According to the police, the firework ignited the methane trapped in the sewers causing a boom of epic proportions. Three vehicles were damaged, but no one was injured.
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"Only upon approaching the entrance gate did my enthusiasm begin to wane. Only then did I remember some crucial facts about myself — namely, I hadn't been to an amusement park since 1996."
Rep. Justin Amash, the only congressional Republican who publicly argues that President Donald Trump has engaged in impeachable conduct, announced Thursday he is quitting the GOP.
What does a camera sound like? It sounds like a shutter opening and closing. To be specific, it sounds like the shutter of a 1970s Canon AE-1 owned by one particular ex-Apple designer.
Roles in data science and data analysis are more in-demand than ever — but you need the hard skills to step into the role. The Complete Data Science A to Z Bundle trains you in the tools and strategies you need to solve complex data problems.
The rise of Lil Nas X and the yeehaw agenda have caused me to re-examine my relationship with a genre that seems intent on shutting people like me out.
Philly will head into the 2019-20 season in a big way ... like enormous. It will be a defensive juggernaut, but has GM Elton Brand hamstrung Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and Al Horford by not adding backcourt help?
Most exercises on Earth are about human beings acting against gravity. So what will fitness look like in a place where gravity is significantly weaker and going outside is deadly?
This reimagining of Monopoly sheds the classic theme in favor of the ever-popular "Game of Thrones" look and feel. Holdfasts and castles, dragons and stags, this is a great way to spend board game night.
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TikTok, the app famous for launching newly out rapper Lil Nas X, is a space where many LGBTQ teens feel safe to come out and connect. The best part? Their parents aren't on it
Border authorities routinely install the app on the phones of people entering the Xinjiang region by land from Central Asia, gathering personal data and scanning for material considered objectionable.
For over a decade, astronomers have puzzled over cosmic flashes that emit the energy of 500 million Suns. But now they're joining forces with alien hunters to finally pin down these distant enigmas.
At the height of the Iraq War, Scott Udall played "Fire Emblem: Path Of Radiance," a game told from the point of view of rebel freedom fighters. It changed the way he saw the world.
Today's "working robber barons" have used a tax break to create a $110 billion charity stockpile, called donor-advised funds. It isn't getting any smaller.
The websites and apps you use day-to-day are mostly pretty seamless, thanks to well-established best practices among UI designers. But what if a designer implemented worst practices?
Twenty-five years after its inception, Amazon now sells everything from taco holders shaped like dinosaurs to tongue brushes that humans can use to lick their cats. But what did people think of Amazon in its early days — the days before the tongue brushes?
Prime Day 2019 is less than two weeks away, and a handful of superb discounts are already live. Start saving now, and see how to get the most out of Amazon's huge event.
If your wallet is known for collecting clutter until it can barely fit in your jeans, you need some forced simplification. Pick up one of these stylish minimalist wallets, and keep it simple.
And another military parade rehearsal: Venezuelan army in full operational readiness for "Civic - Military Parade for the 208 years of the Independence of Venezuela"(on 5th July) https://t.co/zlNBBzxGJa via @ReporteYapic.twitter.com/7qNLqcfQYH
The average volume of garbage produced by different countries and world region, according to risk management firm Verisk Maplecroft pic.twitter.com/cBBQlW3smB
The still very mysterious accident has focused international media attention on Russia's most secretive submarines.
Krasnaya Zvezda, the official newspaper of the Russian Ministry of Defense, has included a heretofore unseen drawing of the Project 09852 Belgorod, a heavily modified Oscar II-class submarine outfitted for various "special projects" missions, in its latest report about a fire that killed 14 sailors onboard a still-unnamed Russian submarine on Monday. Russia officially launched the still-under-construction Belgorod, which is presently the world's longest submarine, in April 2019. At the same time, new details regarding the July 1st accident have begun to trickle out, although they are limited in number and some are unconfirmed in nature.
The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds fly over the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel during the traditional Bastille Day military parade in Paris, France, July 14, 2017. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer
* The Russian CEO who oversees the Kremlin's military–industrial complex says the nation's S-500 surface-to-air missile system "will enter service very soon." * Russia claims that the S-500 is capable of intercepting hypersonic missiles, drones and aircraft as well as stealth warplanes like the F-22 and the F-35. * In May 2018, CNBC learned Russia quietly conducted the world's longest surface-to-air missile test with the S-500, according to sources with direct knowledge of U.S. intelligence report.
WASHINGTON — The Russian CEO who oversees the Kremlin's military–industrial complex says the nation's S-500 surface-to-air missile system "will enter service very soon."
Rostec CEO Sergei Chemezov said Sunday during an interview on Russian state-owned television that the S-500, an upgraded version of the S-400 missile system, was in production and would join the Kremlin's arsenal after testing.
Russia claims that the ground-based missile system is capable of intercepting hypersonic missiles, drones and aircraft as well as stealth warplanes like the F-22 and the F-35.
Defusing bombs dropped over Germany during World War II is Horst Lenz's calling. He is summoned around 1,000 times a year to clear explosive devices. Lenz is guided by Murphy's Law: Anything that can go wrong, will.
Between 1940 and 1945, some 2.7 million tons of bombs were dropped on Europe by US and British forces, half of which landed in Germany. Of the roughly quarter million bombs that did not explode, thousands are still hidden underground all over the country.
Horst Lenz has been defusing bombs since 1984. The 63-year-old director of the Explosive Ordnance Clearance Service in Rhineland-Palatinate and his team of 15 is called in when bombs are found around the state. Last year they found around 35 tons of munitions and munition parts, including 63 unexploded bombs, 319 incendiary devices, 11 anti-tank mines, 444 grenades and 5,045 kilos of bullets.
WNU Editor: Another country that is littered with unexplored ordinances is Russia. My mother's home town (and now city) is 50 km west of Moscow, and I know the person who is responsible for disarming and disposing World War II ordinances in that area. He is just as busy as Horst Lenz is in Germany, if not more so.
* North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's bodyguards sparked international attention after they were seen running beside his car at a summit in Singapore last year. * The elite force is chosen from North Korea's most loyal political families, a new book says. * US President Donald Trump made a historic visit to North Korea over the weekend.
US President Donald Trump made a historic trip to North Korea over the weekend, meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on his home turf. The meeting offered a view of the secretive Hermit Kingdom, including a glimpse of the protection apparatus that ensures Kim's safety.
Kim's life is shrouded in mystery, and his bodyguards remain a source of endless fascination. During Kim's visit to Singapore last year for talks with the US, images of a dozen of Kim's bodyguards running alongside his car made headlines.
Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher will have his rank reduced and is sentenced to four months of confinement, which he has already served, for posing with the body of a dead Islamic State fighter, the San Diego jury decided Wednesday.
Gallagher's attorney confirmed to Fox News that he will retire from the U.S. Navy when he becomes eligible in about three weeks as he hits his 20 years of service.
The SEAL was found not guilty Tuesday on six of the most serious counts he was facing, including premeditated murder, willfully discharging a firearm to endanger human life, retaliation against members of his platoon for reporting his alleged actions, obstruction of justice and the attempted murders of two noncombatants.
WNU Editor: As to his future .... US Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher will be retiring from the U.S. Navy when he becomes eligible in about three weeks as he hits his 20 years of service.
ABOARD THE JS IZUMO (AP) — One of Japan's largest warships, the helicopter carrier Izumo, offers a glimpse of where its military is headed: For the first time, troops from a newly formed amphibious brigade of Japan's army participated in an extended naval deployment.
The Izumo left Subic, a former U.S. naval base in the Philippines, at the end of a two-month deployment in the Indo-Pacific region at a time of prolonged tensions involving China's sweeping territorial claims in and around the South China Sea. The carrier, along with the destroyers Murasame and Akebono, just finished a series of drills with the United States and other countries.
Island nation Japan's ability to project military power beyond its borders is severely constrained by the commitment to pacifism and rejection of use of military force in conflict enshrined in its post-World War II constitution, though in 2015 it was reinterpreted to allow the use of force in defending itself and its allies.
Production shift to create new rivals for world's consumer tech factory
TAIPEI/HONG KONG/CHONGQING -- Global consumer electronics makers HP, Dell, Microsoft and Amazon are all looking to shift substantial production capacity out of China, joining a growing exodus that threatens to undermine the country's position as the world's powerhouse for tech gadgets.
HP and Dell, the world's No. 1 and No. 3 personal computer makers who together command around 40% of the global market, are planning to reallocate up to 30% of their notebook production out of China, several sources told the Nikkei Asian Review.
Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Sony and Nintendo are also looking at moving some of their game console and smart speaker manufacturing out of the country, multiple sources told the Nikkei Asian Review. Other leading PC makers such as Lenovo Group, Acer and Asustek Computer are also evaluating plans to shift, according to people familiar with the matter.
Although Iran has increased its uranium stockpile, experts say Tehran is still a long way from a nuclear weapon. However, more uranium enrichment risks EU and UN sanctions, and renewed tension between Iran and the world.
On Monday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Iran had exceeded the amount of low-enriched uranium the country is allowed to possess under the 2015 nuclear accord, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
In May 2018, the US pulled out of the international nuclear deal with Iran and began reinstating sanctions, saying that Iran had not been holding up its end of the bargain. In May 2019, the US ended sanctions waivers on Iran's oil importers, effectively choking off the country's economically critical oil income.
GENEVA (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran on Wednesday against making threats that can "come back to bite you like nobody has been bitten before," after Tehran announced it would breach a 2015 nuclear deal.
President Hassan Rouhani announced that after July 7 Iran would enrich uranium beyond a fissile purity of 3.67%, which is the maximum allowed by the deal and a level which is deemed suitable for electricity generation.
* Russia's will withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty * The treaty was jointly signed with the US to help prevent the risk of nuclear war * It comes as two of Vladimir Putin's ships went on exercise in the Norwegian Sea
President Vladimir Putin has signed a bill suspending Russia's participation in a pivotal nuclear arms treaty.
Putin's decree released on Wednesday formalises Russia's departure from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty with the United States following Washington's withdrawal from the pact.
The US gave notice of its intention to withdraw from the INF in February, setting the stage for it to terminate in six months unless Moscow returns to compliance.
It comes as Russia announced it had sent two of its newest and most powerful ships to the Norwegian Sea for exercises.
The Russian Defence Ministry announced earlier in the day that 14 people had died as a result of a fire that erupted inside a deep-sea military submersible while it was coducting research of the sea bottom in Russian territorial waters for the Russian military.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met the country's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu hours after the news about the deadly incident aboard an underwater vessel had broke.
Seven captains of the first rank and two Heroes of Russia have died in the incident, Putin stated. "This is a great loss", Putin emphasised.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Chinese President Xi Jinping listen to opening remarks at a plenary session at the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan on Friday June 28, 2019. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)
Trudeau 'confident' Trump raised case of 2 detained Canadians in talks with Xi Jinping.
China has warned Canada not to be "naive" in thinking that the U.S. can help smooth over issues between the two countries.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters Tuesday that he was "confident" U.S. President Donald Trump brought up the case of the two detained Canadians during talks with China's Xi Jinping.
Trump said on Saturday he did not talk with Xi about the extradition case against Huawei telecommunications executive Meng Wanzhou during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Japan.
Al-Qaida has recruited an estimated 40,000 fighters since Sept. 11, 2001, when the Osama bin Laden-led extremist group attacked the United States, according to the not-for-profit Council on Foreign Relations.
Despite a United States-led global "war on terror" that has cost US$5.9 trillion, killed an estimated 480,000 to 507,000 people and assassinated bin Laden, al-Qaida has grown and spread since 9/11, expanding from rural Afghanistan into North Africa, East Africa, the Sahel, the Gulf States, the Middle East and Central Asia.
In those places, al-Qaida has developed new political influence – in some areas even supplanting the local government.
At least 44 people were killed in Libya Wednesday in Libya after an airstrike flattened a detention center for migrants near the war-torn country's capital Tripoli.
Footage circulating online following the attack in Tajoura – which also left more than 130 wounded, according to the U.N. -- showed blood and body parts mixed with rubble and migrants' belongings. No one yet has claimed responsibility for the airstrike, which comes as Libya is split between two warring governments, each backed by militias that control different cities and towns.
A fighter loyal to the Libyan internationally-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) fires a heavy machine gun as a press photographer take pictures of the scene during clashes against forces loyal to Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. AFP
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he is supplying militias backing the Tripoli government with arms, armoured vehicles and drones
Turkey's support of fighters against eastern-based Libyan commander Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar's has been no secret, but recent statements from Ankara mark a particularly brazen step.
The Field Marshal's Libyan National Army has consistently accused Turkey of aggressively violating Libyan sovereignty and bolstering groups, including extremists, who the LNA says run Tripoli, propping up the UN-backed government.
WNU Editor: Turkey's involvement in the Syrian quagmire is a news story that many in the West are ignoring. They should not. This is only going to prolong the conflict, and destabilize the region even more than what it is today.
