Is iTunes about to go away? Probably. Apple hasn't confirmed the unsupported claim, but it's definitely acting like a company that's about the let the sun set on an 18-year-old brand.
The Facebook and Instagram pages for iTunes have gone through some noticeable changes in recent days, as an ever-watchful Reddit noticed on Saturday (h/t MacRumors). Content has been removed and social footprints have been migrated to other accounts.
On Facebook, the official iTunes page is now an empty shell of its former self, with no posts or other content of any kind. A cached version of the page shows that as of May 31, there were still posts, photos, and videos, as well as almost 30 million likes and followers. Read more...
Many people in the UK believe Donald Trump is baby, so in honor of his upcoming state visit Londoners are bringing back the beloved Trump Baby Blimp.
When Trump visited the UK back in July 2018, a man named Leo Murray first flew the giant, helium-filled 19.7-foot tall blimp of a baby Donald Trump wearing a diaper and holding a cell phone in his hand. The action was allowed after 10,000 people backed a petition that asked London's mayor Sadiq Khan to permit the blimp to take flight.
Now, in June 2019, the "Together Against Trump" group is inflating the blimp again and has several protests against the president planned, including gathering outside Buckingham Palace during the State Banquet on Monday, showing up on Downing Street when he meets Theresa May on Tuesday, and following him to Portsmouth on Wednesday. Read more...
Every day of Pride Month, Mashable will be sharing illuminating conversations with members of the LGBTQ community who are making history right now.
Ryan Karnoski is a 24-year-old married social worker from Seattle who dreams of joining the military. His grandfathers and cousins have served, and he hopes to be part of that family legacy. Karnoski also happens to be transgender.
Just a few years ago, during the Obama administration, Karnoski could've served openly as a transgender man. But when President Trump unexpectedlytweeted in July 2017 that the government would no longer "accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military," Karnoski felt compelled to take a stand. If his last name sounds familiar, it's probably because you've heard it in the context of a court case: Karnoski v. Trump. Read more...
With mountains of product leaks and an underwhelming amount of innovation, the moments of sincere, unmanufactured awe that Apple events used to be known for are few and far between these days. But at Apple's 2018 event, when COO Jeff Williams unveiled the Apple Watch Series 4's ability to take an honest-to-God Electrocardiogram (ECG) — a feat unconquered by any other consumer tech company — it felt like a true breakthrough.
Thes health features are a crown jewel priority for Apple; Tim Cook has even gone on the record several times with the or several months. And, with emotionally compelling advertising campaigns, Apple has been touting the ability of these features to save lives. At Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) on Monday, the company will likely unveil a new Watch OS that offers even more health features. Read more...
We love a good TV deal here, so it’s always exciting when we find a really great one.
If you’re a fan of smart TVs, check this out: The LG OLED C8 series 4K HDTV is on sale in two sizes. Save $1,100 on the 55-inch and $1,400 on the 65-inch when you purchase from the PCMag Shop.
This TV has some amazing aesthetics and great output quality. It has a sleek design that complements any room, and the OLED display produces perfect black and intense colors for the best visuals.
The C8 series TVs are built with LG’s most powerful processor to give you true-to-life images with rich colors, sharpness, and depth for the ultimate viewing experience. Read more...
Love them or hate them, presentations are a necessary evil. No matter what field you're in these days, you can't expect to succeed if you're not willing to explain a bunch of slides in front of complete strangers.
Whether you're convincing investors to bet their money on your idea or making the case as to why The Last Watch had a better ending than the actual Game of Thrones finale, your presentation must be compelling enough to get your audience to take action.
Granted, it's not easy to put together a striking slideshow that woos people. But the ShapeSlide 40-in-1 Presentation Bundle can at least help in giving you a blueprint for presentation designs that pop. Plus, you can get it on sale for just $15. Read more...
Despite the proliferation of task management apps, the analog method of jotting down your goals is proven to help you remember. And while there is no shortage of options for journals and planners meant to help you self-actualize — it's kind of a trend — there is one that's on sale right now.
The Perfect Notebook, which just dropped down to $29.99 in the Mashable Shop, is a customizable journal that doubles as a task manager, plus it helps you set and achieve your goals and maintain a work-life balance.
The Perfect Notebook employs a four-step system to boost your efficiency: Plan, Act, Monitor, and Reflect. There's a dedicated section for each step — Plan is for listing your goals, Act is for breaking them down into smaller tasks and completing them, Monitor is for keeping tabs of your progress, and Reflect is for taking stock of your performance and devising ways of how you can improve in the next cycle. Read more...
There's nothing worse than a dead or dying battery when you're miles away from the nearest power outlet. (Well, almost nothing.)
At best, it's a minor inconvenience, but at worst, a zapped battery can put you in danger. That's where a portable charger or wireless battery pack can come in handy. Lucky for you, the following three models are currently on sale for 25% off:
TYLT's 7x Smart Charger does double duty as both a compact, portable battery pack and a wall charger. Just plug it in for about two and a half hours to get it juiced up, then using its built-in USB-C cable, you can use it to charge just about any Type-C device — even laptops — on the go. Its capacity maxes out at an impressive 13,400 mAh (read: it can fully recharge MacBook all by itself), and it comes with QuickCharge 3.0 technology for speedy charging. Read more...
The online world is a weird and wonderful place. It can also be a dangerous place, if you're not protected. Thankfully, there are a wide range of services out there that can help you to surf, bank, and shop more safely online.
Norton Security has a number of services that protect your digital life by keeping all of your data safe. Norton achieves this by installing smart firewalls to defend your personal information from unauthorised access, updating your devices with the latest features and performance improvements, and guarding against viruses.
Norton is so confident in its defensive capabilities that any subscription to its service includes a 100 percent Virus Protection Promise. This means a Norton expert is available to help keep your devices virus-free or give you a refund if something gets through. Read more...
Yes, yes it is. Google mobile search for different animals on smartphones now brings up the option to view them as augmented reality images that you can place into your surroundings, whether that's your backyard, on the couch next to your brother watching TV, or in the middle of the kitchen.
According to 9to5Google, as of this week, searches for lions, tigers, bears, alpine goats, timberwolves, European hedgehogs, angler fish, emperor penguins, and giant pandas bring up a 3D image within search that can then be "transported" into your reality through an AR filter. Searches in Chrome or the Google app bring up a 3D card on the screen. Read more...
