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LyrArc brings in selected articles from many of the world's top publications.

Articles are selected by experts and you can see the gist of the important articles.

China lifts one-child policy amid worries over graying population - The Washington Post

5 Groups   
Washington Post - 10.29.2015 Original article ›
Simon Denyer, Simon, Denyer
LyrArc Article Gist
China adopts a two child policy nationwide in October 2015, abandoning a one child policy adopted in 1980. Experts had warned for years of a policy that would lead to fewer young people, and a rapidly aging society. UN forecasts show China will have about 400 million people over the age of 60 in 2030, 25% of the population in 2030, compared to 14% today if current trends continued. Growth of elderly people would burden the pension and health care systems. The birth rate of 1.4 children per woman is lower than in the U.S. today.
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Plugged-In Age Feeds a Hunger for Electricity

1 Groups   
New York Times - 09.20.2009 Original article ›
Jad Mouawad, Jad, Mouawad, Kate Galbraith, Kate, Galbraith
LyrArc Article Gist
Consumer electronics from the large flat panel tv which consumes more electricity than arefrigerator to other consumer electronics products, take up 15% of household electricity demand. But there are no standards for them that will reduce consumption. These standards were set up for refrigerators and have reduced consumptioon by 45% between 1990 when the standards were set till today. Washers have reduced consumption by 70%. The demand from these gadets will triple over the next 2 decades says the Intenational Energy Agency, making greenhouse gas emissions reduction more difficult. To satisfy growing demand 560 coal fired plants will be needed.
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Infrastructure Enthusiasm Builds in Brazil

10 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 08.15.2011 Original article ›
Liam Denning, Liam, Denning
LyrArc Article Gist
Brazil's infrastructure needs include port and road facilities for its agricultural exports and mining industry. Road and rail transport networks for passengers are small considering Brazil's size. The rail network is smaller than that of France and only 12% of the one million mile road network is paved. Brazilian petroleum fund Petrosal will invest in infrastructure needs. Investments are being made to upgrade port facilities by Santos Brazil, and investment in toll roads by CCR, a private-highways company. The government is planning investments in infrastructure to prepare for the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympic Games in 2016.
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Apple Wins Big in Patent Case

4 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 08.25.2012 Original article ›
Jessica E. Vascellaro, Jessica, E., Vascellaro
LyrArc Article Gist
U.S. District Court verdict on August 24, 2012 that finds Samsung infringed 6 Apple patents and awards Apple $1.05 billion. Apple's legal campaign was intended to slow the increasing shipment of Android phones and device makers such as Samsung that make Android phones. In the second quarter of 2012 Android smartphones were 68% of smartphone shipments, and Apple iPhones about 17%, according to IDC research firm. The jury decision gave as patents infringed- three covering the shape of the iPhone and on-screen icons. The ony patent not infringed according to the jury decision was the one on the design of the tablet.
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San Diego's Civic Organist Survives to Welcome Another Year

  
New York Times - 12.26.2011 Original article ›
Jennifer Medina, Jennifer, Medina
LyrArc Article Gist
In a year of budget cuts San Diego's civic organist, who plays the outdoor organ in Balboa Park, has her contract renewed for another 10 years. Carol Williams plays the organ for free concerts Sunday afternoons at Balboa Park. The outdoor organ is one of the largest of its kind in the world. It is completing 97 years. The organist has been on the city payroll for close to a century. Of the $250,000 budget for the concerts, the Spreckels Organ Society gets $42,000 from the city of San Diego, $30,000 from members, and gets the rest from donations and grants.
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Euro Zone Economy Shrank in Fourth Quarter of 2011

5 Groups   
New York Times - 02.15.2012 Original article ›
Jack Ewing And David Jolly, Jack, Ewing, And, David, Jolly
LyrArc Article Gist
The EU statistics agency Eurostat reported that the eurozone countries GDP declined by 0.3% in the 4th quarter compared to the third quarter of 2011. The decline for Germany was 0.2%. For Italy the decline was 0.7% over the prior quarter according to Istat, the Italian statistics agency. Spain 0.3% decline over the prior quarter. France experienced 0.2% growth over the prior quarter with larger exports by Airbus and more business investment. Italy plans cuts to military spending reducing aircraft purchases, buying 90 instead of 131 Lockheed F-35 fighter jets. Only France and Slovakia showed quarterly growth.
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France Signs Nuclear Pacts with India