* Iran will increase its level of uranium enrichment after July 7 beyond the 3.67 per cent cap set in the landmark 2015 nuclear deal, President Hassan Rouhani said * He said Europe needs to fulfil promises or reactor will return to previous activity * Tension between Tehran and the US remain high since Trump pulled out of deal
Iran's president has warned European partners in its faltering nuclear deal that Tehran will increase its enrichment of uranium to 'any amount that we want', beginning on Sunday.
The country will increase its level of uranium enrichment after July 7 beyond the 3.67 per cent cap set in the landmark 2015 nuclear deal, President Hassan Rouhani said today.
His remarks defy U.S. efforts to force Tehran into renegotiating the pact.
If the remaining signatories of the nuclear deal with world powers do not fulfill their promises, then the Arak nuclear reactor will return to its previous activities, Rouhani added.
A Bulava missile launched by the Russian Navy Northern Fleet's Project 955 Borei nuclear missile cruiser submarine Yuri Dolgoruky from the White Sea in north-west Russia in May last year
* USAF General David Goldfein outlined how a Russian nuke would be combated * F-35 fighters and B-2 bombers thunder into action over eastern Europe * Missile defense systems lock on as the warhead makes its 20 minute flight * And nuclear-armed submarines prepare to unleash an horrific retaliation
F-35 fighter jets and B-2 bombers thunder through the air, nuclear-armed submarines and Navy destroyers cut through the ocean and missiles stand primed for action - the Commander of the US Air Force has described the response to a Russian nuclear attack.
General David Goldfein outlined the step-by-step process that would be executed by the military in the event of nuclear Armageddon.
The first stage of the plan is an all-out counter attack launched by the US alongside its NATO allies.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced Tuesday it had successfully tested a new anti-missile system in Saryshagan firing range in central Kazakhstan, as shown by a video released by the MoD.
Though the MoD did not disclose any further information about the test, including the precise type of next generation weaponry featured in the video, the military and Middle East affairs news site Al-Masdar identified it as the A-235 so-called "Satellite Killer" based on visual similarities to a prior publicized A-235 test from last year.
WNU Editor: Expect more videos and tests in the coming months/years with the now collapsed Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces and the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty between Russia and the United States.
(ISLAMABAD) — Taliban and U.S. negotiators are scrambling to rewrite a draft agreement that will outline the withdrawal of American and NATO troops from Afghanistan and a verifiable Taliban guarantee to fight terrorism ahead of an all-Afghan peace conference Sunday.
Officials familiar with the talks, but not authorized to speak about them, say negotiations went late into the night on Wednesday and were to resume again on Thursday — the sixth day of direct talks between the insurgents and U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad.
Suhail Shaheen, spokesman for the Taliban’s political office in Qatar, told The Associated Press on Thursday that “the talks are continuing and they will continue tomorrow as well. We have made some progress.”
Previously he said that a draft agreement was being rewritten to include agreed-upon clauses. On Thursday he said the two sides had broadened their discussion, without elaborating.
Until now two sides had been divided on the withdrawal timetable, with the United States seeking more time.
Taliban officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, earlier said the U.S. was seeking up to 18 months to complete a troop withdrawal even as U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox News earlier this week that a withdrawal had already quietly begun and that troop strength had been cut to 9,000. The president’s statement has since been contradicted by a senior U.S. official, who said the force strength is unchanged at about 14,000.
Still, Trump’s statements reinforced the president’s often stated desire to leave Afghanistan and end America’s 18-year war — the longest in his country’s history.
His eagerness to pull out has strengthened the position of the Taliban, who effectively control half the country and won a key concession in the planning of the upcoming peace gathering, which will include no official delegation from the Afghan government.
Germany and Qatar, who are co-sponsoring the dialogue and issuing the invitations, said participants will attend “only in their personal capacity,” a condition President Ashraf Ghani has strenuously opposed. He has made no comment on Sunday’s meeting.
The Taliban have steadfastly refused to talk to Ghani’s government, calling it a U.S. puppet, but have said government officials can attend the conference as private citizens.
In a tweet on Wednesday, Shaheen said 60 people will attend the peace gathering, which Khalilzad called an “essential element” in achieving a peace agreement in Afghanistan.
Atta-ul-Rahman Salim, deputy head of a government-appointed peace council, said the delegation from Kabul will include a cross-section of Afghanistan’s civil society, including women’s rights activists.
“It is a good first step to hear each other’s side,” he said.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who attended two previous meetings with the Taliban in Moscow, told The Associated Press he won’t be attending the Doha gathering because he will be in China. But, he added, “I fully support the coming intra-Afghan dialogue in Doha and am in the picture.”
Hong Kong police have arrested a suspect in relation to the July 1 ransacking of the legislature, while Beijing intensified its condemnation of the protests and of political leaders in Britain, who have voiced support for them.
Local government-run radio reported in the early hours of Thursday that a 31-year-old man had been arrested and accused of forcible entry into the Legislative Council, while 12 other suspects were detained Monday in connection with other public order violations, including possessing offensive weapons. A further wave of arrests is expected as police track down protesters suspected of storming the city’s parliament.
Hundreds of anti-Beijing demonstrators smashed their way into the Legislative Council on the 22nd anniversary of the former British colony’s retrocession to Chinese sovereignty. The unprecedented attack caused millions of dollars of damage. Protesters defaced the semi-autonomous enclave’s official emblem, tore up its post-colonial constitution, and draped the British colonial flag across the president’s chair. Slogans spray-painted inside the complex read “We are not China” and “H.K. is not China.”
In a stern rebuke Wednesday, Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily said “Inciting illegal activities” damaged the reputation of Hong Kong as an international financial center and hurt “the immediate interests and fundamental welfare of Hongkongers.”
It went on to say that “those who love the country and love Hong Kong” should “strongly condemn extremely violent acts” and seek the prosecution of those who “seriously violate the law.”
In an editorial Tuesday, the state-run, English language Global Times asserted that “Chinese mainland society and Hong Kong belong to the same big family” and stated that it was “a disgrace that such a developed society could carry out this kind of reckless and savage violence that has signaled an ominous alert for the city’s future.”
Tensions have also risen between Beijing and Whitehall, after the Chinese ambassador Liu Xiaoming accused the U.K. of interfering “in the internal affairs of Hong Kong” and supporting “violent lawbreakers.”
His remarks came after British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he had witnessed “terrible scenes” in Hong Kong. “My heart goes out to people who do have to fight for their freedoms and who are worried they could lose their very, very precious way of life,” he said.
British Prime Minister Theresa May said that it was vital that Hong Kong’s “high degree of autonomy” be respected, while the politician tipped to succeed her, Boris Johnson, said he backed Hong Kong’s protesters “every inch of the way” in their fight against an unpopular bill that has galvanized opposition to Beijing. (The now suspended legislation would allow extradition to mainland China for the first time, and many in Hong Kong fear that Beijing would use the provision to round up political opponents and dissidents.)
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman accused Hunt of laboring under a “colonial illusion,” while Whitehall summoned Liu over his remarks, describing them as “unacceptable and inaccurate.”
Meanwhile, further protests are planned for this weekend. On the Telegram messaging app—which Hong Kong’s leaderless protesters use to organize themselves and exchange information—appeals have been made for a vigil on Saturday for a young woman who fell to her death from a shopping mall after penning a Facebook post encouraging Hongkongers to continue in their fight.
Other messages are calling for a march on Sunday through streets of the Kowloon peninsula that are heavily frequented by mainland Chinese tourists, ending at the West Kowloon Station.
The station is a controversial symbol of China’s presence in Hong Kong. High-speed trains to the mainland depart from there but, more significantly, a large part of the building is a so-called “Mainland Port Area,” subject to Chinese law and employing hundreds of mainland personnel.
(CANBERRA, Australia) — An Australian student released after a week in detention in North Korea described his condition to reporters in Beijing on Thursday as “very good,” without saying what happened.
Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced to Parliament that Alek Sigley, 29, had been released hours earlier following intervention from Swedish diplomats on Wednesday, and had been taken to the Australian Embassy in Beijing.
Sigley looked relaxed and gave a peace sign when he arrived at Beijing airport. He did not respond to reporters’ questions about what had happened in Pyongyang.
“I’m OK, I’m OK, I’m good. I’m very good,” Sigley said. Asked how he was feeling, Sigley replied: “Great.”
His father, Gary Sigley, a professor of Asian studies at University of Western Australia, said his son would soon be reunited with his Japanese wife Yuka Morinaga in Tokyo.
“He’s fine. He’s in very good spirits. He’s been treated well,” the father told reporters in his hometown of Perth.
Sigley’s friend and fellow student of North Korea, University of Technology Sydney academic Bronwyn Dalton, said she had recently spoken to Sigley’s wife, who was thrilled by the news.
“We were jumping up and down and we love Sweden,” Dalton said.
“He’s a fine, young, emerging Asian scholar, he is very applied to his studies. I really doubted whether he did actually anything wrong by the regime,” Dalton added.
Swedish diplomats had raised concerns about Sigley with North Korean authorities in Pyongyang, where Australia does not have an embassy.
“Alek is safe and well. Swedish authorities advised the Australian government that they met with senior officials from the DPRK yesterday and raised the issue of Alek’s disappearance on Australia’s behalf,” Morrison said, using the official acronym for North Korea.
Morrison thanked Swedish authorities for “their invaluable assistance in securing Alek’s prompt release.”
“This outcome demonstrates the value of discrete behind-the-scenes work of officials in resolving complex and sensitive consular cases in close partnership with other governments,” Morrison said.
In an interview with Swedish public radio Thursday, Sweden’s Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said she had been in contact with Australia and Sweden’s special envoy to North Korea, Kent Harstedt. She said Sweden had “raised the issue of this case at highest level” in North Korea and the release happened during Harstedt’s visit to Pyongyang.
“Happy for the release of Australian citizen Alek Sigley today! Sweden has done its utmost to work for Mr Sigley under our bilateral agreement with Australia. Relieved that the situation was resolved,” Wallstrom tweeted.
The Pyongyang university student and tour guide had been out of contact with family and friends in Japan and Australia since Tuesday last week. He had been active in social media about his experiences in North Korea and had boasted about the extraordinary freedom he had been allowed as one of the few foreign students living in Pyongyang.
Morrison’s announcement was the first confirmation that he had been detained.
Morrison said he discussed Sigley’s disappearance with other world leaders attending the Group of 20 summit in Japan last week and accepted offers to find out what happened to him. Morrison had dined with President Donald Trump in Osaka but declined to say with whom he had discussed Sigley’s disappearance.
North Korea has been accused in the past of detaining Westerners and using them as political pawns to gain concessions. Australia advises people to reconsider their need to travel to North Korea and warns that foreigners have been subject to arbitrary arrests and long detentions.
Leonid Petrov, an Australian National University expert on North Korea and friend of Sigley, last week speculated that Sigley had been “deliberately cut off from means of communications” temporarily because Trump was in the region.
Petrov said on Thursday that he had not been able to contact Sigley since he had been freed, but still suspected his disappearance was linked to Trump meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Sunday.
“It was as time of sensitivity in North Korea after the visit of (Chinese President Xi Jinping) and before the visit by Donald Trump,” Petrov said.
“I expected this to happen a couple of days earlier, but it was a good thing to see the Swedish government delegation arrive on Monday just after the summit. It was the right time to be there,” Petrov added.
___
Associated Press writer Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, contributed to this report.
(NEW DELHI) — Rahul Gandhi resigned Wednesday as president of India’s opposition Congress party, long led by his politically powerful family, to take responsibility for its crushing defeat in recent elections.
Gandhi announced his resignation on Twitter, saying he was stepping down because accountability is “critical for the future growth of our party.” He said rebuilding the party requires hard decisions and “numerous people will have to be made accountable for the failure.”
“It would be unjust to hold others accountable but ignore my own responsibility as president of the party,” Gandhi said in his resignation letter.
It was unclear whether the left-of-center secular party would accept his resignation.
Gandhi’s family, starting with his great-grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru, has produced three prime ministers. Two of them — his grandmother Indira Gandhi and father, Rajiv Gandhi — were assassinated in office.
Rahul Gandhi lost his own seat, long a Congress party bastion, in the recent elections, marking the end of an era for modern India’s most powerful political dynasty. However, he won a seat from another constituency.
He had been talking of quitting since the results of the elections were announced in May, but party officials urged him to stay. Dozens of party supporters joined a strike to pressure Gandhi not to resign.
In the elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party won 303 out of 542 seats in the lower house of Parliament, well beyond the simple majority needed to form a government. The Congress party won 52 seats and the All India Trinamool Congress led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee won 22.
Gandhi said in his resignation letter that the BJP used state organizations to help it win the elections.
“We didn’t fight a political party in the 2019 election. Rather, we fought the entire machinery of the Indian state, every institution of which was marshalled against the opposition,” Gandhi said. “It is now crystal clear that our once cherished institutional neutrality no longer exists in India.”
He said the BJP is “systematically crushing the voice of the Indian people” and that it is his party’s duty “to defend these voices.”
