Yes, Alex Rodriguez is engaged to Jennifer Lopez. Yes, they spend their days frolicking across the celebrity landscape, from the Oscars to the Met Gala. But here's the really crazy part: He's popular.
The Falcon Heavy's two side boosters landed successfully after what Elon Musk called SpaceX's "most difficult launch ever," but the center core was unable to execute a successful landing on the drone ship.
US counties above 4,000 feet have twice the suicides as counties at 2,000 feet. Is it because there's less oxygen in the air, or is something else going on?
Imagine your goal in life was simply to make as much money as possible. What should you do? According to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, you should become a doctor.
Why nonprofit organization Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper has a "Responsible Flushing Society" program to encourage people to keep anything unusual — including medications, criminal evidence and anything alive — out of the toilet.
Traditional language lessons can be boring (and ineffective) — fast track your learning with Mondly. This lifetime subscription features state-of-the-art speech recognition to help you pick up languages fast. Plus, Mondly listens to your words and phrases and only gives positive feedback if you speak clearly and correctly. Get it now for just $59.
It's officially summer and you're looking for your next read. But you don't want to read what everyone else is reading. So we (programmatically) sifted through over 100 million checkout records from the Seattle Public Library to find fiction books that haven't been checked out in over a decade.
The chinquapin was supposed to have been wiped out by blight. Now one determined Missouri naturalist is hand-pollinating trees in secret groves to bring it back.
Vermont's new data broker registry highlights the difficulties of regulating dozens of secretive firms that buy and sell the personal information of millions of Americans.
What has allowed him to remain a star, 30 years later, is a blend of virility, vulnerability and an aura of mystery, hearkening to a bygone era of stardom that contradicts the current moment, which requires stars to seem endlessly accessible.
Fulton & Roark practically invented solid cologne — the premium alternative to traditional sprays. Now you can try all 8 fragrances for just $16. Plus, each sample pack comes with a $16 credit for your next purchase.
A fire ignited by lightning has burned 17,000 acres in the Everglades, pumping billows of smoke across western Broward County and bringing warnings about breathing problems for South Florida residents.
Nonprofit officials have sounded the alarm in recent months about a phenomenon known as a "benefits cliff" — which is knocking some workers out of eligibility for benefits that are worth more than their new pay rates.
There's a reason so many tech markets tend toward monopoly or duopoly, like Android and iOS, or Google search, or Facebook, or Uber and Lyft — the network effect makes it basically impossible to build a competitor because you can't populate the network.
In March, India's Supreme Court overturned its own verdict, clearing six men of murder. Here the BBC reports on a miscarriage of justice that destroyed the lives of the men and their families, and what it reveals about the state of the criminal justice system in the country.
Air Canada said Sunday it's looking into how crew members could have disembarked from a plane without noticing a sleeping passenger who was left behind.
American parents vacillate between dictatorial and subservient when making decisions with their kids. A more combative approach actually alleviates stress.
Russell Horning came up with "the floss" when he was 12 years old and dancing around his bedroom. Now he's trying to turn internet celebrity into something more tangible: money.
Whether an image looks like a random Facebook post or part of a New York Times story doesn't make much of a difference. But your level of experience with the Internet and image editing does.
Darrell Rea is about to be sentenced for the murder he committed 36 years ago. But the rape cases that helped bring him to justice will never be charged.
Taco Bell opened its chapel at its flagship Cantina in the summer of 2017, and since then, over 60 couples have been married within its blessed doors. The chapel is booked nearly every week, and there are already reservations well into 2020, according to a Taco Bell spokesperson.
It's long been one of the easiest and cheapest ways to power a custom creation, but the new Raspberry Pi, announced earlier today, packs significant upgrades that could let it finally pass as an incredibly cheap desktop computer.
In a variety of different areas, the Baby Boom generation created, advanced, or preserved policies that made American institutions less dynamic — creating a crisis for younger Americans.
Every year, Amazon runs a huge sale exclusively for Prime members. If you want to get the very most out of this yearly extravaganza, here's what you'll need to do.
WNU Editor: On Protracted War is a work comprising a series of speeches by Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong from 1938 May 26 to June 3 at the Yenan Association for the Study of the War of Resistance Against Japan.
In On Protracted War, Mao explains tactics developed in World War II and instrumental in China's campaigns against the Japanese occupation. On Protracted War also reviews strategies Mao employed in the Chinese Civil War.
Top Chinese and US trade negotiators hold telephone talks ahead of a crunch meeting between presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump at the G20 summit this week https://t.co/ewcl76JDTapic.twitter.com/1f4jchtJIF
A Russian 'Air Force plane' has reportedly landed in Venezuela, according to photos and flight tracker reports. In March, a similar event sparked a heated war of words between Moscow and Washington.
The plane arrived at Venezuela's "main airport" on Monday, Reuters reported, referring to the Simon Bolivar International Airport outside of the Venezuelan capital of Caracas. The agency did not provide any further details about the aircraft.
Supporters attend a rally of Ekrem Imamoglu, mayoral candidate of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), in Beylikduzu district, in Istanbul, Turkey, June 23, 2019. Turkey's opposition has dealt President Tayyip Erdogan a stinging blow by winning control of Istanbul in a re-run mayoral election, breaking his aura of invincibility and delivering a message from voters unhappy over his ever tighter grip on power. REUTERS/Kemal Aslan
A Russian Navy frigate armed with cruise missiles has arrived in Havana Harbor for an official visit. As Russian seamen stretch their legs on shore, US warships idle nearby and quietly observe their counterparts.
The frigate Admiral Gorshkov, armed with Kalibr missiles, left the Russian port of Severomorsk in late February for its months-long voyage, making stops in China, Djibouti and Sri Lanka before docking in Cuba on Monday. It is accompanied by several support vessels.
U.S. President Donald Trump sits for an exclusive interview with Reuters journalists in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S. December 11, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Three policy turnarounds by President Trump this month have underscored his freewheeling governing style, an approach that some experts warn sends mixed messages and puts U.S. national security at risk.
Trump's approach on three issues — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, Mexican tariffs and Iran — is politically risky for the president, who is increasingly employing brinkmanship in an effort to achieve key policy goals.
On Sunday, Trump's defenders, including Vice President Pence, argued that the president showed admirable caution in refusing to move forward with a military strike on Iran in light of the potential casualties.
"The president demonstrated the restraint that the American people, I know, admire and are grateful for," Pence said on CNN's "State of the Union."
He added: "Iran should not mistake restraint for a lack of resolve. All options remain on the table."
But the president's critics are trying to turn his often erratic approach into an issue for voters.
WNU Editor: These are the same "experts" who got America involved in numerous wars and conflicts, massive trade deficits, millions of manufacturing jobs lost because they went overseas, a broken border that is facing an unprecedented migration crisis, and a defense and security environment where many U.S. allies did not feel the need to allocate resources because they felt that the U.S, would cover for them. And now they are telling us that President Trump's method of pursuing his agenda has put national security at risk?!?!?!?
There are many policies that I disagree with President Trump .... arming Ukraine, missile buildups in eastern Europe, keeping U.S. forces in Syria, Yemen, the Afghan war, budget deficits, his lack of focus to nominate quality officials to run the government, etc. etc. etc., but his style is not one of them. Critics say he is erratic .... I say that he purposely projects unpredictability, and behind this behaviour there is always a deep strategic purpose behind it. This is how he won the Republican primaries. The U.S. election. Overcome a special console probe. Numerous personal attacks. And more importantly .... having his agenda move forward and court picks accepted. And I know that he will continue to succeed because his opponents and critics fail to take the time and effort to understand the man, his mannerisms, philosophy, views, and personal history. But I will leave the best to the last in describing President Trump with a quote from Don Corleone in The Godfather ....