Get an Ektorp armchair, Lack side table, Aina throw pillow, and Solvinden string lights and you're set for your Stranger Things living room design. Throw in some alphabet paint on the wallpaper and you're basically in Hawkins, Indiana.
The Swedish furniture superstore IKEA scoured its vast inventory to re-create sets from three iconic TV shows: Friends, The Simpsons, and Stranger Things. As part of its Real Life series you decorate a room to look like the TV version or pick and choose items like a Majalisa colorful pillow that would definitely be on the couch in Monica Geller's apartment from Friends. Read more...
On Saturday, Taylor Swift posted an image of a letter to her 118 million follower Instagram account asking a veteran Tennessee lawmaker, Republican Senator Lamar Alexander, to help pass the Equality Act. The bill, which passed through the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives in May, outlaws discrimination against LGBTQ people in public places like schools, work, and housing.
The Republican-controlled Senate can now take up a vote. But there's no vote scheduled, and it's unknown if the Senate will decide to vote at all.
"I’ve decided to kick off Pride Month by writing a letter to one of my senators to explain how strongly I feel that the Equality Act should be passed," Swift commented. "I urge you to write to your senators too. I’ll be looking for your letters by searching the hashtag #lettertomysenator." Read more...
To encourage ride-sharing drivers to offer "green" rides, Lyft is offering its drivers in Portland, Oregon free electric vehicle charging.
Starting in July, drivers who use plug-in hybrid or all-electric vehicles on the Lyft platform can use Portland General Electric charging stations — at no cost. There are currently five stations across the region, each capable of charging six vehicles at a time with four DC fast chargers and two Level 2 chargers.
Normally, pricing starts at $3 for a two-hour Level 2 charging session (those provide a slower charge) and there's a $25 per month unlimited charging option, but Lyft will give drivers free access to the electric juice. Read more...
e-Commerce is the new way to shop, but building the right website to support your customers can be a challenge. This fesh. eCommerce Shop Builder Standard Plan lets you easily create a beautiful, functional online store with 100+ high-quality themes. Get a lifetime of access for 96% off, just $59 today.
Given how seriously people take weddings, how hilariously personal they are and how often they go terribly wrong, it's no surprise that it's become a cardinal rule that if it's wedding-related, it's probably going to get shamed on the internet.
Americans are generally willing to take a hard line if Iran and any of its proxies attack the United States, according to a new poll.
Zogby Analytics found that 64% agree that if attacked, "the U.S. should take military action against Iran."
About one-third said they "strongly agree" with retaliation, said Zogby in the survey provided to Secrets.
The administration has been sending mixed signals on its plans with Iran. President Trump has both rattled a saber and offered negotiations. Iran has received blame for the recent damage to several oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.
Israel says airstrikes targeted military sites in Syria after rockets fired at Golan Heights
Three Syrian soldiers were killed and seven wounded in Israeli strikes, state media said, hours after the Israeli army said two rockets were fired from Syria at Israel.
The Israeli military confirmed that it had struck a number of military targets in Syria in retaliation for the rocket fire. It said planes and helicopters struck a number of targets, including two artillery batteries, a number of observation posts near the borer, and an air defense battery.
Syrian state media said rockets were fired by Israel into the province of Quneitra, which borders Israel. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights meanwhile reported that the strike, which it attributed to Israel, had targeted Iranian and Hezbollah forces.
The income effect and the price effect are both economic concepts that help analysts, economists, and business professionals understand economic trends. Learn the differences between the two and how they can influence financial analysis.
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If you're making a down payment of less than 20% on a home, it's important to understand what private mortgage and other mortgage insurance classes are and how they work.
Marginal propensity to consume and the marginal propensity to save is the portion of each extra dollar of a household's income that is consumed or saved, respectively. Both metrics help determine consumer spending patterns, which can be used to measure the impact of wage and economic growth.
and gambling both involve risk and choice—specifically, the risk of capital with hopes of future profit. But the odds are against gamblers from the start and usually increase over time, while investors can mitigate risk and usually profit in the long-term.
The SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) tracks 500 companies from the S&P 500 index while the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA) tracks 30 of the largest companies in the U.S. Although they share similarities, each ETF is constructed differently.
Think owning stock gives you special shareholder privileges with the company? Find out what owning a stock actually means and what are the three biggest misconceptions about being a shareholder.
A low price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio does not automatically mean a stock is undervalued. Similarly, a high P/E ratio does not necessarily mean it is overvalued.
The cannabis industry has grown in recent months and years, and many companies in the cannabis and health-related industries have been uplisted to reputable U.S. exchanges. Learn about the marijuana stocks on the Nasdaq.
Discover five of the most popular retirement communities in the Sarasota/Bradenton area of Florida and why retirees are choosing that area for retirement.
Answers to 10 frequently asked Social Security questions, including when to file for benefits, how much you'll get, and whether the program is in trouble.
It's been a long, strange trip for pot stocks, and it could get stranger. Here's all you need to know about the marijuana industry and the major players in it.
Roth IRAs are a valuable and flexible savings vehicle for retirement, but investors need to be aware of the five-year rule that applies to withdrawals on earnings.
Normally, there's no fee to roll over a 401(k) account. But ask your broker about the cost of opening a new account. That's where the fees usually occur.
For the first time since 2013, limits for contributions and income thresholds for individual retirement accounts are up. Here are the 2019 figures for all types of IRAs.
Learn about the different fees associated with leading transfer services PayPal, MoneyGram, and Xoom and the types of services that each company provides.
Both deal with funding, but microfinance is an individual-focused, community-based approach to provide money to poor individuals who lack access to mainstream resources; macrofinance aims for economic development at the broader regional or national level.
Learn some of the top business tax tips that may help you make the most of your dollars and avoid tax burdens. If you are self-employed, or own or manage a small business, these tips will help you at tax time.
India adopted a mixed economic system post-independence, and the government remains involved in key industries. Here we take a look at the five largest state-owned publicly traded companies in India by net sales.
The expanding U.S.-China trade conflict has put bearish sentiment on the rise, but several big investors and economists see reasons for continued bullishness.
These are the key markets and charts that are on the move in the week ahead: the British pound, crude oil, 10-year Treasury yield, Nasdaq Composite, and Shanghai Composite.
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Read about how the Federal Reserve actually targets and creates new money in the economy, and find out why the savings and loans system magnifies this process.