“Our democracy has been fundamentally weakened. There is a real danger that from now on, elections will go from being a determinant of India’s future to a mere ritual,” he said. “This capture of power will result in unimaginable levels of violence and pain for India.”
Arti Jerath, a political commentator, said nothing would change if the Gandhi family remains “the power center of the Congress party.” She said Congress needs an election within the party “so that new leaders can come up.”
“That is the only way to get fresh blood and ideas. The Gandhi family has to let go. It can’t continue the system of patronage,” Jerath said.
Nilanjan Mukhopadyay, a biographer of Modi, said the way Congress leadership navigates the current crisis will largely determine the future of the party.
“If after all this melodrama, Rahul Gandhi continues either in person or through a proxy president to dominate, it is going to be more damaging for the Congress party than it is now,” he said.
After inheriting his power, Rahul Gandhi long distanced himself from political life, even after becoming a lawmaker. In Parliament he was largely a backbencher, leaving the party’s reins to his mother, Sonia Gandhi. In December 2017 he took over the party’s leadership from her after she suffered health problems.
The BJP’s victory was largely seen as a referendum on Modi’s Hindu nationalist politics that many say have bred intolerance toward Muslims and other religious minorities. Critics say the ruling party’s Hindu nationalism has aggravated religious tensions. However, Modi supporters say the tea seller’s son from Gujarat state has improved the nation’s standing.
Since Modi led the BJP to power in 2014, Hindu mobs have lynched dozens of Muslims and lower-caste dalits for allegedly consuming or slaughtering cows, which Hindus consider sacred.
(MEXICO CITY) — Hundreds of federal police blocked highways in and around the Mexican capital Wednesday in open revolt against plans to absorb the officers into the newly formed National Guard, a move that the police fear could upend their jobs.
The protests came as the government officially began deploying the National Guard to try to seal the country’s porous southern border and control immigration and crime. The demonstrations threatened to complicate the formation of the new force, which President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has bet Mexico’s future security on.
Uniformed officers blocked a major capital highway in front of federal police offices, and another contingent blocked the highway between the national capital and a state capital, Pachuca. Federal police at a Mexico City command center demanded a meeting with the security secretary.
The president has been dismissive of the federal police, characterizing them as a failed security force. He gave military officers the bulk of the responsibility for the National Guard. The new agency is also seeking new recruits.
Protesting police at the command center in the capital’s Iztapalapa borough said their seniority, rank and benefits would not be recognized within the National Guard.
National Guard Commandant Patricia Rosalinda Trujillo Mariel, one of the few leaders of the new force who came from the federal police, was jostled by the crowd as she came to meet the protesters and asked them to put forward representatives to talk.
“I am federal police. I respect the principles of my institution, and I want to have a dialogue,” Trujillo shouted over the crowd.
Police officer Alejandra Baez Villanueva said the police need their jobs to support their families.
“We aren’t protesting. We’re just demanding our rights,” she said. “We just want them to respect our seniority, because for (members of) the army and the navy, they respect it, and for us as federal police they don’t.”
Speaking later at a news conference, Mexico’s security secretary, Alfonso Durazo, assured that the government would respect officers’ seniority, salaries and benefits. He said federal police should not worry because those who do not want to join the National Guard will get jobs with other government entities. He blamed misinformation for sparking the demonstrations.
“No transition is simple, and this one is no exception,” Durazo said.
He also highlighted what could be an improvement for police who join the National Guard. He said they would be based in various locations around the country and work in those areas rather than being constantly deployed for operations all over Mexico as the federal police were.
In front of federal police offices in Mexico City, uniformed federal police blocked the Periferico highway, backing up traffic for a time. More than 100 uniformed officers also blocked the highway connecting the capital and Pachuca near Ecatapec. Traffic was backed up for miles in both directions. Some bus passengers walked from one side of the blockade to the other looking for other transportation.
The demonstrations also revealed a vast difference in culture between the federal police and military. When federal police officers are deployed, they are typically put up in hotels. When the military operates outside its bases, soldiers sleep wherever available and receive little compensation to cover their meals.
The president said Wednesday that no federal police would be fired and that those who qualified for the National Guard would maintain their salary and benefits. He said joining the new force would be voluntary, but he was vague about what would happen to federal police who did not.
Last week, the newly appointed head of the National Migration Institute apologized for calling some federal police officers “fifi,” or posh, when they complained about difficult conditions in the effort to reduce the flow of migration through Mexico toward the United States.
Mexico sent 6,000 National Guard members to the southern border to assist in that effort, and thousands more have been deployed to the northern border to deter illegal border crossings.
Before dawn Wednesday, National Guard members appeared on the banks of the Suchiate River in Ciudad Hidalgo, Chiapas, where they supported immigration agents checking the documents of foreigners crossing the border from Guatemala on rafts. Dozens of migrants were loaded into vans, including 12 migrants from Bangladesh who the Guard said had been caught crossing on rafts.
A National Guard commander explained to the agents that they were there to support immigration enforcement, but not to interfere in the brisk and vital commerce carried out on rafts that shuttle all manner of goods between the two countries. The show of force came the same day as media were invited on a tour with National Guard forces in southern Chiapas.
The crackdown, sometimes using military and police personnel, actually began weeks ago. Since May 17, officials said, 20,400 migrants had been detained on the southern border. They estimated there were 61 unregulated border crossing points in the border state of Chiapas.
Critics say the immigration enforcement mission could distract the force from its primary responsibility of curbing violent crime.
Mexico is experiencing the highest number of killings in at least 20 years, though the rate of the slayings has stabilized in recent months. For years, Mexico relied on the military to confront organized crime, in some cases even disbanding local police forces because they had been infiltrated by cartels.
Princess Haya Bint al Hussein, the sixth wife of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the billionaire ruler of Dubai, is said to be seeking refuge in London after reportedly leaving her husband and fleeing Dubai. She is thought to be living with the couple’s two children in a mansion near Kensington Palace worth about $107 million.
According to the BBC, Princess Haya, who is the daughter of King Hussein of Jordan, is said to be “afraid for her life.” A person close to the royal family told the New York Times that she arrived London months ago, and is seeking political asylum while asking for a divorce. A legal battle between the couple is now underway in the London courts regarding divorce and the custody of the couple’s two children.
Sheikh Mohammed, 69, is a billionaire and racehorse owner that was seen speaking to the Queen at Royal Ascot, Britain’s most famous annual horse-racing event in June. Princess Haya failed to appear at this year’s event.
The couple married in 2004, with Princess Haya then becoming the sheikh’s sixth and youngest wife.
Princess Haya is thought to have sought refuge in Germany first. However it is thought she would prefer to stay in the UK, where she went to school and studied at the University of Oxford. She is also close to the British royal family.
While the reasons for Princess Haya’s move are as yet unclear, Sheikh Mohammed, who enjoys writing poetry, has seemingly been sharing his emotions online. In a recent post on Instagram, he accused an unnamed woman of treachery and betrayal.
Under Islamic law in the UAE, men can easily divorce their wives — but women must go through a long legal process. It is likely to be complicated in the UK due to it being a polygamous marriage, and will put the UK in a difficult position, considering its longstanding alliances with the UAE.
Sheikh Mohammed reportedly made an application to divorce his wife and claim custody of their two children in the Family Court division of the High Court. The case was last heard in the courts on May 22 before Mr. Justice Moor, and is next listed on July 30 with a time estimate of 2 days.
Reports in the British media say Sheikh Mohammed hired famous divorce lawyer Helen Ward to represent him. When asked to confirm this, Ward’s office refused to comment. Princess Haya is said to have hired Fiona Shackleton.
Princess Haya’s flight will likely be compared to a failed attempt by Sheikha Latifa, the daughter of another of Sheikh Mohammed’s wives, to escape Dubai last year. She was seized by a commando squad who boarded the yacht she used to flee the country. In a video she asked her friends to release only if she failed, the princess said she had been jailed and tortured after a previous attempt to leave.
Sheikh Mohammed’s office later issued a statement in December saying Sheikh Latifa was safe in Dubai, but she has not been publicly seen since. Photographs of her with Mary Robinson, the former President of Ireland and United Nations human rights commissioner, were published in December, in what seemed to be an attempt to show that she was safe and sound. But human rights groups said there remained serious concerns as to her state of health and whether she continued to be detained against her will. Princess Haya reportedly invited Robinson for the visit.
LYON, France — The Netherlands will play the United States for the Women’s World Cup title after Jackie Groenen sealed a 1-0 victory over Sweden in extra time on Wednesday night.
A slick passing sequence ended in the 99th minute with Groenen driving a shot from outside the penalty area past goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl. It was Groenen’s first goal of the tournament and it set up a meeting between the European champions and the reigning world champions back in the Stade de Lyon on Sunday.
And it means that for the first time since 2003, the final will include two female coaches. With Jill Ellis coaching the U.S. and Sarina Wiegman in charge of the Netherlands, the run of three finals featuring a male coach comes to an end.
Progress for the Dutch women has been rapid. They only debuted at the World Cup in 2015 — reaching the round of 16 — but followed it up by winning the European Championship on home soil in 2017.
After a draining semifinal, the Dutch have one less day than the Americans to prepare for the title game and they will have to be more potent up front to overcome the athletic U.S.
The second semifinal was no match for the drama, tension and high energy of the previous night when the U.S. beat England 2-1.
The game featured few scoring chances and was only lit up by the goalkeeping in regulation time — particularly in the second half.
A shot from Nilla Fischer was creeping into the net in the 56th minute until Netherlands goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal tipped it onto the post.
It was the crossbar that denied the Dutch in the 64th minute when a header from Vivianne Miedema was pushed onto the frame by Lindahl’s fingertips.
But the goalkeepers wouldn’t be relied on for a penalty shootout.
Groenen, who in May became the first overseas signing for new English Women’s Super League team Manchester United, produced a moment of brilliance in the first half of extra time for her first goal of the tournament.
The Swedes will have to settle for bronze if they can beat England on Saturday in Nice. But the focus for now will be on the health of Kosovare Asllani, who was carried off on a stretcher late in the game.
After days of difficult negotiations, European leaders have put forward their nominations for the EU’s top jobs on Wednesday, nominating two women for the leadership roles.
Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, will replace the Italian Mario Draghi as President of the European Central Bank and will become the first woman in history in the role.
The German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen is set to replace Jean Claude Juncker as the E.U.’s commission president. If voted by a majority at the European Parliament, she will also be the first woman in history to hold the job.
Von der Leyen is a centrist and a loyal ally of Angela Merkel and her nomination is seen as a victory for the German chancellor. She’s less well known internationally than Lagarde and is seen as somewhat of a surprise nomination. This is will be her first E.U. position but the role, one of Europe’s most powerful, would put her front and center in trade deals as well as proposing and enforcing E.U. rules. So, who is Ursula von der Leyen?
Who is Ursula von der Leyen?
The 60-year-old gynecologist only started her political career in her early 40s. As well as Germany, she has lived in Belgium, the U.K. and the U.S., and speaks fluent French and English.
Van der Leyen has not held an E.U. job before, but Brussels is a very familiar place for her. As the daughter of a European Commissioner (back when the E.U. was the European Economic Community), she was born in the Belgian capital and spent most of her childhood there.
She studied economics at two German universities and at the London School of Economics but never graduated. Instead she went on to study medicine in Hanover, and later earned a masters degree in public health. She lived in California for a few years while her husband, a professor of medicine, joined the faculty at Stanford University.
In 1990 she joined Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union party (CDU). After climbing through the ranks in the regional government of Lower Saxony, she joined the cabinet of Merkel’s first government in 2005 as minister for Family, Seniors, Women and Youth. During that time, Von der Leyen, a mother of seven, improved maternity and paternity pay rights.
She continued to work with the German chancellor throughout her almost 14-year leadership. In 2009 Van der Leyen moved to the Labor Ministry, before becoming the first female defense minister in 2014.
What will her responsibilities be as European Commission president?
As long as she is elected by a simple majority in the European parliament, Von der Leyen will become the bloc’s 13th commission president for the next five years. The job, one of the most powerful in Europe, involves leading the Union’s most important institution, made up of 28 commissioners, to set the bloc’s policy agenda. As the E.U.’s executive branch, the Commission is sometimes dubbed the civil service, or the government of the E.U.
The role is sometimes confused with the European council president, who represents the E.U. on the world stage and chairs the European council, made up of the 28 heads of state that define the E.U.’s political direction and priorities.
One of Van der Leyen’s top challenges as commission president will be overseeing Brexit. As a European integrationist she has previously lamented the U.K.’s decision to leave the E.U. In an interview with Berliner Morgenpost last year she said Brexit “is a loss for everyone”.
As the Commission President, Von der Leyen will also represent the Commission at G7 and G20 summits. Much like Merkel, her relationship with Donald Trump is likely to be difficult. In an interview with Der Spiegel last year she implied Trump was intimidated by Merkel because she is a powerful woman. “A woman like Angela Merkel, a globally admired head of government with many years of experience has probably not features in his world view before,” she said.
Her predecessor, the Luxembourg national Jean-Claude Juncker, was able to overcome his differences with Donald Trump, and said he “liked him as a person”.