.... There is no greater natural advantage in life than having a friend underestimate your virtues and an enemy overestimate your faults.
Patrushev said that he is in the country at the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin
Russia has a special interest in Israel's security because just under two million "countrymen" live here, Nikolai Patrushev, the head of Russia's National Security Council, said Sunday before meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"We put special attention on ensuring Israel's security," he said.
Patrushev arrived on Monday to take part in a trilateral meeting with US National Security Adviser John Bolton, who arrived on Saturday, and his Israeli counterpart, Meir Ben-Shabbat. Netanyahu will also take part in the meeting, which is scheduled for Tuesday.
Patrushev, in brief public comments in Russian before the meeting that were translated into Hebrew, said he is in the country at the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who agreed on this format during talks with Netanyahu.
WNU Editor: There are about two million "Russian Jews" living in Israel right now, and all of them have family back home. Make no mistake about it. If given a choice between Israel or Iran (or any other country in the Middle East), Russia will always side with Israel.
* Amhara security chief Asaminew Tsige suspected of leading a regional coup * He was shot dead by Ethiopian police officers the government have confirmed * Asaminew was last year released from 10 years in prison after another coup
Ethiopian police have shot dead a security chief suspected of orchestrating a deadly bid to overthrow the regional Amhara government, with possible links to the murder of the army chief, state media reported Monday.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office had named Amhara security chief Asaminew Tsige as the chief suspect in an 'attempted coup' in the region that left its president, top adviser and attorney general dead on Saturday.
A few hours later in what the government said appeared to be a 'co-ordinated attack', the army chief Seare Mekonnen was killed by his bodyguard at his home in Addis Ababa.
Samsung to close key assembly base in Guangdong, while Foxconn may cut production of iPhones
Local officials and workers in China's Guangdong and Jiangsu provinces may have to brace for lost revenue and jobs as Korean tech giant Samsung has reportedly decided to wind up its last production lines and leave the country for good.
There have been reports that Samsung's factory in Huizhou city in Guangdong – where some of its best-selling handsets like the Galaxy smartphone series were assembled – will shut down, following similar closures in Shenzhen and Tianjin in northern China.
The Huizhou base kept the local economy ticking during its heyday as it churned out electronic products for Chinese buyers and for export to the US and Europe. But rumors started to swirl right after the Chinese New Year break in February that the factory would lay off workers soon.
WNU Editor: This exodus is just the tip of the iceberg. China is no longer an attractive place for investment, and certainly not the place to manufacture products for export. India and Vietnam is the place to be, with Vietnam being the big winner.
The US move to reimpose sanctions on Iran and choke off the last remaining sources of Tehran's oil revenue has crippled the Iranian economy. For many ordinary Iranians, it's becoming increasingly hard to get by.
US President Donald Trump has slapped fresh sanctions on Iran as part of his "maximum pressure" campaign against the Middle Eastern nation. Trump's executive order on Monday targeted none other than Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and his associates with financial sanctions.
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Trump's order will lock up billions of additional dollars in Iranian assets.
WASHINGTON/RIYADH (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump targeted Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top Iranian officials with sanctions on Monday, taking a dramatic, unprecedented step to increase pressure on Iran after Tehran's downing of an unmanned American drone.
With tensions running high between the two countries, Trump signed an executive order imposing the sanctions, which U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said would lock billions of dollars more in Iranian assets.
(CNN)Two Eurofighter jets crashed in midair in northern Germany on Monday, killing one of the pilots, according to the German air force.
The unarmed warplanes were on an "air combat mission" when they collided near the Laage military base in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the airforce's Team Luftwaffe said on Twitter.
The airforce later tweeted that one pilot had been found dead, while the other pilot, who survived, is being treated by emergency services after safely ejecting from the jet.
Local police said in a statement that the surviving pilot landed in the canopy of a tree, 66 feet from the ground.
Two parachutes were seen over the lake area of Silz and Jabel, a local Neubrandenburg police spokeswoman told CNN.
LONDON (Reuters) - Iranian crude exports have dropped so far in June to 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) or less after the United States tightened the screw on Tehran's main source of income, industry sources said and tanker data showed, deepening global supply losses.
The United States reimposed sanctions on Iran in November after pulling out of a 2015 nuclear accord between Tehran and six world powers. Aiming to cut Iran's sales to zero, Washington in May ended sanctions waivers to importers of Iranian oil.
Iran has nonetheless sent abroad about 300,000 bpd of crude in the first three weeks of June, according to two industry sources who track the flows. Data from Refinitiv Eikon put crude shipments at about 240,000 bpd.
"It's a very low level of real crude exports," said one of the sources.
WNU Editor: I am surprised by how low the Iranian crude export numbers are .... 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) in June. This is a huge drop, and even more surprising (to me) that the world's price for oil is still stable. As for what is impact of this crisis on the average Iranian, this is a sobering read .... Iranians say their 'bones breaking' under US sanctions (AP).
* Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Saudi Arabia today for talks with US Gulf allies over the Iran crisis * Top US diplomat met Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in Red Sea port, Jeddah * But Mike Pompeo did not raise the issue of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi with the Saudi king * Pompeo will travel to other Gulf nations to discuss the deepening crisis over Iran oil tanker and drone attacks * He said Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are 'two great allies in the challenge that Iran presents'
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has met with Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammad bin Salman - days after a UN report said the young royal should be investigated over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
The top US diplomat also held discussions with King Salman during his visit today amid heightened tensions in the region.
He was welcomed as 'a dear friend' by the Saudis as he flew to the Red Sea port of Jeddah to consult with key US Gulf allies over the deepening Iran crisis.
The trip comes as President Donald Trump called off a military strike on Iran to retaliate for Tehran's downing of a US drone.
* President Donald Trump signed an executive order with new 'hard-hitting' sanctions on Iran * 'I'll be signing an executive order imposing hard-hitting sanctions on the supreme leader of Iran on the office of the supreme leader of Iran,' Trump said * Trump called the actions by Iran 'not good and not appropriate' * 'These sanctions are highly, highly-effective in locking up the Iranian economy,' Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told reporters in a briefing * Trump's move comes after renewed tensions between Washington and Tehran
President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order with new 'hard-hitting' sanctions on Iran after what he called a 'series of aggressive behaviors' by the regime.
'I'll be signing an executive order imposing hard-hitting sanctions on the supreme leader of Iran on the office of the supreme leader of Iran and many others. Today's action follows a series of aggressive behaviors by the Iranian regime in recent weeks, including shooting down of U.S. drones,' he said in the Oval Office.
'We do not seek conflict with Iran or any other country,' he added.
WNU Editor: Publicly Iran is shrugging off these new sanctions .... Iran tries to shrug off new US sanctions (DW). But privately I am sure they are wondering on how to respond. I think they know that President Trump is pursuing a "strategic offensive" against them, and he is not going to stop. Bottom line .... the ball is now in Iran's court to respond.