Yes, and with a special policy, too—since the thousands the average couple spends on an engagement ring exceeds the limited jewelry coverage provided through most standard insurance policies.
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Agency theory and stakeholder theory are both used to understand and explain various types of relationships and challenges that can occur in business, whether it be among shareholders and management or a company and its suppliers.
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Both credit ratings and credit scores are designed to show potential lenders and creditors a borrower's likelihood of repaying a debt. However, the two use different scales.
Investors speculating on the copper market have a lot of options, but one of the easiest is through ETFs and global forecasts for copper prices are upbeat.
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American and Canadian governments provide many of the same types of services for those in retirement, but the subtle differences between the two countries are worth noting.
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Find out how some indicators help investors predict the likely opening direction of stocks. Also, determine how international markets influence the open.
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Both Priceline and Hotwire travel booking sites are easy to use and getting more similar. Priceline seems to list more options and uses opaque pricing for both hotels and flights. Hotwire's opaque pricing is limited to hotels but is more transparent.
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Learn the best way to place value on a company that reports negative earnings. For some investors, the possibility of stumbling upon small biotech with a potential blockbuster drug, or a junior miner with a giant mineral discovery, makes the risk of investing in companies with negative earnings well worth taking.
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The cost of equity is the percentage return demanded by a company's owners; the cost of capital includes the rate of return demanded by lenders and owners.
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Preferred stocks and corporate bonds are both used by companies to raise capital. Here's a look at the similarities and differences between the two, and which one makes the most sense for your portfolio.
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Learn what risk avoidance and risk reduction are, what the differences between the two are, and some techniques investors can use to mitigate their risk.
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Learn how asset allocation and security selection are important to a long-term investment strategy and their different goals. Which is more important to a successful strategy?
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NEW DELHI: In a radical move, a few months before assembly elections in Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party government is planning to make travelling in buses and Metro free for women. "The government is planning free travel for women in public transport and is going to bear the loss of revenue that Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, Delhi Transport Corporation and the cluster scheme buses would face due to this decision," said a Delhi government official. The official said that state transport minister Kailash Gahlot has held a meeting with senior officials of DMRC and asked them to submit a proposal on how they can facilitate free travel for women and what it would cost. Tech hurdles to free metro ride for womenIt is difficult at this point to exactly calculate the revenue loss this plan would entail as fresh surveys on the number of women commuters and trips would have to carried out," said the official. Confirming this move, Gahlot told TOI that this was "being explored". About 30 lakh passengers travel by Delhi Metro every day and, according to sources, the number of women commuters is slightly higher than 25%. "More commuters use buses in Delhi compared to the Metro but the percentage of women travellers in buses is not more than 20%," said a DTC official. The total number of commuters in buses is estimated to be about 42 lakhs. The concept of free public transport is not unknown in other parts of the world. Luxembourg, for instance, is going to scrap fares for buses, trains and trams from 2020 as an environmental push and will be the first country in the world to do so. Germany is also considering making its public transport free to reduce pollution. Some European cities, such as Estonia's capital Tallinn and Dunkirk in France, already provide free public transport. The Delhi government official said it would not be very difficult to implement the decision in DTC and cluster buses since there are no technical issues involved. "However, providing free travel in Metro would need a technological solution," he said. "At present, Delhi Metro doesn't have any provision that would allow free or concessional passes to any user." DMRC refused to comment on the issue or confirm if any communication had been received from the Delhi government. Sources in the corporation, however, said that it would be difficult to allow free travel to any commuter as there is no such provision. "The Centre has been asking DMRC to allow concession to senior citizens and students for nearly a year but we have been unable to implement it because the present technology doesn't allow that. Keeping the technological challenges in mind, it would not be easy to allow free travel to a section of commuters through our existing Automatic Fare Collection gates," said a DMRC official. "Also, allowing free travel would lead to a spurt in ridership and we are not sure if the system would be able to handle the additional pressure."
* Former top officials say Beijing will not compromise on core sovereignty interests, from the internet to Taiwan
China's national security issues – from Taiwan to the South China Sea and food security – will be at stake as the United States expands the trade war, according to some of Beijing's most experienced US hands.
Beijing has long claimed that national interests were at the heart of its main differences with Washington in the trade talks but it had not specified them publicly.
But at a forum in Beijing on Friday, Zhou Wenchong, China's ambassador to the US from 2005 to 2010, said the biggest problem was whether the US could accept and agree with "the development and flourishing of a socialist China".
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The United States will no longer "tiptoe" around Chinese behaviour in Asia, with stability in the region threatened on issues ranging from the South China Sea to Taiwan, acting U.S. Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Saturday.
Shanahan did not directly name China when making accusations of "actors" destabilising the region, but went on to say the United States would not ignore Chinese behaviour, the latest in the exchange of acerbic remarks between the world's two biggest economies. He added, however, he was keen to foster a military relationship with Beijing.
The US economy is weaker, and China's stronger, than analysts believe
Americans want to believe that their economy is doing well and that China's economy is doing badly, as President Trump keeps saying. One shouldn't blame Trump for this – underestimating competitors is America's national pastime.
A recent embarrassing example was a report by Wells Fargo analyst Roger Read featured on CNBC, claiming that a fall in the growth rate in China's diesel consumption "is most likely tied to economic factors and the effects of the tariff 'war' with the US."
As physicist Wolfgang Pauli once said, this isn't even wrong. The fellow from Wells Fargo failed to observe that China's rail traffic is growing 10%, year-on-year, which is also the rate of expansion of China's rail network. The more China ships by rail, the less dependent it is on diesel trucks.
WNU Editor: I am aware that China's use of diesel has decreased significantly in the past few quarters, and no, it is not because trains are replacing trucks to move goods. The majority of goods in China, like the U.S., are dependent on being transported by trucks. And that is going to continue for the foreseeable future. So no to the statement that China's economy is stronger than what many believe. But I do agree with the above post that the U.S. economy is weaker than what the stats are showing. A credit crunch is going to happen, and like all credit crunches it is going to slow down growth. The question that remains unanswered is .... when will this crunch happen?
Less than 200 kilometers separate Transnistria from the European Union's eastern frontier, on the Romanian border. Yet the tiny sliver of disputed territory might as well be on another planet.
"Do you want to complain about us? To whom? Are you stupid, or are you just acting like it?" the Transnistrian border guard laughs as he and his colleagues watch over a state that does not legally exist.