Is everyone happy with her nomination?
Von der Leyen was a surprise choice for the position. It was the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, who first suggested she lead the Commission, after several other candidates, including Dutch social democrat Franz Timmermans who had appeared to be the favorite, were rejected.
Angela Merkel announced on Tuesday that Von der Leyen had received “strong backing from EU leaders.” Her reputation in Germany, however, is not as good as it is abroad. She has been criticized for her role as defense minister, with a member of her own party saying: “It’s good for the army that she is going.”
Former European Parliament president Martin Schulz, criticized Von der Leyen on Twitter, saying she is “the weakest minister in the government,” but that “apparently such a performance suffices to become head of the Commission.” Germany’s Green Party, which came second in the May 26 European elections, is threatening to veto her nomination in the European Parliament.
The biggest pride event in Central and Eastern Europe brought more people than ever to the streets in the Polish capital of Warsaw on June 8. Tens of thousands of people marched, danced and sang waving colorful flags and umbrellas. Back in 2005, gay rights activists had to fight to march in Warsaw. Pride events were officially banned in 2004 and 2005 by then mayor Lech Kaczynski, who later became President.
What started as hundreds of people marching in defiance of the mayor, grew to nearly 50,000 marching in June alongside the new mayor, who was elected in 2018. In June, Rafal Trzaskowski became the first mayor to take part and speak to crowds from a parade float in Warsaw, which is Poland’s largest city with a population of 1.76 million people. And in at least 20 cities across Poland from June 29 to July 6, Equality Parades have taken place, including in the western city of Poznan, with more people than ever taking part.
But as support for LGBTQ rights has grown, so too has the backlash. Ahead of European Parliament elections in May, Poland’s right-wing ruling Law and Justice party (PiS), ramped up its opposition to the LGBTQ community, calling it a “direct attack” on family values. PiS, which has been in power since 2015, warned that if the opposition prevailed in the European Parliament elections, so would the LGBTQ “attack” on society (PiS eventually scored a victory in the May elections). Jacek Kucharczyk, President of Poland’s leading think tank, the Institute of Public Affairs tells TIME he expects anti-LGBTQ rhetoric to increase ahead of national elections this fall.
What challenges do LGBTQ citizens face in Poland?
Poland, home to some 38 million people, is one of Europe’s most Catholic countries, with about 86 percent of the population identifying as Roman Catholic. It ranks 27 out of 28 European Union states when it comes to equality and non-discrimination, according to Rainbow Europe, an organization linked to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association.
Same-sex marriage, still illegal in Poland, is legal in 27 EU countries. Anti-gay attacks are not considered a hate crime by law. In 2016, parliament rejected a bill that would have included gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and age as potential grounds for a “hate crime.” Kucharczyk from the Institute of Public Affairs says there’s a “refusal to recognise that LGBTQ people need to be protected. This group is systematically excluded. Hate crimes against sexual minorities are not reported because police aren’t required to report it.”
According to the Campaign Against Homophobia, 12 percent of people who don’t identify as heterosexual are victims of physical violence in Poland, while around ninety percent of incidents go unreported, according to the 2016 survey.
Nevertheless, “attitudes towards the LGBTQ community have come a long way” says Robert Biedron, who became Poland’s first openly gay and atheistic politician when he came out in 2011. Biedron, 42, served as mayor of the northern town of Slupsk until 2018. He cites the rising number of pride demonstrators and the fact that he now endures far fewer anti-gay insults from politicians and the media. “It’s a big change compared to a few years ago,” he says. In February Biedron founded a pro EU political party, which has vaulted into third place in a public opinion poll, potentially threatening the ruling party’s prospects for winning the general election.
Jaap Arriens—NurPhoto via Getty Images)People are seen taking part in the March for Life and Family in Warsaw, Poland on June 9, 2019. Several thousand people took part in the march that was meant to counter the gay pride march of the previous day.
Why are Poland’s populists targeting LGBTQ rights?
Opposition to LGBTQ rights became a cornerstone of PiS’s campaign after Warsaw Mayor Trzaskowski, who belongs to opposition party Civic Platform, signed a declaration in February that promised an LGBTQ hostel and community centre, a local crisis intervention system, and access to anti-discrimination and sex education in schools along World Health Orgnization (WHO) guidelines.
Shortly after the mayor signed the declaration, PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynskiresponded, calling LGBTQ rights an “import” that threatens the very continuation of the Polish state. A number of town councillors announced their decision to make their municipalities “LGBT free”, calling Warsaw’s declaration “against good moral values”. Mirosława Makuchowska, from the Campaign Against Homophobia, says while such announcements are not legally binding, they send a “disturbing message” to the population.
Others have noted the desire to get political mileage out of an inflammatory issue. Biedron, Poland’s first openly gay politician, says PiS are “looking for a scapegoat and are exploiting people’s sense of security. They’re trying to turnpublic attention away from the real problems to the imaginary problems.” Makuchowska says she sees parallels with the party’s 2015 campaign, when it deployed anti-immigrant rhetoric. “Now they’ve picked a new theme,” she says.
While PiS’s popularity has slightly declined in the past year, it’s still the most popular party amid robust economic growth, low unemployment and large social benefits. Nevertheless, there are very real problems. “The party is worried about losing its legitimacy at home due to aseries of recent scandals” says Kucharczyk, the think-tank analyst. Local media has accused the party of running a murky real estate business, as well as corruption at the financial market regulatory authority, charges PiS denies.
How has Polish media influenced anti-gay rhetoric?
Anti-LGBT rhetoric is not only seen in politics; it’s increasingly used in Polish media. As Biedron puts it, “Polish people have long been surrounded by information saying that homosexuality is a disease that can cause brain damage.”
A 2017 report by the Centre for Research on Prejudice of the University of Warsaw found that since PiS entered government in 2015, Polish population’s exposure to hate speech in the media, including against gay people, has increased by 25%. The report states that hate speech is “particularly dangerous for youth,” who were found to use hate speech most often and whose “sensitivity to homophobic statements” decreased. More than 40% of young people said they had used hate speech against gay people and refugees.
On the eve of the Warsaw’s pride parade, a television presenter, Rafal Ziemkiewicz, an author and journalist tweeted “one must shoot at LGBT” people, before adding “not in the literal sense of course — but these are not people of good will or defenders of anybody’s rights, [the movement is] a new mutation of Bolsheviks and Nazis.”
Artur Widak/NurPhoto — Getty ImagesRobert Biedron, a Polish politician, at a press conference on March 3, 2019 in Rzeszow, Podkarpackie Province, Poland.
Are any other European governments becoming increasingly anti-LGBTQ?
Poland’s anti-LGBTQ rhetoric chimes with other conservative populists, including Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban. His Fidesz party has advocated the defense of traditional family values against the rise of dangerous and imported values — including LGBT rights — that threaten the country’s Christian roots.
One member of Budapest Pride, which organizes pride events, Viktória Radványi, tells TIME that “in spite of the growing number of people joining equality marches, homophobia in the government and the press has increased over the past few months.” During a Budapest forum on May 15 as part of the European elections campaign, a Fidesz member and Chair of the National Assembly Laszlo Kover, said there was “no moral difference” between pedophiles and gay couples adopting children.
Fabrice Houdart, Human Rights Officer at the United Nations told the Economist that “increasingly LGBT people are used as pawns for political gain around issues of family and tradition.” He added that the “widening gap” between the quality of the lives of LGBT people in more tolerant places and in the rest of the world is not sustainable. “LGBT people everywhere know that they deserve the same opportunities and the same level of dignity as everyone else,” he said.
What’s the future of LGBTQ rights in Poland?
Biedron, who suffered four anti-gay physical assaults when he served as a Member of Parliament from 2011 to 2014, says “the distance between hate speech and hate crime is small.” He believes the best way to counteract anti-gay sentiment is to “explain to the public that who we’re talking about when we talk about LGBT people.” But with the PiS’s opposition to implementing education programs, young people will continue to have limited access to information related to LGBTQ people.
While Biedron says that anti-LGBTQ rhetoric is likely to only intensify ahead of national elections in the fall, he’s hopeful that civil society can fight back. “Even if you have politicians, full of hate and stereotypes, scapegoating LGBTQ people, it’s clear that part of society is not buying this story.”Fifteen years ago, he says, it was “unimaginable” that Warsaw, Poland’s most “progressive city,” would host a pride march — let alone in other cities. “More people are brave enough to go on the streets and demand equal rights” says Biedron, “and this is the hope for Poland.”
(THE HAGUE, Netherlands) — The windows where scantily clad sex workers stand to attract customers in Amsterdam could be closing for good.
The city’s mayor proposed fundamental changes Wednesday to the network of narrow alleys and canal side streets that make up Amsterdam’s famed red light district.
The proposals range from closing the window curtains so sex workers no longer are on public display and shutting down brothels with display windows altogether to adding more windows and moving prostitution somewhere else in the city.
Mayor Femke Halsema said the ideas are intended to protect sex workers’ rights, prevent crime and reduce nuisances for local residents and businesses.
Halsema plans to discuss the four proposals for the red light district’s future at two meetings later this month with those affected. In September, the city council will also debate them before narrowing down the options and checking their financial and legal viability.
The announcement of a public consultation on the future of the neighborhood and its 330 prostitution windows marks the latest attempt by Amsterdam officials to clean up a part of the city’s historic center that has in recent years become a noisy, overcrowded tourist magnet.
A red light district has existed for centuries close to the city’s main waterway. In recent years, the local government has sought to reduce the number of windows and to gentrify the area, but with limited success.
On most evenings, large groups of tourists wander through the area, which also is home to peep shows, bars and marijuana-selling cafes.
Amsterdam says the proposed reforms follow changes in the sex industry in recent years and in the rise in the number of tourists.
In a statement, the city said that for some visitors, “a sex worker is nothing more than an attraction to look at.”
Increasingly, sex workers also are offering services online, away from the regulated industry in the red light district.
“In this part of the market, abuses happen more often,” the city said.
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BRITISH Royal Marines have stormed a super tanker off the coast of Gibraltar after suspecting it of carrying crude oil to Syria in a breach of European Union sanctions.
MALAYSIA Airlines Flight MH370 Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah made a series of videos in the months before the aircraft tragically crashed into the Indian Ocean killing all on board.
US Navy aircraft carrier Nimitz was terrorised by a squadron of brilliant white, super-agile aircraft resembling tic tac candy. Now four high ranking naval officers are demanding answers to exactly what the craft were and whether they were secret US aircraft or even extraterrestrial spaceships.
NORTH KOREA has launched a furious attack on the US, accusing it of being "hell-bent on hostile acts" - despite Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un meeting earlier this week in what Pyongyang called an "amazing event".
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ITALY'S Stromboli volcano erupted on Wednesday evening and killed one tourist – shocking webcam footage captures the moment molten lava explodes out of the volcano.
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NYKS Admit Card 2019 has committed to publish the Interview Letter after releasing examination result. As per the commitment, the board has released the Interview Call Letter on Today 03rd July 2019. The Interview date has been scheduled from 08th July to 13th July 2019. Moreover, Direct Link has been provided to download the nyks.nic.in hall ticket 2019.
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Take a print out and carry for the exam.
Direct Links to download NYKS Interview Letter 2019
TS Gurukul Results 2019 is released on 20th May 2019 and TGCET Results has released on 19th June 2019.Telangana Gurukul Common Entrance Test is conducted with a view to providing Admission to the students in the TS Gurukulams. The examination has been conducted on 7th April 2019. A huge number of Students have appeared for the Telangana Gurukulam CET 2019 to get admission in Gurukulam Schools of Telangana. The Admission will be given according to the Merit List of aspirants. Those who are waiting for the TS Gurukul CET Results can check and download it from here as well as on the official website i.e, tgcet.cgg.gov.in.
Latest Update: TGCET Gurukulam 2nd Phase Result 2019 has Released on 19th June 2019. Result Checking links are Available in this Article
TS Gurukulam 3rd Phase Result 2019 – Telangana Gurukulam 3rd Phase Result is likely to release soon by the TSTWREIS. TGCET 2019 Students can access their result by visiting the official website i.e, tgcet.cgg.gov.in. However to make it simple, here we will be updating the latest result link, it will work once the TS Gurukulam Results will be announced by officially. Check your TS Gurukulam Results via the link mentioned below. Hence, all those might be looking for the TS Gurukulam 3rd Phase Results now!!
TS Gurukulam 3rd Phase Result 2019
Organization Name
Telangana State Tribal Welfare Residential Education Institutions Society (TSTWREIS)
Exam Name
Telangana Gurukulam Common Entrance Test (TGCET)- 2019
TGCET Gurukulam 2nd Phase Result 2019 – TGCET 5th Class Result 2019 has been released by the TSTWREIS on 19th June 2019 at its official website i.e, tgcet.cgg.gov.in. Here we have provided a direct link to download the TGCET 5th Result 2019 from the below table without any hesitation. Check your results via the link mentioned below. Hence, all those might be looking for the TGCET Phase II Results now!!