More News On The U.S. Imposing New Sanctions On Iran
* Experts are worried over the dispute but believe President Donald Trump will avoid military confrontation. * "Neither the Iranians nor the Americans can really gain anything. This is a complete lose-lose situation," said Trita Parsi, adjunct associate professor at the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University. * Political risk consultancy Eurasia Group put the probability of war between the US and Iran to 40%.
Tensions between the United States and Iran escalated rapidly after an American drone was shot down by Iranian forces in the Middle East on Thursday — but experts are not expecting it to lead to an outright military conflict.
"Neither the Iranians nor the Americans can really gain anything. This is a complete lose-lose situation," said Trita Parsi, adjunct associate professor at the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University.
An Iranian surface-to-air missile downed an unmanned U.S. military surveillance drone on Thursday. Washington said the attack took place over the Strait of Hormuz — an international waterway. But Tehran said the aircraft had entered its airspace.
* Six oil tankers and a U.S. spy drone have been attacked since May either in or near the Strait of Hormuz — the world's busiest transit lane for seaborne oil shipments that separates Iran from its neighboring Gulf states. * Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have spiked since May 2018, when Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and reinstated sweeping sanctions on the country. * Iran's oil exports, the government's main source of revenue, have been hit hard by U.S. sanctions.
President Donald Trump is threatening to impose "major" new sanctions against Iran on Monday, ramping up the pressure on the Islamic Republic at a time when its economy is straining under the weight of financial restrictions.
Six oil tankers and a U.S. spy drone have been attacked since May either in or near the Strait of Hormuz — the world's busiest transit lane for seaborne oil shipments that separates Iran from its neighboring Gulf states.
The flurry of attacks has escalated tensions between Washington and Tehran.
On Saturday, Trump said via Twitter that he would impose additional sanctions against Iran in a bid to prevent the country obtaining nuclear weapons. The U.S. already has sanctions on Iran's oil industry and other sectors.
Trump added that economic pressure would be maintained unless Iran's leadership changed course.
WNU Editor: Sanctions always take time to work, and even longer for the target country to change its policies. In the case of Iran the people who live there have already endured 40 years of hardship .... I am sure they can handle a few more years, albeit reluctantly. But the real impact will be on those who rule Iran. The country is now only able to export about 400,000 barrels of oil per day, and from what I am hearing from China, they are exporting their oil at a ridiculously low price. With the Iranian Supreme Leader vowing no discussions, the government has no options but to intimidate and provoke. My prediction. Expect more oil tanker attacks and "close calls" between the U.S. military and Iran in the coming weeks/months. And as for the Iranian economy .... a slowdown, high inflation, and loss of government services.
* Iran brushes off U.S. cyber attacks * Britain fears "accidental war" * Iran, U.S. say other side must move first before talks
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia/LONDON, June 24 (Reuters) - Iran said on Monday U.S. cyber attacks on its military had failed, while also hinting that it could be willing to discuss new concessions with Washington if the United States were to lift sanctions and offer new incentives.
The longtime foes have come the closest in years to a direct military confrontation in the past week with the shooting down of a U.S. drone by Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump aborted a retaliatory strike just minutes before impact.
U.S. media have reported that the United States launched cyber attacks even as Trump called off the air strike. The Washington Post said on Saturday that the cyber strikes, which had been planned previously, had disabled Iranian rocket launch systems. U.S. officials have declined to comment.
WNU Editor: I was very skeptical when I read that President Trump ordered cyber attacks against Iran. The Iranian military does not strike me as a force that is heavily reliant on their computer networks to wage war, and I suspect that what they do use is heavily protected and off the grid.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - The U.S. deployment of land-based missile systems near Russia's borders could lead to a stand-off comparable to the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying on Monday.
Russia has been fiercely critical of U.S. plans to deploy missile systems in eastern Europe, and of Washington's withdrawal from the INF arms control treaty.
The Cuban missile crisis erupted in 1962 when the Soviet Union responded to a U.S. missile deployment in Turkey by sending ballistic missiles to Cuba, sparking a standoff that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war.
WNU Editor: The Kremlin's options are limited on this one. They want the end of sanctions, but responding to these new missile deployments will result in an environment that will only guarantee the continuation of sanctions. My prediction. The primary reason why there are tensions in Europe today is because of Ukraine, and because of these tensions all sides are building up their military forces. Solve Ukraine, tensions will decrease and the need for new missile deployments will disappear. That is why I expect an intensification of talks between Russia and Ukraine to start after new parliamentary elections in Ukraine have been completed, and a solution found to stop the war and to resolve the Crimea question. If not .... we may end up in a new missile crisis, but the shape and in form on how this would may is still unknown.
More News On Russia Warning Of A New Cuban Missile Crisis
Are you a young person thinking of moving to a happening city? Chances are New York is not even on your list of potential hotspots, and if you are already living there, then you are looking for a way out. The last dividends of 20 years of leadership under Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg are being squandered by well intentioned but increasingly radical policies.
Dragging business practices, skyrocketing taxes, telecommuting, and loss of special status is a toxic mix for New York. Among young people, New York is becoming passé. During recent years, both the city and the state of New York have lost residents, as waves of educated and high earning millennials have fled. In fact, more than 46 percent of New Yorkers of all ages moving out of the state are in the bracket earning above $150,000.
WNU Editor: A close friend works in Manhattan, but she lives across the Hudson in New Jersey. She bailed out two years ago from her condo in Manhattan, and her only regret is that she wished she moved out sooner. In my case I have always loved New York City .... the good and the bad. But would I want to live there? Absolutely not.
Nearly 100 internal Trump transition vetting documents leaked to "Axios on HBO" identify a host of "red flags" about officials who went on to get some of the most powerful jobs in the U.S. government.
Why it matters: The massive trove, and the story behind it, sheds light on the slap-dash way President Trump filled his cabinet and administration, and foreshadowed future scandals that beset his government.
WNU Editor: Nothing in this report is a surprise. When you are an outsider that the establishment of the Party that you are running for hates and despises you .... but you still win the election .... your reservoir of people that you can count on to support and implement your agenda is limited. Previous Presidents always had a group of people ready to step in on day one to run the government and to implement your agenda. President Obama is in my opinion the poster child on how quickly a government can efficiently shift from one party to the next without missing a heart beat .... and in the case of President Obama they were ready to run on Day One. Not the case for President Trump. He had to go outside of Washington to find personnel to help him run his administration, and even then many of them did not make the cut. Coupled this with the Mueller probe that targeted literally everyone that President Trump brought on board, made it even less likely that anyone would want to join his team. What also has not helped is that the Trump administration has hired only a minuscule number of Republican insiders from the vast pool of DC Republicans that went against him during the election. Talk about creating a lot of resentment. With time these issues do work itself out, but President Trump has clearly failed in the past two years in addressing this issue.
Taiwan (CNN)Roaring out of the sky, an F-16V fighter jet lands smoothly to rearm and refuel on an unremarkable freeway in rural Taiwan, surrounded by rice paddies.
In different circumstances, this could be alarming sight. Taiwan's fighter pilots are trained to land on freeways between sorties in case all of the island's airports have been occupied or destroyed by an invasion.
Luckily, this was a training exercise.
There's only really one enemy that Taiwan's armed forces are preparing to resist -- China's People's Liberation Army (PLA). And as China's reputation as an economic and military superpower has grown in recent years, so too has that threat of invasion, according to security experts.
