Russia's top space official says their mission to the moon will help verify conspiracy theory11/24/2018
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Russia's top space official says their mission to the moon will help verify conspiracy theory https://ift.tt/2DXQdXy NASA
The head of Russia's Roscosmos space agency has said that a proposed Russian mission to the moon will be tasked with verifying that the American moon landings were real. "We have set this objective to fly and verify whether they've been there or not," said Dmitry Rogozin in a video posted Saturday on Twitter. Rogozin was responding to a question about whether or not NASA actually landed on the moon nearly 50 years ago. He appeared to be joking, as he smirked and shrugged while answering. But conspiracies surrounding NASA's moon missions are common in Russia. The Soviet Union abandoned its lunar program in the mid-1970s after four experimental moon rockets exploded. In 2015, a former spokesman for the Russian Investigative Committee called for an investigation into NASA moon landings. While the conspiracy theory was previously an obscure one, routinely finding support from approximately 10% of respondents in numerous polls in the 20th century, public opinion data has shown that in recent years it has grown in popularity. After Fox television network aired a special on the theory, the network claimed that skepticism increased to 20%, according to The Deseret News. A 2009 poll in Britain found that 25% of people doubted the moon landing. In a Russian poll, 28% of respondents expressed skepticism about the American moon landing. See Also:
SEE ALSO: How the US pulled off the Apollo moon landing Business via Business Insider https://ift.tt/1IpULic November 24, 2018 at 08:24AM
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Tesla generated a crazy amount of news in 2018, but most of it was noise — here's the most important single takeaway from the entire year (TSLA) https://ift.tt/2Sb894i Hollis Johnson/Business Insider
But 2018 set a wild new standard for Tesla-ology. It was actually hard to keep up. Musk alone got into a fight with Wall Street analysts on an earnings call (then apologized), continually attacked short-sellers, tweeted like the Commander in Tweet himself, accused a Thailand rescue diver of pedophilia (then apologized), puffed a blunt with Joe Rogan, dated Grimes, hatched an ill-fated scheme to take Tesla private, and was investigated and charged by the SEC as a result (later settled). Read more: Elon Musk told Tesla employees they should be making 7,000 Model 3s per week by November 28 Musk also didn't sleep much in 2018, and neither did his proponents, critics, nor the battalion of journalists who covered every twitch of his itchy Twitter finger. Through it all, you might have thought Tesla was in the verge of bankruptcy, and although that risk isn't trivial, the company's market capitalization remains larger than Ford's or Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and at around $55 billion is technically higher than General Motors (Tesla's cap jumps around a lot, so it depends on the day). This despite selling fewer cars in a year than GM sells in just the US. If one steps back from all this, however, it's possible to separate a salient signal from a wall of noise. (As well as from valid investigations of Tesla's practices, which should be questioned as if the company were any other automaking enterprise employing tens of thousands of workers.) Tesla sold 100,000 vehicles worldwide in 2017. Buy the time 2018 is in the books, the company should more than double that figure, largely thanks to one car: the Model 3 sedan. The Model 3, mind, you, has endured a difficult birth. Production targets were almost comically missed until the middle of 2018 — serious manufacturing kicked off in late 2017 — and along the way, Tesla had to build an entire ad-hoc assembly line in a tent at its Fremont, CA factory to pick up the pace. Read more: I drove the $58,000 Tesla Model 3 to see if it lives up to the hype — here's the verdict Negging on the Model 3Joe Skipper / Reuters There was a relentless thrum of negative news about the vehicle, echoing for the entire year. But the truth is that the Model 3 is a fantastic machine. The product of possibly needless crisis and struggle, yes. Yet brilliant in spite of its rude initial path into the world. Focus on that, because if Tesla can sustain its current levels of production and demand for the Model 3 doesn't fade, then Tesla could surpass Volkswagen's market share in the US. And if Tesla can add to its lineup of vehicles, mid-market manufacturers, such as Hyundai-Kia, could see their US share challenged. This dynamic relies on consumers deciding to buy an electric vehicle over a gas one. At the moment, despite what Tesla boosters are saying, anyone buying a Tesla is doing so ... because it's a Tesla! They want in on the brand, at a cheaper level than the $100,000 average the company