Transnistria, a narrow stretch of land on the eastern banks of the Dniester River, split from the Republic of Moldova in 1992 after a short military conflict — in which separatists were aided by Russia.
Yet, not even Russia, which still has soldiers stationed in the region and regularly conducts military maneuvers there, recognizes Transnistria as a sovereign state.
WNU Editor: A few years back I passed through Transnistria. And yes, it is one bizarre country that survives on Russian aid, corruption, and smuggling.
A statue of the Soviet dictator in Russia's third-largest city says much about the country today. But it's not necessarily a win for the Kremlin.
NOVOSIBIRSK, Russia—To find Joseph Stalin here in Russia's third-largest city, drive down the main thoroughfare, Red Аvenue, past Lenin Square. At the Ob River, turn left on Bolshevik Street until you reach a two-story wooden building with traditionally carved window trimmings.
There, at the Communist Party's local headquarters on a sunny day in May, the city's mayor unveiled the bust of the "Generalissimo" to the dramatic opening chords of Beethoven's Fifth.
WNU Editor: Stalin is not making a comeback in Russia. I have seen these Russian polls on Stalin. They are written in such a way that even I would agree that Stalin played a pivotal role in Soviet history, and in defeating Germany in the Second World War. But that does not mean that I have a favourable view of that monster. I also know that when the question is asked .... would you want someone like Stalin ruling you. The answer among Russians is an overwhelmingly no.
* Trump's overall approval ratings is 48 per cent in a Harvard-Harris poll * That's his best showing in 2 years and beats the 46.1 per cent he got in 2016 * President's good marks are heavily dependent on strength of U.S. economy * 71% say the economy is strong; 61% approve of Trump's performance on jobs * But just 37 per cent say they will vote for him in 2020, suggesting a tough road
New poll numbers are giving the White House a public boost as Donald Trump weathers a storm of Democrats' demands for his political head.
Largely on the strength of a robust job market, the president is getting positive marks from 48 per cent of registered voters in a Harvard-Harris Poll survey.
That's a two-year high, and better than the 46.1 per cent of votes he won nationwide when he captured the White House in 2016.
WNU Editor: The Harris/Poll is here. This poll over-represents Democrats by 5%. Independent are at 29% (which in my opinion is very high). Bottom line. President Trump's approval rating is probably 5% - 7% more higher than what this poll is indicating. A approval number that is quite remarkable considering the overwhelming negative press that he has been receiving for the past three years.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) arrives for an address by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to a joint meeting of Congress in the House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 3, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff pressed the intelligence community to let him know if Attorney General William Barr declassifies any documents pertaining to the Russia investigation over their objections.
Last week, President Trump delegated Barr "full and complete authority to declassify information" related to the origins of the federal investigation into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. The White House also instructed several agencies to cooperate with Barr's inquiry, including the Central Intelligence Agency, the Defense Department, the State Department, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
WNU Editor: I am still waiting for the evidence that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff says he has that President Trump colluded with the Russians. But this move by him to block the release of the intelligence that was used in justifying the issuing of warrants to spy on the Trump campaign is unfortunate, but also not surprising. The Congressman knows what is coming down. That Democrat officials in the Obama administration green-lighted a surveillance operation on the Trump campaign on the slimmest of evidence (if you want to call it evidence), and they did so for political reasons. This move to block this process by House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff is also going to fail. The Department of Justice has a lot of power and independence, and the Attorney General definitely appears determined to get to the bottom of this story when it became clear to him that he was (and is) getting conflicted information .... Barr has not received 'satisfactory' answers from intelligence community in Russia probe origins review (FOX News). I also see many parallels to Watergate here. The principles in this entire affair are now turning on each other, because they know that subpoenas and grand juries are their future. And like Watergate it took over a year before trials and convictions were meted out to government officials involved. I can see the same thing happening here.
More News On U.S. Democrats Moving To Block The Declassification Of Intelligence Documents That Were Used To Justify Warrants To Spy On The Trump Campaign
Hamas-based terrorist organization Islamic Jihad released a video on Thursday, showing drones attacking Israeli tanks near the Gaza border.
Lebanese news channel Al-Mayadeen, which publicized the video, wrote "Al-Quds Brigades reveal the use of drones to attack Israeli occupation tanks in the last round of Gaza fighting."
WNU Editor: Cannot tell much from the video. But this attack should not surprise anyone. Drones now play an active role in the wars that are currently engulfing the Middle East. It was only a question of time before Israeli armor was targeted in this matter.
More News On Islamic Jihad Releasing A Video Showing Drones Attacking An Israeli Tank
Women who fled heavy fighting in the city of Baghuz sit in trucks taking them to a refugee camp for suspected Isis families in February. Photograph: Achilleas Zavallis/The Guardian
Umm Sayyaf, sentenced to death in Iraq, tells how she exposed fugitive's secrets
The most senior female Islamic State captive has played a central role in the hunt for Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, helping identify safe houses used by the fugitive terrorist leader and in one case pinpointing his location in Mosul, the Guardian can reveal.
The Isis woman, Nisrine Assad Ibrahim, better known by her nom de guerre, Umm Sayyaf, has helped the CIA and Kurdish intelligence officers build a detailed portrait of Baghdadi's movements, hideouts and networks, investigators have disclosed. The claims have been confirmed by Umm Sayyaf in her first interview since being captured in a Delta Force raid in Syria four years ago that killed her husband, the then Isis oil minister.
WNU Editor: She has been sentenced to death for her crimes in Iraq. It is also obvious that she is trying to save her life by getting her story out there. Amal Cloony has gotten involved in this case, and she wants this captive transferred to the U.S. to face justice. IMHO she has already been tried and convicted in Iraq for her brutal crimes. In the U.S. her conviction would be to serve a jail sentence and then be released. I say leave her in Iraq where she belongs.
More News On The ISIS Widow Who Revealed Her Role In Helping The CIA In The Hunt For ISIS Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
New video of Iranian subterranean ballistic missile base reveals some new details/ Note the blast doors, the handling of missiles and warheads, and the shot from ground level during a Qeam ballistic missile. pic.twitter.com/XmMqhNb2hj
* Footage shows a tunnel stuffed with weapons, trucks and parts from a Qiam-1 * Posters of the Supreme Leader and President hang outside the bunker entrance * The scene cuts to soldiers removing metal casing from a large part of a missile * Chaotic footage then shows the missile fired, with the camera engulfed in flames * There are heightened tensions between Iran and the West and Middle East states
Iran has revealed an underground missile bunker packed with bombs in footage broadcast on its state television network as a rousing message to its people.
