Taiwan Trumps China as the Equity Gap Widens

Taiwan’s leaders are proving more adept at boosting stock prices than their counterparts in China, sending the island’s equity valuations to a record premium.

France Seeks Budget Boost from 160% Beer Tax

France aims to quench its fiscal thirst for more revenue with a higher tax on beer production, to help cut the deficit. Bad news for brewers and local bars.

The Results Are in: Is There Life on Mars?

The results are in from the first search for life on Mars, and the answer is: nothing yet. The Curiosity rover has been analyzing sand from a crater, and while there is water and chemicals, there are no complex compounds seen as necessary for life on the planet.