WNU Editor: Taiwan's defenses are formidable. They have their arsenal of anti-ship missiles to sink the Chinese Navy .... Taiwan to Mass Produce Upgraded Hsiung Feng II Anti-Ship Missiles (Defense World), and its air defense will take care of the air force .... Taiwan speeds up development of air defenses (Asia Times). There is also Patriot batteries in Taiwan. What I see is a massive Chinese missile attack, followed by the air force, a blockade of Taiwan by its Navy, and a prepping for an invasion. This is not a war that will be decided overnight. It will be a war that will last some time.
MICHAEL JACKSON may have passed away 10 years today, but a new documentary has shed light on the case from the view of the Los Angeles Police Department detectives who worked closely on it.
A NUCLEAR strike on North Korea has been supported by a third of respondents, a US survey has shown, just hours before the US snubbed another meeting with the reclusive state.
A CHINESE invasion on Taiwan would be "the most difficult and bloody mission" facing Beijing's military, an author has claimed amid South China Sea tensions.
(TEHRAN, Iran) — Iran on Tuesday slammed the Trump administration over new U.S. sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader and other top officials, with the Foreign Ministry saying the measures spell “permanent closure” of diplomacy between Tehran and Washington.
President Donald Trump enacted the new sanctions on Monday against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his associates. U.S. officials also said they plan sanctions against Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency on Tuesday quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi as saying that Trump’s move means the end of diplomacy between the two countries.
“The fruitless sanctions on Iran’s leadership and the chief of Iranian diplomacy mean the permanent closure of the road of diplomacy with the frustrated U.S. administration,” Mousavi said.
Washington says the measures were taken to discourage Tehran from developing nuclear weapons and supporting militant groups. This comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the U.S. over Tehran’s unraveling nuclear deal with world powers.
Mousavi’s statement echoed that of Iran’s U.N. ambassador, Majid Takht Ravanchi, who warned on Monday that the situation in the Persian Gulf is “very dangerous” and said any talks with the U.S. are impossible in the face of escalating sanctions and intimidation. Meanwhile, the U.S. envoy at the United Nations, Jonathan Cohen, said the Trump administration’s aim is to get Tehran back to negotiations.
The sanctions follow Iran’s downing last week of a U.S. surveillance drone, worth over $100 million, over the Strait of Hormuz, an attack that sharply escalated the crisis in the Persian Gulf. After the downing of the drone, Trump pulled back from the brink of retaliatory military strikes but continued his pressure campaign against Iran.
Trump last year re-imposed sanction on Iran after pulling the U.S. out of the nuclear pact that world powers made with Tehran in 2015. Other nations stayed in the deal, which eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbing its nuclear program.
The latest round of sanctions denies Khamenei and senior Iranian military figures access to financial resources and blocks their access to any financial assets they have under U.S. jurisdiction.
Trump said the new sanctions are not only in response to the downing of the American drone. The U.S. has blamed Iran for attacks on two oil tankers this month near the Strait of Hormuz. Citing those episodes and intelligence about other Iranian threats, the U.S. has sent an aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf region and deployed additional troops alongside the tens of thousands already there.
The sanctions were announced as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was holding talks in the Middle East with officials in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia about building a broad, global coalition that includes Asian and European countries to counter Iran. Pompeo is likely to face a tough sell in Europe and Asia, particularly from those nations still committed to the 2015 nuclear deal.
Meanwhile, U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said Trump was open to real negotiations to eliminate Iran’s nuclear weapons program and “all that Iran needs to do is walk through that open door.”
Bolton was meeting with his Russian and Israel counterparts in a first-of-its-kind trilateral security summit in Jerusalem that was focused on Iranian involvement in conflicts across the region, particularly in neighboring Syria.
“As we speak, American diplomatic representatives are surging across the Middle East, seeking a path to peace. In response, Iran’s silence has been deafening,” he said. “There is simply no evidence that Iran has made the strategic decision to renounce nuclear weapons and open realistic discussions to demonstrate that decision.”
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Associated Press writer Aron Heller in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
(BEIJING) — Chinese and U.S. trade negotiators are discussing ways to resolve disputes ahead of a meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping at the G-20 summit in Japan later this week, a Chinese official said Monday.
The sides were seeking to “consolidate the important consensus reached between the two leaders” in a telephone call last week, Wang Shouwen, a Commerce Ministry vice minister, told reporters. Wang gave no details about specific issues under discussion.
This week’s G-20 meeting in Osaka is the first opportunity Trump and Xi have had to thrash out the trade dispute face-to-face since Trump said he was preparing to target the $300 billion in Chinese imports that he hasn’t already hit with tariffs, extending them to everything China ships to the United States.
In advance of the Trump-Xi meeting, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer spoke by phone Monday with the top Chinese negotiator, Vice Premier Liu He, according to a spokesperson for the Trade Representative’s office who did not have further details of the discussions.
Trump has already imposed 25% tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese imports and China has retaliated with tariffs on U.S. goods.
The two sides are in a stalemate after 11 rounds of talks that have failed to overcome U.S. concerns over China’s acquisition of American technology and its massive trade surplus. China denies forcing U.S. companies to hand over trade secrets and says the surplus is much smaller than it appears once the trade in services and the value extracted by U.S. companies are taken into account.
Stepping up the pressure on Beijing, the U.S. Commerce Department has effectively barred U.S. companies from selling or transferring technology to Huawei Technologies, the world’s biggest maker of network gear, No. 2 smartphone manufacturer and a champion of Chinese industry.
Washington claims Huawei poses a national security threat because it may be beholden to China’s ruling Communist Party. However, American officials have presented no evidence of any Huawei equipment serving as intentional conduits for espionage by Beijing.
Huawei’s placement on the U.S. government’s Entity List is widely seen as intended to persuade resistant U.S. allies in Europe to exclude Huawei equipment from their next-generation wireless networks, known as 5G.
Responding to a question about whether it would be best for all 5G devices sold in the U.S. to have been made outside of China, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Americans seemed to be conjuring up non-existent threats.
“I want to tell individuals in the U.S. that they have been living in a panic made by themselves, and they have reached a state of extreme nervousness in which they even apprehend danger in every sound,” Geng said.
Globalization has brought an “unprecedented” level of division of labor across borders and societies, reducing the significance of where products are manufactured and assembled, Geng said.
“Against such a backdrop, any attempt to achieve ‘absolute security and controllability’ by isolating oneself is nothing but fool’s talk,” Geng said.
China has responded to U.S. pressure by saying it would issue a list of “unreliable entities” targeting companies that “violated market principles” and cut supplies of components to Chinese businesses for non-commercial reasons.
Beijing has also suggested it might limit exports of rare earths, minerals such as lithium that are used in many products including cellphones, electric vehicles and the batteries that run them.
___
AP Economics Writer Paul Wiseman in Washington contributed to this report.
(MAE SAI, Thailand) — The 12 young Thai soccer players and their coach who grabbed global attention last year when they were trapped in a flooded cave for more than two weeks marked the anniversary of their ordeal with a religious ceremony Monday.
The boys who became known as the Wild Boars, their soccer club, took part in a Buddhist ceremony in which they gave food to monks to make merit. They then attended a news conference to talk about their lives over the past year.
Chanin Vibulrungruang, 12, the youngest of the group, said he now has tell his parents where he’s going every time he leaves his house.
“I already told my mom I was coming to this event,” Chanin joked. “My life has changed a lot since then because many people recognize me now.”