The clip shows a long tunnel deep under the earth stuffed full of weapons, trucks and parts appearing to belong to the Qiam-1 ballistic missile system.
Outside the grand entrance to the bunker hang huge posters of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani.
Confusion mixed with despair in Afghanistan after former president Hamid Karzai mistakenly declared that the Taliban had announced a new ceasefire in the war-torn country https://t.co/CXEMamhiIP
US President Donald Trump said that he would formally announce his bid for re-election at a June 18 rally in Florida -- a state that was key to his victory in 2016 https://t.co/GmDzQ4a6m3
VOX: The Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the world has ever come to all-out nuclear war, and it all started with a photo. On October 15th, 1962, Dino Brugioni, a senior analyst at the newly-formed National Photographic Interpretation Center, identified missile trailers measuring approximately 65 feet in an aerial reconnaissance photo. Those trailers were a match for the Soviet SS-4, a medium-range ballistic missile with a range that would cover a huge amount of the United States, including Washington, DC. Upon seeing this photo, US President John F. Kennedy ordered more aerial recon flights, conducted by the CIA using the high-altitude U-2 spy plane. He used these photographs to make a plan of action about confronting the Soviet Union over their secretive installation of offensive missiles in Cuba. Read more ....
Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe meet before the start of their meeting in Singapore on the sidelines of the Shangri-La dialogue on May 31, 2019. REUTERS/Idrees Ali
* Wei Fenghe meets US counterpart Patrick Shanahan on sidelines of regional security forum in Singapore, with both sides describing talks as 'constructive' * They also discussed North Korea, reaffirming their commitment to denuclearisation and stability on the Korean peninsula
Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe warned Washington on Friday not to underestimate Beijing's determination over Taiwan, during talks with his US counterpart Patrick Shanahan on the sidelines of a regional security forum in Singapore.
In their first meeting since Shanahan became acting defence secretary in January, the two also discussed North Korea, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to denuclearisation and stability on the Korean peninsula, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Wu Qian said.
WNU Editor: Taiwan is China's red line. That is the message that Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe gave to Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan today.
More News On Today's Meeting Between U.S. And China Defense Ministers
* China published a series of propaganda columns on its largest newspaper * They 'analyzed' why the U.S. would be 'the destined loser' in the trade war * The author said the Trump government was 'being too smart for its own good' * Comes after the same paper used a coded message for war to warn the U.S. * China will impose higher tariffs on 5,410 American products from tomorrow * While Trump has more than doubled tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods
China has claimed itself to be the destined winner of the trade war with the U.S. in a series of nine propaganda columns on the country's largest newspaper.
'America is bound to lose,' wrote People's Daily, the mouthpiece of China's ruling Communist Party.
The serial commentaries were published as the trade war between Beijing and Washington reached a new level - with heated words exchanged between two famous news presenters on air and Chinese threats to curb exports of its natural resources.
WNU Editor: These tariffs are just a drop in the bucket. The US only exports $120 billion per year to China, and it represents only a fraction of one percent of its gross domestic product.
Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador has responded to President Donald Trump in a letter on May 30 after Trump imposed a tariff on Mexico to curb the heavy flow of illegal aliens at the southwest border.
On late May 30, Trump announced that the United States will impose a 5 percent tariff on all goods coming from Mexico from June 10, which will gradually increase "until the illegal immigration problem is remedied."
WNU Editor: The U.S. is a sovereign state and can do what it wants with its border. It is not like President Trump's position on the border is unknown. He has made his position very public for a long time on what he thinks and what he will do. The question that remains unanswered is .... what will Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador now do?
More News On Mexico Responding To President Trump's Threat To Put Tariffs On All Mexican Goods
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attend a news conference, after a meeting in the Black sea resort of Sochi on 14 February, 2019 [File: Reuters/Sergei Chirikov]
Unable to sustain its Syrian campaign, Iran is rapidly losing ground to Russia.
The Syrian regime is suffering from the worst economic crisis since the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in 2011. The acute shortages of fuel, gas and electricity have frustrated even the staunchest loyalists who now publicly express their dissatisfaction against Bashar al-Assad's leadership.
Ironically, this comes as the regime and its backers are claiming "victory" against the rebels in an attempt to improve al-Assad's standing in the regional and international arena and convince the international community to start funding the reconstruction of the war-ravaged country.
* Trump announced tariffs on Mexico of 5 percent beginning on June 10 * Said in tweets that he'd raise them gradually until illegal immigration stops * Dow opened 270 points down on Friday on news of the tariffs and fluctuated * Mexico's President Andrés Manuel López Obrador meanwhile sent his foreign secretary to Washington for emergency discussions * Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley said tariffs are a 'misuse' of Trump's tariff authority, because they're about border security and not trade * Said tariffs would endanger Trump's renegotiated trade deal with Mexico * President insisted in a tweet that tariffs are about all of the above and drugs * White House says Trump want Mexico to break up caravans and keep Central American migrants from crossing over into the United States
The markets opened 270 points down on Friday morning, after President Trump threatened steep tariffs on Mexico.
Trump put his opening bid at 5 percent and said he'd gradually increase them, until Mexico takes a harder line on immigration.
He wants the border country to break up caravans and take Central American migrants into custody before they reach the United States, his press secretary told reporters at the White House after a Fox News appearance.
"I'm going to make the decisions based on the law and the facts and I realize that's in tension with the political climate we live in because people are more interested in getting their way politically." -- AG Barr tells @JanCBS
Attorney General William Barr said he does not think some Obama-era Justice Department officials who oversaw the Russia investigation committed treason.
"Not as a legal matter, no," Barr told CBS News chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford when asked if he believed senior officials in the Obama administration committed treason, an accusation Mr. Trump has repeatedly made.
Pressed on whether he had concerns about the way these officials conducted the investigation into Russian interference in U.S. elections and possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Moscow, the attorney general replied, "Yes."
