Free Republic

n a ribbon-cutting ceremony held at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, officials unveiled the Type 003 warship. The Fujian — which, according to officials cited in state media, would not be battle-ready for five years — is an important milestone in Beijing’s ambitions to develop a “blue water” navy, capable of projecting power far beyond its shores. The carrier has been the focus of intense interest among military observers and rival nations tracking the development of China’s navy. China’s first two carriers include a retrofit of an old Soviet model, the Liaoning, bought from Ukraine in 1998, and the Shandong,...

CVS, the country’s largest drugstore chain, is making the biggest bet on the category in the U.S. yet, by adding a cosmetics line from Stryx, a brand launched last year, to 2,000 stores (about a quarter of its total). The retailer is giving more legitimacy to a small, but growing, group of products that had mainly been sold through high-end stores. With this move, CVS likely has potential customers such as Max Belovol in mind. The 23-year-old grew up wearing dazzling eyeshadows and foundation for figure-skating competitions, but didn’t become truly comfortable with wearing makeup during work until the coronavirus...

The aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk is not up for sale to the Indian Navy as it has already “outstretched” its life, a senior US Navy officer said Wednesday. "The ship was meant to last 48 years. It is in Wilmington (North Carolina) and not for sale. There is no intention to sell it. It has already outstretched its intended service life," Rear Admiral Allen G. Myers, the Director (Warfare Integration) of the US Navy, told IANS. This puts to rest all reports of the decommissioned carrier being offered to India, which, at one stage, expressed interest in the vessel....

"The Journey Continues--Week 2" Posted by Doc Farmer Wednesday, August 20, 2003 As most of you know, I lost my job in Doha, Qatar. It’s been two weeks now, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the many of you who sent me e-mail messages of encouragement. They were greatly appreciated. What’s it like, being unemployed? Most of us have experienced it at least once in our careers, but it’s rare that we really examine it or talk about it. But there are things that I need to really get off my chest. Partly, this is a simple...