Understandably, what with the British economy now in a double-dip recession, there has been much focus on the effect this has had on the country, with particular emphasis on youth unemployment, which has surpassed the symbolic one million mark.

This is clearly a substantial problem for the nation as a whole, but also a personal tragedy for those individuals involved – they may be in the undesirable position of becoming members of a ‘Lost Generation’. However, as is the tendency in our country, the focus is on short term fixes, frequently at the expense of contemplating long term problems, and considering ways to address them now. One such future quandary may be that as difficult as life is for today’s graduates, the situation may be demonstrably worse in 20 years time, and that the ‘Lost Generation of 2030′ may be vaster and more entrenched than its current poor relation.

To understand why, perhaps we should look at two industries where Britain remains a leading global force – banking and law. For companies in these fields, future growth and profit is likely to come from the emerging markets, due to their inexorable rise. As such companies are becoming increasingly global in their outlook and strategy, it comes as no surprise that this is beginning to affect their approach towards recruitment. To be sure, this is no baseless hypothesis – it’s already happening. The composition of graduates in London’s main investment banks is becoming increasingly international, with the recruitment of top foreign students on the up. Also, a greater number of training contracts at the City’s top law firms are being offered to non-UK students.

What this means is that whereas the students of today are largely up against their peers at British universities for graduate jobs and placements replica watches, the competition tomorrow over such opportunities is becoming global, with top students in countries such as India and China eyeing up our economy’s plum jobs. Put simply, there is no divine right that the best jobs in this country be reserved for those born here.

Now replica watches, in several respects, we’ve been down this road before – in 2004, following the European Union’s enlargement, there was a spike in immigration from Eastern European countries to the UK. However, in that instance cheap replica watches, such migrant workers typically filled relatively lowly paid jobs, or met skills shortages, doing jobs which many British workers either didn’t do very well, or didn’t fancy doing at all. For most of the middle class, this situation was a boon – migrant labour filled a skills gap in the economy (think of the proverbial Polish plumber), and provided services they needed, often to a high standard.

In future it will be a different proposition – top foreign workers will be competing against the children of today for the best jobs going. And, what will make it tough for the future British job candidate is that their foreign peers may have several comparative advantages over them – chances are they will be linguistically superior, being fluently bilingual in at least English and their mother tongue. There is also the stereotype, however unfair or inaccurate, that British workers are not as hardworking or as hungry as those from the developing world. Add into the mix that workers from these countries are more likely to be au fait with local customs (and therefore probably better at forming relationships with future clients in these areas), and it’s not difficult to see why employers will be chomping at the bit to recruit the top students from the world’s emerging leading economies.

Also, just so no one is mistaken, this not intended to be a pessimistic prediction – rather it is optimistic, in that it anticipates that the UK will still be a country where some of the world’s most talented people will want to come to work and live. It also assumes that London remains Europe’s predominant and pre-eminent economic and financial hotspot.

So, what can be done? Well, for starters, there should be much greater focus on languages at schools, with all British students leaving secondary school at least proficient in one foreign language. Secondly, it should be continually emphasised to children being brought up now that their world will be a more globalised and international place than anything experienced by previous generations. Their future success will depend on their ability to adjust to this, and to exploit their inherent abilities. If not, then many of tomorrow’s youth will not be in a fortuitous position, and will swell the ranks of the Lost Generation of 2030.

More Americans are enrolled in graduate school than ever before. But this encouraging trend is tempered by the reality that we aren’t prepared as a nation to tap the knowledge and talent of all those who are enrolling.

Economists project that some 2.6 million replacement jobs between 2010 and 2020 will require education levels beyond a bachelor’s degree — an increase of 22 percent for master’s degrees and nearly that much for doctoral, law and medical degrees.

Yet too many students who start master’s and doctoral degree programs do not graduate. Worse, even those who do finish often have little direction on the types of careers they can pursue — and that the nation needs them to find.

Case in point: North Carolina.

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., revealed at a policy forum on April 19 on Capitol Hill that high-tech companies in her home state — which has an unemployment rate of nearly 10 percent — have reported an inability to fill job openings because they can’t find enough highly skilled workers with advanced degrees. And this is in Raleigh-Durham, one of the more educated and fast-growing metropolitan areas of the country.