TGCET Results 2019
Organization Name
Telangana State Tribal Welfare Residential Education Institutions Society (TSTWREIS)
TS Gurukul Results 2019 – TGCET 5th Class Result 2019 has been released by the TSTWREIS on 20th May 2019 at its official website i.e, tgcet.cgg.gov.in. Here we have provided a direct link to download the TGCET 5th Result 2019 from the below table without any hesitation. This is the best choice for the Students those who wish to study in the Gurukulam Schools of Telangana. A large number of hopefuls have sent their applications for the Telangana Gurukulam CET. As well as a huge number of Students have appeared for the Examination, those students can check the TS Gurukul CET Results from the official website.
TS Gurukul Results 2019
Organization Name
Telangana State Tribal Welfare Residential Education Institutions Society (TSTWREIS)
Candidates who are eligible in the TGCET 5th Class Result 2019 will get admission in the TSWREIS, TTWEIS, TREIS, TSBCWREIS Residentials schools in the academic Year of 2019-20. Students can directly Download the TGCET 5th Result 2019 from the link given below. The main purpose of conducting TGCET 2019 is to provide admission to the BC, SC, ST, Students who are having eligibility for the Admission. Get complete details of TGCET 5th Class Answer Keys, Result 2019 are given below in this page.
TS Gurukulam 5th Class Merit List
Candidates who are qualified in the CET are eligible for the Admission into the 5th Class in Residential gurukul school in Telangana State. On the basis of the Score secured in the Examination, the candidates are awarded merit. Getting higher marks by the Candidates will be higher in the merit list. As per the Merit of TS Gurukul CET, the seats will be allocated. After completing the exam TSTWREIS will release the answer keys for Set A, Set B, Set C, Set D Papers of the Exam candidates who attended for the exam can check the Answer Keys to know their performance in the Exam and students can estimate the TGCET 5th Result by checking answer keys.
TGCET -2019 5th Class Entrance Result/Counselling
Candidates under the backward categories are seeking admission in the ts Gurukulams 2019. Based on the Result of TGCET 2019 candidates are selected for the admission into Gurukulam schools. Gurukulams provide the many facilities to the students for their academic growth such as providing quality Education, coaching for competitive exams.
How to Download the TS Gurukul CET Results 2019
Visit the Official Website of TSTWREIS i.e. tgcet.cgg.gov.in
Click on the anywhere in the image provided on the home page.
Telangana Gurukul CET 2019 page appears on the screen
Click on the link provided for TGCET 5th Result 2019
Enter the details such as Hall Ticket Number and Date of Birth in the space provided for them.
Submit the detail clearly
TS Gurukul Results Appears on the screen
Download the result and take a printout of for future reference
WBJEE Result 2019 – Dear Students!! Click the below link to get the WBJEE 1st Round Seat Allotment Result 2019. West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board (WBJEEB) has declared the WBJEE First Round Counselling Result 2019 on 03rd July 2019. Students those who have appeared this WBJEE First Round of Counseling process can check their WBJEE 1st Round Seat Allotment Result from the official website i.e, wbjeeb.nic.in. Moreover, students can get complete details of WBJEE 1st Counselling Result from this article. Just by clicking a single link, Students can get the WBJEE 1st Round Seat Allotment Result 2019.
WBJEE First Round Seat Allotment Result Date | wbjeeb.nic.in
The West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination Board (WBJEEB) has conducted the admission test on 22nd April 2019 for admission to B.Tech, BE, and B.Pharmacy courses. The board has also declared the results on 5th June 2019. And also, qualified aspirants have registered for the counseling. The WBJEE has stated the facility for online filing from 9th June 2019 and the First -round seat allotment announces on 3rd July 2019. Students have to visit the official website in order to download the WBJEE First Round Seat Allotment Result 2019. In addition, students can also check the result from the direct link given below. Here Students can get the direct link for WBJEE 1st Round Seat Allotment Result 2019 – View College Wise Allotment Letter.
Candidates those who have allotted seats in the first round have to pay the provisional admission fee online and personally report to any one of the Reporting Centres for document verification and seat confirmation/ up-gradation. All candidates who get allotment must report at the Reporting Centre positively during the first round of e-counseling, failing which their allotted seat shall stand canceled. Moreover, they will not be considered for further online rounds of seat allotment.
This is the WBJEE 1st Round Seat Allotment Result 2019 time, everyone can check the result from the below link:
The registration process for WBJEE 2019 seat allocation was closed on 25th June 2019. Candidates who successfully registered themselves were allowed to participate in online choice filling and locking from 25th June to 30th June 2019. The second seat allotment list of WBJEE 2019 will be released on 9th July 2019.
Candidates selected through each round of WBJEE 2019 seat allotment will be required to report to specified centers for document verification and pay the provisional admission fees. It is also important to note that provisional admission at the reporting center is mandatory or the admission will stand canceled. Candidates unsatisfied with the seat(s) allotted will have to wait for the WBJEE 02nd Round Seat Allotment Result 2019.WBJEE seat allotment 2019 will be done on the basis of merit, category, preferences and seat availability.
Steps to check WBJEE 1st Round Seat Allotment Result 2019
Students initially visit the official website of West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board i.e, wbjeeb.nic.in
In the home page click on the WBJEE Tab in the main menu
in the new page click the WBJEE Counseling 2019 link
Then click view the seat allotment result of round 1
View Seat Allotment Result Round 1 will be open in a new page
Students can click any appropriate link to check their result by College Wise.
Important links to download WBJEE First Round Counselling Result
OUCET Admit Card 2019 – Dear Candidates!! Osmania University has issued the Official Hall Ticket for you on their Official Website. Aspirants who are waiting to download the admit card for Entrance Examination can view the direct link here. Moreover, Applicants who have applied for Post Graduate Entrance Examination can now download the OU CET Admit Card from the below section. The Osmania University Admit Card has been released on 02nd July 2019.
OUCET Hall Ticket 2019
Candidates who have applied for various PG Courses can download the OUCET admit card 2019. Hence, Candidates can get the hall ticket from the Official Website i.e. oucet.ouadmissions.com or from here. From our webpage, aspirants can get the direct link to download the Osmania University Hall Ticket 2019. Moreover, Aspirants can update more information about Osmania University Common Entrance Test from here. So, Candidates can focus our website to get more latest updates in 2019.
Osmania University has published the Hall Ticket to the examiners which carry all the information listed below. Candidates have to notice each instruction to be filled in. Hence, Applicants should download the Osmania University PG Entrance Exam Hall Ticket after getting a clear view of your details. However, Candidates can collect their OUCET Hall Ticket from here and appear for the CET Examination.
Name of the Applicant.
Exam Date, Time & Centre.
Post Applied for.
Application or Registration Number
Date of Birth
Important Instructions.
Osmania University Common Entrance Test 2019
Common Entrance Test will be held from 08th July to 20th July 2019. Hence, Candidates who are going to attend the exam must carry the Osmania University Hall Ticket. Moreover, Aspirants should download it before the exam date. OUCET Hall Ticket Download should be made as soon as possible, as the exam date is near to you. Candidates must follow all the instructions in the OUCET admit card at the exam hall. Report at the desired time which is stated in the hall ticket. No candidates will be allowed inside the exam hall after the defined time. So make sure of availability within the given time.
Particulars to download oucet.ouadmissions.com 2019 hall ticket
Examiners should carry any of the document to the examination hall. Therefore, candidates must submit the valid id proof to appear at the exam. Candidate’s ration card will not be taken as ID. So, Aspirants need not carry the ration card for the Osmania University Common Entrance Test 2019.
Aadhar Card
College ID
Driving License
PAN Card
Voter ID
Any Valid ID Proof Issued By Gazetted Officer
Bank Passbook
Passport
How to Download OUCET Hall Ticket 2019?
Click on “OUCET Hall Ticket” Link.
Enter the Registration Number, Date of Birth.
Select the Exam Paper for the Entrance Test.
Click on to the ” Download Hall Ticket” option.
OUCET Admit Card Download page will appear.
Enter all the necessary information.
Click on to the download option and download OUCET admit card.
Allahabad High Court Result 2019 – High Court of Judicature At Allahabad has recently published the results for Group D Stenographer District Allotment Result 2019. Candidates those who have been appeared for the Stenographer vacancy can download the Result now. Allahabad High Court Notification has Released Result for the post of 543 Group D Stenographer District Allotment Result. The Examination was held on 21st January 2019 and the result has been released on 16th May 2019. Candidates can download the Allahabad HC Stenographer Result 2019 from below mentioned link.
Allahabad High Court HJS Part II Mains Result 2019 – High Court of Judicature at Allahabad has recently uploaded Mains Exam Result for the Post of Higher Judicial Service HJS Part II 2019 Recruitment 2018 on 03rd July 2019. Those Candidates who have appeared in this Exam can download Mains Exam Result now!!. Candidates can download the Allahabad High Court UPHJS Part II Mains Result 2019 from the official website i.e, allahabadhighcourt.in. Moreover Here we have given the direct link to download your results. The Interview Letter will be available on the official website from 10th July 2019. Also, Interview will start from 12th July to 14th July 2019. Applicants can click on the below link to download their Results.
Allahabad High Court HJS Part II Result 2019 – Check Here Allahabad High Court HJS Part II Interview Schedule – Check Here
Allahabad High Court Stenographer Result (Grade III) – Officials of the High Court of Allahabad had released the Allotment of district judgeships in view of posting of candidates selected for Stenographer Grade-III post. The Uttar Pradesh Civil Court Staff Centralized Recruitment 2016-17 result has been published on the official web portal on 16th May 2019. Candidates can download the Allahabad High Court Stenographer Grade-III Result 2019 from the official site @ allahabadhighcourt.in. Furthermore, we had also given the direct link to download the Allahabad High Court Result 2019.
Allahabad High Court Stenographer Result 2019 (Grade III) – Check Here
Get Here Complete Details About Allahabad HC Civil Court Staff Application Procedure, Important Dates, Application Fee, Age Limit, Qualification, Number Of Vacancies, Pay Scale And Important Link. We advise the candidates to keep in touch with the official site or with our page to get the latest updates of Allahabad HC Group D Stenographer District Allotment Result 2019.
Allahabad High Court Result 2019 | Stenographer Grade – III Result 2018-19
Most of the candidates had applied and those candidates are eagerly waiting to check the Allahabad High Court Cut Off Marks 2019. Mainly, Allahabad High Court Cut Off Marks 2019 depends on a few factors. They will give out the final cut off/selection marks depending upon various aspects like a total no. of job posts, the number of candidates, Difficulty level of Test Paper and others. Allotment of district judgeships in view of posting of candidates selected for Stenographer Grade-III post has been released.
To view the Allahabad Court Stenographer Grade-III Final Result along with the merit list, check step by step process given below. Candidates have to obtain minimum marks to get the selection in High Court of Allahabad, as a Stenographer Grade-III as per the cut-off criteria.
Steps to download Allahabad HC Stenographer Grade – III Exam Result 2019?
Go to the official website of High Court of Delhi @ allahabadhighcourt.in
In the Latest Announcements, find the required link which shows Allahabad HC Group D Stenographer District Allotment Result 2019
Open the link in a new page and enter the details.
Now, hit on Submit button.
Allahabad High Court Result 2019 will appear on the screen.
Download it and take a hard copy for further use.
Allahabad High Court Result 2019 | Stenographer Grade-III Post
Syndicate Bank Result2019 – Syndicate Bank has recently Uploaded Result, Interview Letter for the post of Specialist Officer SO in various Scales Recruitment 2019 on 28th June 2019. Those candidates who have appeared in this recruitment exam can download the result, Interview Letter. The Syndicate Bank is allowing the Aspirants those who attended the SO’s Examination Held on 13th June 2019, to check their Result. However, Applicants can check the Syndicate Bank PO Result from the link given in the table below. Moreover, download the PDF and Check your Syndicate Bank Result 2019.
Syndicate Bank Result 2019
Candidates can make use of this page to get their Syndicate Bank Exam Result 2019 for the post of Specialist Officer. A huge number of applicants had applied for the post and attended the examination on 13th June 2019. Hence such applied aspirants are eagerly waiting to check their Syndicate Bank Results 2019. However, the result has announced here now they can download the interview call letter at www.syndicatebank.in. Therefore, check your Syndicate Bank PO Result here and get your dream Bank Job now.
Syndicate Bank Result 2019 will be announced soon. The officials of Syndicate Bank will release the final results soon. Exam Results plays a major role for those applicants who have attended the examination. To help aspirants easily get their Syndicate Bank Results 2019 we have provided direct links and steps. However, the results are released by the officials and hence there would be no ambiguity. The Syndicate Bank Merit List 2019 consists of the name of shortlisted applicants and only such contenders can take up further rounds. By checking results applicants can evaluate their performance in the examination. However, refer the steps given below to check your results.
Recently the officials of Syndicate Bank had released its notification to fill in applicants for the post of Specialist Officer. A huge number of interested candidates had made use of this opportunity. However, only those applicants who met the eligibility criteria had applied for the post. Hence such applied contenders had appeared for the examination. Such appeared applicants are eagerly waiting to check their Syndicate Bank Exam Results 2019. To help them easily get their results we have provided direct links and steps.