2 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 12.06.2010 Original article ›
Amol Sharma, Amol, Sharma
LyrArc Article Gist
France signed a framework agreement with India to build 2 nuclear reactors in the state of Maharashtra, along with supply of nuclear fuel for 25 years. The reactors would be sold by state owned company Areva SA. France plans to sell 6 nuclear reactors to India in future years. India has 4,560 megawatts of nuclear power and plans to increase this 14 fold by 2032. The French project will provide 10,000 megawatts. US suppliers are trying to get a change to liability laws in India that will transfer liability to plant operators, before concluding nuclear deals.
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Nissan Leaf: A Road Test

2 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 12.20.2010 Original article ›
LyrArc Article Gist
Test drive of a Nissan Leaf in a Michigan winter. The cold weather significantly cuts into the car battery's capacity. The heater alone can take up 25% of the energy. This Leaf had 91 miles of driving range on its readout. Nissan says the car has a 100 mile range. The EPA required Nissan to state the range as 73 miles. In wintry weather in cold weather states the range can be much less. For this reason Nissan is first introducing the Leaf in warm weather states such as California and states in the southern US.
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Profits Face Headwinds

2 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 01.10.2011 Original article ›
Paul Vigna, Paul, Vigna, John Shipman, John, Shipman
LyrArc Article Gist
High unemployment and sluggish growth in hiring-only 1.1 milllion jobs added in 2010 and only 103,000 in December 2010, according to the Labor Department- will restrict profit growth. Industries such as airlines, food, construction and telecom that lagged the recovery, will continue to face difficulties. Airlines face higher fuel prices and labor wage pressures. Standard and Poor's expects profits for the S&P 500 Index companies to reach a 3 year peak in the ist quarter 2011, then move lower for the next 5 quarters. Earnings reached $22.62 a share for these companies, up 29% from one year ago.
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Indian Road Hits Unexpected Bump

2 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 09.07.2010 Original article ›
Geeta Anand, Geeta, Anand
LyrArc Article Gist
The difficulties of acquiring land for industrial development or infrastructure building in India. India's Congress party increasingly supporting farmers who are protesting the acquisition of their land. India's highway commisssioner committed in 2009 to building 12 miles of highways each day, but highway officials say only 5 miles of highways have been built. The Congress party plans to propose legislation that requires farmers to be properly compensated- one proposal is to pay farmers the average recorded price plus 50%, as the recorded price used to compensate farmers does not correctly reflect the entire market price including cash paid unofficially.
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London's Tory Mayor Defies the Tory Party

10 Groups   
BusinessWeek - 11.04.2010 Original article ›
Thomas Penny, Thomas, Penny, Kitty Donaldson, Kitty, Donaldson
LyrArc Article Gist
Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, is critical of the British government's cuts in annual rent subsidies by 8%, or $3.2 billon, by 2014-15. London Councils, the umbrella group for London's 33 local authorites, says that 82,000 households in London will become homeless as a result of these cuts. Johnson told the BBC that the cuts will push renters to the suburbs- as has happened in Paris- and he will not tolerate a Kosovo-style cleansing of London. A labor party lawmaker in Leeds says that 15,000 families in Leeds will be affected by rising rents.
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Original article 1 minute, gist 1 minute

BP, plaintiffs reach Gulf of Mexico oil spill settlement - The Washington Post

1 Links 5 Groups   
Washington Post - 03.03.2012 Original article ›
Steve Mufson, Steve, Mufson
LyrArc Article Gist
BP reports a deal with the Plaintiffs Steering Committee in March 2012 to settle the lawsuit over the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico by paying an estimated $7.8 billion. BP will pay the settlement from the money remaining in the $20 billion escrow account setup for this purpose. This includes $2.3 billion for losses suffered by the Gulf seafood industry. The rest of the money will go for economic claims and medical claims. Money will be provided for next 21 years for health related claims, and $105 million will go to healthcare in Gulf areas.
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Original article 4 minutes, gist 1 minute

Japan Auto Makers on a Roll

2 Links 27 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 04.22.2012 Original article ›
Yoshio Takahashi, Yoshio, Takahashi, Chester Dawson, Chester, Dawson
LyrArc Article Gist
Improving performance of Toyota, Nissan and Honda in the U.S., Japan and emerging markets. Japanese automakers report higher profits in the fiscal fourth quarter. Sales for 2012 are expected to quadruple for Toyota in the 2012 fiscal year compared to fiscal 2011, according to analyst estimates. Part of the recovery is from weakening of the yen from 75 to the U.S. dollar in October 2011 to 81 in the March-April 2012 period. Profit margins are expected to improve for Toyota from 1.5% to 5.1% for Toyota, 5.4% to 7% for Nissan and 2.5% to 6.8% for Honda.
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Populist Party Makes Gains in Serbian Elections