That’s why our two nonprofit organizations, the Council of Graduate Schools and the Educational Testing Service, convened a top-notch commission of graduate school deans, business executives, nonprofit leaders and others two years ago to recommend important changes for graduate education.

Already, The Path Forward report (2010) has shone a spotlight on this issue, and graduate schools around the country now track completion and implement a host of reforms designed to increase student success. These new graduates are leading the way in scientific discovery, technological innovation and as leaders in other fields.

On April 19, a second commission chaired by Patrick Osmer, vice provost for graduate studies and dean of the Graduate School at The Ohio State University, released a new important national report: Pathways Through Graduate School and Into Careers. It urges graduate schools to reach out well beyond the borders of campuses and into corporations Tattoo Inks, government and the nonprofit sectors to facilitate and illuminate careers that graduates follow.

About 200 members of Congress, congressional advisers and leaders in higher education and business gathered on Capitol Hill to hear the Commission discuss its recommendations.

U.S. Rep. Richard Hanna, R-N.Y., told the audience: “The people you are producing are the future of the middle class.” (Yes, with Sen. Hagan, both sides of the aisle agree on this priority.)

To address these leaders’ concerns, the Commission made many recommendations, based on data culled from those who take the GRE test. Among them:

Universities can build stronger relationships with K-12 schools, community colleges and four-year institutions to encourage more students to pursue college and graduate degrees. Students need much better career counseling to lead them to the growing array of careers available for advanced-degree holders.

Institutions also need to collect and analyze better data on career outcomes and job placement for students who complete advanced degrees, connect students with graduate alumni and broaden the focus of graduate school to include professional skills most workplaces now demand.

Employers need to enhance and expand collaborative relationships with graduate programs Tattoo Gun Buy, make strategic investments in graduate programs, provide more workplace opportunities for graduate students and faculty and better support employees to pursue graduate studies.

Policymakers should direct federal government agencies to start a Professional Plus program for graduate students on research assistantships. The government also needs to increase support for graduate education, including the COMPETES doctoral traineeship program Tattoo Kits For Sale, which would secure funding for universities to support doctoral students in key areas of national need.

The president should create an advisory commission of business and graduate education leaders to support workforce priorities and new career paths in key areas of national priorities.

This critical conversation on the future of graduate education and how to bolster its links to our economy and national needs could not come at a better time.

To stay competitive globally, we need to out-innovate, out-create and out-think the rest of the world. Our graduate schools are where high-potential people join with talented faculty to accomplish precisely these things.

The U.S. is a nation with a range of impressive, varying talents, but we must find a way to continue tapping these talents if we hope to remain an international leader. Strengthening graduate education by closing the gap between advanced degree programs is a clear pathway to economic and social prosperity for our nation.

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Here’s some amazing work from maker Blair Kelly:

Arduino Wifly Mini is a remotely operated vehicle that communicates over a WiFi network, can be controlled with an XBOX 360 or PS3 controller Tattoo Kits Supplies, or G27 steering wheel, or any other controller that can be manipulated with Processing’s ProControll library, and features force-feedback and a first-person view. Presently only the G27 wheel and a Logitech F510 controller rumble properly with force-feedback.

My favorite part is that the point-of-view camera inside the car can be set to pan in the direction that you’re steering so that you can see where you’re going. I also love that he implemented force feedback to the controller triggered from sensors on the car. If you’d like to know how he did it all, boy are you in luck. Blair documented this project in incredible detail. Nice work Tattoo Ink!

DUBAI Buy Herve Leger v neck, Apr. 30, 2012 (Reuters) — Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has offered to release a kidnapped Briton if Britain frees radical Jordanian preacher Abu Qatada, but it warned against handing the cleric over to his native Jordan, a statement on an Islamist website said on Monday. Jordanian preacher Abu Qatada is driven from a Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) hearing in central London April 17, 2012. Britain said on Tuesday it had re-arrested a radical cleric once described as Osama bin Laden’s “right-hand man in Europe” and would resume plans to deport him to Jordan, where he has been convicted in his absence of involvement in terrorist plots. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

“The initiative to the British government is to release its citizen Stephen Malcolm, who also has South African nationality, if it deports Abu Qatada to one of the ‘Arab Spring’ countries Buy DKNY Clothing,” said the statement, which could not be verified.

