Breaking News: China said that the U.S. agreed to restart trade talks and that Washington would not impose new tariffs on Chinese exports.https://t.co/CGJTn0g3Cg
Fresh round of talks between the U.S. and the Taliban to begin in Qatar, just days after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington is hoping for an Afghan peace agreement before Sept. 1. https://t.co/ceCfT1uduH
President Donald Trump says he appreciates Saudi Arabia's purchase of U.S. military equipment, calling Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a 'friend of mine.' More here: https://t.co/7cTwCZ9iew#G20pic.twitter.com/dwDozzyq9s
Venezuelan migrants get on military trucks to get a free ride from the Ecuadorian-Peruvian border service to Tumbes, after processing their documents, on the outskirts of Tumbes, Peru June 15, 2019. Picture taken June 15, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins
BOGOTA (Reuters) - Some 5,000 Venezuelans leave their country each day, the Organization of American States (OAS) said in a report on Friday, and the number of migrants from the oil-producing country could double to 8 million by the end of 2020.
Venezuela's deep economic and political crisis has dominated the agenda at an OAS assembly taking place this week in Medellin, Colombia. Uruguay walked out of the session on Thursday in protest of the recognition of a delegation from Venezuela's opposition.
The United Nations has estimated the number of Venezuelan migrants abroad is currently 4 million.
"This is the biggest migrant flow in the history of the region, currently the second-largest in the world - beaten by Syria, which has been at war for more than eight years," report coordinator David Smolansky said during Friday's assembly.
Some 1.3 million Venezuelans are currently living in Colombia, which has borne the brunt of the exodus. Some 850,000 migrants have settled in Peru and 263,000 in Ecuador.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold a bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 28. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
WNU Editor: The above picture came from this photo-gallery .... Inside the G20 (Reuters).
* Almost a dozen F-22 Raptors have landed at al-Udeid air base in Qatar, a hub for U.S. military operations in the Middle East * The stealth fighters can hit ground targets too and were used in Syria last year * Move comes amid rising tensions with Iran but after Trump called off air strikes at the last minute, in the wake of country downing a U.S. Navy spy drone * Trump also faced vote in the Senate to end two authorizations of military force which he could have used to strike Iran * Senators voted 50-40 against the measure but four Republicans backed Democrats in voting to remove the power * Mitch McConnell called it 'Trump derangement syndrome' but it comes amid mounting calls for Congress to end almost unlimited presidential war powers
Nearly a dozen Air Force F-22 stealth fighters have deployed to the Persian Gulf state of Qatar, part of a force buildup requested by U.S. Central Command in May in response to what it called heightened Iranian threats against American forces in the region.
The Air Force arm of U.S. Central Command on Friday said the F-22 Raptors arrived this week at al-Udeid air base to 'defend American forces and interests.'
It posted to its website photos of several F-22s arriving there on Thursday and said this is the first time F-22s have deployed to al-Udeid, which is a hub for U.S. air operations in the Middle East.
* Xi Jinping makes beeline to shake hands with Donald Trump before traditional 'family photo' at start of Osaka summit * But geopolitical rifts between some are evident, despite the camaraderie
After converging in Osaka, Japan amid heavy rains, world leaders gathered on Friday morning for the traditional "family photo" that marks the start of the Group of 20 powwow. But beneath the smiling faces of the world's most powerful people, tensions were brewing.
The year-long trade war between Beijing and Washington put the spotlight on Chinese President Xi Jinping, who made a beeline to shake hands with his US counterpart Donald Trump before the group picture, ahead of their high-stakes meeting on Saturday. It was the first time the two leaders had met in person since they called a truce on tariffs in December at the last G20 summit in Argentina – a ceasefire that ended last month as trade talks stalled.
WNU Editor: President Trump's focus at the G20 was on Presidents Putin and Xi. Both the U.S. and Russia are regarding Friday's meeting between the two leaders as a success. President Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi is only beginning now, and I will post more on it when news become available .... Donald Trump, Xi Jinping of China hold make-or-break trade meeting (USA Today). The person who looks very unhappy is President Xi. This has not been a good summit for him. The other leaders have been focused on getting some time with the big 3 (Trump/Xi/Putin), and from what I see most of them are being disappointed that they are being ignored.
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Chinese President Xi Jinping had "positive, constructive interactions" on the sidelines of the G20 summit on Friday as a dispute between the two countries rages, Trudeau's office said.
Trudeau spoke "more than once" to Xi during a meeting of the Group of 20 leading economies in Osaka, Japan, said an official in Trudeau's office, who requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the situation.
The contact between the two leaders was the first since diplomatic and trade relations turned icy last December after Canadian police arrested Huawei Technologies Co Ltd Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. warrant.
Video footage from the meeting showed Trudeau and Xi speaking briefly through interpreters before shaking hands.
WNU Editor: The Prime Minister's office is saying that the discussions were positive and constructive. My Chinese contacts are telling me that Prime Minister Trudeau approached President Xi, and wanted to discuss the issues that are causing problems between the two countries. But President Xi was not interested to pursue it further.
* Chinese leader also says a channel will be set up for foreign firms to make complaints and Beijing will take 'major steps' to further liberalise economy * Promises come right before talks with US President Donald Trump in Osaka
Foreign businesses that have fallen victim to intellectual property theft will be compensated and a channel will be set up for them to make complaints, Chinese President Xi Jinping told world leaders in Japan on Friday.
Xi's pledge at the Group of 20 summit in Osaka came ahead of a highly anticipated meeting with US President Donald Trump on Saturday, as the bloc faces division at a gathering overshadowed by a year-long trade war between the two countries.
In his keynote speech, Xi said China would take "major steps" to further liberalise its economy and reduce market restrictions for foreign investors.
WNU Editor: This admission that China is guilty of intellectual property theft from President Xi is big .... but he does not provide any specific details on how such a compensation package will be structured. As to liberalizing China's economy .... I have heard this song and dance before.
(Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are due to meet on Saturday at the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Japan to try to resurrect a deal to end a costly trade war.
Negotiations between trade teams from the world's two largest economies broke down in May when Washington accused Beijing of reneging on commitments to change its laws to enact economic reforms.
Here is a look at the state of talks, the key issues and their implications:
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks while other leaders listen during a working lunch at the Group of 20 (G-20) summit in Osaka, Japan, on Friday, June 28, 2019. Kiyoshi Ota/Pool via REUTERS
OSAKA (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he hoped for productive talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on a trade war that is casting a shadow on global growth, but said he had not made any promises about a reprieve from escalating tariffs.
The trade feud and signs of a global slowdown have loomed over a two-day Group of 20 (G20) summit in the Japanese city of Osaka, where Trump and Xi met in passing and prepared for one-on-one talks on Saturday.
To lay the groundwork, Chinese Vice Premier Liu He met Trump's treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer at the hotel where the U.S. delegation was staying, a source familiar with the talks said.
* Former President Jimmy Carter called President Donald Trump an illegitimate president and said Trump won the 2016 election only because of state-sponsored Russian interference. * Carter made the comments alongside his vice president, Walter Mondale, at a Friday human-rights forum hosted in Leesburg, Virginia. * "A full investigation would show that Trump didn't actually win the election in 2016," Carter said. "He lost the election and was put into office because of the Russians interfering on his behalf." * When the moderator followed up and asked whether Carter believed Trump was an illegitimate president, Carter said, "Based on what I just said, which I can't retract, yes." * Carter's comments came shortly after Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to laugh off Russia's election interference when the two leaders met at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan.
Former President Jimmy Carter called President Donald Trump an illegitimate president and said Trump won the 2016 election only because of state-sponsored Russian interference to benefit him.
Carter, who is 94 years old and served from 1977 to 1981 as America's 39th president, made the comments alongside his vice president, Walter Mondale, at a Friday human-rights forum hosted in Leesburg, Virginia, and moderated by the presidential scholar Jon Meacham.
* Kremlin say Trump responded in 'a very positive manner' in Osaka, Japan today * The pair were meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit of world leaders * Putin asked him to the 75th 'Great Patriotic War' parade in Red Square next May * It features marching battalions, rumbling tanks and thundering fighter jets
Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited Donald Trump to a parade marking the 75th anniversary victory over Adolf Hitler next year, the Kremlin said.
Trump and Putin had an 80 minute meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, with the US President describing a 'very, very good relationship'.
According to foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov, Trump responded in 'a very positive manner' to the invitation to Moscow for the commemoration in May 2020.
Following Trump's warm response to the invitation, the Kremlin spokesman said the pair went on to discuss 'each country's losses during the war, and whose role was decisive. They also highlighted the Soviet people's contribution to that victory.'
The annual 'Great Patriotic War' victory parade features marching battalions of infantry, rumbling tanks and the rolling thunder of fighter jets over Red Square.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (centre) speaks at the G20 summit in Osaka on Friday, flanked by US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Photo: Kyodo
The Canadian and Chinese leaders, embattled in a diplomatic dispute, sat side by side on the first day of the G20 summit but appeared to pay each other no mind.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Chinese President Xi Jinping were seated together during the Leaders Working Lunch in Osaka, Japan, on Friday thanks to alphabetical seating.
The two did not shake hands or look at each other, according to Global News reporter Mercedes Stephenson, and did not engage throughout the meeting.
WNU Editor: The Canadian Prime Minister's office is saying that Trudeau and Xi had a number of constructive interactions during the conference .... Trudeau has 'brief, constructive interactions' with Chinese President (CTV). But my friends in China are saying that aside from a greet and meet interaction that lasted about 5 seconds, both leaders have stayed away from each other. Judging by the above video, I think my Chinese contacts are right.
Spanish media outlets have reacted angrily to an apparent snub of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez by President Donald Trump as the pair met at the G20 meeting in Osaka, Japan.
The incident occurred as Trump entered a meeting of G20 leaders and walked past Sanchez, who was preparing to take his seat.
The left-wing prime minister turned to greet the president, but Trump barely broke his stride before pointing Sanchez back to his seat and walking on. The president said something to the prime minister as he did so, but it was not clear what.
Sanchez then took his seat with a sheepish grin as Trump moved away towards his own seat.
* Trump made the comment to Putin before their one-on-one meeting in Osaka * He also told Putin with a smile: 'Don't meddle in the election' * Trump made the observation as camera shutters were clicking * Putin said the problem is 'the same' in Russia * Putin is known for jailing journalists who criticize the government * Earlier, the president described his 'very good relationship' with Moscow leader during their meeting Friday * It was their first meet since the Mueller report, which states Putin directed an election interference campaign
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin commiserated about the so-called 'fake news' in an exchange that was initially drowned out during a barrage of clicking cameras during a photo-op.
Trump regularly rails about the 'fake news' at home, but on Friday he shared his feelings with the head of the government which the Mueller report says used cutouts and fake online personalities to interfere with the U.S. elections.
It generated an unusual public use of English from Vladimir Putin, who is known to speak English but has very rarely been seen using it on camera.
The comments came as a horde of reporters tried to capture the historic meeting on film and video.
* Trump beamed as he shook hands with Putin in Osaka today, joking with him: 'Don't meddle in the election' * Earlier, the president described his 'very good relationship' with Moscow leader during their meeting Friday * It was their first meet since the Mueller report, which states Putin directed an election interference campaign * Trump met with the Indian, German and Japanese leaders, after slamming all of their countries before arriving * He spoke with Brazil's leader as he condemned the Democrat 'Socialist' party while speaking about Venezuela * Trump also referred to jostling reporters to Putin as 'fake news' * The meeting lasted for 80 minutes
President Donald Trump told Russian President Vladimir Putin not to meddle in the elections – with a smile.
The president was asked at the top of a G20 meeting Friday in Japan whether he would tell the Russian president not to interfere in the 2020 elections – as the Mueller report concludes Russia did in 2016.
'Yes, of course I will,' Trump responded. 'Don't meddle in the election, please,' Trump told Putin, as he beamed at the Moscow leader, amid hubbub in a room packed full of reporters and dignitaries.
It was just the latest time in his presidency when the fraught issue of Russia's election interference hung over a meeting between the leaders of the two nations.
WNU Editor: The reporter who yelled the question to President Trump on "will he tell Putin to not meddle in U.S. elections" was naturally speechless when he mocked her by telling Putin right there to not interfere in U.S. elections. I mean .... c'mon .... what did she expect. Not surprising, the media is in meltdown mode right now. What a contrast between this coverage and the coverage of President Obama when he told President Putin to not interfere in U.S. elections. I mean .... did it have an impact then? Of course not.
More News On President Trump Telling Russian President Putin: 'Don't Meddle In The U.S. Presidential Election'
* The G20 leaders posed for photo this evening ahead of a dinner hosted by Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe * Trump today held bilateral meetings with the leaders and spoke with Putin, giving him a pat on the back * Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with Trump for the first time since Jamal Khashoggi's murder * The US President was also pictured with Putin for their first meeting since the Mueller report was published
Donald Trump shared a joke with Mohammed Bin Salman as he lined up alongside other world leaders for a 'family photo' at the G20 summit.
The 20 heads of state and a number of their partners posed in front of Osaka Castle on Friday evening ahead of a banquet hosted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Bin Salman was pictured embracing a number of world leaders who last year condemned him over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi embassy in Istanbul.
The Saudi Crown Prince has been under increased scrutiny since the murder of Khashoggi after the CIA reportedly concluded that he ordered the murder.
It was the second show of friendship between Trump and Bin Salman.
The Senate passed a mammoth $750 billion defense bill Thursday, though it still needs to resolve a fight over Iran.
Senators voted 86-8 on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorizes spending and provides broad policy outlines for the Pentagon.
The bill provides $750 billion in total spending, including a base budget of $642.5 billion for the Pentagon and $23.3 billion for the Department of Energy's national security programs.
It also gives $75.9 billion for the overseas contingency operations fund, an account that does not fall under budget cap restrictions.
The Navy's electromagnetic railgun is undergoing what officials described as "essentially a shakedown" of critical systems before finally installing a tactical demonstrator aboard a surface warship, the latest sign that the once-beleaguered supergun may actually end up seeing combat.
That pretty much means this is could be the last set of tests before actually slapping this bad boy onto a warship, for once.
Personnel at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division's (NSWC PHD) White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) Detachment began testing of the railgun's power system and universal mount, two essential components that in recent years have stymied efforts to produce a ship-board tactical demonstrator for the the $500 million supergun.
AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. The AIM-260 will be of similar size but with a considerably longer range. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Caitlin Russell
The AIM-260 will "out stick" enemy fighters, shooting them down before they can shoot back.