WNU Editor: Many in the media have brought up the differences between the attorney general and the special counsel on this point .... Mueller, Barr give different explanations for not charging Trump (CBS). And some are even claiming that the Attorney General perjured himself to Congress by lying .... Fox News Reports: William Barr 'Emphatically' Lied To Congress (Crooks and Liars). The problem with this claim is that the Attorney General made his remarks under oath, and in the discussions that he had with the Special Console there were always people in the room (including the Assistant Attorney General Rosenstein) who witnessed and have since collaborated the Attorney General's testimony. On this issue alone it is important that former Special Console Robetr Mueller be brought in to testify under oath, and to receive questions from Congress explaining why he differs with the Attorney General. Making an 8 minute speech and then running out of the room while refusing to take questions is not good enough.
More News On U.S. Attorney General William Barr Response To Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Remarks On Wednesday
BEIJING (Reuters) - China hopes Canada understands the consequences of siding with the United States and doing its bidding, China's foreign ministry said on Friday, after U.S. Vice President Mike Pence called for the release of two Canadians detained in China.
Chinese authorities detained Canadian businessman Michael Spavor and former diplomat Michael Kovrig in December, shortly after Canada arrested China-based Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's Chief Financial Officer, Meng Wanzhou, on a U.S. warrant.
She faces extradition to the United States on charges she conspired to defraud global banks about Huawei's relationship with a company operating in Iran. She and the company have denied the charges and China has called for her release.
Asked about Pence comments that U.S. President Donald Trump would speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping about the detained Canadians at a G20 meeting in Japan in June, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang implied Canada was to blame for its problems in China.
The US-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS) group says it has unintentionally killed more than 1,300 civilians in Iraq and Syria since 2014.
In a statement, the coalition said it had carried out 34,502 strikes since its air campaign against IS began there nearly five years ago.
A UK-based monitoring group says the true toll is much higher, estimating up to nearly 13,000 civilian fatalities.
The US-led action began after IS took over huge areas of territory.
It imposed brutal rule over millions of people who fell under its control and has carried out or inspired deadly attacks around the world.
The latest figure provided by the coalition is slightly higher than its previous admission eight months ago of 1,100 civilian deaths. It says it is still assessing 111 more possible cases of civilian fatalities.
On Thursday over five Russian fighter jets began launching airstrikes over the Idlib Governorate following the collapse of ceasefire talks with Turkey.
According to a military source in northwestern Syria, the ceasefire talks collapsed after Turkey demanded that the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) withdraw from all the areas they captured in northwestern Hama.
The Russian military reportedly rejected Turkey's demands and restarted their aerial campaign over the Idlib province.
In call with Turkish president, Trump agrees to body to find ways to cohabit Ankara's purchase of F-35s and Russian missile system
US President Donald Trump has accepted an offer to form a joint technical study group with Turkey to investigate Washington's concerns over Ankara's purchase of the Russian-made S-400 missile system, Middle East Eye has learned.
According to several Turkish officials, Trump, in a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, overruled the Pentagon and the State Department who had been against the study group.
US officials were concerned that Ankara's purchase of the missile system would put advanced stealth F-35 fighter jets, which Turkey has also ordered, at risk because Moscow could steal sensitive information through the system's radar.
Confident of their assessment on the dangers posed by the missile system, US defence officials had refused to participate in the study group multiple times over the course of the past two months.
In a single phone call, that policy changed.
The White House and the US Defense Department did not return MEE's enquiries on the subject.
WNU Editor: President Trump overruled the State Department and the Pentagon to conduct this study group. Even the Pentagon chief was out of the loop on this decision .... US Defence Chief Unaware of Plan to Create Working Group on S-400s With Turkey (Sputnik). Bottom line. This study group will proceed, but the Turks are not getting any F-35s in the interim.
"We have been consistent in our messaging," Brian Hook, the U.S. Special Representative for Iran and Senior Policy Advisor to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters on May 30. "Iran should show more of an interest in talks than threats and we have seen on an almost daily basis from the Iranian regime that they will not talk with the United States."
This followed Ayatollah Khamenei's comments a day earlier, again dismissing the possibility of talks. "The Islamic Republic of Iran will absolutely not sit for talks with America," the Iranian leader told an audience in Teheran. "First it bears no fruit and second, it is harmful." Iranian state media reported Khamenei saying that "Iran's leverage is not military unlike what the anti-Iran propaganda says, even though that option is not off the table in case of necessity."
WNU Editor: Iran's economy is in a mess, and sanctions are just making a bad situation worse.They have to make cuts, and I guess the military is one place where these cuts are being made. The war in Iraq has also winded down, and the Syrian war is not as intense as it was 2 - 3 years ago. So it makes sense that there will be some cost savings there.
To strengthen your knees for running, you need to work on the muscles all around your knees, including your thighs, calves, and buttocks. Once those muscles are stronger, they give your knees a break! Try doing strength training for your knees 2-3 times a week. You can even do the exercises before or after a run to make it more convenient.[1]
Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Stand up straight with your arms at your sides. Position your toes so they point slightly to the outside instead of straight ahead.[2]
If you need to, you can put your arms in front of you for balance.
This exercise works your thigh and buttocks muscles.
Bend your knees to lower yourself toward the ground. As you lower yourself, keep your chest up. Bring your hips back and put your weight on your heels as you bend down.[3]
Keep your knees behind your toes. Try not to go past a right angle with your knees.[4]
Keep your squat shallow if you have any knee problems, such as patella femoral syndrome.
Push from your heels to return to the starting position. Lift yourself up with your knees and thighs to go back to standing. When you come up, contract your glute muscles.[5]
Try 10 reps and 3 sets.
To make this exercise harder, try jumping squats where you jump as you come up. You can also try a wider stance to make this more difficult. Don't try this if you have problems with your knees.
Turn your back to a wall. Stand about out from the wall with your back to it. Place your feet hip-width apart. Point your toes slightly out to the side instead of directly in front of you.[6]
Some people turn these into wall sits by stepping out from the wall instead. That will make the exercise more difficult but will increase it's strengthening power. Don't try wall sits if you have knee pain or pre-existing problems.
This exercise works your calf, thigh, and buttocks muscles.