6 Groups   
New York Times - 05.06.2012 Original article ›
Dan Bilefsky, Dan, Bilefsky
LyrArc Article Gist
The Progressive Party of Tomislav Nikolic wins 23.5% of the parliamentary vote, the Democratic party of president Boris Tadic 22.1% and the Socialist party of Ivica Dacic 16%. Serbians cast a protest vote against high unemployment of 24% and corruption in government. There is still a sense that the joining the EU is the best option for Serbia. Even though nationalist parties, some allied to former president Milosevic, won a significant portion of the vote, the nationalist sentiment is balanced now with a sense that Serbia must now look to the future for what is best for the next generation and economic progress.
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Indian Fiber Weaves a Crisis

3 Links 4 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 06.23.2012 Original article ›
Biman Mukherji, Biman, Mukherji, Tom Wright, Tom, Wright
LyrArc Article Gist
In June 2012 India's Food Minister K.V. Thomas agreed that 13% of India's 50.2 millon of wheat grains from a record crop were under makeshift shelters which could be damaged by the monsoon rains. Another complicating factor is that a law from the 1980's intended to protect workers in the jute industry requires all packaging of foodgrains for storage to use jute bags. Since 1990 jute products have increased by about 30% compared to an increase of 82% for the wheat crop, as a result there is a severe shortage of jute bags to store foodgrains in states like Madhya Pradesh.
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Budget Deal Deeply Cuts High-Speed Rail Program

3 Groups   
New York Times - 04.12.2011 Original article ›
Michael Cooper, Michael, Cooper
LyrArc Article Gist
The future of high speed rail in the U.S. is uncertain. Only $10 billion was approved for high speed rail upto now, and this money was spread over projects throughout the country. $8 billion was in the original stimuls program and $2.5 billion was aprroved for 2010. Additional money will be needed to complete projects that are planned. The new 2011 budget deal agreed to between Republicans and the President shows no money in 2011 allocated for high speed rail. One section of the bill calls for taking $400 million out of the $2.5 billion approved in 2010.
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Netanyahu Rejects Obama Compromises on Talks

1 Links 5 Groups   
New York Times - 05.20.2011 Original article ›
Steven Lee Myers, Steven, Lee, Myers
LyrArc Article Gist
Referring to the nine mile wide area from Israel's Mediterranean coast north of Tel Aviv to the West Bank at the shortest point, Israeli prime minister Netanyahu says of pre-1967 borders- "these were not the boundaries of peace, these were the boundaries of repeated wars." Netanyahu is reported to have made an angry phone call on May 19, 2011, to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after hearing of President Obama's call for a peace with a return to the pre-1967 borders. Netanyahu told Obama Israel considered such borders indefensible and not the basis of a lasting peace.
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Ratko Mladic’s Lawyer to Seek Medical Evaluation

1 Groups   
New York Times - 05.27.2011 Original article ›
Doreen Carvajal, Doreen, Carvajal
LyrArc Article Gist
The haggard condition and failing health of the Bosnian Serb General Ratko Mladic. Mladic is wanted for war crimes and ethnic cleansing as commander of the Bosnian Serb army in 1992-94. He eluded arrest and was in hiding for 15 years, till his arrest in mid 2011. The efforts to transfer him to the Hague to stand trial at the International Court of Justice. The Serbian government is keen to use the arrest as an opportunity to close this chapter of the nation's history and start a new one with membership in the European Union.
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P&G to Shed More Than Half Its Brands

10 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 08.02.2014 Original article ›
Serena Ng, Serena, Ng
LyrArc Article Gist
P&G CEO Lafley, says the company will shed about 90-100 smaller brands that generate about 10% of sales so that it can focus on the bigger brands such as Tide, Pampers, and others. Era, Cheer laundry detergent, Metamucil are some of the smaller brands. Lafley says its not size alone but whether its the preferred brand of shoppers. One such sale was pet food brands for $1 billion. About $8 billion can be generated in this way. At the same time P&G is moving into related brands such as the adult pamper business.
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Protests in Hong Kong Have Roots in China’s ‘Two Systems’