The U.S. has been quietly working on a new air-to-air missile meant to "out-stick" next generation Chinese and Russian missiles. The existence of the AIM-260, or Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, was revealed last week, with the expectation for the missile to enter service in 2022.
Air Force Weapons Program Executive Officer Brig. Gen. Anthony Genatempo revealed the existence of the Joint Advanced Tactical Missile to reporters, stating that it had been under development since 2017. Flight tests will begin in 2021 and the missile is expected to reach initial operational capability—a point at which the missile will start reaching fighter units—in 2022.
The project will start with converting a single Antonov An-12 to carry a pair of 57mm cannons to help with further development of the final design.
Russia is reportedly looking to develop an AC-130-like gunship armed with a pair of 57mm automatic cannons, as well as additional smaller guns. The first phase of the project would involve the conversion of an Antonov An-12 Cub cargo plane into a flying testbed to experiment with different weapons and tactics, techniques, and procedures.
State-owned media outlet TASS reported the new development on June 26, 2019, citing an anonymous source within Russia's state-run military-industrial complex. This individual disclosed the new information on the sidelines of the Army-2019 international military and technical forum, which had opened the day before. This annual event offers, among other things, an opportunity for Russian defense contractors and the Russian military to show off new and improved aircraft, vehicles, weapons, and other military hardware, as well as systems still in development.
WNU Editor: The Russian military preferred developing and deploying helicopter gunships instead of a plane like the American AC-130 Gunship. Why the shift in planning? I think the Russian military is learning from the Syrian war, and I suspect that they faced a number of situations where such a gunship would have made a difference in a battle.Hence the decision to develop and build them.
All 10 candidates on Thursday night's Democratic debate stage said their health care plans would provide coverage for people in the country illegally, a show of unity on what had been a contentious night between the candidates.
South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Vice President Joe Biden were given the opportunity to elaborate.
"Our country is healthier when everybody is healthier," said Buttigieg. "We're talking about something people are given the opportunity to buy into in the same way that there are undocumented immigrants in my community who pay. They pay sales taxes, they pay property taxes directly or indirectly. This is not about a handout, this is an insurance program and we do ourselves no favors by having 11 million undocumented people in our country be unable to access health care."
WNU Editor: The U.S. already spends billions in health care for illegal immigrants, the only difference now is that it is becoming publicized. But I am not sure if it is a winning issue for the Democrats. More to the point .... California has just passed a law to provide free health care for migrants, but in the same legislation there is a penalty for Americans if they do not purchase health insurance .... California's $215 billion budget to expand health care for illegals (FOX News). Is this fair? And do Americans support this? It is clear from last night that ten Democrats believe that it is.
The country that builds Mars rovers cannot manufacture an all-terrain vehicle for American landscapes. That's according to Sen. John Thune, the South Dakota Republican.
"We have companies in my state of South Dakota," he told U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer at a June 18 Senate Finance Committee hearing. "I think you're probably familiar with Polaris that is just getting hammered, that don't have opportunities to shift supply chains."
Polaris Industries, of course, is the maker of ATVs, and its senator was arguing that the company should be given an exemption from tariffs imposed pursuant to Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.
WNU Editor: American industry has a long history of supporting their business ties with unsavoury governments over the wishes of their President/government. Case in point .... Hitler's Willing Business Partners (The Atlantic). Hitler and the Jews, Xi and the Uighurs .... different times and peoples but economic interests is what takes precedent.
RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin has ruffled feathers by proclaiming liberalism to be obsolete prior to meeting world leaders including Prime Minister Theresa May at the G20 summit in Japan - but has he got a point? Vote in our Express.co.uk poll.
DONALD TRUMP has commended the controversial Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, calling him a "friend of mine" who has "really done things" to create a more balanced Saudi Arabia.
(OSAKA, Japan) — President Donald Trump on Saturday invited North Korea’s Kim Jong Un to shake hands during a possible visit by Trump to the demilitarized zone with South Korea. Trump is scheduled to fly to South Korea later Saturday after he concludes meetings at the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, Japan, including with the president of China.
He tweeted Saturday morning that afterward: “I will be leaving Japan for South Korea (with President Moon). While there, if Chairman Kim of North Korea sees this, I would meet him at the Border/DMZ just to shake his hand and say Hello(?)!”
After some very important meetings, including my meeting with President Xi of China, I will be leaving Japan for South Korea (with President Moon). While there, if Chairman Kim of North Korea sees this, I would meet him at the Border/DMZ just to shake his hand and say Hello(?)!
White House officials, who had previously ruled out such a possibility before the trip, did not immediately respond to requests as to whether Kim had already agreed to meet with Trump.
Trump’s summit with Kim in Vietnam earlier this year collapsed without an agreement for denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. He became the first sitting U.S. president to meet with the leader of the isolated nation last year in Singapore, where they signed a broad agreement to bring the North toward denuclearization.
Substantive talks between the two nations have largely broken down since then, as the North has balked at Trump’s insistence that it give up its weapons before it sees relief from crushing international sanctions. Still, Trump has sought to publicly heap praise on Kim, who oversees an authoritarian government, in hopes of keeping a deal alive, and the two have traded flowery letters in recent weeks.
Every president since Ronald Reagan has visited the 1953 armistice line, except for George H.W. Bush, who visited when he was vice president. The show of bravado and support for one of America’s closest military allies has evolved over the years to include binoculars and bomber jackets.
Trump, ever the showman, appears to be looking to one-up his predecessors with a meeting with Kim. As he left the White House for Asia earlier this week, Trump was asked whether he’d meet with Kim while he is in the region. “I’ll be meeting with a lot of other people … but I may be speaking to him in a different form,” Trump said.
Such trips to the demilitarized zone, the heavily fortified border between North and South Korea, are usually undertaken under heavy security and the utmost secrecy. Trump tried to visit the DMZ when he was in Seoul in November 2017, but his helicopter was grounded by heavy fog.
Police in Belize say a Virginia cardiologist who was shot and killed alongside a tour guide in the Central American country was a “victim of circumstance.”
According to a police report posted in the local San Pedro Sun, on June 23 police found the bodies of Boca Del Rio tour guide Mario Nestle Jr Graniel, 53, and Virginia cardiologist Dr. Gary Swank, also 53, in the San Pedro town lagoon.
Police said both Graniel and Swank were found dead with multiple gunshot wounds. Swank’s body was found floating facedown 30 feet away from Graniel’s.
According to police, the two went fly fishing on Sunday on the San Pedro lagoon. At around 10 a.m. a dark-colored skiff passed by and opened fire, killing both men.
On Monday, Belize Police Commissioner Chester Williams told local News 5 that investigations revealed a possible motive for the double homicide might have stemmed from Graniel having a “misunderstanding” with a notorious gang figure in San Pedro.
Williams told reporters that Graniel’s home was shot at last Friday and police detained the suspected shooter, but Graniel never showed up to give a report. Williams said police did everything they could to protect Graniel, but “we can’t follow the man everywhere he goes.”
“We don’t have a boat to follow him and we can’t put police on every tour guide boat,” Williams said. “We did what we could have done in terms of detaining those who we believe were responsible and maintaining presence in the area where he lived. I don’t see what else we could have done.”
When asked if Swank was a victim of circumstance Williams said: “That is surely the case.”
According to police, Swank arrived in Belize on Saturday with his wife and three children.
Swank was a cardiologist at the Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, Virginia.
In a statement, the Carilion Clinic called Swank a “well-respected and well-loved colleague who, each and every day, embodied the values that we hold dear.”
Today we learned the tragic news that Carilion interventional cardiologist Dr. Gary Swank was found murdered in Belize, along with a local tour guide. The entire Carilion family extends our heartfelt thoughts and support to his beloved family. pic.twitter.com/9JR0ZaJpMH
White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner kicked off his much anticipated—and plenty derided—plan to bring peace to the Middle East with a two-day economic workshop in Bahrain. The Palestinians boycotted the event, the Israelis are busy gearing up for another national election in September, and the rest of the world is fixated on rising tensions with Iran and the upcoming do-or-die meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the G20 this weekend. Still, the Bahrain conference went ahead as scheduled.
Why It Matters:
The political impasse between Israelis and Palestinians has proven to be one of the world’s most intractable problems for the better part of a century. So Kushner opted for a different approach—rather than start with the thorny politics, he wants to start with the economics instead. His proposal is centered on a $50 billion investment push to fund 179 regional infrastructure projects over the next 10 years. Roughly $27.5 billion of that $50 billion will be earmarked for the West Bank and Gaza, with the remainder going to fund projects in Jordan ($7.4 billion), Egypt ($9.1 billion) and Lebanon ($6.3 billion). The hope is that this sudden, sizeable injection of capital will allow the West Bank and Gaza to better access international markets, while also improving basic infrastructure through upgrades to electricity, water and telecommunications infrastructure. This infusion of cash is meant to double Palestinian GDP over the next decade, generate 1 million new jobs, reduce Palestinian unemployment (which the IMF says is currently 30 percent in the West Bank and 50 percent in Gaza) and halve the poverty rate. The plan will also boost business ties in the region, and will help facilitate trade between Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon. Crucially, neither Israel nor the US will be on the hook for funding these programs—the point of the Bahrain workshop was to congregate key players in the Arab world and the private sector who will be able to raise the money necessary to make this proposal a reality.
To be clear, there is not much new about these proposals themselves—many of the infrastructure programs had already been proposed from other outfits like the World Bank and the Rand Corp. What’s new is that these proposals are being offered separate from the politics—as Kushner said in Bahrain this week “Today is not about the political issues. We’ll get to them at the right time.” That may be Kushner’s hope, but when it comes to pouring billions into the Middle East, investors tend to care about the region’s political trajectory.
What Happens Next:
While the economic component of Kushner’s Middle East plan is now out in the wild, it won’t gain much traction without the release of a political plan to accompany it. The earliest that’s likely to come is in November, once Israel holds new elections and forms a new government, one which might not even have Bibi Netanyahu at its head (much to the Trump administration’s consternation). But by November, the US presidential race will have kicked off in earnest, making it an especially precarious time for the Trump White House to release a plan that will undoubtedly be among its most politically controversial foreign policy proposals. Expect the Trump team to forge ahead, if only to avoid the criticism that their vaunted Middle East Peace plan never materialized. But by then it will be too late—once the US presidential race kicks into full gear, investors will be waiting to see if Trump even wins reelection before they sign on to such a divisive program.
Others will be looking to see if Trump sticks around the Oval Office before signing-on, too. Chief among them are the Saudis and the Emiratis, who will have to tread carefully before publicly supporting a political solution that will eschew the traditional “two-state” framework most are striving towards in favor of a “state-and-a-half” solution that will probably be tilted towards Israeli interests while giving Palestinians more political and economic power, but still fall well short of full sovereignty. Public opinion still matters plenty to these leaders, and a deal that obviously favors Israel over the Palestinians will be difficult for them to publicly endorse.
The Key Fact/Number/Statistic That Explains It:
Just 12 percent of those surveyed across the Arab world for the BBC had favorable opinions of President Donald Trump. In other words, no matter how great this peace plan was (or could have been) on paper, it was always facing an uphill battle.
The Key Quotes That Sums It All Up:
Point: “This conference in Bahrain, maybe people have read too much into it. If it succeeds and we can get investment into the Palestinian territories it can only be good for them . . . It is not a political conference as much as it is an economic development conference.” Abdel al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia’s minister of state for foreign affairs.
Counterpoint: “There’s a small problem here… You need peace and security and open borders before we can talk about a $50 billion investment. If you want to throw away money, you can invest in infrastructure without peace and security.” Anonymous businessman attending the Bahrain conference.
The One Major Misconception About It:
That this is a fool’s errand by Team Trump. Here’s the thing—actual peace between Israelis and Palestinians was always a longshot. Instead, the Trump administration is attempting to codify the fact that Palestinians have to live with status quo. And the Trump team’s best relations in the world are with the Arab actors sending emissaries to the Bahrain conference (plus Israel). In other words, this was a low-risk move by the administration. It would have been odd if they didn’t try to do something like this.
The One Thing to Say About It at a Dinner Party:
Many US administrations have tried to broker peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and while some attempts have been stronger than others, they’ve all failed to find a lasting, sustainable peace between the two sides. In that sense, putting forth a lackluster plan to achieve peace in the Middle East is about the most traditional foreign policy move that we’ve seen from the Trump administration to date.
On June 22, a viral video did the rounds on social media in India. A young Muslim man tied up, bleeding profusely all over his body, hands folded, was being lynched by a mob that forced him to chant of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Jai Hanuman.’ (Glory to Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman.)
The man, later identified as 24-year-old Tabrez Ansari, was beaten for hours until he died at the hands of a Hindu mob in the eastern state of Jharkhand. The death of Ansari, who married less than two months ago and is seen crying and begging for mercy in the video, has sparked protests in cities across India. His family says they were threatened by the police with a similar fate when they begged to get him treated while he was in custody, according to a report in The Wire. Police have arrested at least 11 people over the attack.
Ansari became the first victim of hate crime in the second term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. He is survived by a young wife who wants to know who in the country she can now turn to for justice. “My husband was my only support. Who will I live for now? I want justice,” she told the TV channel NDTV.
Just two days after the attack on Ansari, a 26-year-old Muslim teacher who taught in a religious seminary was thrown out of a train in the eastern state of West Bengal. Hafeez Mohammed Haldar was traveling when a mob chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ ( Glory to Lord Ram) and pushed him out of the train. Hafeez managed to escape death with minor injuries.
In the same week, on June 27, a Muslim cab driver, 25-year-old Faizal Usman Khan was beaten up by a group of men at night, barely minutes away from Mumbai, India’s celebrated cosmopolitan city. When Faizal begged for mercy, the men asked him to chant Jai Shri Ram, now a rallying cry for Hindu nationalists in the country.
The U.S. Commission for International Human Rights has condemned the lynching of Ansari, observing the recognizable pattern of hate crimes against minorities that marks India’s dangerous slide into a majoritarianism long dreaded by those who have observed Modi’s past on human rights. The USCIRF chairman Tony Perkins called for the Indian government to take action to prevent further violence. “We condemn in the strongest terms this brutal murder, in which the perpetrators reportedly forced Ansari to say Hindu chants as they beat him for hours.”