Press your back against the wall and slowly bend your knees. Slide your back down the wall so that your knees are bent. Make sure your knees line up vertically above your ankle so your shins are straight.[7]
For a wall sit, aim for a 90-degree angle with your knees. If you have knee pain, then try to bend your knees at a slightly smaller angle. You may need to move your feet in or out slightly to achieve this. Hold it for 30-60 seconds.[8]
Contract your knee and buttocks muscles as you lift back up. Push yourself back up to the starting position. As you do, make sure you tighten the muscles just above your knees and the ones in your back end.[9]
Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor. Keep your knees bent so they're directly over your ankles, and place your feet shoulder-width apart so they're flat on the floor. Place your hands on the ground next to you so your palms face down.[10]
Use a yoga mat or another comfortable pad so you don't hurt your back while you lay on the floor.
Press down on your heels to raise your hips off the ground. Push down against the floor with your heels so your lower body lifts off the floor. Tighten your hamstrings and buttocks so your torso forms a straight line toward your knees.[11]
If you want to make your bridge more difficult, try only using 1 leg to lift your body instead.
Hold the bridge for 20-40 seconds. Maintain the bridge position for at least 20 seconds to work your hamstrings. Keep your body straight and then slowly lower your hips back down to the floor.[12]
Take a large step forward. Start with your legs hip-width apart. Step forward with one leg, going 2-3 times as far as you normally would when taking a step. You're going to need room to bring your back knee down to the ground as you step.[13]
This exercise works the muscles all through your legs and buttocks.
Take a shorter stride if you already have pain in your knees. Make sure you don't feel pain throughout your range of motion.
Bring your back knee almost to the ground. As you step, aim for a 90-degree angle with your front knee. Take your back knee as close to the floor as you can. It should almost touch the floor.[14]
If you can't go very low right now, just do what you can.
Return to the starting position and do the same with the other leg. Bring your back leg up to meet your front leg. Switch legs, and repeat the lunge. You can do this standing in place, or you can move forward as you do your lunges.[15]
Place yourself about away from a wall. You can also stand in front of a piece of exercise equipment or anything else sturdy. Put your feet about shoulder-width apart.[16]
This stretch helps loosen your calf muscles and take pressure off your knee.[17]
Step back with one leg. Hold on to the wall or the furniture in front of you. Put one leg behind you about or so. Keep the knee straight in this leg with your heel against the floor.[18]
Bend the other knee as you lean forward. Move your hips forward and slowly bend your knee. This will start to stretch the calf muscles on your back leg. Make sure to keep that knee straight.[19]
Hold the position to stretch your calf muscle. When you start to feel the calf muscle stretch in the back leg, stay in that position for 30 seconds or so. As you're holding this position, press down into the heel in back.[20]
Move to the other leg. Once you've stretched one leg, switch the positions of your legs. Bring your hips forward enough to stretch the calf muscle in the other leg and hold this position.[21]
Begin with your feet hip-width apart. While standing up, spread your feet apart so they're directly under your hips. Shift the weight to your left foot so you can lunge out with your right foot.[22]
Laterals are a type of lunge. Doing lunges this way will help work the muscles on the side of your knee.
You can also lift your right foot off the ground and balance on one leg before lunging. That will increase the difficulty of the exercise.[23]
Step out to the right as far as you can. You'll need to step and turn slightly to complete this move. As you do, dip your left knee to the ground and reach out to your right toes with your left hand. Keep your chest high. Put your weight on your heels.[24]
Don't push your right knee out in front of your right toes.
Return to the standing position. Press down into your right leg to go back to the original position. Complete the same exercise to the left by stepping out that direction.[25]
Sit in a chair or on a bench. Straighten up your back and place your feet flat on the floor in front of you. Put your knees at a 90-degree angle and place your hands on your hips.[26]
This exercise works the muscles above your knee.
To make this exercise more difficult, use an ankle weight.
Lift one leg out in front of you. Bring it up so it's straight out in front of you. As you do, make sure to tighten the muscles above your knee so you work those muscles. Point your toes up and a little bit to the outside.[27]
Lower and lift your leg while tensing the muscle. Bring your leg back down but don't let it touch the floor. Keep lifting it up and down, making sure to contract the muscles above your knee while you do.[28]
Try 10 reps before moving to the other leg. Do 3 sets this way.
For a different variation, lift your leg and hold it for 15 seconds. Do 3 reps of 15 seconds, making sure to keep your leg tense the whole time.
If you are having pain from runner's knee, over-the-counter anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen or naproxen can help alleviate the pain or swelling.
Apply the RICE method if you feel knee pain, which includes resting it, icing it for 20 minutes at a time, using compression bandages, and elevating it.[29]
Try applying heat with gentle movements to help heal minor injuries.
On Monday, June 3 people across the globe will celebrate World Bicycle Day. This will be the second year when it will be celebrated after the UN General Assembly declared it last year to acknowledge the uniqueness, longevity and the importance of the bicycle which is a simple, affordable, reliable and an environmental friendly mode of transportation. It also aims to promote the use of bicycles as a means of fostering sustainable development, strengthening education, including physical education, for children and young people, promoting health and tolerance, preventing disease, mutual understanding and respect, facilitating social inclusion and a culture of peace. In India too, Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu had flagged off a cycling rally in Connaught Place in Delhi on the occasion of World
Bicycle Day. It was also celebrated by cyclists in many other cities like Bengaluru and Mumbai.
May 16, 2007, Mumbai India. Dabbawallas wind up their day and are driving back home from Churchgate Station. CREDIT: Fawzan Husain for The New York Times
In Mumbai, when you think cycling, the iconic Dabbawalas on their bicycles comes to mind. They, along with the newspaper vendors, milkmen and the food delivery people use bicycles to earn a living. There are urban people using bicycles for commuting because they cannot afford public transportation. The factors in the city like the lack of space for separate lanes, parking facilities, traffic, potholes, etc. have restricted cycling to a leisure activity and not a popular mode of commute to and from office. What's more, many have a negative mindset towards cycling. The number of private vehicles, two and four wheelers, have risen in the city as the spending capacity of people has increased which shows that travelling by bikes and cars is preferred and a cycle is often considered as a low-status symbol by many.
Firoza Suresh, the first bicycle mayor of Mumbai says it is a myth that there is no ridership in the city. We have 'invisible cyclists' who are the 'livelihood cyclists' who we fail to notice. "The white collared people are in a big hurry, they use their cars for travelling a minimal distance of 4 km thinking that it will help them to reach early. They get stuck in the traffic and reach their destination in one hour while a cycle would help them reach in 30 minutes," points out Firoza. There is a definite need of building a ridership in the city, she believes, adding that even the 13 km long bicycle lanes built in the Bandra-Kurla Complex in 2011 cannot be termed as a failure. "This concept was just way ahead of its time and people failed to utilise it back then. Also it was implemented in a hurry as there were no provisions for renting bicycles which would have attracted the corporate employees to try cycling," she says.