Syndicate Bank Cut Off Details
Cut off marks is the minimum marks applicants must score to get qualified for further rounds. However, the cut off marks are decided by the officials and hence there would be no ambiguity. Reaching the required qualifying marks is very important for candidates. Those contenders failing to get the marks will not be allowed to take up further rounds. Hence applicants must prepare well for the examination to get the required marks. Moreover, the cut off marks vary for a different organization. Hence candidates those eager to be part of the Syndicate Bank board prepare well for the examination.
Syndicate Bank Merit List 2019
Are you guys in search of Syndicate Bank Result 2019 ?? then candidates the officials of Syndicate Bank will release its results for those applicants who attended the examination. The result consists of the name of shortlisted applicants and only such aspirants can take up further rounds. Those failing to meet the expected marks will not be allowed to take up further rounds. However to help aspirants easily get their results we have provided direct links and steps. Candidates can make use of this page to check their Syndicate Bank Merit List 2019.
Steps to Download Syndicate Bank Result 2019
First, aspirants have to visit the official website of Syndicate Bank ie. www.syndicatebank.in
Then check the Syndicate Bank Exam Results 2019.
The result page appears
Enter your hall ticket number carefully and click on submit button.
A result page appears.
Check your name on the Syndicate Bank Merit List 2019.
Download the results.
Finally, take the printout of the Syndicate Bank Result 2019.
Direct Link to Download Syndicate Bank Exam Results 2019
APPSC Hall Ticket 2019 has been released now. The Admit Card is available for various posts. Candidates who have registered their Online Application successfully can download the admit card from here. Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission announced the admit card on its Official Website. APPSC Admit Card plays a vital role in all the selection process. So, Candidates can get the direct link for various APPSC Hall Ticket 2019. From the below section candidates can get the admit card for APPSC Hostel Welfare Officers and for other APPSC Jobs 2019.
APPSC Admit Card 2019
AP Public Service Commission Admit Card 2019 contains the important details of candidates such as Name, Date of Birth, Exam Name, Exam Center, Center Code, and Others. Aspirants have to check all the details in the admit card before downloading it. AP Public Service Commission Hall Tickets are important for all the selection process of AP Public Service Commission. Scroll Down to know more information about APPSC admit card 2019. Now the admit card has been released for the post of Hostel Welfare Officers on 02nd July 2019. So, Applicants who applied for the post can download the AP Hostel Welfare Hall Ticket from the below-tabulated link. As in the Official Website, APPSC Hostel Welfare Officer Mains Exam will be held on 11th July 2019.
AP Public Service Commission Admit Card 2019 – Overview
APPSC Hostel Welfare Hall Ticket 2019 – Download Here
Required things to Check-in AP Public Service Commission Hall Ticket
As explained in the above section contenders need to check the important details in the admit card. Enter all the mandatory instruction which indicates your identity. AP Public Service Commission Hall Ticket Download is made by just entering the Unique Application ID and Password. Aspirants must check to the printed details in the admit card before downloading it. Follow the general instructions in the APPSC admit card at the examination hall.
Name of the Applicant.
Exam Date, Time & Centre.
Post Applied for.
Application or Registration Number
Date of Birth
Important Instructions.
Vital Information to Download APPSC Hall Ticket
Candidates can download the various admit card from the end of the section. Aspirants have to carry any of the document to the examination. Hence, download the admit card in prior to avoid the last time traffic. Moreover, Applicants have to intimate the Higher Officials if they find any mistakes in the AP Public Service Commission Admit Card. Apply and get a corrected hall ticket from the APPSC to carry for the examination.
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 APPSC Admit Card 2019-20?
Click on the Official Website of Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission i.e. psc.ap.gov.in
Choose the needed hall ticket to be downloaded.
Enter all the required credentials in the admit card.
Clarify all the details and tap on to the Submit button.
An admit card page will open.
Download AP Public Service Commission Hall Tickets.
Take a print out of APPSC Hall Ticket.
Carry the AP Public Service Commission Admit Card to the exam.
WCL Recruitment2019 announced a Notification. This Notification is to recruit Staff Nurse Trainee. Candidates looking for WCL Recruitment can start to apply for the vacancies under Coal Recruitment. There are 99 Vacancies for the Staff Nurse Trainee Post. Application for WCL Job Recruitment received on 25th June 2019. Interested can check with the WCL Notification 2019 before applying for the vacancies.
Candidates going to apply for the staff nurse vacancy in Nagpur should submit their Application Form before the last date. Application for WCL Notification 2019 should be reached before 17th July 2019. Scroll down to get Educational qualification details, Age Limit, Selection Process, Pay Scale and other details regarding WCL career 2019.
Hold an ‘A’ Grade Nursing Diploma or relevant Degree certificate(3 years) from a recognized institute approved by the Government
Age Limit
Lower Age Limit – 18 Years
Upper Age Limit – 30 Years
Age Relaxation
OBC(NCL) – 33 Years
SC/ ST- 35 Years
Age Relaxation for PWD/ Ex-Servicemen applicants will be given as per Government of India Rules and provision.
WCL Jobs Selection Process
Written Examination
Document Verification
Interview
Application Fee
Candidates should pay the Application Fee through Demand Draft of Nationalized Bank in favor of ” Western Coalfields Limited payable at Nagpur”
General Candidates- Rs. 200/-
SC/ ST/ PWD/ Ex-Servicemen – Exempted
Salary Details
Salary structure for the Staff Nurse post of coal recruitment is
Rs. 31852.56( Basic)+ Allowances ( as per wage agreement-X)
How to Apply Online for WCL Staff Nurse Recruitment 2019?
Before starting to apply read the WCL Notification 2019 and check with the eligibility conditions. The applicants should meet with the specified conditions. The application should be received on or before the last date.
Download the application form of WCL Vacancy for Staff Nurse post.
Enter necessary details asked in the application form with signature
Stab the prescribed documents with the application form
Attach the Fee Receipt
Ensure with details and documents enclosed with the application form.
Write ” Application for The Post of Staff Nurse (Trainee) in WCL” on the envelope.
Send it to the postal address mentioned below
Documents to be enclosed
10th, 12th Certificates( self-attested)
Diploma/ Degree Certificate( self-attested)
4 Passport size photo with the name of the candidate on the backside.
Valid Caste Certificate/ Ex-Servicemen Certificate/ PWD Certificate (if applicable) in a prescribed manner
Incomplete form or without signature/ relevant documents will be rejected. Application received after the last date is also be rejected. The last date for the receipt of application form through postal mode is 17th July 2019.
Postal Address
The General Manager(P)/IR, WCL, Coal Estate, Civil Lines, Nagpur- 440001.
Important Dates for WCL Vacancy 2019
Starting Date to Submit the application form
27th June 2019
Last Date for the receipt of application form
17th July 2019
Written Exam Date
will be announced soon
Important Links for Western Coalfields Limited Recruitment 2019
Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) is one of the eight Subsidiary Companies of Coal India Limited (CIL) which is under the regulatory control of Ministry of Coal. The Company consolidated under the Companies Act, 1956 has its enlisted office at Coal Estate, Civil Lines, Nagpur–440001. WCL has been presented “Miniratna” status on fifteenth March’2007. The Company has contributed about 7.02% of the national coal generation during 2015-16.
SSC CGL Tier 1 Result 2018-19 Date Out!! – Dear Candidates, We are happy to inform you that, SSC CGL Result Tier 1 Date has been announced. In the recent report mentioned that, SSC CGL Result Expected Date will be on 20th August 2019. SSC CGL Result 2019 Tier 1 will be released online. Applicants those who have applied for the Online Test can check their SSC CGL Result 2019 Online from the official website i.e, ssc.nic.in. The SSC CGL Result Tier I to IV all the Stages will be released separately. If the applicants will clear the Tier 1 Process, they will move forward to the next step. Applicants can get the direct link to download their SSC CGL Result 2018-19 For Tier 1 with marks.
SSC CGL Result 2019 Date | SSC CGL Result
SSC CGL Tier 2018 -19 Result will be released on 20th August 2019. The officials have announced the SSC CGL Tier 1 Result 2019 Date recently. The SSC CGL Result 2018-19 For Tier 1 Exam Date has 04th – 13th &19th June 2019. SSC has successfully conducted the Online Test from the various centers. Every year the competition will be high. More than a lack of applicants has appeared this SSC CGL Result 2019 Online test. All those candidates must know the SSC CGL Tier 1 Result Expected Date to get the SSC CGL Result 2019 at right time. Here we will be updating the latest SSC CGL Result link, it will be work once the result will announce it by officially.
The Tier I exam consists of a written objective multiple-choice exam with four sections, covering the subjects of:
General Intelligence and Reasoning
General Awareness
English Comprehension
Quantitative Aptitude
The exam was typically scored with a maximum of 50 Marks per section for a total of 200 Marks. The latest versions of this exam such as with 2018 have been conducted online. Based on results from Tier I, qualified candidates can then take the Tier II and Tier III exams.
SSC CGL Exam Selection Process
Tier
Exam Date
Type
Mode
Tier I
04th – 13th & 19th June 2019
Objective Multiple Choice
CBT (Online)
Tier II
11th – 13th September 2019
Objective Multiple Choice
CBT (Online)
Tier III
29th December 2019
Descriptive Paper in English/Hindi
Pen and Paper mode
Tier IV
–
Skill Test/Computer Proficiency Test
Wherever Applicable
The final result of SSC CGL 2018-19 will be declared based on the overall performance of candidates in Tier 1, 2 and 3. Candidates need to qualify in all the tiers separately. There will be no sectional cutoff marks. The commission will draw an All India Merit List for each category of post. Candidates who are found by the commission to have qualified the examination shall be recommended for appointment in each category of post. The Tier- 1 examination is used to screen the candidates for appearing in Tier-II examination for various papers. The merit list will be prepared based on the aggregate marks obtained by candidates in the written examination and post preferences.
SSC CGL Result 2018-19 For Tier 1 Cut Off
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 cutoff for Tier 1 will be eligible to appear for Tier 2. The SSC CGL cutoff score depends upon the following factors:
Maximum marks secured in the exam
Total number of applicants appeared for the exam
Number of qualified candidates
Number of vacancies
The difficulty level of the exam
Steps to check SSC CGL Result 2018-19 For Tier 1 with marks
Applicants should visit the official website of SSC i.e, ssc.nic.in
In the home page, applicants can click the results tab from the top menu
It will lead to a new page, many results will be posted on this page
Applicants should click on the SSC CGL Tier 1 Result 2018-19 pdf
Candidates can check the results and download it for future reference.
Important links to download SSC CGL Tier 1 Result 2019
JEECUP Result 2019 – Uttar Pradesh Joint Entrance Examination JEECUP Polytechnic has recently uploaded the Result & Rank Card for the Admission for Diploma in Engineering through JEECUP 2019 and the first round allotment result for the admission of Diploma in Engineering through JEECUP 2019. Applicants those who have been appeared for the Examination & Counseling can check the JEECUP Polytechnic Result with Rank Card from the official website @ jeecup.nic.in. We know that Students will be waiting for the results, here we will help you out with the direct link to download your UP Polytechnic JEECUP result 2019. We advise the Students to read this article fully to get a clear idea about the JEECUP Polytechnic Result.
UP JEECUP Counseling First Round Result 2019 – Uttar Pradesh Joint Entrance Examination JEECUP Polytechnic has recently uploaded First Round Allotment Result for the Admission for Diploma in Engineering through JEECUP 2019. Those candidates who have qualified exam can apply online for Counselling and download First Round Allotment Result now on 02nd July 2019. Applicants can check their Counseling allotment result from the official website i.e, jeecup.nic.in. Check your results via the link mentioned below.
UP JEECUP Counseling First Round Result 2019
Organization Name
Joint Entrance Examination Council (JEEC), Uttar Pradesh
UP JEECUP Counseling First Round Result 2019 – Check Here
JEECUP Result 2019 – Uttar Pradesh Joint Entrance Examination JEECUP Polytechnic has recently uploaded the Result & Rank Card for the Admission for Diploma in Engineering through JEECUP 2019 i.e, 20th June 2019. Applicants those who have been appeared for the Examination can check the JEECUP Polytechnic Result with Rank Card from the official website @ jeecup.nic.in. Check your results via the link mentioned below. Hence, all those might be looking for the JEECUP Polytechnic Result 2019 now! Here we have provided a direct link to verify and download your results.
JEECUP Result 2019
Organization Name
Joint Entrance Examination Council (JEEC), Uttar Pradesh
Applicants can get the results easily by clicking the below links. Also, candidates can follow the step by step guide provided below to check and download the results. The UP JEEC Counseling and seat allotment for admission will be conducted around the last week of June 2019. It is mandatory for all the aspirants to carry their scorecards at the time of the JEECUP Counseling 2019, Cut Off Marks, Merit List. A huge number of applicants has appeared for this Entrance Examination. For all those candidates we have updated the result link to get their results without any hesitation.