“If Britain ignores this offer it will bear the consequences of handing Abu Qatada to the Jordanian government.”

(Writing by Andrew Hammond; Editing by Paul Simao)

Sarah Palin and Katie Couric

Sarah Palin likes to talk about how she’s not part of the Washington media elite. It shows.

In her first interview, with ABC’s Charlie Gibson, she blanked when asked about the Bush doctrine (and her unfamiliarity seemed to be with the phrase itself, not its meaning). Her sit-down with Fox’s Sean Hannity was convincingly compared to an infomercial. And in her latest face-to-face, with Katie Couric of CBS, she looked like a high-schooler trying to B.S. her way through a book report.

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None of the interviews has been a total disaster. It’s more like a constant low hum of mediocrity. But now that she’s been on TV a few times, there’s enough source material to see what she’s doing well—and what she could do better. We asked a few professional media trainers—people who get paid to coach TV  guests—to analyze Palin’s performances and offer a few tips. (The trainers work mostly with corporate clients but have also worked with politicians, whom they declined to name. “I don’t train and tell,” said one.)

Give details. When Couric asked Palin if she’d considered freezing home foreclosures as part of the bailout Tattoo Supplies, Palin pulled back the scope: “It’s going to be a multifaceted solution that has to be found here.” She tends to favor “all of the above” solutions that “keep all options on the table.” Great, but anyone can say that. “The two best words you can say in interviews are for example,” says media trainer Kathy Kerchner, an Arizona-based consultant who advises corporate and government officials. The most awkward moment of the CBS interview came when Couric asked for an example of McCain pushing for government regulation. Acceptable answers would have included lobbying reform, campaign-finance reform, or immigration reform. Instead, Palin said she’d get back to her. So maybe the prerequisite piece of advice here would be “Know details.”

Don’t repeat yourself so much. In the Couric interview, Palin mentioned “shoring up” the economy at least five times, “crisis mode” at least three times, and twice how the financial meltdown makes her “ill.” The first time you hear a phrase, it sounds original. The 10th  time, it sounds painfully rehearsed. Media trainer Carmie McCook, director of a D.C.-based firm that has advised UPS and Pfizer, tells clients to shake it up: “Here’s your key message—now think of three ways to say it.” And that doesn’t mean changing your tone of voice. When Couric asked about McCain aide Rick Davis’ connection to Fannie Mae, Palin said Davis “recused himself from the dealings in that firm.” When Couric repeated herself, so did Palin, only this time she emphasized different syllables: “He recused himself from the dealings.” Some media trainers encourage candidates to repeat themselves. (Advertisers used to say you need to hear something seven times before you remember it and 12 times before you act on it.) But too much and it sounds like cant.

Don’t repeat yourself so much. See above.

Tell stories. Even if you don’t have a perfect answer to the question, you can at least tell a good story. Mike Huckabee is the gold standard of “Oh, that reminds me” yarns. McCain himself is also a master spinner. If you can credibly launch into a great tale, however tangential, it pulls the interview back onto your own turf. Plus, it buys you time in case the interviewer asks a follow-up. So when Gibson asked her what she thought of the Bush doctrine, Palin could have said, “Well, Charlie, I was just discussing doctrine the other day with my preacher, who told me a great story about …” You get the idea.

No more “I’ll get back to you.” Voters like it when politicians are honest, even if it means momentary embarrassment. But you can say, “In what respect, Charlie?” only so many times. Next time she doesn’t understand a question, Palin should try to answer to the best of her abilities, says Mike Bako of Media Training Worldwide, whose clients include Bank of America, UCLA, and the Osmond family. Because now is when the “3 a.m. phone call” analogies begin. “In a leadership setting, getting back to you isn’t enough,” Bako says.

Catchphrases are overrated. The campaign message may be that John McCain is a maverick. You may think John McCain is a maverick. And John McCain may in fact be a maverick. But when Couric points out that for 26 years, McCain “has almost always sided with less regulation,” you do not say, “He’s also known as the maverick, though.” It sounds like a fall-back sound bite, says Kerchner. Plus, it cheapens the phrase, which in other contexts might be meaningful. Likewise, when invited to describe why you’re ready to be vice president—or, potentially, president—don’t just keep saying, “I’m ready.”