has been charging for its more luxurious vehicles. An onslaught of Model 3sHollis Johnson/Business Insider But more Teslas on the roads, and the eventual arrival of cheaper Teslas, could establish a virtuous sales cycle. (Caution for the optimists: If the US market enters a sales downturn after years of records, Tesla's progress could stall.) Tesla's financials remain sort of precarious, as the company's balance sheet is laden with debt and cash is short. But revenues have been surging in recent quarters, and if the Model 3 keeps selling, that trend could blast higher, solving Tesla's cash needs. Given this, the Model 3 has become impossible to argue with. It's a fact. People seem to love it. It might not be perfect, but few cars are, and in any case, Tesla has a ten-year plan for the vehicle and a long road of improvements ahead. If you simplify Tesla's business and concentrate on its most important aspect, the Model 3 can't be avoided. The worst is likely over, and the best it yet to come. And Tesla could ride the Model 3 to becoming not just the dominant electric carmaker, but a force to be reckoned with in the global auto industry. NOW WATCH: What would happen if Elon Musk left Tesla See Also:
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Facebook won't say if it will sever ties with Elliot Schrage, the outgoing top exec who took responsibility for linking critics to George Soros (FB) https://ift.tt/2Bv2oIU Reuters
Elliot Schrage, Facebook's outgoing vice president of communications and public policy, has endured a turbulent end to his decade-long tenure at the social network. Part of Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg's inner circle, his team has been at the frontline of a chain of scandals, shaping the Facebook's response to crises including the Cambridge Analytica data breach and use of the platform for election meddling. But as well as dealing with the company's dirty laundry, Schrage has himself become personally embroiled in two issues in recent months that have generated headlines for the wrong reasons. Just this week, Schrage wrote an extraordinary memo to staff, shouldering responsibility for hiring Definers Public Affairs, the PR firm that slung mud at Facebook's rivals, going so far as to link critics to liberal billionaire George Soros — a move that has struck some as playing into an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory. It was a stunning mea culpa, in which Schrage said there had been a systematic failure within his own team. "I built a management system that relies on the teams to escalate issues if they are uncomfortable about any project, the value it will provide or the risks that it creates," he said. "That system failed here and I’m sorry I let you all down." Just five months earlier, Schrage was saying sorry for a different reason. He apologized to an investor who accused him of sexism after a confrontation at Facebook's annual shareholder meeting. Natasha Lamb, a managing partner at Arjuna Capital, said Schrage dismissed her and said she was "not nice" after she raised concerns about Facebook's gender pay gap. He later sent Lamb an email apologising for his "poor choice of words." Will Facebook cut ties with the PR man who became the story?A day before that email leaked to Business Insider, Schrage announced that he was leaving Facebook. He said he would stick around long enough to recruit his successor. That job has now gone to Nick Clegg, the former deputy prime minister of the UK, who has begun work at Facebook's Brock Street offices in London before he moves to Silicon Valley early next year. But both Schrage and Facebook have said that Schrage will remain tied to the company as an adviser. "Mark and Sheryl have asked me to stay to manage the transition and then to stay on as an advisor to help on particular projects — and I'm happy to help," as he said in a Facebook post. Business Insider has asked Facebook four times this week if it will retain Schrage's services as an adviser even after he came forward to take responsibility for the Definers affair. The company has not answered our question. Business Insider has also contacted Schrage for comment. For now, Schrage's LinkedIn says he still works at Facebook and in his memo this week, he was billed as Facebook's "outgoing head of communications." It remains to be seen if Facebook will totally sever ties with the PR man who became the story. See Also:
Business via Business Insider https://ift.tt/1IpULic November 24, 2018 at 07:54AM
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The 14 biggest product flops in Google history (GOOGL, GOOG) https://ift.tt/2AmgmLp Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