The boys and their coach entered the Tham Luang cave complex in far northern Thailand after soccer practice last June 23, leaving their bicycles and soccer cleats outside the entrance. Rising floodwater quickly trapped them inside, and when they didn’t return home a massive search was launched.
The boys spent nine nights lost in the cave, living on very little food and water, before they were found spotted deep in the twisting cave complex huddled on a patch of dirt above the rising water line. It was a moment captured on video and soon broadcast to the world.
It would be another eight days — until July 10 — before they were all safe. A team of expert divers guided each of the boys out of the cave on special stretchers. The operation required placing oxygen canisters along the path where the divers maneuvered dark, tight and twisting passageways filled with muddy water and strong currents.
The drama of the ordeal kept the world watching and the boys have since become celebrities.
“I want to say thank you to everyone who took part in saving all of our lives,” Ekapol Chantawong, the 26-year-old coach who led the boys into the cave, told reporters. “We promise that we’ll be good role models to society, and we also love everyone.”
Ekapol said most of the boys —now aged 12-17 — still dream of becoming professional soccer players, while some want to become Thai navy SEALs like those who took part in their search and rescue.
Monday’s news conference was the second of two days of events held to mark the anniversary. On Sunday, several of the boys, their coach and a number of the local and foreign divers took part in a bike ride and run to raise money to improve conditions at the cave.
The news conference was held at the Saman Gunan monument center, an art gallery erected near the cave to honor the fallen former Thai Navy SEAL who died while working on the search and rescue.
“This place is very important for us,” said one of the boys, Adul Sam-on, who turned 15 three days ago. “Partly because of Lt. Saman, who is like a second father to us. He was the one who helped us, and we need to remind ourselves that every day.”
Gunan’s widow, Valepon Gunan, said: “I believe that my husband is still looking over all of them.”
The day’s events were organized by the 13 Tham Luang Co. Ltd., a company that manages business opportunities stemming from the ordeal that was established with help from Thailand’s military government. All 13 survivors hold shares in the company with coach Ekapol acting as chairman.
Ekapol was asked about comments on social media that have criticized the group for seeking to profit from the crisis.
“Everybody’s entitled to their own opinions,” Ekapol said. “All we can do is find a way to live with it. In the end, it’s their right to think about us any way they want.”
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held talks Monday with leaders in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates about countering the military threat from Iran by building a broad, global coalition that includes Asian and European countries.While Pompeo has seemingly willing and wealthy partners in the two Arab allies, he is likely to face a tough sell in Europe and Asia, particularly from those nations still committed to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that President Donald Trump repudiated last year.With tensions running high in the region after Iran shot down a U.S. surveillance drone on June 20 and Trump said he aborted a retaliatory strike, Iran’s naval commander warned that his forces won’t hesitate to down more U.S. drones that violate its airspace. The U.S. has been building up its military presence in the Persian Gulf.The U.S. announced additional sanctions Monday on Iran aimed at pressuring the Iranian leadership into talks. The sanctions, re-imposed after Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal, have crippled the Iranian economy and pushed up the cost of living. Iran has decried U.S. sanctions, which essentially bar it from selling its oil internationally, as “economic terrorism.”
At the United Nations, Iran’s ambassador said talks with the U.S. were impossible in the face of escalating sanctions and intimidation. Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi said the Trump administration should de-escalate tensions by stopping “its military adventurism” in the region and moving away from “economic warfare against the Iranian people.”
After departing Saudi Arabia, where he met King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Pompeo met in the UAE with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed to sell the Trump administration’s idea for maritime security in the Persian Gulf. The plan would involve the UAE, Saudi Arabia and another 20 countries, Pompeo was heard telling the Abu Dhabi prince.
“We’ll need you all to participate, your military folks,” Pompeo told the Abu Dhabi prince in the presence of some reporters traveling with him. “The president is keen on sharing that the United States doesn’t bear the cost of this.”
While in Saudi Arabia earlier, Pompeo tweeted that he’d had a “productive meeting” with the Saudi monarch and discussed “heightened tensions in the region and the need to promote maritime security” in the Strait of Hormuz.
Pompeo, considered a hard-liner in Washington, referred to Iran as “the world’s largest state sponsor of terror” before he embarked on the hastily arranged Middle East stops en route to India, Japan and South Korea.
He said he’d be speaking with leaders in Saudi Arabia and the UAE “about how to make sure that we are all strategically aligned, and how we can build out a global coalition … not only throughout the Gulf states, but in Asia and in Europe” that is prepared to push back against Iran.
But Germany, France and Britain, as well as Russia and China, remain part of the nuclear accord that lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for set limits on its uranium enrichment levels. Trump pulled the U.S. out of the deal last year.
Germany, Britain and France have sent envoys to Tehran recently, signaling they remain committed to diplomacy and dialogue. They cautioned against moves that can lead to conflict between the U.S. and Iran.
Berlin appears cool toward U.S. talk of a global coalition against Iran as it tries to salvage the nuclear deal. German media have drawn parallels between Pompeo’s talk of a coalition and President George W. Bush’s “coalition of the willing” against Iraq in 2003, which Germany and France opposed.
German Foreign Ministry spokesman Christofer Burger said his country had “taken note via the media” of Pompeo’s comments and that Germany’s “top aim is and remains a de-escalation of the serious situation.”
On Monday, Trump tweeted that China and Japan depend on the security of the Persian Gulf waterways for the bulk of their oil imports, and he asked why the U.S. is protecting the shipping lanes for other countries “for zero compensation.”
“All of these countries should be protecting their own ships on what has always been a dangerous journey.” He said the U.S. doesn’t “even need to be there” because it produces much of its own energy needs.
Brian Hook, the U.S. special envoy for Iran, said one option could be to “enhance” an existing multinational maritime force of about 30 countries that currently fights drug and arms smuggling in the region.
Alternatively, he said allied nations with commercial interests in the oil-rich region could launch an all-new maritime security initiative.
Another option could be military ships patrolling the Gulf waters and equipped with surveillance equipment to keep watch on Iran.
The narrow Strait of Hormuz, which lies between Iran and Oman and opens to the Persian Gulf, is paramount for Asian oil importers. An estimated 18 million to 20 million barrels of oil — much of it crude — pass through the strait every day.
The U.S. Navy, which has its 5th Fleet based in Bahrain to protect the strait, escorted oil tankers to ensure American energy supplies in the 1980s when Iran and Iraq were targeting each other’s exports, but the U.S. is no longer as reliant on Arabian producers.
Today, any conflict that threatens tankers would badly disrupt crude supplies for energy-hungry countries like China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Indonesia, which are among the top five importers of Arabian oil.
Pompeo’s Mideast stops may also be aimed at reassuring Washington’s Sunni Gulf Arab allies that the White House remains committed to keeping pressure on Shiite Iran following Trump’s decision against retaliation, which likely raised questions about U.S. willingness to use force against the Islamic Republic. On a visit to Israel on Sunday, U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton, also considered a U.S. hard-liner, said Iran should not “mistake U.S. prudence and discretion for weakness.”
Iran’s naval commander, Rear Adm. Hossein Khanzadi, declared that Tehran is capable of shooting down other American spy drones that violate its airspace, saying “the crushing response can always be repeated.” He spoke during a meeting of defense officials in Iran.
Trump has wavered between bellicose language and actions toward Iran and a more accommodating tone, including an offer for negotiations. Iran has said it is not interested in a dialogue with Trump.