The cycling trend in the city is just a decade old. With passing time people have started cycling to maintain their health and for environmental sustainability. Firoza Suresh, who is also the founder of the NGO 'The Smart Commute Foundation', has a vision of making Mumbai the bicycle capital of India by 2030. They have been working with the corporate sector to enable a behavioural change in people's attitude towards accepting cycling as a way of life and with the civic authorities to understand and develop a cycling policy that is inspired by international learning but based on the understanding of the local area and culture.
SCF has announced a 40-day commute challenge, which started on World Earth Day April 22, 2019 up to World Bicycle Day June 3, 2019 splitting across three categories of leisure, commute, and leisure+commute where three winners from each category who cover the highest distance and number of trips during this period will be awarded on World Bicycle Day at an event on Sunday June 2, 2019. In this PAN India movement, the distance covered by the participants will be measured with the help of an app 'Strava'. They have also started a programme called ' Cycle Rider Programme' to provide 1 lakh cycles to the urban poor by the year 2023. It is also looking to built 30 cycle hubs where people can park their bicycles. Two hubs at Goregaon and Worli have started operating. Cycle stands have been built by the state authorities near railway stations like Andheri and Vile Parle to help the citizens park their bicycles.
Ullas Shantaram Muke, President of the Mumbai Dabbawala says there are almost 4,500 to 5,000 dabbawalas in the city who own a bicycle and cover a minimum average distance of 15-20 km every day. Stating the importance bicycles he said, "Without bicycles we would not be able to work. We cannot afford motorbikes because of the petrol cost and the fear of them being stolen. Many of our members cannot drive as they don't know how. A new bicycle is cheaper than a bike and its maintenance is easy."
PTI11_22_2018_000245B
Rishi Shah, co-founded the company Mumbai Riders in 2016 with the purpose of reviving the forgone passion of cycling for Mumbaikars. They organise cycling rides across the city and have organised more than 200 public events along with various corporate events, having hosted more than 6000 riders. They have organised a Midnight cycling event for the public on June 8 to celebrate it combining it with the celebrations of World Environment Day (June 5) as well. Mentioning his concerns he says, "Most of our experiences have been in South Mumbai and Bandra as the other parts of the city aren't conducive to pedalling in large numbers. Infrastructure needs to improve and maintaining the current infrastructure such as the one in BKC needs to be regulated."
Prashant Nanavare is a member of a non-commercial and not-for-profit platform The Cycle Katta devoted exclusively for cyclists. According to him, it's a platform where they bring cyclists together to share their experiences and concerns. He says, "Cycling as an activity shouldn't be forced on someone, everyone should take the responsibility to use bicycles. We shouldn't ask for cycling tracks. First we need to come out on the roads in large numbers to show that we care about cycling and then the authorities will make tracks for us." He also feels that the cyclists must be respected equally as any other vehicle drivers and also not feel ashamed of themselves. The cycling scenario is changing in the city and the country overall. People are investing around Rs.15,000-20,000 on bicycles and there is a shift of culture as well. There is awareness about the environment and pollution which is a good sign.
There are many cycling clubs such as Pedal Power, Buddy Riders, Malad Cycling Club which are working hard to promote cycling in the city. These groups have played an important role in the building of a cycling community and now the community has to play a bigger role to create a more inclusive society dedicated to cycling.
Ahmedabad: 2nd round RTE admission delayed, parents worried Parents have written to the education department seeking announcement of second round of admissions as early as possible.
Soon enough, app to be sought after for originality: Sagar Gokhale Sagar Gokhale, Chief Operations Officer, of Qyuki - a firm that helps young talents said that the app is here to stay.
Stepping stone: Young stars pursue passion on social media, bag offers These people have gone 'viral' on the internet and are followed by thousands across the country.
Shooting for the stars... While experts have criticised TikTok for redone content, many see promise of originality in future. DNA takes you through the journey of youth icons
The black mineral, coal, is the protagonist around which Bhattacharyya has woven an interesting prose narrative interspersed with factual reports," writes Former President of India, Pranab Mukherjee in the Foreword to the book. The book is about the author's journey in Coal India Limited (CIL) from April 1977 till his retirement as Chairman in February 2011, but the reader will not find a glimpse of the personal life of author; book is all about coal and only about coal. And sadly, the author has not touched on the Coal Scam either.
Before taking over as the Chairman of CIL, Partha Sarathi Bhattacharyya was the CMD of Bharat Coking Coal Limited since 2003, a company which facing financial loss since its inception in 1971 and made profit for the first time under Bhattacharyya's leadership between 2005-06. There is a detailed and exciting chapter on the turnaround.
During author's tenure, CIL had resounding success with its IPO in 2010. "The IPO of $3.5 billion, the largest witnessed by the Indian Capital Market, fetched a subscription of Rs 2,33,000 Crore ($54 billion as per the exchange rate) and was oversubscribed more than fifteen times! It broke most records and emerged as one of the top three IPOs of the world that year in terms of the funds committed. It appreciated by 40 percent on the day of listing and over 60 percent in less than in a year's time to make CIL the most valued company in the country for a few days in August 2011."
This book is the first hand account of the transformation of the CIL and is written in the most professional manner and is as enchanting as a romantic novel. The book features some good politicians, some bad politicians, good union leaders and bad union leaders, good bureaucrats and bad bureaucrats, with 'Coal' being the protagonist.
The book also brings to light the constraints under which public sector units have to function and how it not only hampers decision-making, but also delays the decision and the effort a leader has to put to turn the company around. Not many will know that "over 40 percent of the country's commercial energy, more than the aggregate contribution of all oil and gas companies put together, is met by CIL. There is no dependence on any form of government subsidy".
There are management, strategy, innovation, operation, marketing lessons in the book, but most important lesson is about leadership, which one can display at whatever level he or she is operating at. The value of team work has been demonstrated in the book subtly.
Two chapters in the book are devoted to the future of CIL. Only a passionate lover of Coal India could have written them. In the appendix, author has given a short history of coal in India, which makes one understand the whole journey in a holistic way. It is an outstanding book.