On May 26, in his acceptance speech addressing the members of the new Indian Parliament, Prime Minister Modi vowed to protect the interest of India’s minorities. He made a departure from his consistent dog whistle and told his legislators: “Due to vote bank politics, Indian minorities were crushed, boxed into a corner, subjected to imaginary fears, and exploited during the elections. Like the poor, they remained covered with a cloud of deception. It would have been better if their health, their education had been taken care of. In 2019, I expect you to punch a hole in that deception. We have to earn their trust.”
Indian liberals have witnessed Modi’s deceptive politics of the past: his silence through the anti-Muslim riots of 2002 under his leadership that killed a thousand Muslims, the extra judicial murders of Muslims under his regime, the hate crimes against minorities and lower-caste citizens in the last five years of his rule. Yet they asked Muslims to shun the boring victimhood narrative and take Modi at his word.
What does that word mean? After Ansari’s killing, Modi said he was “pained” to hear about it and called for “the strictest possible punishment.” But a week before the spate of hate crimes against minorities on the streets of India, Indian legislators in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi chanted Jai Shri Ram and Vande Mataram as each Muslim Member of Parliament took the sacrosanct oath to serve the people of the country.
When 50-year-old Asaduddin Owaisi, a longstanding member of parliament, wore his skull cap and walked towards the speaker to swear in the name of the Indian constitution, he was heckled by members of Modi’s BJP. They chanted Jai Shri Ram to remind Owaisi of his faith — heckling that mirrors the violence on the streets.
As India suffers this downward slide of its pluralistic values, a brave Netflix series called Leila hit Indian audiences in the second week of June. The series, adapted from writer Prayaag Akbar’s novel by the same name, is set in a dystopian world where Hindu nationalists take over the Indian democracy, where Hindu women are sent to secret internment camps to purify themselves of impure Muslim alliances. In the show, the Aryavart kingdom (Hindu supremacists) demolishes the Taj Mahal to rid India of its Muslim presence as its leader rides to absolute power on totalitarian ideals. While critics were quick to call it augmented reality that ran parallel to Modi’s India, BJP members asked supporters to unsubscribe from a Hindu-bashing Netflix that spread phobia about the community.
But Leila runs a parallel narrative to the one being relayed in the Indian Parliament led by Narendra Modi. His first time Member of Parliament, Pratap Sarangi, stoked another dangerous narrative in the floor of the house, saying those who did not chant ‘Vande Mataram’ (Glory to the motherland) did not belong in India. (Sarangi has a chequered past, accused of ties to the murder of an Australiam Christian missionary Graham Staines and his two children in 1999.) His diatribe was targeted at Muslim members in the Indian parliament who swore allegiance to the Indian constitution but refused to recite the chant, which has recently been appropriated by the Hindu right wing.
If the first term of Narendra Modi’s rule in India was criticized for dogwhistle politics, his second term sets the ground for fear and insecurity. The hate crimes might be committed by seemingly-ordinary men on the streets of India but the impunity of their actions is being given a new lease of life from within the aisles of the Indian Parliament.
Modi’s acolytes have often sold him as an inclusive leader, a unifier in the international arena but fail to explain the Prime Minister’s studied silence against hate in the country, often manufactured in his own backyard. Leila may be a dystopian vision but it is also a cautionary tale, the story of a once-inclusive India that becomes immersed in hate to fulfil the opportunistic ambitions of a leader who raises Hindu nationalistic slogans. And in Modi’s India, where chanting Jai Shri Ram on the streets to invoke hate crimes against minorities, it’s hard not to see how that dystopian vision could become reality.
President Donald Trump has never been afraid to stir up a tempest, which is why he has already indicated that this weekend he will be discussing the political crisis gripping Hong Kong with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Zhang Jun declared the topic off the table at the Group of 20 summit of world leaders, which convenes today in Osaka, Japan. Trump, however, looks set to raise Hong Kong when he meets with Xi tomorrow for a tête-à-tête on the trade war. “I’m sure this will be among the issues that they discuss,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview with Fox News Sunday.
For Washington, Hong Kong has emerged as the latest potential pressure point in the standoff with the world’s second-largest economy. The semi-autonomous entrepôt has been seized this month by massive protests demanding the cancellation of a controversial bill that would allow extradition to the mainland. The local government says the measure is necessary to prevent the former British colony from becoming an haven for fugitives. Detractors counter that Beijing, which resumed sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997, will simply use the law to arrest dissidents and critics.
Intense opposition to the bill forced the city’s Beijing-appointed leader, Chief Executive Carrie Lam, to suspend the legislation, but many in Hong Kong demand its total withdrawal and demonstrations swelled to an estimated two million people on June 16. The fight has since snowballed into a broader struggle for democracy and the preservation of freedoms that differentiate the enclave from China.
Protesters in Hong Kong visited several consulates Wednesday hoping to drum up international support ahead of the G20. Some held placards reading “President Trump please liberate Hong Kong.” and “Free H.K. from China colonization.” When they reached the U.S. consulate, protesters handed over a petition asking Trump to “Back Hong Kong at the G20 Summit.”
In seizing on the G20 to elevate Hong Kong’s plight, protesters will infuriate Beijing, which insists that all matters related to the semi-autonomous territory are an internal affair. The spectacle of Chinese citizens mobilizing to repudiate the political system exercised in the rest of the country deals a humiliating blow to Xi, who has increasingly proffered up the Chinese model as a viable alternative to Western liberal democracy.
“Trump will use Hong Kong protestors’ slogan—‘Liberate us from China’—to tell Xi that the China model is not working. ‘You have a virtual rebellion in a major city in China. Don’t tell me about replacing the Western model with the China model,'” says Willy Lam, an adjunct professor at the Center for China Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. “Xi has to live with the fact that the rebellion in Hong Kong is one more major defeat for China soft power.”
Many already perceive in the U.S.-led West and China-dominated East an ideological schism splitting the world into polarized economic and political spheres. As the rivalry between established and rising superpowers intensifies, Hong Kong, at the crossroads of both East and West, looks caught in the crossfire.
Like the West Berlin of old, Hong Kong has shot to the international stage with a narrative that hews close to Cold War tropes: as an oppressive Communist state squeezes its people, the citizenry cry out for Western liberation. One protester told TIME Wednesday that the struggle was a “battle between Hong Kong people and the Communist Party.” At a rally held to plead for G20 nations to intervene on Hong Kong’s behalf, a speaker from the stage declared, “We are telling the … people of the world that we deserve freedom and democracy!” while the crowd chanted “Free Hong Kong!”
Just days prior to the G20 summit, conservative pundit and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich likened Hong Kong’s freedom struggle to the “canary in the coal mine” for the future of the “Chinese Communist dictatorship.” He said on his podcast that “We as Americans should care about the outcome.”
Hong Kong: ‘A battlefield for a U.S.-China showdown’
Since Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule, it has been governed under a “one country, two systems” framework that guarantees freedoms denied on the mainland, including free speech, free flow of information, freedom of assembly and an independent judiciary. The West has long seen this city as “a catalyst of democratic values” in China, as President Bill Clinton put it in 1993.
Brian Chi Hang Fong, a comparative political scientist from the Education University of Hong Kong, notes that “The U.S. expectation that Hong Kong could be its change agent [to liberalize China] proved to be a fantasy.” Yet judging by the stream of anti-protester invective from China’s state-run media, blaming “foreign forces” and the “U.S. hand” for stirring up chaos, Beijing, as well as Gingrich, continues to believe in the threat posed by Hong Kong. “Obviously, the U.S. is trying to use Hong Kong affairs to pressure China,” the Global Timesclaimed in a June 10 editorial.
In 1992, with the containment of communism still high on the agenda, the U.S. passed the U.S.-Hong Kong Policy Act which granted Hong Kong special economic and trading privileges as a separate entity from the mainland—so long as the city maintained sufficient autonomy from China.
Many believe that autonomy to be eroding fast, however. The 2015 disappearance of publishers of books critical of Chinese leaders, the disqualification of pro-independence and pro-democracy legislators in 2017, and the city’s continuing inability to freely elect its own leader are all seen as proof that the territory is not enjoying the liberties promised to it when it was retroceded to China 22 years ago.
Revoking the Policy Act, and with it Hong Kong’s cherished trading status, would certainly hurt Beijing by closing a loophole through which some Chinese firms have escaped Trump’s tariffs.
“The unfolding confrontation between China’s leaders and Hong Kong’s citizens will provide fresh ammunition to U.S. hard-liners who have been advocating an aggressive stance against the Chinese government,” Professor Minxin Pei, the inaugural Library of Congress Chair in US-China Relations., writes in a June 13 essay. “Revoking Hong Kong’s privileges would advance that goal, because it would significantly hurt China.”
But the move is seen as the nuclear option because it would also hurt American business. Washington recorded a $31.1 billion bilateral goods trade surplus with Hong Kong last year, its biggest worldwide. The financial hub is also a regional headquarters for hundreds of U.S businesses and the American Chamber of Commerce here is one of the largest in the world.
Earlier this month, a bipartisan group of lawmakers proposed a halfway step: a bill that would require an annual reassessment of Hong Kong’s political autonomy in order to determine whether it is sufficient to warrant continued trade privileges. In response, Beijing summoned a senior American diplomat and complained about “interference.”
If the bill passes, “it is almost certain that China would have a strong response to this option, setting up Hong Kong a battlefield for a U.S.-China showdown,” says Fong.
‘Respecting Hong Kong’s autonomy’
The recent demonstrations in Hong Kong have posed the greatest popular challenge to Xi since he took power in 2012. The mass turnouts have forced several local government offices to close, the legislature to cancel sessions and Beijing’s proxy to announce a rare and humbling climbdown. Trump told TIME on June 17 that the Hong Kong protesters were “having a big impact.”
Hong Kong’s resistance is a particularly stunning rebuke given the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) significant entreaties to the former British colony, which it regards as inviolable part of China that will inevitably be reintegrated. The CCP has partly staked its legitimacy on a narrative that positions it as both the victim and vanquisher of colonial powers. Yet in Hong Kong, an erstwhile outpost of the British Empire, protesters regularly unfurl Union Jacks and the Hong Kong colonial flag above the crowds—an indication of just how distant many in the semi-autonomous enclave feel from their new sovereign power.
The freewheeling financial hub is, in fact, reprising its traditional role as a thorn in the Communist Party’s side, serving as a safe harbor for some of Beijing’s fiercest detractors and place to carry out activities forbidden on the mainland. Historically, it has provided refuge to fleeing nationalist soldiers and Tiananmen student leaders, while acting as a staging post for Sun Yat-sen’s revolution. Today, the city heaves with what Beijing would regard as treason and subversion—from students discussing Hong Kong independence to religious agitators extolling the banned practice of Falun Gong. In the run-up to a massive protest march on July 1—the politically charged anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China—there are real fears of confrontation between demonstrators and pro-Beijing mobs. It’s like the Cold War all over again.
Ultimately, says Thomas Kellogg, executive director of the Georgetown Center for Asian Law, “It’s up to Beijing to keep Hong Kong from becoming a real source of tension in the U.S.-China relationship—they can do this by taking a step back, and by doing a better job of respecting Hong Kong’s autonomy.”
“Beijing needs to understand that the people of Hong Kong are deeply frustrated: they’re only asking for what Beijing promised them,” he adds. “Nothing more, and nothing less.”
The liberal ideology that has underpinned Western democracy for decades is “obsolete,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with the Financial Times published Friday.
Speaking to the FT on the eve of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, during which world leaders will discuss trade, security and other matters, Putin said “the liberal idea” had “outlived its purpose” and “come into conflict with the interests of the overwhelming majority of the population.”
Putin, 66, has been Russia’s de facto leader for almost 20 years and has trumpeted the rise of nationalist populism. He has been accused of using financial aid and social media to support populist movements abroad, including during the 2016 U.S. Presidential elections and the recent European Parliament elections, which Putin has vehemently denied.
Putin on U.S. foreign relations
On the topic of tensions between the U.S. and Iran, Putin said the situation has become “explosive.” He attributed the problem to American unilateralism and the lack of rules underpinning world order.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran escalated after Iranian forces shot down a U.S. drone on June 20. Relations between the countries have been deteriorating since Trump decided to withdraw from an international accord that curbed Tehran’s nuclear program.
Turning to Russia’s direct relations with the U.S., Putin said he was concerned about the threat of a renewed nuclear arms race. “The cold war was a bad thing … but there were at least some rules that all participants in international communication more or less adhered to or tried to follow,” Putin said. “Now, it seems that there are no rules at all.”
Putin on the global refugee crisis
Putin took aim at Chancellor Angela Merkel‘s 2015 policy to admit more than one million refugees to Germany, mainly from war-torn Syria, describing it as a “cardinal mistake.” Meanwhile he praised U.S. President Donald Trump for trying to stop migration and drug trafficking from Mexico.
Merkel’s decision “presupposes that nothing needs to be done. That migrants can kill, plunder and rape with impunity because their rights as migrants have to be protected,” said Putin. “Every crime must have its punishment. The liberal idea has become obsolete,” he added.
Others say Putin’s words are dangerous. Brian Dooley, Senior Advisor at Human Rights First, a Washington, D.C.-based human rights organization, says that “Putin and Trump are in lockstep in their demonization of migrants, scapegoating refugees with lies. These smears are bad enough but they’ll also encourage others and make this sort of hateful speech seem mainstream.”
Mohammed Ateek, a Syrian academic researcher, who moved to London from Syria in 2013, says Putin is trying to “normalize the narrative of closed borders.” He tells TIME that “calling for homogenous communities and refusing multiculturalism is in the heart of [Putin’s] dangerous policies.” Ateek also argues that it Putin’s actions in Syria have contributed to Europe’s refugee crisis — Moscow has been militarily involved in Syria war since September 2015, and in 2017 said would permanently station troops there. “Russia’s actions have led hundreds of thousands of Syrians dead and millions fleeing the country. Now, he’s calling these displaced people ‘rapists and murderers’ and encouraging countries to shut their borders in front of them,” says Ateek.
Putin on LGBTQ rights
Putin told the Financial Times that liberal governments have “pursued a mindless multiculturalism” by embracing sexual diversity, among other things. Echoing views expressed by other right-wing populists, such as Poland’s Law and Justice leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski and Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Putin said “[LGBTQ persons] must not be allowed to overshadow the culture, traditions and traditional family values of millions of people making up the core population.”
With regards to Russia’s own LGBTQ rights record, Putin told the newspaper that “we have no problem with LGBTQ persons. God forbid, let them live as they wish … But some things do appear excessive to us. They claim now that children can play five or six gender roles.”