Saudi Arabia and the U.S. accused Iran of being behind attacks on tankers near the Persian Gulf in recent weeks, while the UAE has been urging diplomacy to avert a wider conflict.
On the eve of Pompeo’s visit to the kingdom, Yemen’s Iranian-allied rebels attacked a Saudi airport near the Saudi-Yemen border, killing a Syrian resident and wounding 21 other civilians, the Saudi military said.
The Houthi rebels claimed they used bomb-laden drones to attack the Abha airport, the second in less than two weeks. Drones were also used against a Saudi oil pipeline last month.
In a statement, Pompeo condemned the Abha airport attack and said the war in Yemen is not an isolated conflict. He accused Iran of funneling cash, weapons, and armed support to the Houthis, which Iran denies.
Saudi Arabia has been at war with the rebel Houthis in Yemen for more than four years. The Houthis say the attacks are a response to relentless Saudi airstrikes on Yemen that have killed thousands.
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Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai; Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran; Geir Moulson in Berlin; Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations, and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed.
Former Army Staff Sgt. David G. Bellavia is set to become the first living serviceman to receive the Medal of Honor for his service in the Iraq War. And TIME readers had a close-up view on the heroic actions 15 years ago that earned Bellavia the nation’s highest military honor.
TIME featured Bellavia on the cover in November 2004 with a first-person account of Bellavia’s platoon being ambushed during operation Phantom Fury in Fallujah. The cover story was written by Michael “Mick” Ware, a war correspondent and documentary filmmaker, who was there with Bellavia during much of the action.
Ware’s story was part of the testimony that was used in Bellavia’s Medal of Honor nomination. Ware also filmed most of the battle, which appeared in his 2015 documentary Only the Dead.
He will be at the ceremony Tuesday where President Donald Trump presents Bellavia with the Medal of Honor. Only five others have received the Medal of Honor for their actions in the Iraq War. All of them died as a result of their heroism.
“As ugly as it was, it’s been an extraordinary privilege to be the only eyewitness to David Bellavia’s incredible heroism,” Ware says.
Army News ServiceFormer Army Staff Sgt. David Bellavia will receive the Medal of Honor during a ceremony with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, June 24, 2019.
The Battle of Fallujah in 2004 was one of the bloodiest fights of the Iraq War, with some 12,000 U.S. service members involved in the operation and 82 killed. The purpose was to take control of the city from the Iraqi insurgents who had seized it after ambushing and killing four American contractors. American, British and Iraqi forces were required to fight door-to-door to push the enemy out of the city.
Bellavia and his unit, part of the 2nd Infantry Regiment, were given the job of finding a group of insurgents who had escaped another American unit.
“David’s platoon was pulled out its ordinary operations and tasks to search one whole block of houses — 30 or 40 houses,” Ware recalls of the incident’s beginnings.
Ware’s TIME cover story explains circumstances surrounding the search: “The platoon has been ordered to hunt down and kill a group of insurgents hiding somewhere in a block of 12 darkened houses. It is 1:45 a.m., and the soldiers have been running from fire fight to fire fight for 48 hours straight with no sleep, fueled only by the modest pickings from their ration packs.”
While searching one of the houses, the U.S. soldiers were ambushed by two enemy fighters, who were hiding under a staircase with rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and machine guns. Ware and his platoon were forced out, with Bellavia providing cover fire so his troops could escape.
“They had been waiting for us. They turned it into a house of death,” Ware recalls.
The cover story describes the incident in detail:
“Bellavia, a wiry 29-year-old who resembles Sean Penn, is pacing the street, preparing to go back in. Bellavia’s bluster on the battlefield contrasts with his refinement off it. During lulls in the fighting, he could discuss the Renaissance and East European politics. ‘Get on me now,’ he says, ordering his squad to close in. There is little movement. He asks who has more ammunition. Two soldiers stand up and join him in the street. ‘Here we go, Charlie’s Angels,’ Bellavia says. ‘You don’t move from my [expletive] wing. You stay on my right shoulder. You stay on my left shoulder. Hooah?’ The men nod. ‘I wanna go in there and go after ’em.'”
As the rest of the unit stayed outside, Bellavia decided to go back in the house to clear it of the enemy fighters. Ware followed him.
“It felt wrong to not go back in the house with him so we went back in the house, reporting the whole,” Ware says.
Once inside, Bellavia turned the corner and got drop on two insurgents, killing them. He then headed upstairs, where he found two more insurgents, killing them both, as well.
Ware says he and Bellavia — who now resides in Buffalo, N.Y., where he works as a radio host for WBEN — formed a strong bond afterward.
“He called me the Ernie Pyle of the Iraqi War,” Ware said, referring to the Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent who covered World War II from the perspective of the everyday solder.
Ware says his role in this incident is a reminder of what can happen when there’s a strong relationship between the media and the government.
“This is an extraordinary union between the Pentagon and journalists,” Ware says. “Traditionally the military hates the press but this was one singular unique moment in a darkened house in Fallujah where the press and the military both speak for each other.”
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday targeting Iran’s supreme leader and his associates with financial sanctions, the latest action the U.S. has taken to discourage Tehran from developing nuclear weapons and supporting militant groups.
The sanctions follow Iran’s downing of a more than $100 million U.S. surveillance drone over the Strait of Hormuz. Trump pulled back from the brink of retaliatory military strikes on Iran last week but is continuing his pressure campaign against the nation.
“These measures represent a strong and proportionate response to Iran’s increasingly provocative actions,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
“We will continue to increase pressure on Tehran until the regime abandons its dangerous activities and its aspirations, including the pursuit of nuclear weapons, increased enrichment of uranium, development of ballistic missiles, engagement and support for terrorism, fueling of foreign conflicts and belligerent acts directed against the United States and its allies.”
Trump pulled the U.S. out of the nuclear pact that world powers made with Tehran in 2015. Other nations stayed in the deal, which eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbing its nuclear program. Trump called it a one-sided deal in Iran’s favor and reimposed sanctions but says he wants to negotiate a different deal. Iran, which calls the sanctions “economic terrorism,” has shown no interest in negotiating.
Iran’s U.N. ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi said U.S.-Iran talks are impossible under current conditions, adding, “You cannot start a dialogue with someone who is threatening, who is intimidating you.”
Ravanchi, who spoke with reporters while the U.N. Security Council held closed consultations on the rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran, said Washington should stop its military activity in the region, withdraw its naval forces and end what he called “economic warfare” against the Iranian people.
The latest round of sanctions denies Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and senior military figures access to financial resources and blocks their access to any financial assets they have under U.S. jurisdiction.
“For people who say these are just symbolic, that’s not the case at all,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. “We’ve literally locked up tens and tens of billions of dollars.”
Trump said the new sanctions are not only in response to the downing of the drone. The U.S. has blamed Iran for attacks on two oil tankers this month near the Strait of Hormuz. Citing those episodes and intelligence about other Iranian threats, the U.S. has sent an aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf region and deployed additional troops alongside the tens of thousands already there.
All this has raised fears that a miscalculation or further rise in tensions could push the U.S. and Iran into an open conflict 40 years after Tehran’s Islamic Revolution.
“The supreme leader of Iran is the one who is ultimately responsible for the hostile conduct of the regime,” Trump said. “He is respected within his country. He also oversees the regime’s most brutal instrument including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard.”