No company has a perfect track record when it comes to product launches. But when a company takes as many swings at new ideas as Google, there are bound to be some epic fails along the way. It seems that for every product as successful as Google Docs, there's a flop as bad as Google Buzz. Some of these flops lingered for years. Some for months. One lasted for a single day. Here are the 14 biggest product flops in Google history: 14. Google OffersLifespan: 2011 – 2014 What it did: Google Offers launched during the daily-deals heyday of Groupon and Living Social. As the trend died down, so too did Google Offers. 13. Google Web AcceleratorLifespan: 2005 – 2008 What it did: Google Web Accelerator was meant to help users browse faster by speeding up page load times. The product, however, was riddled with bugs, including YouTube videos not being able to load. The company stopped supporting Accelerator in 2008. 12. Google VideoLifespan: 2005 - 2009 What it did: With YouTube building in momentum around 2005, Google decided to launch its own free video hosting platform — Google Video. About a year later, as Google Video failed to gain traction, the search giant simply bought YouTube for $1.65 billion. As of May 2018, YouTube had over 1.8 billion active users per month. See the rest of the story at Business Insider See Also:
Business via Business Insider https://ift.tt/1IpULic November 24, 2018 at 07:24AM
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If you have an iPhone 6S or older, it's officially time to upgrade to a new phone (AAPL) https://ift.tt/2QgulMP Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Anyone who owns an iPhone 6S or older, it's time: you probably need to buy a new phone. It's not an emergency, of course. It can wait until the end of your phone contract, or the holidays, or whenever you get a nice little bonus at work. But when the time comes, don't put it off. That's because in 2018, the new phones are finally a big enough upgrade from the old device that you'll feel a noticeable difference in your quality of life. So if you have an iPhone 5, 5S, 6, or 6S — or even if you're holding on to a practically ancient iPhone 4 or 4S — here are the 5 reasons why you should upgrade to a new iPhone. 1. The battery lifeAPIf you have an iPhone that's a few years old, I don't need to tell you how terrible your battery life is. I use an iPhone 6S, and at this point, it's hard to get to 5 PM on a single charge — I almost always recharge my phone in the middle of the day. And a few weekends ago when it got really chilly outside, my phone started doing that fun thing where it shuts itself off, even with 30% battery left, because the outside temperature is too low. I've only had my phone for not-quite-two-years, so I can't imagine how grim the battery life is for anyone with an older phone. When you look at the battery life on any of the three new iPhones Apple unveiled this fall, it feels almost luxurious:
2. The cameraSteve Kovach/Business InsiderEven last year, there was almost no major, noticeable difference between the camera on the 3-year-old iPhone 6S and the one on the new iPhone 8. But this year, the cameras on the new phones are miles ahead of the cameras on older devices. Here's a photo of the same place, shot almost side by side. The image on the left was taken with my iPhone 6S, while the image on the right was taken with the new iPhone XR: Steve Kovach/Business Insider Pretty big difference, right? That's because Apple has added a bunch of upgrades to its recent iPhones, including better low-light performance and a new feature called Smart HDR, which automatically blends together the best parts of separate exposures into one photo. 3. The performanceBusiness InsiderIf you're using a 3-year-old — or 4-year-old, or 5-year-old — iPhone, that means you're also using a years-old chip. Say you're using the iPhone 6S, like I am. Your device has the A9 chip, which at the time, was top-of-the-line. But these days, Apple's new phones come with an A12 Bionic chip, which Apple promises will give the devices speed and fluidity, the ability to experience augmented reality, and nice-to-have features like depth control when you're using portrait mode (if you use an older iPhone, your device doesn't even have portrait mode). What this means in your day-to-day life is that your phone doesn't open apps as quickly as it should, it doesn't switch between pages very fluidly, it's slow to do things like delete emails or send a picture to someone, and it just all around makes your day a little bit slower. A new phone like the iPhone XS or the iPhone XR would solve some of those issues. See the rest of the story at Business Insider See Also:
SEE ALSO: The iPhone XS Max is an absolutely gorgeous phone, but it proves that bigger isn't always better Business via Business Insider https://ift.tt/1IpULic November 24, 2018 at 06:54AM