But given how LGBTQ people are treated in Russia, such claims “come across as hypocritical,” Tanya Lokshina, Europe and Central Asia associate director at Human Rights Watch, tells TIME. In Russia, LGBTQ people cannot “live as they wish,” she says. “They have long faced threats, bullying, abuse inside their families, and discrimination.”
In 2013, Russia introduced a controversial “anti-gay propaganda law” that bans the “promotion of nontraditional sexual relations to minors.” Lokshina says the law, which is officially titled the law “aimed at protecting children from information promoting the denial of traditional family values,” has a “stifling effect on access to affirming education and support services, with harmful consequences for LGBT youth.”
Donald Tusk, the European Council president, lashed out at Putin’s comments as well. “What I find really obsolete is authoritarianism, personality cults and the rule of oligarchs,” he told reporters on Friday. Tusk added that whoever claims that liberal democracy is obsolete also claims that “freedoms are obsolete, that the rule of law is obsolete and that human rights are obsolete.”
As the leaders of the world’s largest economies convene on Friday in Osaka, Japan, for the 14th G20 Summit, headlines are likely to focus on meetings between world leaders, rather than this year’s themes of sustainable growth, innovation and health. Those talks include ones between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping — though a breakthrough in the U.S.-China trade war is unlikely. A trilateral meeting between India’s Narendra Modi, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Xi will also attract attention. But, while such talks are important, they must not overshadow the larger message of this year’s G20: international cooperation still matters, as do the platforms that facilitate such cooperation.
In this era of rising nationalism, institutions such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, and NATO have, in many circles, become rhetorical punching bags. Yet the emergence and successes of the G20 indicate that the international system is more resilient and flexible than most people tend to assume.
As a former U.S. Secretary of State and a former Foreign Minister of Argentina, which hosted last year’s G20 summit at the end of November, we see the G20 as a critical platform for international cooperation. Through the Aspen Ministers Forum, a network of former foreign ministers, we have been working on an initiative to reform the international system to meet new challenges. Adaptable institutions such as the G20 are at the heart of this effort.
Founded in 1999 as a forum for finance ministers to consider responses to—and ways to prevent—global economic crises, the G20 brings together major economic powers and key developing countries. After the financial crisis of 2007-2008, the G20 expanded its agenda and established leaders’ summits. Since then, G20 Summits have been used as a time for heads of state to discuss the most pressing global challenges, from terror attacks in Paris to the use of chemical weapons in Syria and the Eurozone debt crisis.
Responding to crises is at the very core of the G20. In Osaka, there will be important discussions about the global impact of the U.S.-China trade conflict, North Korea’s nuclear program and tensions in the Gulf. But given the troubling headwinds facing the current rules-based order, there is a need to go beyond crisis management and towards consensus-building at the Osaka Summit.
This is especially true for three issues that cannot be addressed by any country acting alone: trade, climate change, and the digital economy.
Given its founding mandate, the G20 is well-suited for a discussion of trade. This year, reform of the World Trade Organization is on the agenda at Osaka. Trade is a positive-sum exercise, lowering prices, increasing the variety of goods available and generally raising the quality of life. But the current system of global trade is under siege as many countries, but most notably the United States, are introducing and increasing tariffs. This slide into unilateralism and protectionism is endangering the global economy and undermining the WTO’s ability to enforce a common set of rules.
While tariffs pose short-term threats to economic growth, climate change poses an existential long-term threat to all countries. In the face of this pressing danger, the current U.S. Administration stands shamefully alone. At last year’s G20 Summit in Argentina, all G20 countries except the United States reaffirmed their commitment to the Paris Climate Accord. While this is unlikely to change in Osaka, the G20 remains a useful mechanism for raising awareness, maintaining pressure and building sustained commitment for action on climate change.
The digital economy is another area where international cooperation could be transformative, as the risks to the global economy posed by state and non-state actors conducting cyber intrusions and attacks continue to grow. Efforts are underway to establish international norms for cyberspace, including a call to action released at last year’s Paris Peace Forum. These efforts would benefit from the commitment of G20 leaders to build trust, facilitate the free flow of data and reduce the potential for conflict in cyberspace.
We know from our own experience that getting decision-makers from across borders in the same room is often a battle. But it can be critical to successful cooperation. In-person interaction generates understanding, and, in the words of President Harry Truman, “it is understanding that gives us an ability to have peace.”
Still, international cooperation is not a job for heads of state alone. Citizens of every participating country need to engage their leaders and advocate for resolutions to the issues they find most pressing. It is up to each citizen, especially in democratically elected states, to embrace cooperation and look for shared solutions. Otherwise, there will be no appropriate answers to these shared problems. The rules-based order that we have enjoyed in the post-World War epoch is at risk. Only by bringing together individuals, governments, businesses and civic organizations, and adaptable new institutions such as the G20, can we can create meaningful change.
(VIENNA) — Senior officials from Iran and the remaining signatories to its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers are gathering in Vienna Friday as tensions in the Persian Gulf simmer and Tehran is poised to surpass a uranium stockpile threshold, posing a threat to the accord.
The regular quarterly meeting of the accord’s so-called joint commission, which brings together senior officials from Iran, France, Germany, Britain, Russia, China and the European Union, is meant to discuss implementation of the deal.
Iran is insisting that it wants to save the agreement and has urged Europeans to start buying Iranian oil or give Iran a credit line.
The 2015 agreement aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions in exchange for relief from economic sanctions. The United States withdrew from the accord last year and has imposed new sanctions on Iran to cripple its economy.
Iran recently quadrupled its production of low-enriched uranium. It previously said it would surpass a 300-kilogram stockpile limit set by the accord by Thursday, but an Iranian official said that it was 2.8 kilograms below that limit Wednesday and there would be no new assessment until “after the weekend.” It is currently a holiday weekend in Iran.
European countries are pressing for Iran to comply in full with the accord. But Iranian officials maintain that even if it surpasses the limit, it would not be breaching the deal, and say such a move could be reversed quickly.
On Thursday, Iranian state television reported that Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sent a letter urging European signatories to the accord to implement their commitments, saying Iran’s next steps depend on that.
Britain, France and Germany are finalizing a complicated barter-type system known as INSTEX to maintain trade with Iran and avoid U.S. sanctions, as part of efforts to keep the nuclear deal afloat.
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Some big-name investment firms believe the 4% rule for annual withdrawals is still valid but most advocate greater flexibility as stock markets gyrate.
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DU PG Admit Card 2019 – TheUniversity of Delhi will issue the admit card in the name of each candidate who submitted their DU PG Application and completed the payment successfully. Candidates can download the Delhi University PG Admit Card from the below section. Thus, the admit card will be released for the candidates who are going to write the PG Entrance Exam. The direct link will be activated once if the board releases the DU Hall Ticket 2019.
DU Admit Card 2019
Candidates who filled their application successfully are waiting to download the admit card. We will direct you to download the Delhi University Admit Card successfully. Hence, the eligible contenders will be allowed to download the hall ticket. Moreover, Aspirants can get the DU Admit Card from the upcoming section. Hence, Candidates can now check the application status. The DU PG Entrance Hall Ticket download steps have been given in the below section.
Examiners will not be allowed to the examination hall in the absence of the Delhi University PG Admit Card 2019. So, Candidates must download the admit card before the exam date. The board will provide you the DU Admit Card on the Official Website. However, Aspirants should check the details in the admit card once it is filled. Hence, Delhi University Hall Ticket will be available soon. Applicants keep visiting our webpage frequently to download the Delhi University Admit Card 2019.
Name of the Applicant.
Exam Date, Time & Centre.
Post Applied for.
Application or Registration Number
Father Name and
Important Instructions.
Delhi University PG Entrance Exam 2019
Delhi University PG Entrance Exam has been scheduled from 03rd July to 08th July 2019. Hence, the applied candidates of Delhi University for various courses. Download all the Previous year question papers and the PG syllabus from the official Website. Get the time slot of the PG Entrance Examination here.
Get the complete details about the time, date of the exam and others from the link given above. Prepare well for the exam and appear for the exam by cross-checking the Previous year question paper.
Needed Things to Download DU PG Entrance Hall Ticket 2019
The Institute has announced the date for Post Graduate Entrance Test. The Institute has offered the courses on the official website. Selection will be based on the scoring in PG Entrance Test. Students who are preparing for the exam should keep your eyesight to download the Admit Card. Because, if you forget to get the admit card you are not supposed to enter the exam hall. Below mentioned ID Proofs are very important to carry for the exam.
Aadhar Card
College ID
Ration Card
Driving License
PAN Card
Voter ID
Any Valid ID Proof Issued By Gazetted Officer
Bank Passbook
Passport
How to Download DU PG Admit Card 2019-20
Click on “DU Admit Card” Link.
Enter the Login details.
Click on Submit option.
DU PG Admit Card will appear on the screen.
Fill all the valid credentials.
Check before downloading it.
Click on to the download option.
Take a print out and carry for the exam.
Direct Links to download Delhi University Admit Card 2019
NEET Result 2019 is available now!!! The Candidates those who have appeared for the National Eligibility Cun Entrance Test 2019 can start to check their Result from the official website i.e, ntaneet.nic.in. Here we provide you a direct link to check your NEET Result 2019. However, Aspirant just need to click on the link and check your NEET Result 2019. Also, Check Other details like NEET 2019 Scorecards, Merit list Details in the section below. Furthermore, We advise the Applicant to visit the official website of National Eligibility Cun Entrance Test for any queries regarding the NEET Result 2019.
NEET Counselling 2019 – National Testing Agency (NTA) will announce the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test Counselling 2019. As per the revised schedule, the choice filling and locking of counseling of NEET 2019 was available till June 27, while the result of round one will be announced on July 1. Applicants can check and download the NEET Counselling 2019 through the official link given in this page below. Check your results via the link mentioned below. Hence, all those might be looking for the NEET Counselling 2019 now!
NEET 2019 Result – National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test 2019 exam result on 05th June 2019. As per the NTA official notification, candidates will be able to check their qualifying status, download NEET score-card and cutoff of NEET 2019 using their Roll number and Date of Birth on NEET Result Date. Candidates who have appeared for 5th May NEET 2019 (May 20 for Odisha, Bangalore and Siliguri candidates) can check and download the result of NEET 2019 in the form of scorecard through the official link given in this page below. Check your results via the link mentioned below. Hence, all those might be looking for the executive exam result now!
The Central Board of Secondary Education generally announced the Result of NEET 2019. Also, Releases the Score Cards for the candidates those who are eligible for the Admission. The Eligible or Merit list has been announced. So, applicants can check our page to get updated details and Provide you a direct link to download the NEET Scorecard and Merit list. However, CBSE releases the Score Card on its official Page. As the page will be busy on the day of release we help you by providing a direct link here.
Based on NEET Result 2019 and NEET Merit List, candidates will be provided admissions in Medical/Dental Colleges run with the approval of Medical Council of India/Dental Council of India. Majority of candidates who qualified and registered for NEET 2019 exam belong to OBC category. NEET 2019 Cutoff for General category is 50 percentile, OBC, SC, ST is 40 percentile and UR & PH categories are 45 percentile.
NEET Topper of 2019, Nalin Khandelwal secured AIR 1 is from Rajasthan with 701 marks and 99.99 percentile.
Bhavik Bhansal from Delhi secured AIR 2 in NEET 2019 exam with 700 marks.
NEET 2019 Result – Cutoff (Announced)
Candidates are required to obtain minimum qualifying percentile in NEET 2019 in order to qualify for further admission process. Candidates belonging to Unreserved (UR) category are required to score equivalent to at least 50th percentile and those belonging to SC/ ST/ OBC are required to obtain marks equivalent to at least 40th percentile to be considered for AIQ and state counseling process. The cutoff scores equivalent to the percentile has been declared by the NTA, which has been mentioned in the table below. Check out the NEET Cutoff for 2019 from the table below.
Category
Qualifying Percentile
Cutoff scores
UR
50th Percentile
701-134
OBC/SC/ST
40th Percentile
133-107
UR-PH
45th Percentile
133-120
OBC/SC/ST
40th Percentile
119-107
NEET Counseling 2019
Candidates whose names appear in the final merit list based on NTA NEET 2019 Result will move on to the seat allotment and admission procedure through NEET Counselling. On the basis NTA NEET Result 2019, and the candidates NEET rank, score, as well as vacant seats in the college and the preferences made by the candidate, the seat allotment takes place. The counseling procedure will be administered by the MCC.
NEET Counselling 2019 for All India Quota seats, ESIC Quota and seats in central and Deemed universities will be conducted by Director General of Health Services (DGHS), on behalf of the MCC.
And, respective states counseling authorities will conduct their own NEET Counselling for the state quota seats.
Details that have to be verified on NEET Result Date 2019
On NEET Result date 2019 candidates must validate the following details on their NEET Scorecard :
Candidate's Name
Mother's Name
Father's Name
Gender
Date of Birth
Category/Sub-Category
Nationality
Student's Roll Number
Application Number
Total Marks Obtained
Marks Secured in Chemistry
Marks Secured in Biology
Marks Secured in Physics
Total Secured Percentile
NEET Category Rank.
NEET All India Rank
Exam Qualifying Status (Qualified or Non-qualified)
Cut-off Score under 15% All India Quota
NEET All India Quota Rank (for 15% All India Quota)
Steps to download NEET Result 2019
Log on to the official website i.e, ntaneet.nic.in
Search for NEET Result 2019 and click on it.
Enter your 'Roll Number' and 'Date of Birth' in the respective fields.
Click on the 'Submit' button.
The results will be displayed on the screen in the form of a scorecard.
Download the results in the form of NEET scorecard on NEET Result date and take a printout of it further purposes.
DU Entrance Exam Result 2019 Released – The University of Delhi has declared the First Cut Off list for admissions to various Undergraduate Courses (based on merit) for the academic year 2019-2020 on 28th June 2019. The details of the minimum cut off percentage of marks (First admission list) at which Delhi University UG Admission 2019 to various courses have been offered by different colleges are given. The applicants those who have been appeared for the DU Entrance Exam can check their result from the official website i.e, www.du.ac.in. Students can verify their result just by clicking the link provided below in the table.
DU Entrance Exam Result 2019
The University of Delhi provides admission into Undergraduate, Postgraduate & Ph.D. courses on the basis of merit list & entrance exam. DU releases the cut off at its official website and its notice board. The results for all the courses will be released on different dates. The cut off of Shri Ram College of Commerce is at 98.5%. Hans Raj College has also released the cut off list. The candidates who get their name in the DU’s first cut off list are required to appear for admission process between 28th June to 01st July 2019. The first Cut Off List available on the DU’s Official website by today i.e, 28th June 2019.