Iran’s naval commander has warned that Iranian forces would not hesitate to act again and shoot down more U.S. surveillance drones that violate Iranian airspace. The U.S. said the drone was flying over international waters.
“We confidently say that the crushing response can always be repeated, and the enemy knows it,” Rear Adm. Hossein Khanzadi Khanzadi was quoted as saying by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
The sanctions came as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is holding talks in the Middle East with officials in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia about countering the military threat from Iran by building a broad, global coalition that includes Asian and European countries. Pompeo is likely to face a tough sell in Europe and Asia, particularly from those nations still committed to the 2015 nuclear deal.
Germany, France and Britain, as well as Russia and China, remain part of the nuclear accord that lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for set limits on its uranium enrichment levels. The three European countries have sent envoys to Tehran recently, signaling they remain committed to diplomacy and dialogue. They cautioned against moves that can lead to conflict between the U.S. and Iran.
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AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report.
For more than four months, Haitians have been taking to the streets to demand the resignation of President Jovenel Moïse amid allegations he embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars of government funds earmarked for badly needed social programs.
A damning report on government corruption, delivered to the Haitian senate by official auditors on May 31, has triggered fresh demonstrations, with thousands marching through the capital, Port au Prince, and other cities throughout June. On June 20, a delegation from the Organization of American States traveled to Haiti in hopes of “[lowering] the political temperature,” an official told the Miami Herald.
One government program, PetroCaribe, is at the center of the 600-page report––and protesters’ anger.
Under PetroCaribe, a strategic oil alliance signed with nearby Venezuela in 2006, Haiti––the poorest country in the Americas––saved precious dollars by borrowing fuel from its oil-rich neighbor and deferring payment for up to 25 years. Governments were supposed to use the extra money to develop the economy and fund social programs. Instead, at least $2 billion (equivalent to almost a quarter of Haiti’s total economy for 2017) went missing and Haitians saw few of the promised benefits, according to protesters and local media. Haitian taxpayers still owe Venezuela billions of dollars for the borrowed oil.
The scandal has become a rallying cry for anti-corruption activists, many of whom call themselves PetroChallengers. Here’s what to know about PetroCaribe and how it helped spark Haiti’s protests.
What is PetroCaribe?
Venezuela’s former president Hugo Chávez set up PetroCaribe in 2005. Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves and in the mid-2000’s, long before its current economic collapse, the country was producing around 2.5 million barrels of oil per day. Chávez wanted to convert those resources into greater regional influence and win allies against the U.S. in the Organization of American States.
The PetroCaribe program was effectively a way for Venezuela to give other countries development loans––except it loaned oil instead of cash. Venezuela’s state oil company sold oil to Haiti and 17 other Caribbean countries and allowed them to defer payment on 40% of what they bought for up to 25 years, charging a low rate of interest for the debt. Recipient governments then sold that oil and used the proceeds to pay for social programs. With global oil prices at record levels in the early years of the program, the oil sales generated a lot of cash.
The program suffered after Venezuela’s economy began to break down in 2014, as a drop in the oil price laid bare the effects of years of corruption and mismanagement. Venezuela’s oil production is down to 830,000 barrels a day and it stopped fulfilling its PetroCaribe commitments to Haiti last year, Reuters reports. Haiti is “one of the most vulnerable members” of the PetroCaribe agreement, according to analysts at the Economist Intelligence Unit and it is now suffering fuel shortages as a result of the program’s decline.
What happened to PetroCaribe in Haiti?
In Haiti the PetroCaribe money was precious. Particularly after the 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people and led to a still ongoing cholera outbreak, the government was supposed to use it to fund infrastructure and healthcare projects. It claimed to have funded around 400 such projects using almost $4 billion dollars raised by PetroCaribe oil between 2008 and 2016.
But a lack of visible results sparked suspicion. And in November 2017, a five-person commission in the Haitian senate investigated the program and reported evidence of widespread corruption in the use of the funds under three successive governments during that period. The amount of money in government coffers was misreported, exchange rates were adjusted and more than half of the contracts given to companies to service the projects did not go through the usual government bid process, according to the report.
Because the money was not from a conventional international aid package, analysts say there was little oversight of how governments spent the proceeds and few conditions on what they could do with it––leaving ample opportunity for corruption.
The missing funds became a simmering political scandal. But the corruption didn’t spark protest until after summer 2018, when inflation was spiraling and government plans to raise fuel taxes caused violent protests. Gilbert Mirambeau a Haitian videographer living in Canada Tweeted his frustration at Haiti’s economic situation with a photo of himself, blindfolded, asking, in Creole, “Where is the PetroCaribe money?”
— Gilbert Mirambeau Jr🇭🇹 #PwosèPetrocaribeA (@GibszZZz) August 14, 2018
Other social media users wondering the same thing helped spread the hashtags #KotKòbPetwoKaribea, #PwosèPetroCaribeA (meaning “prosecute those involved in PetroCaribe”) #PetroCaribeChallenge and rallies began taking place in cities around Haiti, demanding the resignation of politicians implicated in the ongoing investigation, including Moïse.
PetroCaribe is partly a cipher for Haiti’s widespread and deep-rooted corruption problem. The country is ranked 161 of 180 countries on watchdog group Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perceptions index and questions have also been raised about the destination of up to $13 billion in international aid sent to the country after its 2010 earthquake. The World Bank says corruption is a fundamental cause of Haiti’s staggering levels of poverty.
How is President Moïse involved in the PetroCaribe scandal?
Moïse took office in February 2017–after the period the PetroCaribe investigations looked at. But the report published May 31––the second phase of a three-part investigation––alleges that he helped embezzle funds from a large PetroCaribe project before he came to office, when he was head of the company Agritrans. Agritrans was paid around $700,000 to repair some roads––even though its entire businesses was growing bananas.
On June 12, Moïse denied any wrongdoing and reiterated that he will not step down, despite the ongoing protests.
“I’m looking you in the eye today to say: Your president, whom you voted for, is not guilty of corruption,” he said at a press conference, adding that those who had misused state funds would be “brought to justice in a fair, equitable trial without political persecution.”
(LAUSANNE, Switzerland) — Italy will host the 2026 Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, taking the Winter Games to the Alpine country for the second time in 20 years.
International Olympic Committee members voted for the long-favored Milan-Cortina bid over Stockholm-Are from Sweden that also included a bobsled track in Latvia. Milan-Cortina’s jubilant delegation broke into chants of “Italia! Italia!” when the result was announced.
Italy last hosted in Turin in 2006, and the Alpine ski resort Cortina previously hosted the Winter Games in 1956.
Sweden’s spirited late campaign effort was in vain, including the mayor of Stockholm appealing to voters from the stage by singing a lyric from Abba song ‘Dancing Queen.’ A sign of simmering Swedish frustration came minutes later when IOC board member Gunilla Lindberg pushed the limit of Olympic diplomacy ending her team’s 30-minute presentation. Lindberg challenged her colleagues to reward a new kind of creative, cost-effective bid the IOC has said it wanted — “Or is it just talk?”
Instead, IOC members picked Italy despite a debt-hit economy which faces increasing European Union scrutiny. “We submit with full confidence to your judgment,” Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told voters.
Both candidates would likely have failed to get this far in previous Olympic bidding contests. The IOC has relaxed previously strict rules that demanded financial guarantees and government support earlier in the process.