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Beat Saber developer planning 30 more songs for DLC https://ift.tt/2BtBYHA Still enjoying Beat Saber on your Rift, Vive, or now on PSVR? Well that’s good, because there’s plenty of new content on the way. During a livestream celebrating this week’s launch of the PSVR version of the VR hit (which you can see below), Beat Games talked about its plans for adding new songs. The team said it’s already planning to add 30 news songs across three upcoming DLC packs (10 tracks a pack). The developer said each of these packs should cost around $9.99 and will hopefully arrive “soon”. The first pack is apparently locked in and the second is nearing completion. VIDEO “And this is not just regular songs,” said Beat Games CEO Jaroslav Beck. “I think you will be really excited for these coming because the quality is really the best part for us so I’m trying to get really interesting music.” He assured that these new packs won’t just include songs from “major labels” but also more independent creators. “So basically the whole thing with the music is that it will evolve. Like the whole game, it will evolve pretty rapidly,” said Beck. He talked about the struggles the team had faced getting new music into the game thus far, including scrapping plans for Spotify support which that found out was legally “not possible”. “We are trying to search for options on how to make more tracks and more songs,” Beck added, also noting that packs with certain themes like K-Pop may also tweak the game’s visuals somewhat to better suit the music. As for the Level Editor and Multiplayer modes? They’re still very much on the way, the developer says. Just hold out a little longer, Beat Saber fans. It’s great to see that Beat Saber will be getting more songs. As we said in our review this week, we absolutely adore the game. This story originally appeared on Uploadvr.com. Copyright 2018 Business via VentureBeat https://venturebeat.com November 24, 2018 at 05:56AM
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GOLDMAN SACHS: Hedge funds have plunged into a 'vicious downward cycle' with the most popular stocks, and it's a sign the meltdown is just getting started https://ift.tt/2TDMYt2 Reuters/Jason Lee
Not even hedge funds have been able to escape the ongoing correction in the stock market. The average equity hedge fund is down 4% this year, dragged by sell-offs in the popular technology companies like Apple and Facebook that populate their portfolios, according to Goldman Sachs. Hedge funds managed to shake off the market's 10% correction in February and outperform the S&P 500 in the first half of the year. But the second half has not been so kind to them, as the momentum that lifted stocks on the way up remains elusive. And after examining how they were positioned as of the end of the third quarter, Goldman concluded that the pain is just getting started. "Hedge fund returns, portfolio leverage, and the performance of popular stocks have entered a vicious downward cycle," Goldman's Ben Snider said in a note. "After outperforming in 1H 2018, our Hedge Fund VIP basket of the most popular long positions has lagged the S&P 500 by 725 bp since mid-June (-9% vs -2%) alongside a downturn in growth and momentum stocks and the rise in S&P 500 volatility." A laundry list of worries and a dearth of positive catalysts prompted investors to wipe out the stock market's year-to-date gains just before Thanksgiving. Interest rates are rising, the US-China trade war is raging, earnings growth appears to be peaking, tech giants are threatened by regulation, and pockets of the US economy like housing and business investment are under strain. Hedge funds' response to these concerns has been to turn more defensive, Snider said, further signaling their low conviction that a swift turnaround is on the cards. Funds steadily reduced their net exposure to stocks during the second and third quarter even though the market was rallying to new highs. They're now the least exposed to stocks since the first half of 2017, although Snider noted that's still much higher than levels seen earlier in this cycle. Goldman Sachs As hedge funds sold tech stocks, they rotated to sectors that are considered safe havens in times of turmoil, including utilities and consumer staples. Healthcare makes up 18% of hedge fund net exposure, the largest of any sector relative to the Russell 3000. Goldman Sachs "A number of current hedge fund net sector tilts stand out as extremes relative to the last decade," Snider said. "The utilities overweight is the largest in the recent past, and the 503 bp tilt away from information technology is the largest underweight since 2014. Among the classic cyclical sectors, hedge fund overweights in energy and materials are at or near decade lows, while the industrials overweight is a record high." Snider included the caveat that the hedge-fund data used in his analysis does not include derivatives like futures, swaps, and options, which are used to speculate on the market. Hedge funds are not required to disclose those positions. Amid the rotations revealed in filings, Goldman and other firms are advising investors to consider cash as a defensive asset class in the year 2019 because equity returns could be weak. "Bonds' elevated rate risk and zero-yielding cash allowed stocks to