Relax. Media trainers think Palin needs to chill out. “She’s trying a little too hard to sound strong,” says McCook. Visually, she’s perfect, says Kerchner. She nails posture, eye contact, and tone of voice. But it’s the verbal aspect—what Palin might call her “verbage”—that needs work. Sentences that aren’t just declarative but overly decisive—”We must not blink, Charlie”—sound almost Bush-like. And some phrases, good on paper Tattoo Supplies, come out sounding stilted in person. “She’s been a little too coached,” McCook says. “You gotta make it your own.”

Don’t be afraid to disagree with McCain. Palin’s best moment with Charlie Gibson was when she told him that she and McCain simply disagree on drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Reserve, says Aileen Pincus of the Pincus Group, which advises AOL, Microsoft, and the Washington Post. (Slate is owned by the Washington Post Co.) “That was the one moment where I thought we saw just a glimpse of Sarah Palin,” says Pincus. Disagreeing occasionally works because it shows you’re thinking for yourself, not just repeating stock campaign phrases.

The No. 1 piece of advice for interviewees, as with all things, was, practice. But aside from her friendly chat with Hannity, Palin hasn’t been able to warm up. And giving fewer interviews all but guarantees that each one will get analyzed down to the molecular level. “They’re doing a tremendous disservice by not putting her out there,” says McCook.

This advice doesn’t just apply to interviews. It’s even more important for the vice-presidential debate, where dancing around questions is more difficult than usual. If the moderators don’t challenge you, your opponent will.

Now celebrating its 20th anniversary Replica Marc Jacobs Dresses, the Mazda MX-5 (or Miata) has shown remarkable resilience to the bloating trends of age. While other automakers tend to make new cars bigger and fatter with each successive generation Herve Leger v neck sale, notwithstanding the optional retractable hardtop version, the Mazda roadster has remained relatively compact and light on its feet. But while the MX-5 Superlight concept due to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show takes the current Miata into ever lighter territory Replica Chloe Dresses, reports suggest that the next-generation model could prove even lighter.

With a compact four-cylinder engine and lightweight chassis Discount Hale Bob Dresses, the replacement for the current MX-5 is reportedly being prepared for its debut in 2012. What this would mean Discount Herve Leger gown, however Discount Christian Audigier Clothes, for the fate of the reputed MX-2 – a speculated sub-Miata roadster – remains to be seen.

[Source: Auto Motor und Sport]

The New York Timesleads with the announcement by the Israeli and Syrian governments that the two countries are holding indirect peace talks through Turkish mediators. The talks mark the first time the two countries have seriously negotiated since 2000 and seem to be a clear attempt by Israel to isolate Iran. But the prospects of a peace treaty, which could return the Golan Heights to Syria, seem bleak. The Wall Street Journal leads its world-wide newsbox with the agreement reached between Hezbollah and the weak Lebanese government. After five days of negotiations in Qatar, Hezbollah came out the winner because the Shiite militant group gained veto power in the Cabinet of a new government. USA Todayleads with a look at how Iraq is shaping up to become one of the  top buyers of U.S. arms as it goes through a process of modernizing its military equipment. Over the past year, the Iraqi government has committed almost $3 billion for American weapons and equipment.

The Washington Postleads with news that the House overwhelmingly voted to override President Bush’s veto of the $307 billion farm bill. But an embarrassing “legislative glitch” means the second override in Bush’s tenure didn’t really count. A House clerk didn’t include a section of the bill when it was sent to the White House, which Republicans called a “monumental Democrat screw-up.” Now Cheap Christian Audigier Clothes, it turns out that the House overrode a bill that the president never actually vetoed so “Congress is likely to start the whole process again.” The Los Angeles Timesleads with American Airlines announcing that it will start charging most domestic passengers $15 to check their first bag. The new fee takes effect June 15 and comes two weeks after many major airlines started charging $25 to check a second bag. American Airlines also said it will be raising other fees Cheap Chloe Dresses, cutting flights, and laying off workers to “remain viable” as oil prices continue to increase. Other airlines are expected to quickly follow in an industry that analysts say could post a $7.2 billion loss this year.