There are about 90 colleges and 16 faculties affiliated to the University of Delhi, spread across Delhi, North Campus and South Campus which serve as the two main campuses of the University. The University shortlists candidates for admission in UG and PG courses such as BMS, BA (Honours) Business Economics, B.Sc (Physical Education, Health Education & Sports), MA Hindi, MA Philosophy, etc. Candidates those will appear in the entrance exam can check it through online mode from the official website. Delhi University Entrance Result 2019 will be notified on the admissions portal as well as the allotment of college & course (where applicable).
After result announcement, the university will publish the admission list for UG entrance based & PG admission. Candidates who qualified the entrance test will complete the admission formalities. DU 2019 Cut-Off has been released on today. A separate cut-off list for Science, Arts & Commerce & other courses will be released online. The cut-off is the minimum marks which candidates have to score in the entrance test & qualifying examination. The cut-off is the minimum marks which candidates have to secure in the examination. The university publishes it according to the colleges & categories. The cut-off list is comprised of college name, course name, category wise cut-off, etc.
DU Top Courses & Cutoffs
Maximum candidates have opted for the BA program courses this year with highest numbers of applications being filed for the B.A. (Hons.) English. A total of 142970 applicants have shown interest in this course. This is followed by B.A. (Hons.) Political Science (130240 applications), B.A. Programme (125519 applications), B.A. (Hons.) Economics (124538), B.A. (Hons.) History (120590), B.A. (Hons.) Psychology (112312), B.A. (Hons.) Journalism (112233) and B.Com (106549) among other courses. The colleges affiliated to the University of Delhi have released the cut-off yesterday late evening for the candidates who have applied for the different courses offered by the university. Candidates are advised to keep the documents ready for the purpose of verification.
Steps to check DU Entrance Result 2019
Visit the official website of University of Delhi i.e, www.du.ac.in
In the home page click on the First Cut Off 2019 link
A new page will be open with pdf file
Applicants can check the DU Entrance Result 2019 details
They can log in to their appropriate college, and get the results
Download or take a print out of the result for further reference.
Important links to download DU Entrance Exam Result 2019
Delhi Police MTS Admit Card 2019 – The admit card will be available soon for the various posts like MTS Civilian and others by Delhi Police. Hence, the applied and eligible candidates can get the admit card from the official website. From this page, Applicants can download the Delhi Police Hall Ticket 2019 through the direct link provided below.
Delhi Police Admit Card 2019
Check Delhi Police Application Status before downloading the Delhi Police Exam Admit Card. The Delhi Police Admit Card Superior link will be activated before 1 Week of the exam date. Whenever the admit card has been released it will be available only on the Official Website of the respective board. Candidates can make our page as a bookmark to know the regular updates about Delhi Police MTS Trade Test Admit Card.
Required details to Check-in Delhi Police Hall Ticket 2019
Delhi Police Admit Card will be available once the exam date released by the board. Candidates can get the details about Delhi Police Trade Test in the admit card. Exam details like Exam Date, Exam Centre, Centre Code, General Instructions will be clearly mentioned in the Delhi Police Hall Ticket. Check to the printed details in the admit card.
Name of the Applicant.
Exam Date, Time & Centre.
Post Applied for.
Application or Registration Number
Father Name and
Important Instructions.
Delhi Police Trade Test 2019
Delhi Police will conduct the Trade Test every year. The exam date for Delhi Police Trade Test will be available soon. Moreover, candidates can start preparation for the exam from now. Refer to all the previous papers released by the department. It will be easy to prepare well for the exam. Moreover, Aspirants who applied for the various posts in the recruitment process can download the admit card from our webpage. Get the Delhi Police MTS syllabus released by the officials. Download Delhi Police Syllabus in the below section.
Required Things to Download Delhi Police Exam Admit Card 2019
Check all the details given in the Delhi Police Call Letter 2019. If any mistakes are done with the admit card, make changes before the exam date. Candidates with invalid Delhi Police Admit Card will be strictly disqualified. Therefore, carry the valid Delhi Police Exam Hall Ticket along with the original ID proof.
Aadhar Card
College ID
Ration Card
Driving License
PAN Card
Voter ID
Any Valid ID Proof Issued By Gazetted Officer
Bank Passbook
Passport
How to Download Delhi Police Call Letter 2019?
Click on “Delhi Police Admit Card” Link.
Enter the Login details and submit.
Delhi Police Exam Admit Card will appear on the screen.
Enter all the valid details in it.
Check before submitting it.
After a glance, Submit the admit card.
Now, Download the admit card.
Take a print out and carry for the Delhi Police Exam.
Direct Links to download Delhi Police MTS Admit Card 2019
Download Collector Office Nashik Talathi Previous Papers here. Most of the candidates are searching for the Nashik Collector Office Talathi Question Papers & Key. For those, we are providing Solved Papers of Last Years. Along with this, you can also get the Syllabus & Exam Pattern for the Village Accountant Posts. So go through the following sections of the page for free download of question papers.
Collector Office Nashik Talathi Previous Papers
Collector Office Nashik is conducting the Written Exam for hiring the candidates in Talathi Posts. To crack the Written Exam, Collector Office Nashik Talathi Previous Papers are needed. For your preparation, we are providing some sample papers for the Talathi post. These sample Papers/ Solved Question Papers will help you for getting the additional knowledge for the Written Exam. This extra knowledge differs you from the candidates who are preparing well. To make your preparation differentfrom the other download these papers from the following links.
As per the latest Employment News, Collector Office Nashik has released various posts. Candidates who have aimed for the Maharashtra Jobs can make use of this notification. Once the official notification released, we will update the Syllabus and Other Information regarding the Talathi Exam. But to get this job you need to have last year solved question papers. So for your convenience, we have provided Exam papers of Nasik Collector Office Village Accountant Exam for the past years. So take a look at these sample papers and get tips to crack this Bank Exam.
Collector Office Nashik Previous Year Question Paper – Details
Collector Office Nasik Screening Test is conducted for testing the eligibility of the applicants for the post. Those who are qualified in the Written Exam can move on to the next rounds. To clear the initial rounds, aspirants must prepare well for the written Exam. In this present module, we are providing some sample Syllabus and Exam Pattern for the Driver Post along with the Collector Office Nashik Talathi Previous Papers.
Collector Office Nashik Taltahi Model Papers with Solutions is available here. CO Maharashtra Question Papers provided here in the pdf form. So the candidates can download the Sample Papers for various subjects. Download Nashik Collector Office Previous Papers here on our site. We have provided the Talathi Exam Previous Papers in pdf format. So the individuals can download them with just one click. The Collector Office Talathi Old Papers are available for free of cost. Therefore, interested candidates can Download them without any hesitation.
UPSC CMS Admit Card 2019 is available now. The Candidates those who applied for the UPSC Combined Medical Services Examination 2019, CMS can download the Admit Card. However, we help the aspirants in finding your UPSC CMS Exam Hall Ticket. Also, we provide a link to download the UPSC CMS Admit Card 2019 below. Furthermore, Check the Syllabus, Previous Papers, and Other details. Also, visit the official website for any queries regarding the UPSC CMS Admit Card 2019.
UPSC CMS Admit Card
Therefore, all the applicants can now download the UPSC Exam Admit Card 2019 for Combined Medical Service Exam as a direct link. Also, the last date to download the UPSC CMS Hall Ticket would be on 27th June 2019 @upsc.nic.in. So, the candidates who had applied for the Medical Officer Post can check the below section and download the CMS Exam Admit Card 2019 from this webpage.
The UPSC Combined Medical Services Hall Ticket 2019 Consists of information such as venue of the exam, timings, date of birth, Exam date etc. Hence, the UPSC CMS Admit Card is a mandatory document for writing the Exam. Without the Hall ticket, the invigilator will not allow the aspirants for writing the exam. So, exam applicants must carry the UPSC CMS Exam Admit Card 2017 to the exam hall without fail. Along with the Entry Card, bring a valid govt id proof such as Aadhar Card, Voter ID, Pan Card, etc in original for verification purpose. The link to download the UPSC Medical Officer Hall ticket is present at the bottom of this article. After completion of the downloading, check all the details are correct or not.
UPSC CMS Exam Pattern 2019
Paper
Section
Question
Marks
Paper I
General Medicine
96
250
Paediatrics
24
Paper II
Surgery
40
250
Gynaecology & Obstetrics
40
Preventive & Social Medicine
40
Total
240
500
The written exam will consist of Objective type i.e Multiple Choice Questions
The exam has 2 papers which are conducted online
Each paper is conducted for a total of 250 marks i.e. a total of 500 Marks
Each paper will be of 2 Hours Duration
There will be negative marking for each wrong answer
Download UPSC Combined Medical Service Exam Hall Ticket
Aspirants waiting for the UPSC Combined Medical Service Examination can check out this article. Here you can find the direct link to download the UPSC Admit Card for CMS Exam. The Union Public Service Commission has released the Hall Ticket. So applicants download the Call Letter as it is the most important thing to be carried to the Examination Center. Do stay in touch with our webpage to get the important notification and updates regarding the Combined Medical Services Examination 2019.
How to Download UPSC CMS Hall Ticket 2019?
At first, click on the UPSC Official Website @upsc.gov.in
Check out for the Admit card section to your right widget.
Select the “E-Admit Cards for Various Examinations of UPSC” option.
The select the “Combined Medical Service Exam” option.
Now you can download the Admit card for the required Examination.
Direct Links to Download SBI Clerk Exam Admit Card 2019
RSMSSB Previous Papers are updated here!! We have Updated RSMSSB Agriculture Supervisor, Junior Assistant, Physical Training Instructors, Junior Instructor, Live Stoke Assistant exam past 5 years Previous Papers along with Test Pattern here. Hence, Candidates are advised to check the below sections of this article to know more about Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board Previous Papers and Exam Pattern 2019.
RSMSSB Pharmacist Previous Papers
The Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board given the Pharmacist Posts. Hence, check out the Latest RSMSSB Recruitment 2019 details here. Also, we have updated the RSMSSB Pharmacist Syllabus and Exam Pattern details. Check the details from the link given at the end of the section. Furthermore, download free RSMSSB Pharmacist Question papers and Study material from the direct links below.
Aspirants who are applied for Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board Junior Assistant & Clerk Grade – II Vacancies can start their preparations. Here, We have also added from the past 5 years of RSMSSB JA & LDC question papers with solved answers. With these previous papers, an individual can get to know the actual scenario of the exam paper. Furthermore, referring to old previous papers matters a lot in order to get qualify for the RSMSSB Junior Assistant & Clerk Grade – II exam. Additionally, this question papers will brush up your mind with the required subject knowledge. However, We have updated all the RSMSSB Junior Assistant previous papers here. Therefore, candidates can downloads it for free of cost.
Applied for RSMSSB Stenographer Recruitment 2019. The Go through the Last Years RSMSSB Steno Old Question papers. Also, get a download link in the below sections for the RSMSSB Previous Papers 2019. Check the official Notification once and Exam Pattern and the RSMSSB Syllabus.
Furthermore, download the RSMSSB Stenographer Syllabus 2019 form the link below. Here we have given the Updated RSMSSB Stenographer Exam Syllabus 2019.
Finally, Here is the Link for out RSMSSB Admit Card Page. Where we update the links immediately when the Official Admit Card is out. However, Applicants who applied can download the RSMSSB Steno Exam Hall Ticket from the link.
The Candidates looking for the RSMSSB Previous Papers can get here. We have updated the Last 5 Years RSMSSB Agriculture Supervisor Question Papers for the candidates’ reference. Hence, click on the following links and download the previous year question papers.
In this section, applicants can get the RSMSSB Agriculture Supervisor Syllabus 2019 Pdf. Check the subject wise RSMSSB exam Syllabus in the Pdf format. Prepare well by referring to the following syllabus along with the exam pattern of RSMSSB.
The Candidates applied for the RSMSSB Librarian Jobs can check the following article. Here, we have updated the RSMSSB Previous Papers with Solutions. Hence, candidates who are going to attend the written examination can download them from here and score good marks in the exam.
Here, applicants can find the Latest RSMSSB Exam Syllabus 2019. Check the following links updated here and download the Rajasthan RSMSSB Librarian Grade III Syllabus. Also, check the exam pattern from the link provided here.
The aspirants applied for the RSMSSB Physical Training Instructors Exam can check the RSMSSB Previous Papers Pdf. The RSMSSB Officials released notification to fill 4500 vacancies for Physical Training Instructors. Interested applicants who are seeking for Govt Jobs can start their preparation by referring the RSMSSB PTI Old Question Papers.
Download the RSMSSB Physical Training Instructors Syllabus from the given link. Here, we have also updated the complete RSMSSB Exam Syllabus 2019 for PTI Exams.
{ RSMSSB Physical Training Instructors Syllabus }
RSMSSB Junior Instructor Previous Papers Pdf
Applicants preparing for Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board Junior Instructor Vacancies can start their preparations from now. Hence, we have also updated the Last 5 years of RSMSSB Junior Instructor Model Question Papers Pdf. Furthermore, with the help of the RSMSSB Old Question Papers, applicants can easily understand the important topics and qualify the exam. Therefore, download the RSMSSB Previous Papers for free with their solutions.
Download the RSMSSB Junior Instructor Syllabus from the given link. Here, we have also updated the complete RSMSSB Exam Syllabus 2019 for Junior Instructor Exams.
{ RSMSSB Junior Instructor Syllabus }
RSMSSB Previous Papers for Live Stock Assistant Posts: The Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Services Selection Board has released a notification for Live Stock Assistant Vacancies. Hence, candidates are looking for the RSMSSB Live Stoke Assistant Previous Year Papers. The previous papers are very important for the applicants looking for Govt Jobs. Therefore, aspirants can check the RSMSSB Model Question Papers Pdf in the following section.
The RSMSSB Live Stoke Assistant Syllabus is uploaded here in the Pdf format. Applicants can download them and study well for the examination. Hence, check RSMSSB Syllabus 2019 at the link. Also, check exam pattern here for the RSMSSB Live Stoke Post.
The RSMSSB Previous Papers is updated here. Hence, candidates looking for the Rajasthan Tax Assistant Previous Year Papers can download from the given links. The Rajasthan Tax Department is conducting a written test for the selection of various Tax Assistant Vacancies. Therefore, candidates are suggested to start their preparation and do well in the examination. Moreover, interested aspirants can also visit the official website of the RSMSSB @ www.rsmssb.rajasthan.gov.in for more RSMSSB Tax Assistant Solved Previous Year Question Papers.