handily win the asset class beauty contest [for much of this cycle]," Savita Subramanian, the head of US equity and quant strategy at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, said in the firm's 2019 outlook. "But cash yields today are higher than the dividend yield for 60% of S&P 500 stocks." Snider also observed, for the first time, that stocks' popularity with hedge funds is a signal of future price movement. The stocks that surge in ownership among hedge funds in a given quarter outperform the market in the following quarter and year, while the most sold stocks underperform. This makes their recent rotation to defensive sectors of the market even more telling of what's to come. NOW WATCH: There's so much CO2 in the atmosphere that planting trees can no longer save us See Also:
Business via Business Insider https://ift.tt/1IpULic November 24, 2018 at 05:30AM
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Denying the heart https://ift.tt/2DHqFgz If you want to annoy someone with back pain, tell them it might be in their head. And if you want a medical practitioner to feel disrespected, you might trying bring up the placebo effect and how it’s often more effective than ‘real’ medicine. Engineers and marketers often get stressed when we talk about emotion and dreams instead of rfps, features and benefits… The thing is, we’re not automatons, computers making Vulcan-like decisions. And that’s okay. It’s better than okay. It permits us to bring heart and soul and magic to our work. Instead of feeling disrespected because you’re seen as working with human emotions, perhaps it’s worth realizing that it’s a rare privilege, one with unlimited leverage and responsibility.
[Tomorrow is the early-decision deadline for the altMBA. Preference is given to those that care enough to commit early. Hope you can join us.] Business via Seth Godin https://seths.blog November 24, 2018 at 04:30AM
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How the battle over fishing rights could scupper Theresa May's Brexit deal https://ift.tt/2Ra85Sh Getty
LONDON — Britain's fishing industry may be relatively small, accounting for less than half a percent of UK GDP, but it has played an outsized role in Brexit negotiations. This is partly because it is such a symbolic industry for an island nation like Britain and partly because it stands to be re-shaped more radically by Brexit than perhaps any other sector. It could also yet be an issue which helps to derail Theresa May's chances of securing a trade deal with the EU in the next few years. Here's why The issue is simple enough. After Brexit, the UK will reclaim sovereign control of its waters, which for decades have been subject to the EU's deeply unpopular Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). British fishermen say the CFP represents a raw deal for their industry. Ever since the policy was implemented, the UK has received a disproportionately small share of Europe's fishing stocks. Its boats get 9% of English Channel cod, even though almost all the catches are made in UK waters. French boats, by comparison, get 84%.and its members overwhelmingly supported Brexit as a means of putting an end to Britain's participation in the policy. Many in the fishing industry hoped that Brexit would see the UK restrict access to foreign vessels and manage its fish stocks independently. But the EU is fiercely opposed to that plan and intends to demand access to British waters for European vessels in return for a free trade deal. Reuters / Peter Nicholls That dispute will need to be resolved before either side can agree on a trade deal. For her part, Theresa May told MPs on Thursday that she had "firmly rejected" EU demands for access to British waters in return for a trade deal, and said the political declaration — a document which outlines the UK and EU's aspirations for their post-Brexit relationship — was a win for fishermen. But moments later, the EU's deputy chief Brexit negotiator Sabine Weyand shot back, tweeting that a fisheries agreement was "in the best interest of both sides," sharing research which suggested Britain needs imports of EU cod for its fish and chips, not mackerel and herring. Only one side can win that dispute. Given the precedent of the last two years, the EU will be confident that the UK will eventually cave in to its demands and agree to some form of cooperative agreement. And it could well be in Britain's interests, too: If the UK closed its waters to EU vessels, the EU could simply respond by slapping tariffs on UK exports of fish. As the UK exports 80% of its fish to European waters, that would be a huge problem. The pressure on Theresa May over the row is set to escalate this weekend. A leaked document due to be agreed at a summit of EU leaders on Sunday will declare that the post-Brexit arrangements over fishing rights will build on the much-hated current arrangements, saying any future agreement must protect the rights of European fishing fleets. Much is at stake: The document goes onto warn that failure by Britain to come to an agreement on the issue could result in the EU refusing to grant the UK an extension of the transition period, which Theresa May is likely to require in order to negotiate an EU trade deal and avoid the unpopular backstop. The government, for its part, insists the UK has no intention of maintaining existing access. But if it is the price of a trade deal, further concessions may well be on the way. NOW WATCH: Lindsey Graham once warned there would be 'holy hell to pay' if Trump fired Jeff Sessions See Also:
SEE ALSO: Dominic Raab says he would rather scrap Brexit than accept Theresa May's deal Business via Business Insider https://ift.tt/1IpULic November 24, 2018 at 03:09AM Spain could to stand in the way of Prime Minister Theresa May and a Brexit deal in Brussels11/23/2018
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Spain could to stand in the way of Prime Minister Theresa May and a Brexit deal in Brussels https://ift.tt/2TF4uwY Reuters
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Spain was standing between Theresa May and a Brexit deal as it threatened to derail an EU summit on Sunday if it does not get new assurances on having a say in the future of Gibraltar. As negotiations among Spanish, British and EU officials wore into Saturday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was ready to thwart his British counterpart May’s hopes of seeing EU leaders sign off on promises of close ties with London after Britain leaves the bloc in March if he did not get his way. Brussels diplomats and representatives of other governments across Europe said they did not believe Madrid would upset the careful choreography of Sunday’s summitry, when May and her 27 EU peers will fly in for a couple of hours in the morning. But they also heard strong words from Spanish ministers that left them unwilling to call Sanchez’s bluff without further talks. On a visit to Cuba, Sanchez said he had yet to receive assurances that any future decisions on Gibraltar would be decided in direct talks between London and Madrid. “The guarantees are still not enough and Spain maintains its veto to Brexit. If there is a deal, then it will be lifted,” he said. “If there is no deal ... the European Council will most likely not take place.” Spain can expect its European allies to swing more clearly behind its 300-year-old claims to sovereignty over “The Rock”, a British naval base on its southern coast that is home to some 30,000 people whose economy faces major questions after Brexit. But demands that extensive treaty documentation recently agreed between Brussels and London be tweaked to give Spain a bigger say over its implementation in regard to Gibraltar face resistance from Britain and EU allies who are wary that the whole edifice of the long-negotiated deal might unravel. "Proud people"Diplomats said there was no doubting the passion behind the Spanish arguments when advisers to the 27 EU leaders met in Brussels on Friday to prepare the summit: “The Spanish are very proud people and this is absolutely important for them,” one participant in the talks told Reuters. “We have to have a solution. I am quite sure we will have one.” Some in Brussels stress that Sanchez is fighting a regional election in Andalusia, the province that abuts Gibraltar, next weekend and may want to play up the issue for home consumption. For him to force the cancellation of the summit, or drag it out beyond the morning, would incur the wrath of his peers. May is due to meet EU chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker on Saturday at 6 p.m. (1700 GMT), and diplomats say that should be the moment they confirm that the Gibraltar issue is settled. May will then meet summit chair Donald Tusk. In Germany, a government spokesman was confident a solution would be found in time for Sunday’s summit. Berlin had earlier said there could be no more technical negotiations at the summit, and that Chancellor Angela Merkel could skip it if all the texts are not ready in advance. The biggest obstacle to the Brexit accord overall is the vehement opposition in the British parliament. Without its approval, Britain could leave the bloc on March 29 without an agreement to mitigate economic and legal disruption. Additional reporting by Sarah Marsh in Havana, Belen Carreno and Julien Toyer in Madrid, Alistair Smout, Elizabeth Piper and William James in London, Thomas Escritt in Berlin, and Padraic Halpin in Dublin; Writing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by James Dalgleish NOW WATCH: Trump once won a lawsuit against the NFL — but the result was an embarrassment See Also:
SEE ALSO: Read Theresa May's Brexit withdrawal deal in full She faces an uphill battle to persuade ministers and backbenchers to support the deal. Business via Business Insider https://ift.tt/1IpULic November 23, 2018 at 10:09PM |
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