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Syria and Israel first broached the idea of reigniting peace talks in February 2007, and the latest round of meetings began on Monday in Istanbul, where negotiators from both sides have been speaking through Turkish mediators. The announcement that the two countries are talking was met with skepticism, particularly since the Syrian president had previously said direct negotiations would probably never happen without help from the U.S. government. Many in Israel also sensed a whiff of political maneuvering and quickly said Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was trying to take attention away from an ongoing bribery investigation that could lead to his resignation. Many doubt that the unpopular prime minister has the political capital to go through with the negotiations, which could involve returning the Golan Heights to Syria Buy Emilio Pucci Dresses, a move that the vast majority of Israelis oppose.

In Lebanon, the deal between Hezbollah and the government was reached less than two weeks after the militant group “flashed its military might” (WSJ) when the government threatened to cut a secret communications network. Hezbollah responded by deploying fighters in Beirut and quickly defeated pro-government militias. The fighting killed a total of 67 people, and the Lebanese government said yesterday it had no choice but to accept the deal with Hezbollah if it wanted to avoid civil war in a country that has been mired in political conflict for the past 18 months. Now Hezbollah has reached its goal of having an influential role in the government. The move also strengthens Iran and Syria, Hezbollah’s allies. But the WP emphasizes that the deal “was more a respite than resolution” since no one thinks it will actually bring an end to the current crisis in Lebanon.

The negotiations in Turkey and the deal reached in Qatar clearly marked a blow to the Bush administration and its efforts to isolate Iran and Syria. The NYT says the U.S. government initially opposed the talks between Israel and Syria and only “yielded when it became clear that Israel was determined to go ahead.” And while the Bush administration officially offered tepid support for the deal, many point out that the U.S. government had frequently pushed Lebanon not to make concessions to Hezbollah.

All this adds up to the inescapable conclusion that “[j]ust days after President Bush returned from the Middle East Herve Leger gown sale, the Middle East is moving beyond the Bush administration,” the WP’s Robin Wright poignantly notes in an analysis piece. And it’s not just in those two countries. The United States is notably not a player “across the board” in the Middle East, one analyst said. Experts emphasize this is related to Bush’s “lame duck status,” although it’s also clear that more countries in the region are simply not listening to the United States and are openly making moves that go against the Bush administration’s stated strategy. But the truth is that even as Bush espouses lofty rhetoric about not talking to enemies, his own administration “has shown a sliding definition of just when it is beneficial to talk to whom,” notes the NYT’s Helene Cooper. During Bush’s presidency Buy White Herve leger, the United States has held direct negotiations with Libya, made direct overtures to North Korea, and even does business with the Syrian government. “I’d rather be right than consistent,” a Bush official succinctly explained.

As the price of crude oil broke its fourth record in a row yesterday and reached $133.17 a barrel, the WSJ fronts a look at how the International Energy Agency is preparing to predict that future supply could be much less than they had previously thought. The results won’t be known until November, but the energy watchdog had previously been consistent about predicting that the supply of oil would be able to keep up with demand. Now it’s not so sure, and that doubt could send prices skyrocketing even further. “This is very important, because the IEA is treated as the world’s only serious independent guardian of energy data and forecasts,” one analyst explained.

The WP’s Robert Novak says Sen. John McCain “is not about to disarm” in his campaign against Sen. Barack Obama and notes that for the next few months, “Republicans will explore the mind-set of this young man who is a stranger to most Americans.” Not surprisingly, that means Americans can expect to hear more about Obama’s association with William Ayers, a former leader of the Weather Underground. In a sign of what’s to come, the McCain campaign is preparing to bring in Tim Griffin, “a protégé of Karl Rove Buy BCBG Dresses,” to do opposition research. If Griffin’s name sounds familiar, it’s because he was a key part of the U.S. attorneys controversy and has been tied to vote-caging schemes.