RSMSSB Previous Papers Details for Tax Assistant
Description
Details
Name of the Post
Tax Assistant
Total Vacancies
162
Job Category
Previous Papers
Direct Links to the RSMSSB Tax Assistant Model Question Papers Pdf
The applicants applied for the RSMSSB Tax Assistant Jobs can start their preparation by referring to the RSMSSB Tax Assistant Exam Syllabus. Hence, the provided syllabus is important for the aspirants to score good marks in the examination.
Applicants searching for the RSMSSB Previous Papers Pdf can download the papers from here. We have updated the Rajasthan Women Empower Department Exam Papers with Solutions. To clear the written examination of RSMSSB, the previous year papers are very important. Moreover, by referring to the RSMSSB Supervisor Model Question Papers, one can easily understand the important topics for the examination. Hence, refer to the article and download the RSMSSB Sample Papers Pdf.
The RSMSSB Supervisor Syllabus 2019 is updated here. Hence, all applied candidates are requested to click on the following link and download the RSMSSB Exam Syllabus. Furthermore, you may also check the exam pattern for above post.
The candidates looking for RSMSSB Previous Papers can check here. We have updated the RSMSSB Informatics Assistant Previous Year Papers with Solutions. The previous papers are very important for the applicants who are going to appear for the RSMSSB Exam 2019. Hence, go through the following the article, read properly. You may also download the RSMSSB Model Question Papers and prepare well for the exam.
RSMSSB Previous Papers – 1302 Vacancies
Description
Details
Name of the Post
Informatics Assistant
Total Vacancies
1302
Job Category
Previous Papers
Direct links to download the RSMSSB Informatics Assistant Exam Paper
RSMSSB Informatics Assistant Model Question Papers
Download RSMSSB Exam Syllabus for Informatics Assistant Posts and prepare for the exam. Also, check the RSMSSB Informatics Assistant Syllabus in the Pdf format.
The RSMSSB Previous PapersPdf for Computer Grade IV (Sanganak) Posts. Therefore, candidates applied for the RSMSSB Jobs can download the previous papers from the links given here. Applicants can check the Last 5 Years Rajasthan RSMSSB Sanganak Model Papers Pdf. Also, you can visit the official website of the Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board @ www.rsmssb.rajasthan.gov.in for detailed RSMSSB Computer Grade IV Exam Papers.
Check the RSMSSB Syllabus here. Download the RSMSSB Exam Syllabus for Computer Grade IV Posts. Hence, all applicants are requested to study well for the exam by referring the following syllabus.
Why Recruitment.Guru to Download RSMSSB Old Papers Pdf
Applicants who are searching for RSMSSB LiveStock Asst previous papers, you are at the right place. Here, we are also providing Rajasthan SMSSB Old Question Papers. So people who applied for Rajasthan Live Stock jobs can start their preparation by downloading these Rajasthan JA Solved Papers. Here, we are also providing some sample model papers for RSMSSB various posts. Therefore, check the respective subjects and download the required study materials for the exam preparation.
SSC CGL Result 2019 – Staff Selection Commission has just finished up with the SSC CGL Tier 1 exam. Now, the SSC will release the Combined Graduate Level Exam Tier 1 Result. A notification has been released by SSC, according to which the SSC CGL Tier 1 Result 2018-2019 will be announced on 20th August 2019. All the examinees who are gazing up the SSC CGL result will have to wait for the result until 20th August 2019. Applicants those who have been appeared for this SSC CGL Tier 1 2019 can check and download your results from the official website i.e, ssc.nic.in. Here we will be updating the latest result link and it will work once the result will announce it officially.
SSC CGL Tier 1 Result 2019 Expected Date
SSC CGL Exam 2018-19 was conducted from 04 to 13 June 2019 in 22 shifts, at 362 exam venues, 33 states, and 131 test cities. Re-exam for 4825 candidates was also conducted on 19 June 2019 by SSC. As per the notification, the 8,34,746 number of candidates appeared in the Combined Graduate Level Exam with the overall percentage of attendance of 32.27%. Those candidates who have appeared the examination are eagerly waiting for the Tier 1 Result. As per the report, the SSC CGL Tier 1 Result 2019 Expected date by 20th August 2019. Applicants can get the results just by clicking one link provided below in the table.
The selection procedure of SSC CGL 2018-19 will be consist of four stages i.e. Tier I, Tier II, Tier III & Tier IV. Tier I and Tier II are computer-based exams while tier III and IV are descriptive type exam, computer proficiency test or skill test. The questions will be asked from General Awareness, Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, and English Language. Only those applicants who obtain marks equal to or above the SSC CGL Tier 1 cut off score will qualify the exam.
The SSC CGL Tier 1 Merit list will be declared online on the official website of SSC. We bring you the detailed steps to check your SSC CGL result 2018-19. Applicants will be able to check your SSC CGL result as soon as it gets released on the website by following the steps given below. The SSC CGL Tier 1 Merit list or SSC CGL Tier 1 Result 2018 will have the following details like Name of the Exam, Serial Number, Roll Number of the Candidate, Name of the Candidate, Category Qualifying status of the Candidate (Yes/No).
SSC CGL Tier 1 Cut Off 2019
SSC CGL cutoff is the minimum marks that candidates must secure so as to get through the examination. Candidates should obtain marks higher than or equal to that of the SSC CGL cutoff marks in order to move to the next stage. Candidates who clear the SSC CGL Tier 1 Cut off will be eligible to appear for Tier 2. Also if the candidates will see the SSC CGL Tier 1 cut off the previous year, they can get a clear idea about the SSC CGL Tier 1 cut off 2019. The SSC CGL Tier 1 Cut Off Marks depends upon the following factors (SSC CGL Tier 1 Cut off Category wise):
Maximum marks secured in the exam
Total number of applicants appeared for the exam
The difficulty level of the exam
Number of qualified candidates
Number of vacancies
Steps to check SSC CGL Tier 1 2019 Result
Visit the official website of Staff Selection Commission i.e, ssc.nic.in
In the home page click on the results tab from the top menu
Select the CGL Section, SSC CGL Tier 1 Result 2019 link will be displayed on your screen
Applicants can click on the result link,
SSC CGL Tier 1 Result 2019 pdf file will be open, Check the results
Download or take a print out of the file for further reference.
Important links to download SSC CGL Tier 1 Result 2019
AP High Court Recruitment 2019-2020 Notification issued @ hc.ap.nic.in. Apply Online for 38 available vacancies for Civil Judge (Junior Division) posts. Candidates who have passed LLB or LLM with 03 to 05 years of desired work experience can apply online from 28th June 2019. Closing date to submit your application forms is 16th July 2019. All the details regarding eligibility are listed below. Please scroll down to know those details.
Overview of AP High Court Recruitment 2019
Name of the Organization
High Court of Andhra Pradesh Amravati (AP High Court)
Name of the Post
Civil Judge (Junior Division)
Number of Vacancies
38
Educational Qualification
10th Class/12th Class
Apply Mode
Apply Online
Job Category
AP Govt Jobs
Starting Date to Apply
28th June 2019
Last Date to Apply
16th July 2019
AP High Court Civil Judge Admit Card 2019 release date
AP High Court Civil Judges Vacancy 2019 – Category Wise
Break up of vacancies under Direct Recruitment
Break up of vacancies under Recruitment by Transfer
OC
16 (6W)
OC
05
BC – A
03 (1W)
SC
02 (1w)
BC – B
02 (1W)
BC – C
01
BC – D
01 (1W)
BC – E
01 (1W)
SC
05 (1W)
ST
02 (2W)
Total
31 (13W)
Total
07 (1W)
Eligibility Criteria for High Court Recruitment in AP 2019
Eligibility Criteria to fill up 38 Civil Judge vacancies available in AP High Court Recruitment 2019 notification is as follows,
Educational Qualification
Passed LLB, LLM with 03 to 05 years of desired work experience
Only those candidates who possess the qualifications prescribed under the Andhra Pradesh State Judicial (Service & Cadre) Rules, 2007 which are mentioned below, shall be eligible to apply
Age Limit to apply for AP High Court Jobs:
Maximum Age – 35 Years
Age Relaxation:
As per the Rules
Selection Process
Written Examination/Interview
Application Fee
OC/BC Candidates – Rs.800/-
SC/ST Candidates – Rs.400/-
Applicants belonging to SCs/STs, hailing from the States other than the State of Andhra Pradesh have to pay Rs.8OO/- instead of Rs.400/-
AP High Court Civil Judge Salary:
Best Salary
Examination Centres:
Visakhapatnam
Rajahmundry ( Raja mah end ravaram )
Vijayawada
Guntur
Tirupati
Kurnool
How to apply for AP High Court Recruitment Civil Judges 2019?
Firstly, the application must visit AP Government official website i.e. www.ap.gov.in
On the home page, take a look at Latest News Section
Search for Apply Online link for AP Grama Volunteer Jobs for 4 Lakh Jobs
Click on it
AP Grama Volunteer Application form will appear on the screen
Fill in application form with all important details
Upload scanned copies of necessary certificates along with your signature attested on it
You guys need not pay any application fee
Finally, recheck the filled details and hit on SUBMIT button
After successful submission of the application form, take a printout of application form for future use.
Important Dates for High Court of AP Recruitment 2019
Starting Date
28th June 2019
Last Date
28th June 2019
Date and Time for conducting Screening Test (computer-based test).
04th August 2019 (Sunday) From 3-0O p.m. to 5-OO p.m.
Download of Hall Tickets
23rd July 2019 to 4th August 2019
Placing of Question Paper and Preliminary Key/Response Sheet in the website of the High Court.
7th August 2019
Written objections on Preliminary Key to be submitted to the Registrar (Recruitment), Hagh Court of Andhra Pradesh in Person/ Speed Post/Courier
7th August 2019 to 20th August 2019
Important Links for High Court of Hyderabad Recruitment 2019
The High Court of Andhra Pradesh is the High Court of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The seat of the High Court is located in Amaravati, capital of Andhra Pradesh. All the courts currently used for the Superior Court were called “judicial complex” and will be used for the “civil court of the city” after the inauguration of the building of the Permanent Superior Court. It was created in 1954, during the formation of the new state of Andhra, resulting from the previous presidency of Madras. After the merger of Hyderabad State with Andhra State into Andhra Pradesh State, the Court met in Guntur City until 1956.
Subsequently, the High Court began operating from the capital, Hyderabad. However, after the fork of Andhra Pradesh in Telengana and Andhra Pradesh under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act of 2014, the High Court of the Judiciary of Hyderabad was established as a Joint High Court, until the creation of the new High Court for the State of Andhra Pradesh. Subsequently, by Presidential Order, the High Court of Andhra Pradesh State was established on 1 January 2019 under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014. The High Court Headquarters is located at Amaravati, capital of Andhra. Pradesh and the first city of justice. from India.
CISF Recruitment 2019-20 – Apply for 1534 GD Constable Vacancies: Employment Update!!! Central Industrial Security Force recently published the CISF Recruitment 2019 Notification. It is a Good News for the Candidates who are looking for Police Jobs. This CISF Recruitment 2019 Notification is to recruit the eligible aspirants for GD Constables, ASI, Assistant Commandant (Group A), Constable, Sub Inspector Vacancies. There are 1534 Posts to fill. Candidates who are interested in these Jobs in Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Notification 2019 they can get the details here.
CISF Recruitment 2019-20 – Apply for 1534 GD Constable Vacancies: Employment Update!!! Central Industrial Security Force recently published the CISF Recruitment 2019 Notification. It is a Good News for the Candidates who are looking for Government Jobs. This CISF Recruitment 2019 Notification is to recruit the eligible aspirants for GD Constable Vacancies. There are 1534 Posts to fill. Candidates who are interested in these Jobs in Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Notification 2019 they can get complete details here.
CISF Recruitment 2019 for Assistant Commandants Eligibility Details:
Candidates who are applying for the Central Industrial Security Force Notification 2019-20; they have to satisfy the Edibility details mentioned by the Board. We have given the Detailed Eligibility Criteria here.
Educational Qualification for CISF Recruitment 2019:
Passed 10th Class/SSLC/Matriculation from a recognized board
CISF Recruitment 2019-20 Age Limit Details:
Minimum Age Limit: 18 Years
Maximum Age Limit: 27 Years.
CISF Recruitment 2019 Selection Process:
Candidates who have applied for the CISF Recruitment 2019 Notification, they will be selected based on their performance in the below tests.
Written Examination (Based on UPSC CAPF 2019 Examination)
Physical Efficiency Test
Medical Examination
Interview
PET (Physical Efficiency Test):
Gender
Category
Height
Chest
Male
GEN/OBC/SC
165 cms
77-82
ST
162.5 cms
76-81
Female
All Category
155 cms
NA
CISF Recruitment Pay Scale:
Rs.25,500/- to Rs.81,100/– per month
Application Fee:
Gen/OBC Candidates – Rs.100/-
SC/ST Candidates – No Application Fee
CISF Recruitment 2019 Apply Online Steps
All Candidates who are thinking about how to fill up How to fill CISF Assistant Commandant (Group A) recruitment online application form 2019?, below are the steps. Follow the below given steps and apply for the same before the deadline.
Fistly, Visit the official website of Central Industrial Security Force www.cisf.nic.in
Check for the Official Notification and read it Carefully.
Now, Click on CISF Recruitment 2019 Apply Online Link provided below.
Fill in all the details asked in CISF Online application form 2019.
Upload Scanned copies of necessary documents.
Pay Prescribed application fee.
Finally, press submit button to complete CISF Recruitment 2019-20 Process.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) which was established on 15th June 1983 is a Central Armed Police Force in India.It was set up under an Act of the Parliament of India on 10 March 1969 with a strength of 2,800. CISF was subsequently made an armed force of the Republic of India by another Act of Parliament passed on 15 June 1983. Its current active strength is 1,44,418 personnel. In April 2019, the government raised the sanctioned strength from 145,000 to 180,000 personnel. It is directly under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and its headquarters is in New Delhi.
The CISF provides security cover to 300 industrial units, government infrastructure projects and facilities and establishments located all over India. Industrial sectors like atomic power plants, space installations, mints, oil fields and refineries, major ports, heavy engineering, steel plants, barrages, fertiliser units, airports and hydroelectric/thermal power plants owned and controlled by Central Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), and currency note presses producing Indian currency are protected by CISF. It thereby covers installations all over India straddling a variety of terrain and climatic conditions.