Exam authorities will release the cutoff of JEECUP 2019 (UP Polytechnic) for all four rounds of seat allotment in the form of opening and closing ranks. To check the JEECUP 2019 cutoff, the candidate needs to select the counseling round, institute and also program. The JEECUP cutoff 2019 is determined based on parameters like the number of seats available for the program and applications received, so it is likely to vary from every institute.
JEECUP Counselling 2019
Admission authorities will conduct the counseling and seat allotment of JEECUP 2019 (UP Polytechnic) around the last week of June 2019. Also, the result of Seat allotment will be published by online mode only. All those Students who have participated in the Counseling Session can check their Allotment results from the official website. The higher officials will consider the Merit list and others for the Seat Allotment. Candidates will be offered admission based on their choices, State Open Rank of UPJEE 2019 and reservation through a Seat Allocation Process.
Steps to download JEECUP Polytechnic Result 2019
Visit the official website of UP Joint Entrance Examination (UPJEE(P)-2019) i.e, jeecup.nic.in
In the home page click on the Joint Entrance Exam (Polytechnic) -2019 Result
A new page will be open and applicants should enter the required details
JEECUP Result 2019 will be open with a pdf file
Download or take a print out of the file for further reference.
Important links to download JEECUP Result & Rank card 2019
Mumbai: Diversified funding, conservative risk appetite and years of experience has helped HDFC come through a challenging period in the last fiscal year, chairman Deepak Parekh said in his annual letter to the company's shareholders. He was referring to the liquidity challenges faced by NBFCs & housing finance companies in the second half of the last fiscal."We held our ground by consciously staying away from funding what we perceived were riskier assets. Unsurprisingly, in the second half of the year, we were asked what we did differently that enabled us to stay resilient and be the preferred choice in the flight to safety. Perhaps a combination of experience and adhering to our risk appetite held us in good stead," Parekh told the company's shareholders in his annual letter.Parekh said that though the company did make a few wrong calls and underestimated some risks HDFC has tried to err on the side of caution particularly in the non-individual lending business.Parekh expressed optimism that the Indian economy will tide over its short term challenges. "Several countries are in the midst of a political storm, while India has voted decisively for stability and continuity. This is a strong mark of confidence and India stands ready to welcome patient capital seeking to earn attractive returns to fund its growth ambitions," he said.
NEW DELHI: India will get additional $217 million of revenue from the retaliatory tariffs it imposed on 28 American products, commerce & industry minister Piyush Goyal said on Wednesday."The retaliatory tariffs are expected to have an additional impact in terms of duty incidence of about $217 million (approximately) on these 28 products imported from US," Goyal said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.The US imposed a global additional tariff of 25% and 10% on import of steel and aluminum products in March last year."In response, the government of India has imposed retaliatory tariffs on 28 products originating or exported from the US with effect from 16th June," Goyal said. India has been continuously engaged with US on this issue, as part of the ongoing bilateral trade dialogue. The US did not accede to India's request for withdrawal of these duties.With the retaliatory tariffs, maximum duty of $98.7 million will come from imports of almonds on which 17% additional duty is imposed followed by $24.5 million duty from 20% higher tax on diagnostic reagents.Besides almonds and diagnostic reagents, India imports apples, phosphoric acid and binders for foundry moulds from the list of 28 products on which it has raised tariffs.
By: Naveen P Singh & Ranjith P CDespite the annual Budget outlay increasing by about 144% since India's first Budget in Nov 1947 to the interim Budget in February earlier this year, the status of the Indian farmer hasn't improved considerably. The most ambitious strategic and action plan of the NITI Aayog is yet to be delivered at the grassroots level. Also, food adequacy and nutritional security at the farm household level in various parts of the country are cause for concern for planners.The government's support price regime and Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) are limited to certain crops, farmers and regions. According to NITI Aayog, only 81% of India's farmers are aware of the support price, and the think-tank's 'Strategy for New India@75' talks about replacing the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) with an agricultural tribunal, and minimum support price (MSP) with crop auction at reserve price. Nevertheless, the need is to increase the number of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) that, in turn, can increase the bargaining power of farmers in marketing their produce. Third, insurance and credit assurance schemes have brought about a paradigm shift in agriculture, with recent farm credit expansion clocking.`12 lakh crore, an all-time record. But this expansion's direction must be redirected to enable till-now untouched small and marginal farmers. Zero-interest credit cards to small and marginal farmers with a maximum ceiling could be an option to further expand the credit growth, all the while keeping an eye on the banks' burgeoning non-performing assets (NPAs).Fourth, promotion of ancillary agriculture activities like beekeeping and aqua-farming to diversify farm income is currently slow. Interventions need to be expedited to make farmers more resilient to climatic and price risks.Fifth, to address the issues of market access and transparency in price discovery, digital marketing platforms — such as e-National Agriculture Market (eNAM) and e-Gramin Agricultural Market (e-GrAM) — were brought to integrate mandis across the country. Recently, a scheme was flagged off to facilitate inter-state trade between mandis using e-payment. But this is yet to overcome teething problems of electronic price discovery and dissemination, lack of assaying labs for grading produce and the relative lack of cost-effective warehouse facilities.The establishment of agriware house grids in the hub-and-spoke model, and incentive-based village storage systems along key highways connecting metros, would effectively leverage digital markets and the APMC monopoly.Finally, the absence of an exclusive agency for reporting, assessing and streamlining the process of disasterrelated claims has pushed many farmers into poverty. It's high time the finance minister establishes an exclusive National Agriculture Disaster Authority (NADA), which can bring synergy among droughtdeclaring organisations in states. To harmonise Centre-state relations related to administering, policy-making and implementing various measures to encourage farming and farmers, a federal agency, Agriculture Development Council (ADC), should be created in line with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council.The key focus areas to stabilise farmers' income and reduce climate-related vulnerability are well documented by the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (Nicra). Indian Council of Agricultural Research (Icar) studies — on renewable energy generation from fallow land (agro-voltaic system and rainwater harvesting); efficiency in farm waste utilisation; enhancing and incentivising carbon sequestration; extension and facilitation of crop diversification in 'Green Revolution' regions such as Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh; integrating all central and state subsidies; spring water harvesting system in hilly areas; enhancement of soil fertility and animal health; incentivising agro-forestry system and providing better land-use planning; and accelerating agricultural research with an enhanced funding to the level of 1% of GDP — should be made ready for operationalisation. Unfortunately, the piecemeal approach of income-support announcements in Budgets won't correlate with rising incomes and living standards of farmers. Moreover, the income-support schemes do not provide enough for India's aspirational youth to be retained in agriculture, and to reverse the tide of rural-to-urban migration.Which is why, besides chalking new plans and announcements, this is the right time to take pragmatic steps to address the fault lines in India's agricultural and farming sector, in order to bring rural prosperity and dispel agrarian distress.The writers are with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (Icar), National Institute of Agricultural Economics & Policy Research (NIAP), New Delhi.
MUMBAI: US cable major Comcast, which owns NBCUniversal, and Atairos, a $4-billion investment company led by former Comcast CFO Michael Angelakis, is looking to team up with PE fund Blackstone and James Murdoch's family office Lupa Systems to bid for Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEE), said people in the know.The consortium is currently involved in due diligence even as Facebook, the world's largest social media platform, has sent feelers to explore a potential deal. Both sides have engaged in management meetings but the talks are very preliminary in nature and might not translate into a deal, warned the sources mentioned above.ET was the first to report in its February 19 edition about Comcast and Atairos teaming up for the Subhash Chandra flagship. Subsequently, Lupa and Blackstone joined the grouping.70066050 While Comcast will be leading the consortium, Murdoch is expected to act as the local partner on the ground and take up a small stake. Lupa also cannot have more than 9-10% stake in ZEE, as part of a non-compete agreement with the Walt Disney Company after Rupert Murdoch sold 21st Century Fox (including Star India) to Disney."The India team of Lupa are ex-Star… so they have local experience and are aware of the local regulations and market dynamics. They are acting as the catalyst to stitch it all together," said an official privy to the ongoing discussions.The key issue will be control, and the exact quantum of stake.VALUATION MISMATCH KEY POTENTIAL DEAL-BREAKERWhile the ZEE promoters want to stay on to run the business, the potential buyers are keen to take control after triggering an open offer or get a definitive path to control, even if ZEE's managing director Punit Goenka stays on in an executive role initially. At current prices, half the promoters stake would fetch Rs 6,603 crore. The promoters, however, have been seeking significant premium. The valuation mismatch remains a key potential deal-breaker."We are progressing well and with political uncertainty behind us, we hope to sign a binary agreement by July," Goenka had told analysts after the company's last quarterly results. As per the management, the deal with a potential financial buyer is expected to be consummated earlier than with a strategic buyer as the latter has to be approved by CCI, which, as per management, will take 30-45 days from the date of the binding agreement.Mails sent to Comcast, Blackstone, Facebook and Atairos did not elicit any response till the time of going to press.A ZEE spokesperson said that the stake sale is at an advanced stage and any additional details cannot be shared at this stage due to "confidentiality agreements". Essel Group is confident to close the deal well within the purview of the timelines agreed with the lenders," he added.The deal will give a breather to Chandra, whose Essel Group is facing severe debt crisis. Chandra had, last year, announced his plans to sell half of the promoters' then 41% stake in the company.It has been trying to sell businesses and assets across various verticals — power transmission, roads, renewables — to reduce group leverage of Rs 13,000 crore. The promoters had recently struck a deal for three of their 12 road projects with Canada's CDPQ that will help them raise funds worth Rs 3,500 crore. They have also been in discussions with Adani for its solar parks and with Bharti for merging their DTH businesses.Last November, ZEE announced that its promoters, led by Chandra, plan to sell up to 50% stake to a strategic partner in order to deleverage their balance sheet. Subsequently, the management has indicated it is open to selling over 50% of holdings in the firm as part of the asset monetisation efforts.As per March 2019 disclosures, the promoters own 38.2% of the company, of which 66.18% is pledged with mutual funds, insurers and other financial institutions. However, analysts say it is currently down to 36.7%.Essel Group owes Rs 7,000 crore to mutual funds and a stake sale has to happen before September 2019 to avoid default.The $84-billion Comcast, led by Brian Roberts, has been a serial buyer and seller of media assets including cable networks, broadband assets, content providers, internet providers and even animation studios since the late 1980s. It, however, lost out on 21st Century Fox after Walt Disney Co trumped their $65-billion bid last year. The company has been scouting for assets in India and other high-growth markets. ZEE gives them the much-needed India launchpad, said media analysts.Interestingly, Blackstone bought out Essel Propack from Subhash Chandra's brother Ashok Goel earlier this year.
MUMBAI: US cable major Comcast, which owns NBCUniversal, and Atairos, a $4-billion investment company led by former Comcast CFO Michael Angelakis, is looking to team up with PE fund Blackstone and James Murdoch's family office Lupa Systems to bid for Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEE), said people in the know.The consortium is currently involved in due diligence even as Facebook, the world's largest social media platform, has sent feelers to explore a potential deal. Both sides have engaged in management meetings but the talks are very preliminary in nature and might not translate into a deal, warned the sources mentioned above.ET was the first to report in its February 19 edition about Comcast and Atairos teaming up for the Subhash Chandra flagship. Subsequently, Lupa and Blackstone joined the grouping.70066050 While Comcast will be leading the consortium, Murdoch is expected to act as the local partner on the ground and take up a small stake. Lupa also cannot have more than 9-10% stake in ZEE, as part of a non-compete agreement with the Walt Disney Company after Rupert Murdoch sold 21st Century Fox (including Star India) to Disney."The India team of Lupa are ex-Star… so they have local experience and are aware of the local regulations and market dynamics. They are acting as the catalyst to stitch it all together," said an official privy to the ongoing discussions.The key issue will be control, and the exact quantum of stake.VALUATION MISMATCH KEY POTENTIAL DEAL-BREAKERWhile the ZEE promoters want to stay on to run the business, the potential buyers are keen to take control after triggering an open offer or get a definitive path to control, even if ZEE's managing director Punit Goenka stays on in an executive role initially. At current prices, half the promoters stake would fetch Rs 6,603 crore. The promoters, however, have been seeking significant premium. The valuation mismatch remains a key potential deal-breaker."We are progressing well and with political uncertainty behind us, we hope to sign a binary agreement by July," Goenka had told analysts after the company's last quarterly results. As per the management, the deal with a potential financial buyer is expected to be consummated earlier than with a strategic buyer as the latter has to be approved by CCI, which, as per management, will take 30-45 days from the date of the binding agreement.Mails sent to Comcast, Blackstone, Facebook and Atairos did not elicit any response till the time of going to press.A ZEE spokesperson said that the stake sale is at an advanced stage and any additional details cannot be shared at this stage due to "confidentiality agreements". Essel Group is confident to close the deal well within the purview of the timelines agreed with the lenders," he added.The deal will give a breather to Chandra, whose Essel Group is facing severe debt crisis. Chandra had, last year, announced his plans to sell half of the promoters' then 41% stake in the company.It has been trying to sell businesses and assets across various verticals — power transmission, roads, renewables — to reduce group leverage of Rs 13,000 crore. The promoters had recently struck a deal for three of their 12 road projects with Canada's CDPQ that will help them raise funds worth Rs 3,500 crore. They have also been in discussions with Adani for its solar parks and with Bharti for merging their DTH businesses.Last November, ZEE announced that its promoters, led by Chandra, plan to sell up to 50% stake to a strategic partner in order to deleverage their balance sheet. Subsequently, the management has indicated it is open to selling over 50% of holdings in the firm as part of the asset monetisation efforts.As per March 2019 disclosures, the promoters own 38.2% of the company, of which 66.18% is pledged with mutual funds, insurers and other financial institutions. However, analysts say it is currently down to 36.7%.Essel Group owes Rs 7,000 crore to mutual funds and a stake sale has to happen before September 2019 to avoid default.The $84-billion Comcast, led by Brian Roberts, has been a serial buyer and seller of media assets including cable networks, broadband assets, content providers, internet providers and even animation studios since the late 1980s. It, however, lost out on 21st Century Fox after Walt Disney Co trumped their $65-billion bid last year. The company has been scouting for assets in India and other high-growth markets. ZEE gives them the much-needed India launchpad, said media analysts.Interestingly, Blackstone bought out Essel Propack from Subhash Chandra's brother Ashok Goel earlier this year.