In the NYT’s op-ed page, Nathan Thrall and Jesse Wilkins offer an interesting history lesson about President John F. Kennedy’s meeting with Nikita Khrushchev in 1961. Many urged Kennedy to hold off on the meeting, but the president ignored them and “was pummeled by the Soviet leader” for two days because he “was no match as a sparring partner.” Khrushchev said Kennedy was “too intelligent and too weak” and then proceeded to begin erecting the Berlin Wall and making plans for nuclear missiles in Cuba. Kennedy’s famous quote, “let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate,” has figured prominently in the presidential campaign and has often been invoked by Sen. Barack Obama. But Obama “should heed the lesson that Kennedy learned in his first year in office: sometimes there is good reason to fear to negotiate.”

Click for a hi-res gallery of Porsche production in Finland Buy Marc Jacobs Dresses

Porsche has announced that production of its Boxster and Cayman models is to shift to component supplier Magna Steyr’s facility in Austria beginning in 2012. Last year the contract with Finland’s Valmet to assemble the two associated mid-engined models was extended through 2012, after which the terms will expire and Magna will take over.

Porsche CFO and deputy chairman Holger P. Harter stressed that the decision was not a vote against Valmet – which has to date built over 200 Cheap DKNY Clothing,000 vehicles for Porsche – but rather the result of several elements that Magna brought to the table: firstly Christian Audigier Clothes sale, Magna’s production is scalable so that it will only manufacture what Porsche’s own factory in Zuffenhausen (where the rear-engined 911 series is made) cannot handle. Secondly Buy DKNY Clothing, Magna is able to assume some development responsibilities along with the final assembly. Thirdly Replica DKNY Clothes, Magna’s proposal was more financially attractive (read: cheaper) than Valmet’s. And finally Bandage dresses sale, Magna already supplies various components to Porsche – including convertible roofs and body panels – creating the opportunity for future synergies between Porsche and various Magna subsidiaries.

Click on the thumbnails below to view the Porsche Boxster and Cayman production facility at Valmet in Finland.

Related GalleryPorsche production at Valmet
[Source: Porsche]

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We’ve heard for a while that the next-generation BMW M3 will lose its 4.0-liter V8. In fact, back in July Fake Seiko Watches for sale, AutoExpress claimed that the next M3 would feature three turbochargers. Not so, says Autocar. Instead, the Brits claim that “insiders” tell them that the high-performance 3 Series will feature a twin-turbo inline-six. This mill reportedly will be all-new, and not based off the N54 twin-turbo or the N55 twin-scroll engine.

But while the two British mags disagree about the number of turbos under the M3’s bonnet, the consensus is that power will be increased to 450 horsepower. What’s more Discount Replica Bvlgari Watches, the next M3 mill will boast significantly more torque Fake Panerai Watches for sale, up from 295 pound-feet in the current generation to somewhere in the vicinity of 400 lb-ft.

We don’t know about you, but 450 hp and 400 lb-ft sounds mighty fine to us. We’re trying to table that enthusiasm for now Fake Porsche Design Watches for sale, though, so we’ll keep this information in the rumormill category for now. After all Replica Zenith Watches sale, the next M3 probably won’t hit newsstands until the 2014 model year.

The only thing that could possibly make the Fiat 500 any cutesier than it already is – short of a Hello Kitty sticker job – would be to turn it into a convertible. Castagna tried its hand at just that with the unique Tender Two concept Fake Chronoswiss Watches for sale, but the latest batch of spy shots indicate that Fiat’s own is getting closer to completion.

In fact, reports now indicate that Fiat will offer not one, but two different types of convertible Cinquecentos. The one seen in the spy shots is being dubbed the “Cabrio Coach” and features a retro-style targa top Replica Philip Stein Watches, with a solid frame and a cloth folding roof sliding back in between the bodywork frames. The roof style, not unlike the back end of the bizarre Maybach Landaulet at the complete other end of the spectrum, will offer buyers a rigid frame and unmolested lines for the cloth-roofed retro-mini. A second Replica Montblanc Watches, full convertible version is also expected Oris Replica Watches, while engine options are expected to carry over from the existing model, including the 68hp 1.2-liter eight-valve four Fake Patek Philippe Watches, the 100hp 1.4-liter 16-valve four Replica Sinn Watches, the 74hp 1.3-liter 16-valve turbodiesel and the upcoming 900cc two-cylinder engine. No telling at this point, however, if an open-air Abarth version is also in the mix.

[Source: NextAutos]