CISF Notification 2019-20:
Central Industrial Security Force has three branches, the executive branch, Ministerial branch, and Fire Service branch. Each branch headed by Director General, the enrolled personnels and Supervisory officers. Central Industrial Security is highly specialized, trained & well-equipped for providing internal security services.
The Gazette rank officers in the Central Industrial Security Forces (CISF) are the Director-General, Additional Director General, Deputy Inspector General, Inspector General, Additional Deputy Inspector General, Assistant Commandant, Commandant, Deputy Commandant. Other than them all other non-gazette officers are in the equal ranking as other Indian Police Forces. The non-gazette officers are Inspector, Subeditor major, Sub-Inspector, Head Assistant Sub Inspector, Assistant Sub-Inspector, Assistant Sub Inspectors and followers.
Central Industrial Security Force offers a wide spread of opportunity to the candidates who are searching for the central government job in the internal security sectors. The Aspirants will be nominated by the Home Ministry.
NEW DELHI: Rainfall in the first four weeks has been among the worst ever while its distribution has been as poor as in the drought year of 2014, but the situation is improving as the monsoon has revived in the past week, and crop planting can quickly reach normal level if the country gets good rainfall in the next two weeks.As in 2014, the first of two successive years of poor monsoon, June rainfall has been normal or excessive in only about a quarter of the districts, with the rest being largely dry. This is bad for agriculture as half of the total farmland depends entirely on rains for water.Total rainfall so far in June is 35% below average, but it is already much better than the deficit of 43% last week. As a result, crop planting — which was 12% below normal a week ago — is now about 10% less than normal for this time of the year.The progress of the monsoon, which delivers about three-quarters of India's annual rainfall, is a key determinant of agri output and rural incomes.These in turn influence demand for consumer goods, gold and automobiles in rural areas, where two-thirds of Indians live.Weather scientists say the initial phase of the monsoon was marred by adverse climatic conditions. The El Nino phenomenon had started developing which delayed the onset of the southwest monsoon by a week and severely retarded its northward movement.69997263 The threat of El Nino has now ebbed, which has helped the monsoon regain momentum.Further, another phenomenon called the Indian Ocean Dipole, which measures the temperature difference between the eastern and western part of the water body, had turned favourable for the vital monsoon system in India.When June rainfall is bad, total June-September rainfall has often been well below normal but there are notable exceptions like in 1926, when June was 48.3% below average but an exceptionally wet August rainfall made the total rainfall 7% higher than normal.In the last 50 years, June rainfall has been worse only in 2014 and in 2009, when farmers were ravaged by the worst drought in 37 years.The weather office has predicted heavy rainfall in western and northern India from the middle of next week. The recent spurt of rainfall has improved the situation in the main grain producing states of Punjab and Haryana as well as Odisha, Bihar, Gujarat, Telangana and parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka. However, rainfall has declined in some parts of Saurashtra, Tamil Nadu and eastern Rajasthan in the past week.The weather office has stood by its initial forecast of monsoon rainfall being 96% of average in the June-September season.
NEW DELHI: India is likely to revamp its customs duty regime, weeding out some exemptions and correcting inverted duty structures to give a boost to the government's Make in India manufacturing initiative as well as exports.It is also considering easing of procedures for industry such as anonymous assessments and speedier clearances, while taking steps to curb evasion.Some of these measures could be announced in the budget for FY20 on July 5 as India looks to take advantage of companies wanting to diversify their global production and set up base in the country."There will be a review in respect of encouraging domestic manufacturing," said a government official.Policymakers are of the view that some exemptions on commodities and other items should be weeded out.Sectors such as telecom, metals, batteries and chemicals for electric vehicles could see changes. The government had earlier imposed and enhanced duties on smartphones and telecom equipment. It is now expected to undertake a comprehensive review that could lead to the reduction of duties on some critical inputs used in the manufacture of phones while raising it on finished products to further encourage domestic manufacture of handsets. 69997071 Vietnam has been able to woo a number of telecom companies from China and policymakers feel that now may be the right time to offer a conducive tax regime to such investors to set up shop in the country.While a number of companies have established assembly lines, the government wants the entire manufacturing chain to be located in India.Experts say any increase in duties would negate the impact of free trade agreements that levy zero duty on many products."Realigning exemptions to encourage Make in India is a step in right direction," said Rahul Shukla, executive director, PwC. "However, imports under FTAs (free trade agreements) continue to have an impact on domestic industry." Trade Facilitation Tops Agenda The government is also eyeing simplification of procedures for exporters and importers. The move to anonymous assessment is aimed at greater efficiency and transparency in functioning. Ease of doing business weighs high on the government's agenda. The country jumped 23 points in the World Bank's last ease of doing business ranking to 77 and a push is on to enter the top 50.Single-window clearance has already been put in place for traders. Measures to boost exports, including tax refunds, are also on the anvil. While enhancing facilitation, the government is also looking at tightening some provisions to check tax evasion. "Proposed faceless assessment in customs, hopefully, will increase the processing efficiencies and remove the physical interface and associated hassles," said Shukla. An inverted structure is one in which the import duty on finished goods is lower than that on the materials or parts that go into making such a product, thus acting as a disincentive for local manufacture.
NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump told Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday that "Indo-US ties have never been better than this" and pledged "very big" trade deals in manufacturing and 5G between the two countries. That appeared to mark a complete turnabout from his fulminations against India's "high tariffs" on Thursday. The two leaders,who met on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Osaka, have directed their officials to address irritants over trade.Trump also congratulated Modi on his sweeping election victory. "You did indeed have a landslide election and that was a great election. You have done a great job in pulling everyone together. Many factions were fighting, I remember when you first took over and we were talking, they were fighting with each other and now they are loving you," Trump said. "I think it is a fantastic tribute to you and your abilities. Thank you for the relationship and the friendship," he said.The US president also told Modi that "it's been a lot of fun dealing with you", adding that major deals were in the offing."I think we will have something big to announce — very big trade deals," Trump said. "We will have very big things with India in terms of trade, in terms of manufacturing, in terms of manufacturing 5G. We had some good talks. I think you will hear some very productive elements come out."The US wants India to shut out Chinese company Huawei over security concerns, just as the South Asian nation is about to start 5G trials. Huawei is a leader in the technology.Trump and Modi were holding their first standalone bilateral meeting since November 2017.They said that trade ministers of both countries would meet at an early date and sort out contentious issues relating to market access, trade barriers and trade imbalance."The relationship with India I don't believe has ever been better than this," Trump said as the meeting began. "India is doing very well as a country. We are doing very well as a country."Foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale later told reporters there were four issues on the table — Iran, 5G, trade and defence relations. On Iran, the two sides agreed to remain in touch to ensure that the situation in the region remained stable, Gokhale said.Besides issues regarding peace and stability in the region, Modi outlined India's energy concerns and said although Iran supplied as much as 11% of its needs, it had reduced oil imports from the West Asian country even though this hurt the economy.Modi told Trump that a large number of Indians reside in the region and it had economic interests as well. "Therefore, it's in India's fundamental interests to have peace and stability in the region," Gokhale said.The PM also recalled that the country had despatched two naval ships for the protection of Indian-flagged vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a point which Trump appreciated. He hoped that oil prices would remain stable and that the US was doing its best to ensure this. On 5G, Modi told Trump that it was a new area in communications that provided an opportunity for collaboration between India and the US."The Prime Minister outlined that we are going to be a billion users of this technology and, in that sense, India is the secondlargest market in the world. The way India moves, whatever choices India makes essentially determine the way the global trend will go," Gokhale said, adding that Modi pointed out the need to collaborate "to see how we can leverage this.""The billion Indian users and India's capacity in technology development and startups and design and Silicon Valley and its role in development of 5G technology for mutual benefit" were discussed, Gokhale said.Modi also highlighted the Make in India programme in this context.Trump is understood to have welcomed the idea and said relevant ministers of the two countries would meet to look at opportunities that the businesses of both sides can leverage and collaborate on. The Prime Minister, according to the foreign secretary, referred to the withdrawal of special export privileges accorded by the US to India and the retaliatory step taken by India to impose duties on 28 items the US exported to India as "something that had already happened and that we should now look forward and see how we can resolve some of the issues".Gokhale said it was a "very productive discussion" and a "very open discussion" and "we will take this forward." The discussion on defence relations was, however, cut short due to the two leaders having other engagements, the foreign secretary added.The two leaders exchanged perspectives on progress in the strategic partnership and developing new ideas to bring it to the next level, persons familiar with the matter told ET. The leaders acknowledged the "unprecedented breadth and depth of bilateral ties," including economic matters, trade, energy, defence, security, counterterrorism and space, said one of the persons. "The leaders affirmed that, as responsible democracies, a close partnership between the US and India is central to global peace and stability," said another person."They reiterated their commitment to provide strong leadership to address global challenges and build prosperity for their citizens in the decades to come."
MUMBAI: The slump in international capacity created by the grounding of Jet Airways has led to a steep rise in overseas airfares, said executives at airlines and travel companies.Flights to destinations such as London, New York and Toronto have seen the biggest increase. For instance, fares on the Mumbai-New York route rose as much as 157% between March and June, according to data compiled by travel portal Cleartrip.Jet Airways suspended all operations on April 17, having run out of money to operate, although it had been cancelling flights all year before that. Until December, it operated close to 120 daily international flights, which contributed about 60% of its revenue. The abrupt stoppage had meant that some planes were unable to make their scheduled trips back to India. "There has been a major decline in capacity, especially in the medium-to-long haul sectors and we have seen a significant spurt in pricing," said Rakshit Desai, managing director at FCM Travel Solutions, a corporate travel company. "Sectors such as Mumbai-London, where Jet had as many as three daily flights, have been deeply affected. Leisure travellers, especially those booked on Jet earlier, have suffered the most as they have had to rebook their flights at the last minute at steep prices."The sharpest rise has come in upper class ticket fares, he said. "It has been difficult to get tickets — business class fares on almost every long-haul sector have more than doubled," said a top executive at a low-fare carrier. The ministry of civil aviation last week gave away close to 400 international arrival and departure slots to Jet's rivals. 69997325 Half of them went to state-run Air India, the country's only carrier that has long-haul operations.The other half were allocated to low-fare carriers led by market leader IndiGo. The government has done the same with Jet's domestic slots. Local fares too have been rising after Jet's grounding of flights. But there will be some moderation in these after rivals add capacity to fill the gap.Experts said it won't be the same for international routes. Low-fare carriers operate to short-haul destinations such as those in the Gulf and Southeast Asia. Air India, itself cashstrapped, has had to ground several planes for lack of spares and will find it difficult to quickly add capacity to capture Jet's market. Foreign carriers, except in the case of the US and UK, are constrained by bilateral agreements. And, American and British carriers aren't expected to quickly add capacity to serve the Indian market.Also, Jet had built up a network of partnerships with about 150 foreign carriers over the years."Jet's passengers had access to a massive codeshare and interline network built over the course of more than two decades. All of that is wiped out and will take years to replicate or build," said Manish Dureja, managing director of Jet Privilege, the loyalty programme jointly owned by Jet and its 24% partner Etihad Airways. Dureja was earlier vice president of marketing for Jet.The airline is currently undergoing bankruptcy resolution after attempts to come up a rescue plan failed.
New Delhi: Spanish fashion brand Zara's profit after tax (PAT) in the Indian market dipped 13.43 per cent to Rs 71.49 crore in FY 2018-19.Inditex Trent Retail India Private Ltd (ITRIPL), an association of Tata group's retail arm Trent, which is engaged in operation of Zara stores in India, had reported a PAT of Rs 82.59 crore in FY 2017-18.However, ITRIPL had reported an increase of 17.69 per cent in its total revenue of Rs 1,437.87 crore for the period under review, said Trent Ltd in its latest annual report.For the year 2017-18, this was Rs 1,221.67 crore.ITRIPL is a 51:49 JV between Trent and Spain-based global fashion retailer Inditex SA -- which owns several brands including Zara.ITRIPL also operates another label Massimo Dutti in India."The entity for Massimo Dutti operates 3 stores and recorded total revenue of Rs 63.58 crore in FY19," it said.The JV has added two more stores during the fiscal and is currently operating 22 stores of Zara in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Surat, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Chennai, Mohali, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Gurgaon."The incremental store opening program for Zara continues to be calibrated," it said.Besides Zara and Massimo Dutti, Spanish fashion firm Inditex also owns fashion brands such as Bershka, Oysho, Pull and Bear, Stradivarius and Uterqüe.