MUMBAI: Business correspondents — key agents in helping achieve New Delhi's financial inclusion mandate — have reached out to regulators for extending device-related subsidies in rural areas to fintech companies and non-bank organisations.At present, only banks get federal money support for deploying point of sale (POS) devices in rural areas, a facility the lenders rarely utilise because of unfavourable cost economics. POS devices are swipe machines that accept debit card and credit card payments. These machines can be used as access points in rural areas for services such as cash withdrawal and biometric transactions on accounts linked with Aadhaar."We have had meetings with both Department of Financial Services (DFS) and the Reserve Bank of India on this matter. While the current mechanism is elegant where banks are incentivised for POS deployment in the hinterland, most banks are not in the business of payments and these funds end up being underutilised," said Anand Shrivastav, chairman, Business Correspondent Federation of India. The current mechanism utilises the Centre's Rs 230-crore Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF), which is managed by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).Under the subsidy scheme, rural and co-operative banks can avail 100% subsidies on the capital cost for deployment of these swipe machines in tier 5 and tier 6, while scheduled commercial banks can avail 80% of the device cost. NABARD did not respond to an emailed query.The stringent eligibility criteria and high logistic costs prevent banks rom availing these subsidies, said a senior private sector banker. Further, the cost of operating these access points in rural areas, where volume and value of transactions are much lower than in urban centres, is not a viable business option for banks.
ET Intelligence Group: Fast moving consumer goods behemoth HUL is a must-have stock in any balanced portfolio. The Indian arm of the Anglo-Dutch consumer major Unilever has been favoured by the Street despite its expensive valuations. Here are the five factors that have been instrumental in HUL reigning as the most valuable FMCG company:1. Investment in brands and people: The company spent over Rs 4,607 crore (12 per cent of its FY19 net sales) on its brands. This is equivalent to the revenues earned by Colgate Palmolive or GSK Consumer Healthcare in FY19. HUL has been one of the most successful in premiumising its brands like Surf, Dove, Lakme and Brooke Bond. Besides, its investment in human resources has made it a talent ground for its parent Unilever and the Indian FMCG industry.2. Acquisition to fill gaps in portfolio: HUL has time and again made acquisitions to respond to a threat or fill a gap in its portfolio. It acquired ayurvedic hair oil brand Indulekha, GSK Consumer Healthcare for its malted food drink brands and Adityaa Milk to beef up its ice cream portfolio. Though not all its buyouts have been successful, the strategy reflects the company's response to take on competition.3. Agility with focus on the core: The 85-year-old company has kept pace with changing times and consumer preferences. It has innovated, experimented and invested in new ideas and technologies. Despite that, it has stuck to its core products in home care, personal care, foods & beverages. Its response to threats from Patanjali is an instance of its agility.4. Spelling out the strategic agenda and working towards it: HUL's management unfailingly talks of its 'strategic agenda of delivering consistent, competitive, profitable and responsible growth' to the extent of it sounding cliched. But, the company's performance in revenue and net profit terms has remained representative of the stated agenda.5. No replication by its peers in the domestic market: The company has several inherent advantages working in its favour — global pedigree, long legacy of doing business in India and well-entrenched distribution system. Incidentally, Patanjali, the relatively new home-grown FMCG player, has targeted to unsettle HUL from its numero uno position in the Indian consumer market by FY20. HUL seems prepared to take on the challenge. 70065765
October onwards, will be the best 18-24 months ever in equity markets, says Sanjiv Bhasin, Executive Vice President, IIFL Securities. Excerpts from interview with ETNOW.What is that one big factor that you would be watching out for from a stock market perspective in the budget?Sanjiv Bhasin: It has to be three-fold one. It will be what impetus we are going to give to consumption, investment and exports. These three are the links on which the economy works. We know that the cost of money is at the lowest in last three years and yet the transition effect because of mistrust and some of the NBFCs is a cause of concern. If you have to spurt consumption, you have to get relief from may be directly from the RBI to NBFCs or some window through bonds where there can be a re-ignition of trust and we can get the consumption markets spending going on, especially in the real estate and automobile sectors which have been facing a slowdown. Second would be the strategic disinvestment target, where we see the government selling stakes in PSUs, leaving the control to the new managements. Third, we have to see how the capex is re-ignited both from the government side and on the private side. All these three steps would be needed if we want our economy to be back in the 7-8.5% GDP range. We are now looking at consumption spending coming back with an impetus in the second half of 2019. Even if there is a consumption boost, it will take some time to reflect. Do you think the investors will wait and watch for numbers and once the event is out in terms of budget, the focus will be back on Q1 numbers?Correct. The government has no immediate solution. They are going to give you the impetus. They are going to give you that consumption-led growth. But it will take one more quarter for liquidity to flow through into earnings and that is why October onwards you are going to see the best 18-24 months you have ever seen in equity markets. I think we are just raring to go and the underperformance of midcaps is now almost coming to an end. As it is, you have seen autos start to do well even after poor June numbers. The key lies in catching those stocks which are outperforming the sectors which have been huge underperformers. After October, I am extremely bullish and I continue to hold 13,000 by the end of the year on Nifty, but expect huge outperformance from midcaps in 2020 with select autos, construction, corporate banks and pharma stocks being the outperformers. What are your favourite stocks or the winners?The winners have clearly been the corporate banks and ICICI, Axis and SBI have led from the front. We are very bullish on the midcap banks. Federal Bank and DCB have been outperformers. I still can stick my neck out that IDFC First and IndusInd Bank at these prices are going to huge outperformers. In fact, IDFC First told me that they are seeing the maximum amount of credit growth in this quarter, particularly because the cost of funds has fallen to almost a new low and they are expanding at 14.5-15% plus over there. So, IDFC First will come out with very good numbers on the credit side. Look at the OEMs. Select stocks like Motherson Sumi, Apollo Tyre, Exide have bottomed out ahead of the sector. Then come my old favourites on the auto side where we have been contrarian. At Rs 80, Ashok Leyland is seeing a lot of traction on a double positive. The upside in the Defence budget will see a boost in demand for armour trucks. The OEM, the LCV and the MHV will get a boost from consumption spending on infra. Thus, Ashok Leyland becomes a very good proxy for that. It is good for Mahindra & Mahindra too. The monsoon despite being delayed, have been rather good so far. July and August can see good monsoon rains. Mahindra & Mahindra becomes a stalwart there. Bajaj Auto is also leading from the front. Then we have select NBFCs -- LIC Housing and L&T Finance are two rare guard stocks where we can see a lot of action on the upside. How are you reacting to all of these sound bites coming in from the FMCG companies? When do you think we could see a recovery?The recovery is just around the corner in the sense that the budget can do away with the liquidity issues and get back that feeling of trust which we will see into flows. Income levels are going to get much better because of the muted inflation you have and input costs are definitely going to see margins being maintained. We are bullish on three stocks and as a disclosure, they have been relative outperformers; Nestle, Tata Global, United Spirits and ITC. ITC has done nothing but this quarter onwards you should see much more traction on the margin front. The FMCG business, hotel business, the paper business all are going to add up over there. So aside from the excise duty hike which may or not come on the cigarette side, ITC fits the bill perfectly. There is caution in commentary but that is typical of a market where liquidity and a lot of the other invariables have played out. But this being the hottest summer, we think now the seasonality will play out. FMCG will again be back to ruling it's roost. Nestle, United Spirits, ITC and Tata Global are our new picks. They can be rerated on the upside by the end of the year.
NEW DELHI: Apple is staring at its weakest year since 2015, with iPhone shipments falling a sharp 42% in the January-March quarter from a year before.Although shipments rose threefold in April from levels in March owing to massive discounts, they declined in May and June, underlining Apple's struggles in the world's fastest-growing smartphone market, analysts said.Apple is likely to start manufacturing its higher-end phones locally through Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn, with an initial monthly capacity of 250,000 devices. About 70-80% of the output may be exported as the smartphone maker tries to diversify its production base outside China."Apple had a disappointing run in 2018 and the outlook for 2019 looks weaker, with shipments having fallen further compared to last year, with the exception of April, thanks to price correction that month," said Neil Shah, research director at Hong Kong-based Counterpoint Technology Market Research.70065546 iPhone shipments into India dipped to 220,000 units in the January-March quarter. Analysts at the firm estimate the number could rise three-fold for the half year. However, the full year estimate is 1.5 million to 1.6 million, a 10-17% drop from 2018 and as much as 53% lower than the peak shipment of 3.2 million in 2017.The silver lining was in April, when shipments rose to as much as 200,000 units fuelled by price cuts and discounts on select devices and the clearing of iPhone X and XR inventory. That was short-lived as demand fizzled out in May and June with the advent of new models of China's OnePlus in the premium segment at competitive prices, analysts said."Local manufacturing will be the key for Apple to register positive growth this year to help reduce the iPhone prices, else the outlook is trending towards 1.5-1.6 million this year, which will be lowest in the last 4-5 years," Shah said.Apple may be preparing to treat India more as a production hub than a significant market, with plans to scale up local manufacturing amid US-China trade tensions. The Cupertino, Californiabased technology company is said to have asked its key suppliers — Foxconn, Pegatron and Wistron, among them — to move 15-30% of their production outside of China to avoid higher tariffs on exports to the US."Companies like Apple already have some of their global partner manufacturers in India and with the right environment and possibly incentives, can create a large-scale global hub for making in India and a deep ecosystem for component manufacturers," said Pankaj Mohindroo, chairman of the Indian Cellular and Electronics Association. "We are sitting on an opportunity which needs to be lapped up without losing a minute, else we run the risk of these investments going to other countries like Vietnam." Apple declined to comment on the matter, while Foxconn said it does not comment on its production plans or those of its clients."Foxconn follows a strict company policy of not commenting on any matters related to current or potential customers, or any of their products," Foxconn Technology Group said in response to ET's questions on Wednesday.Foxconn and Wistron have set up factories in India and experts indicate that manufacturing is picking up pace and may include exports from the word go."Commercial production of iPhone XR and the models above that should begin by the year end at Foxconn and exports will be part of the plan from day one," said one of the people aware of the manufacturing plans. A second person said Foxconn should be looking at a 200,000-250,000 unit capacity per month to begin with and added that the company was moving machinery or manufacturing lines from some of its China factories to India.Industry experts said scaled-up local manufacturing could help Apple meet local sourcing norms that are a pre-requisite for opening its own stores in India.
Gujarat: Thirteen departments fail to utilise funds, 15 exceed allocation The state as a whole spent Rs 5,773 crore in excess of the allocation according to the Revised Estimates (RE) for the financial year 2018-19.
Communal tension in Hauz Qazi: Amit Shah reprimands Delhi Police chief Amulya Patnaik Intelligence Bureau has shared an adverse report about the way Delhi Police chief and his men dealt with the entire situation
Malad wall collapse: Day after, emptiness gawks but hope survives Victims of Malad wall collapse face the prospect of rebuilding their lives from scratch without their loved ones, and without a roof over their heads
Mumbai: Five years on, builder still working on parking slots in Worli's Pandurang Budhkar Marg LOI to construct 701 parking slots on Worli's PB Marg was given in 2014
ITBP brings down seven trekkers' bodies after 21 days of search The operation called 'Mission Dare Devil' started on June 13 and within a span on 21 days the seven bodies were recovered
New twist to election petition against Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis in Supreme Court ADR appeals to apex court to hear them in petition against Fadnavis
Gujarat: E-cigarettes can drag you to jail for 3 yrs The new rule, which also entails a fine up to Rs 50,000, extends to distribution, import and advertisement of e-cigarettes.
Centre refuses to let West Bengal become 'Bangla' The Mamata Banerjee government had earlier sent a proposal to the Centre calling for changing the name of West Bengal to Bangla
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