and its insurers.
Mitie, a key government contractor, is investigating allegations of racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and hate speech among staff in UK immigration removal centers. Whistleblowers provided a dossier of offensive comments made at work and on social media.
Hong Kong proposes new fire safety amendments, including a smoking ban at construction sites, following the deadly Wang Fuk Court inferno. The rules take effect July 17 after Legco approval.
A building known as a nesting site for swifts was demolished during the UK's nesting season, leading to accusations of wildlife crime and highlighting weak protections for at-risk birds from development projects.
A Guardian analysis reveals dozens of US Congress members and staffers took lavish, Aipac-funded trips to Israel since Oct 7, 2023, despite declining US public support for Israel's policies. The trips, costing over $4.2m, featured one-sided briefings and visits to settlements.
Hong Kong authorities evict residents from Yick Yuen Tsuen village in Tuen Mun for the Northern Metropolis project, despite some receiving short notice, while others left voluntarily.
An Aboriginal rock shelter in NSW was destroyed by bulldozers during the construction of a renewable energy zone, sparking outrage and calls for accountability among Indigenous leaders and government officials.
South Korea is developing indigenous UAV engines, including a 5,500lb-class turbofan for low-observable wingman aircraft and a 10,000lb-class turbofan for stealth platforms, through a government-backed, matching-fund investment to enhance competitiveness and export potential in the top tier of UAV production.
A NSW auditor general's report found the state's $100m Resilient Lands Program (RLP) has not delivered a single home or lot after three and a half years. Residents like Liam Bolitho and Rachel Rouse have resorted to self-funding relocations due to program delays.
Police recommended charges against 77 individuals and organizations for the Grenfell Tower fire. Survivors express mixed relief, grief, and anger over the lengthy process, with trials unlikely before 2028. Campaigners criticize slow progress and weak corporate manslaughter laws.
Indigenous leaders decry the US government's rapid border wall construction, which is desecrating sacred Native American sites and cultural heritage, including Kuuchamaa Mountain and the Las Playas Intaglio.
Indigenous leaders are protesting the destruction of sacred Native American sites by U.S. border wall construction, citing the desecration of Kuuchamaa Mountain and a 1,000-year-old geoglyph in Arizona. Contractors are blasting and bulldozing culturally significant areas despite pleas from tribes and waived environmental laws.
A union is raising safety concerns for workers renovating the National Mall's reflecting pool, a project ordered by Donald Trump. The union criticizes the no-bid contract awarded to Atlantic Industrial Coatings, citing potential safety hazards due to rushed work and undisclosed costs.
Singaporeans face challenges in securing full-time jobs as companies prefer cheaper contractors, with some being replaced by foreign workers from Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announces Sarmat ICBM to be placed on combat alert by end of year
Lorry left at near 45-degree angle after ground gave way on road near WaltonA lorry became stuck in a sinkhole after being sent to fix it.Contractors from a company called Stabilised Pavements were sent to fix the sinkhole on Butleigh Drove, near Walton in Somerset, when the ground gave way, the Times reported. Continue reading...
Decision made to grant US tech firm ‘unlimited access’ to data in project to build integrated platform, according to reportsUK politics live – latest updatesMPs have warned that an NHS decision to grant Palantir access to identifiable patient information in its plan to use AI to improve the health service is “dangerous” and will fuel public fears that data privacy is not being prioritised.NHS England has allowed staff from the US tech firm and other contractors access to patient data before it has been pseudonymised, despite internal fears of a “risk of loss of public confidence”, the Financial Times reported. Continue reading...
Cigarette butts will be considered “strong evidence” of a possible breach under a proposed construction site smoking ban, Hong Kong’s labour chief has said, even as he sought to reassure contractors that preventive measures could shield them from the maximum HK$400,000 (US$51,070) fine. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-Han revealed further details about the ban in an interview with the South China Morning Post held amid an inquiry into the deadly Wang Fuk Court blaze, which heard...
More than 7,000 join employment tribunal that will include claims for minimum wage and holiday pay More than 7,000 Just Eat couriers are taking legal action against the food delivery company in an attempt to gain better employment rights including the minimum wage and holiday pay.The employment tribunal, which begins on Tuesday and is set to run until 2 June, will determine if the couriers are classed as workers, a status that comes with improved rights, or self-employed independent contractors. Continue reading...
Oracle faces a financial crisis as its debt-heavy, leased data center model for OpenAI falters. With OpenAI scaling back infrastructure plans, Oracle is grappling with a $100 billion debt load, significant layoffs, and plummeting stock value.