Finance Ministry should target reduction in the fiscal deficit as this is the only time the govt can be fiscally prudent says, Adrian Mowat, EM Equity Strategist. Excerpts from the interview with ETNOW. How was the month of June in isolation in light of the painful under-performance by India? Was the Indian market simply mapping global markets in May and June?The key issue for G-20 meeting is whether China or the US will reduce trade tensions. Early in May, we had seen escalation in trade tensions as US China harped on at already agreed decisions at global level. Hence, markets saw sharp selling off. Asian markets such as China, Korea, Taiwan were really impacted by these trade disputes. What lies ahead of us is to see how Trump and Xi's extended meet in Japan ends. Moreover, I suspect that we will not get a broad statement from the G-20 about an improvement in trade. In India there is a key event of full budget. What do you think FIIs and global investors should expect from the budget?Honestly, I don't have high hopes with budget 2019. People have been asking me how we are going to see a stimulus, is this budget going to be good for growth. I would be very surprised if that was the case. The budget is working on election cycle and after a strong victory it tends to get a degree of fiscal prudence, bit of fiscal tightening and so the impact of the budget on growth is usually slight negative. Though we get an offset in but there is a degree of political stability and business investment. Overall, I think the budget is negative for growth but the election result turns out to be positive because it provides a greater number of years of clarity in terms of political policy.In terms of fiscal deficit, if the slump is about 10 to 15 bps, do you think that investors will take this positively?This is the only time for the government to be more fiscally prudent. They do not need to be out there stimulating the economy in order to encourage more people to vote for them. Hence, my expectation would be a prudent budget. They should target reduction in the fiscal deficit. The budget is likely to focus on infrastructure and NBFC issues. What will be your perspective? Yes, I would imagine the finance minister will discuss both the sectors but remember this is the same administration that has been in government for a period of time. So, a government which focused on infrastructure spending in its previous term, is not likely to change the direction. The issues around NBFCs and PSU banks has been under stress in the Indian financial system for many years. These are difficult issues to address, particularly the use of public funds when you are trying to deal with private or quasi private non-bank financial companies. In my view, this story will be with us for many years to come.One of the reasons for the growth being slow has been the NBFC issue. Do you really think one needs to solve that to see a rise in growth?I am of the opinion that it is rational to consider the NBFC issue as the sole reason for impact on economy. When one thinks of monetary policy, it is not just about the RBI, but also about the position of the states' financial system. The financial system in India got severely hit by the stress in non-bank finance companies particularly in infrastructure sector. This impacts an economy through the distribution of credit and so addressing that is important, but I do not think there is an easy fix to this. It is going to take time to recapitalise and then rebuild people's confidence in these different institutions. Moreover, the management structure of the banks is being criticised for bad loans rather than being criticised for not making sufficient loans at this point in time. Besides, the private sector banks in India have no profitable opportunities without really needing to fill the gap that the NBFCs have opened up.If fiscal prudence is maintained, do you think rates in India will go down further in the next RBI meet?I anticipate that there is a chance of further rate cuts in India. No follow through was done with higher inflation when the currency had been weak and when the oil prices had been rising. So, this is a good chance that the Reserve Bank has the flexibility to reduce interest rates if that is the only appropriate option left in order to stimulate the economy. In H1, India has under performed the rest of the world, what do you think this is the reason for this slump and what should one expect tactically in H2?Well, it is a dangerous point for analysis. However, India has been a significant outperformed in the final quarter of 2018. It did not have the recovery trade that you saw in many markets in the first quarter of this year because they had not fallen to the same extent. India has performed significantly better than most markets in the second quarter and as the election result came through it was a positive surprise and it was less impacted by the trade disputes. Now the question I suppose is, what happens for India and the rest of EM in the second half of this year? US rates are low and India MSCI premium to other emerging markets is lower than that, does that make India attractive versus the rest of the world right now?Well, it certainly helps but I would also like to bring light to how much US 10-year yields have come down. The most important discount rates have come down at a time where there have been growth in the last 18 months, particularly in markets like the US. There has been a significant PE multiple de-rating in US equities since the first quarter of 2019 and a decline in US bond yields. In my view, I do not think India is unique in having a PE multiple decline and a decline in discount rates, it seems to be a global phenomenon.Small caps in India are down a good 4 per cent in the first half and at the same time you have got the Russell 3000 which is up more than 15 per cent. What does that mean for flows ahead in the mid and the smallcap space in India?Yes, there are some specific factors. The NBFCs are an important source of capital for small to midcap businesses. If, you have disruption in a financial system, the larger companies tend to have more options while the smaller ones tend to be impacted by this. That is the reason why you are seeing India small caps under-perform. So, I would look at very specific local factors to explain performance of small to medium size companies whereas with very large index constituents in both markets which tend to be a little bit more global in nature, e will have factors that will be more common across the Indian and the US markets.
I do not expect the investment narrative to suddenly shift from consumption, financials and quality oriented stocks to value picks or investment oriented sectors, says Gautam Duggad, HoR, Motilal Oswal Securities. Excerpts from interview with ETNOW. How are you telling your clients to keep calm and not lose their nerve?These are times where the underlying uncertainty has gone up significantly both on domestic as well as global fronts and at the same time, volatility is very elevated especially in midcap and smallcaps. Nifty is hiding the real pain in the broader markets. Our stance since last year-year and a half has been very simple -- stay close to stocks with higher earnings visibility. Fundamentally, midcaps are now offering relatively better risk reward especially on valuations but I recognise the fact that midcaps need a better investment climate as well as sentiments in the market. Now they are trading at a 14-15% discount to the largecaps which was not the case in entire 2017 and large part of 2018. Otherwise, the market remains heavily polarised in favour of 10-12 stocks. If you look at Nifty from December 2017 till now, there has been a 30% return in top 15 stocks. If you construct the index of only those 15 stocks, the rest 35 stocks' index declined by 11%. Same is the case in midcaps also. We have seen top 15 stocks' index going up 8% while the rest 85 stocks are down more than 21%. It makes sense to stay very cautious as the valuation is not offering you any respite, especially Nifty at 20 times one year forward and elevated risk for earnings downgrade in auto and consumption sectors. Banking is the only sector which is pointing some relief to the earnings next year and that too on a low base. We may argue and say okay you are being charitable when you say 30 stocks are moving higher. I would say only 15 stocks are moving higher. But if those 15 stocks are moving higher, I would say that is an easy market to predict. We should not worry about anything and stay put in just those 15 stocks and go for a holiday!I wish that kind of approach would work in markets over a long period of time. It does work for a couple of years and it has been working for the last two years though. The problem, however, is the lack of earnings pick up in the broader sector of the economy. For example, if you dissect Nifty for FY20, out of Rs 600 of EPS (from Rs 418 in FY19) , 70% of the incremental earnings growth is coming from BFSIs and rest 10% is coming from auto on a low base which I think will get cut as we move closer towards FY20. The problem really is sectors where there is earnings growth. Those stocks are supremely expensive and sectors which are offering some sort of comfort on valuations are not getting earnings growth. For example, ITC is trading at 21-22 times now, almost at a 40% of valuation of HUL. We have had a very moderate neutral call on ITC for last four years. But even now, when you look at earnings growth projections for ITC, it is at around 10-11% which is okay but the market is terrified of any potential tax hikes that could come either in GST Council or outside of GST Council. Therefore, the stock refuses to budge despite 8%-10% earnings growth. We might see the market consolidate in this range and few sectors will keep trading at a premium till we see a slightly broad-based earnings recovery in the market on return of confidence in midcaps and small caps. What are the midcap bets? There are a number of stocks that you guys are bullish on -- Federal Bank, RBL Bank, Indian Hotels. Can you run us through some of the top picks within the midcap universe?The midcap index is now trading at a discount. However, if you stretch back last 10 years, this kind of spread between midcap and largecaps prevailed only once in June 2013. Today if you just take a rolling return of last 12 months when midcaps have underperformed by 15% and small caps by somewhere around 26%. We see a similar situation in June 2013. The only difference was the absolute valuations were even more beaten down at that point of time and you could afford to take a slightly higher risk. Today you cannot do that. You still have to be very stock specific and bottoms up. So, from that point of view, our preference is still tilted towards financials and consumption. What we like in financials as you just mentioned are Federal Bank, RBL Bank, even AU Small Finance Bank and DCB. We are still not very gung-ho on NBFCs. Even after the recent fall, we still prefer to err on the side of caution. On the consumption side, we are more bullish towards slightly discretionary stocks like ABFRL and Trent. Then there is a wide mix of stocks belonging to real estate and even auto midcaps. In fact, auto largecap itself is trading at such a big discount now that their five year average PEs is looking quite attractive. While we know that the next three-four months' numbers may not show anything positive, we have just published a note today talking about June numbers channel checks. June is also looking like a washout month for autos. Among the other midcaps we are still positive on the IT sector where we currently like Zensar, given their strong execution delivery in FY19 and expectations of another strong year in FY20. Rstate continues to look quite interesting after a long period of being out of favour. There has been incrementally bad news flow, especially in Bangalore, where government authorities are talking about clamping down on construction given the water scarcity. Otherwise, we like Oberoi, we like Brigade and those are the mix of midcap stocks which we like. Considering the slowdown within autos, what do you do with Eicher given that it has been beaten down and is at a 52-week low. Do you add some more positions at these low levels or do you just exit the stock and get into two-wheeler stories? Is Hero MotoCorp the preferred choice?As far as the two-wheeler space is concerned, in the last seven, eight years, every stock has struggled after three-four years of good period. Now Eicher has fallen into that kind of a zone. Bajaj Auto, Hero are going through extended period of low returns for the last seven, eight years. As far as auto is concerned, our preference is still more towards four-wheelers, given that their expected recovery is slightly better and they will be least impacted within the current spaces from the BS-VI transition plus competitive intensity relatively remains slightly better in that space so we like Maruti there. As far as two-wheeler is concerned, yes Eicher does trade now at a 30% discount to the five-year average PE. The problem is the number which we keep getting on a monthly basis keeps getting one notch lower. So, the new normal seems to be somewhere between Rs 55,000 and Rs 60,000 for Eicher. We are expecting a double digit decline even this month for Eicher. I recognise that the valuations are cheap there but I do not expect any immediate upside in that space. We will prefer to side with four-wheelers. Even M&M is now trading at a substantial discount to its five-year averages. Those are the two stocks currently that we prefer in the four-wheeler domain.Fast forward to let us say 29th of June 2020. In the next one year we would have seen two budgets; we would have got a complete handle of what US Fed will do in terms of a rate policy and we would have got a complete handle of which way the trade war is headed and how the world would react to it. Where do you think the markets would be after a year?I do not expect any meaningful triggers from the budget whether this year or the next year. While we are all excited about the budget because it is the most hyped up event, what is more important at least from a near- term point of view is the Jalan Committee Report and how much leeway the government gets to spend the money and where do they deploy that capital. From a next 12 months' viewpoint, a lot of things hinge on where the earnings settle finally. Let us assume that we settle somewhere around Rs 575-580 instead of Rs 600 for FY20 and we get around 15% upside from there for FY21. We are talking about an EPS or somewhere around Rs 700 for FY21 and if current valuations were to prevail in a band of 18 to 20 times, then the market range should be somewhere between 12,500 and 13,500 which is a decent upside.But the problem right now is your earnings visibility is getting lower and lower for a lot of sectors. In automobiles, despite a sharp earnings cut for the last six quarters, we are continuing to see another round of cut in this quarter. Pharma does not show any respite, we have a negative view on metals and oil and gas. So the entire earnings recovery is hinging on financials. I would expect more of the same for the next one year with sectors like financials and some segment of consumption doing well. At the margin, I expect slightly better performance from telecom because ARPUs have bottomed out now and Bharti has gone for deleveraging in multiple ways. Telecom is something where I expect some positive performance coming through. As an investment/capex oriented sector, cement could offer a better opportunity but it remains very small part from the point of view of index and roads which have been doing well under NDA-1 and should continue to do well given that the execution track record has been good. I do not expect the investment narrative to suddenly shift from consumption, financials and quality oriented stocks to value picks or investment oriented sectors.Are there any specific midcap names where the selling has been intense and the franchise is available at a deep discount to its true intrinsic value?One of the stocks that comes immediately to my mind is Emami. It has seen a substantial correction on the back of promoter pledge but it is a consumer stock at the end of the day and the core business does not have much debt. The only problem is there has been a slowdown in earnings even in the core business over there. It is a stock we have liked historically. The stock is available at 20-21 times and the stock is vulnerable to a lot of climate related issues. When 50% of the portfolio is dependent on winter and summer, those issues impact a lot. Plus they have a higher share of wholesale and rural markets where we have seen a slowdown in the last two years. Besides that, across sectors, we have seen stocks where promoter pledge, higher leverage or any dodgy corporate governance kind of a perception, have led those stocks to taking a huge beating. While midcaps as an index is now trading at a discount to the largecap one, but unlike June 2013, you still cannot take liberal risks there because the environment has changed a lot and a premium is attached to companies with better balance sheets and better perception of corporate governance.
Data is a "new form of wealth" and it needs to take into account the requirements of developing countries, India said on Friday even as President Donald Trump opposed data localisation and policies restricting the digital trade.US firms like Google, Mastercard, Visa and Amazon have lobbied against data localisation rules around the world including India.Addressing a press conference after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Trump here on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said that India recognises the importance of the interface between trade and the digital economy."We also affirm the role of data for development."From our perspective, data is a major issue, it is an issue which we are also domestically looking at where international rule-making is taking place," he said.India's view and the view of other BRICS countries is that data should be discussed within the World Trade Organization (WTO) context and not outside the WTO context, Gokhale said."Data is also needs to take into account the requirements of developing countries," the Foreign Secretary said."It is a new form of wealth," he said.Trump, at the inauguration of the G20 Summit, said that the US opposes data localisation."We must ensure resilience and security of our 5G networks, it's essential to our shared safety and prosperity. US opposes data localisation and policies which have been used to restrict digital trade flows and violate privacy and intellectual property protection," he said."The US seeks a future of digital trade that empowers all of our people. We look forward to working with other G20 members to advance an open, fair and market-based digital economy that provides for the free flow of data and brings new prosperity to all of our nations," the US President added.In April last year, the Reserve Bank of India issued a directive on 'Storage of Payment System Data' and advised all system providers to ensure that within a period of six months, the entire data relating to payment systems operated by them is stored in a system only in India, for effective monitoring.Many US companies have raised concern over the issue of data localisation and its impact on their operational cost.
Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) Friday said it has signed the wage settlement agreement with its employees union for the period between April 1, 2018 and March 31, 2020.The agreement between the company management and its employees union after prolonged discussions, amid ensuring industrial peace and harmony, a statement said."The management of Toyota Kirloskar Motor and its employees union have signed the wage settlement for the period of FY 2018-20 after prolonged negotiations," it said.In spite of the severe business challenges that the automobile industry is facing, keeping in view the betterment of the employees, TKM has always tried to do its best for the employees, and, we urge all our employees to strive towards sustaining and continuously improving the companys competitiveness," said Shankara G, general manager-employee relations, Toyota Kirloskar Motor.The union is committed to always work for the betterment of the company and its employees, said Prasanna Kumar CS, President of the TKM employees union.
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath orders probe into 'exodus' of Hindus in Meerut According to the Hindu residents and district councillor, several young men from a particular community have been terrorising the people, especially women, by roaming around in speeding bikes and blowing loud horns
Gujarat to implement online RTI system by March 2020 According to the petitioner, a person seeking information under the RTI Act in Gujarat has to make a physical application and cannot do so through any electronic means
Amit Shah's Nehru taunt irks Congress in Lok Sabha Taking the argument further, Shah asks the Congress not to teach BJP a lesson in history as the root of Kashmir problem lies in the decisions made by Nehru
Himachal Pradesh eyes Rs 85,000 cr investment at global investors meet in November Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur says the government has already undertaken a slew of reforms in ease of doing business and also put in place pro-investment policies
G20 Summit: Donald Trump, Xi Jinping set for high-stakes trade war talks in Japan The trade war and signs of a global economic slowdown have overshadowed the two-day Group of 20 summit in Osaka, where the two presidents will hold one-on-one talks on Saturday.
Supreme Court junks rebel AAP MLA's plea over disqualification Rebel AAP legislator Sehrawat challenged a disqualification notice sent to him by the Delhi Assembly Secretariat under the anti-defection law for joining the BJP