1 Links 4 Groups   
New York Times - 09.29.2014 Original article ›
Michael Forsythe, Michael, Forsythe
LyrArc Article Gist
Forsythe describes the process by which the Chief Executive is elected in Hong Kong from a group of 1200 individuals mostly pro-business and loyal to Beijing. This was done under the Basic Law drafted in 1990, a mini-constitution that was the basis of transfer from Britain to China in 1997. In 2007 China's People's Congress promised Hong Kong a "one man, one vote" election for 2017. On August 31, 2014 changes were made to this planned election process to limit candidates to persons approved by Beijing, that was considered unacceptable by the protestors from civil society and the universities.
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Bank of Russia Chief Defends Ruble Float

3 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 11.19.2014 Original article ›
Andrey Ostroukh, Andrey, Ostroukh
LyrArc Article Gist
After the ruble declines by about 30% in 2014, and a $30 billion failed intervention in October, the Bank of Russia decided to go to a free float of the ruble starting Nov. 10. 2014. Bank of Russia governor, Nabiullina stated it was "impossible to stand against fundamental factors" for a Russia so dependent on oil exports. The oil price dropped below $80 in Nov. 2014. Russia's gold and foreign currency reserves dropped to $421 billion in early Nov. less than enough to cover 6 months of imports. Nabiullina says the ruble has the potential to firm without "additional negative external factors."
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Germany Faces Tricky Quest Countering Russian Propaganda

3 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 01.28.2015 Original article ›
Chase Gummer, Chase, Gummer
LyrArc Article Gist
Germany's news and culture broadcasting service Deutsche Welle for listeners overseas was started in 1953. Its charter is to promote "democratic values," and "free exchange between peoples." It broadcasts in 30 languages and reaches 100 million people. The German government has increased its budget by 9.3% to 294 million euros, with new bureau in Kiev and planned expansion of the English news service. A new multimedia English language service DWNews will be launched in April 2015. The German language service faces uncertainty as it is not part of the expanded service, and Deutsche Welle has seen shrinking budgets for the last 15 years.
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For Some Face-Lift Chains, Future Doesn’t Look Pretty

1 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 03.19.2015 Original article ›
Sara Randazzo And Leslie Josephs, Sara, Randazzo, And, Leslie, Josephs
LyrArc Article Gist
Face-Lift, a cosmetic surgery company founded in 2001 in Troy, Michigan, closed operations in 2015. At its peak it was generating $186 million in revenues. With the shift to minimally invasive ways of enhancing beauty and youthful looks, face-lift business has suffered. Of over 15 million procedures, about 13.9 million are for minimally invasive procedures such as chemical peel, 6.7 million for botox injections, and about 0.1 million for face lifts cosmetic surgery. The business also suffered from heavy advertising costs of $1 million a week, using stars such as Debby Boone, and the low number of 2% in responses.
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ChemChina to Buy Controlling Stake in Pirelli

2 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 03.27.2015 Original article ›
Eric Sylvers, Eric, Sylvers
LyrArc Article Gist
ChemChina, a unit of China National Chemical, plans to acquire Italian tiremaker Pirelli & C. SpA. The intial bid id for a 26% stake in Pirelli owned by Camfin for 1.8 billion euros. The next step is for ChemChina to bid for the rest of Pirelli's stock outstanding at $15 a share. This values Pirelli at about 7.1 billion euros. China National Tire & Rubber Co., the ChemChina unit, gains from the acquisition by acquiring Pirelli's technology to upgrade its products and increase market share in China. Pirelli's CEO Provera will remain CEO and headquarters, R&D, will remain in Milan.
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Entertainment Chief Extends NBC's Range

4 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 03.17.2014 Original article ›
Merissa Marr, Merissa, Marr
LyrArc Article Gist
NBC Entertainment chief, Bob Greenblatt, and the effort to revive the network after years of low ratings. Greenblatt is introducing new series including 2 new dramas in the 2014 season- "Crisis," about a hijacking, and the thriller "Believe." The hit "Blacklist" in fall 2013 helped move NBC up in the ratings for the 19-49 years advertising audience. Compared to cable, Greenblatt says television shows present a bigger challenge with more hours to fill, audiences looking for better storylines, and the need to try new approaches something Greenblatt has done. It still is like hanging onto a moving train, says Greenblatt.
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