When will China become the world’s largest economy?
It’s a question that’s been asked a lot in the past few years.
With annual GDP growth rates of 9-10% for 30 years, China has quickly become the second largest economy in the world, overtaking all but the United States.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, a target of U.S. sanctions sparked by the Ukraine crisis, said Tuesday that those sanctions would boomerang against America’s space effort and essentially told NASA to take a flying leap … on a trampoline.
“After analyzing the sanctions against our space industry, I suggest to the USA to bring their astronauts to the International Space Station using a trampoline,” Rogozin said via his Russian-language Twitter account.
Russia may have gained Crimea from Ukraine but it sure is suffering the political effects of the annexing of the state. Sanctions have been imposed by a lot of countries, particularly the G7 or the organization of the world’s 7 most advanced economies, and one of the penalties is the denial of visa entries for 23 Russians by the Japanese government.
A member of the heavy metal band Scorpions was yesterday sentenced to a month in jail for insulting Islam and lifting his middle finger at Muslims at an airport.
James Kottak, 51, the American drummer for the German band whose hits include Rock You Like a Hurricane, said he drank five glasses of wine on a flight from Moscow to Dubai.
The US has offered a $5m bounty and filed new charges against a Chinese businessman it has accused of trying to sell ballistic missile technology to Iran, allegedly using shell companies to hide millions of dollars in transactions.
Li Fangwei and his LIMMT Economic and Trade Company have been on the US sanctions list since 2006 and 2009, respectively, for alleged business dealings with Iran.
U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt said Tuesday that the U.S. would respond immediately if Russia were to invade Ukraine.
Speaking at a press conference in Kiev on Tuesday, the ambassador said that Russian troop movements into Ukraine would constitute a serious escalation. According to the Kyiv Post, the U.S. would respond immediately and that “such a scenario would lead to tragic consequences.”
An annual year-end kindergarten show has been canceled at a New York school because the kids have to keep working so they will be “college and career” ready. Really.
That’s what it says in a letter (see below) sent to parents by Ellen Best-Laimit, the interim principal of Harley Avenue Primary School in Elwood, N.Y., and four kindergarten teachers. The play was to be staged over two days, May 14 and 15, according to the school’s calendar.
The Star Wars team is thrilled to announce the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII.
Actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker in the new film.
Brain Cage 