It was an attempt to revive Winter Games bidding with just two candidates on the ballot paper for the second straight time, since Russia spent $51 billion on venues and infrastructure for the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Now, the IOC seeks to avoid costly new venues — and potential white elephants — while encouraging regions and multi-nation bids to share the load. Hence, Sweden teamed with Latvia, across the Baltic Sea, rather than build its ice sliding sports venue. “We have budget problems in Italy but I think that this is something that everyone has,” Italy Undersecretary of State Giancarlo Giorgetti said at an earlier news conference, citing the wealth of the Lombardy and Veneto provinces underwriting the games costs.
“They are two of the richest provinces in Europe,” Giorgetti said. “They certainly have the capacity, they have the readiness, they have the finances in order to be able to support the event.”
The IOC will contribute at least $925 million toward Italy’s games operating costs of up to $1.7 billion. Building athlete villages in Milan and Stockholm shaped as the main capital investment and most uncertain ventures in the projects. Last week, the IOC flagged Stockholm’s village as a risk, and asked for more details of guarantees underwriting the project.
“A letter of intent is as important to us as any contract,” Volvo chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg said in the formal presentation, in what seemed a rebuke to the Olympic body.
The day-long meetings began with each bid in closed-door sessions with IOC members. The Swedish bid was challenged to prove its support from a Stockholm city authority coalition formed last October and a national government only five months ago. Sweden Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said he assured voters “it’s in the Swedish model, it’s in our DNA” to deliver a stable Winter Games.
Still, a big plus for the Italian bid — uniting Milan, the Alpine ski resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo, and several towns in between — was the IOC’s own polling. It found support from local residents around 85% compared to 60% in Sweden.
The 2026 contest meets the IOC President Thomas Bach’s long-stated wish to return to traditional heartlands for winter sports after major construction projects from 2014-2022 in Russia, South Korea, and China.
The signature Swedish feature using the ice sliding sports track in Sigulda, Latvia, that meets the IOC’s demand to use established sports venues. The IOC has praised both candidates for projecting sports budgets “on average 20% lower” than spending on the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics and 2022 Beijing Olympics.
During the traditionally slick and emotional pleas to be awarded the games, Stockholm mayor Anna Konig Jerlmyr reminded voters of Sweden’s most famous music act. “Abba is everywhere,” she said, before singing the lyric: “You can dance, you can dance, having the time of your life.”
With more gravitas, Nobel Foundation executive director Lars Heikenstein spoke of Olympic values being an inspiration. Olympic leaders have long coveted a Nobel Peace Prize for the organization.
Sweden’s heir to the throne, Crown Princess Victoria, joined a 100-plus delegation at the Swisstech convention center though did not take part on stage. Italy’s bid was livened by two Olympic champions, downhill skier Sofia Goggia and snowboarder Michela Moioli, doing a dab gesture and talking of their hopes to compete on home snow in almost seven years’ time.
Turkish opposition candidate Ekrem Imamoglu won a landslide victory in Istanbul’s re-run mayoral elections June 23, inflicting a heavy defeat on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose rise to power began with winning the city’s mayorship in 1994 and who has said “whoever wins Istanbul wins Turkey.”
What might have been a contest over garbage collection and municipal budget management became a “fight for democracy” after “the people’s freedom was robbed,” Imamoglu told TIME in a pre-election interview Friday. In a speech shortly after the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) candidate Binali Yildirim conceded defeat Sunday evening, Imamoglu congratulated his supporters on a “victory for Turkish democracy in front of the whole world.”
Imamoglu, a soft-spoken 49-year-old, narrowly won Istanbul’s March 31 municipal elections, breaking the AKP’s quarter-century hold on the city by a margin of about 14,000 votes, or 0.16% of the total. But the new mayor’s tenure lasted just 18 days before Turkey’s Supreme Election Council annulled the result, citing irregularities at the ballot box in a decision critics claim was ordered by Erdogan. Indeed, European Union lawmaker Guy Verhofstadt called the cancellation a sign that “Erdogan’s Turkey is drifting towards a dictatorship.”
Turkey’s municipal contest was to be a relatively minor political event compared with the country’s 2018 general elections and the 2017 referendum that handed Erdogan sweeping powers. But shock AKP losses in Istanbul and Ankara were widely seen as an indictment against the President’s economic stewardship of Turkey, which entered recession in late 2018 after 17 years of nearly uninterrupted economic growth under the AKP.
Losing Istanbul again after having staked so much political capital on the re-run could be “the beginning of the end” for Erdogan, said Gonul Tol, Director of the Middle East Institute’s Center for Turkish Studies, days before the election.
Two days before Istanbul went to the polls, Imamoglu sat for interviews at a hotel in the city’s upscale Sisli neighborhood, breaking occasionally to pose for photographs with supporters who held up soccer shirts bearing his name. Grinning into the camera, Imamoglu’s fans quoted the slogan plastered across his campaign posters. The same slogan has blared from his tour bus in Istanbul traffic jams, and boomed from the terraces of at least one of the city’s gigantic soccer stadiums. “Her şey çok güzel olacak” it goes. “Everything is going to be fine.”
Spoken in the Anatolian cadence that recalls Imamoglu’s Black Sea childhood—a heritage he shares with millions of Istanbul residents who migrated to the city from rural Turkey since the 1960s—the stickiness of that reassuring platitude reflects a connection that has long eluded his secular Republican People’s Party (CHP), often seen as aloof from the struggles of religious and working class Turks. While the dialing back of the CHP’s traditional stances against religion and Kurdish nationalism predates Imamoglu, the comfort with which he talks about his religious upbringing, and his willingness to quote the Quran on the campaign trail, makes him the embodiment of that moderation, says the Middle East Institute’s Tol.
“We talked about poverty. We talked about justice. We talked about the redistribution of Istanbul’s resources and the peaceful co-existence of people with each other,” Imamoglu tells TIME through an interpreter. “People could feel that I was sincere.”
The mayor’s mild-mannered conviction was convincing enough that Islamist Felicity party announced it would field a candidate to prevent its supporters from voting for the religious-nationalist AKP, the nationalist Good Party joined him in a coalition, and the left wing pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) encouraged its supporters to vote for Imamoglu as a matter of strategy. Results on Monday showed an 84.4% turnout, with Imamoglu winning in traditionally religious neighborhoods such as Fateh as well as among the CHP’s secular bases. HDP co-chair Pervin Buldan said she had an operation a few days before the election but went to the ballot box with her stitches still in place. “The Kurds won, the HDP won” she wrote on Twitter.
Official counts showed Imamoglu winning by more percentage points than any Istanbul mayoral candidate since Turkey’s coup in 1980, beating Yildirim by around 800,000 votes. By Monday morning, some pro-AKP commentators had turned on the President. “Let’s admit this is a humiliation” said journalist Cem Kücük on pro-government news network TGRT. “He came with the mayoral elections, now he goes with them,” wrote another columnist, Abdurrahman Dilipak. Mustafa Yeneroglu, an AKP lawmaker, congratulated Imamoglu on Twitter, writing that his party had been defeated because “we have lost our moral superiority.”
That Erdogan and the AKP are conceding defeat is likely to reassure international observers, says Ryan Bohl, a Middle East and North Africa analyst at U.S.-based political risk consultancy Stratfor. “Investors and currency traders are looking to see whether or not Turkish democracy and rule of law still works,” he told TIME before the elections. “If the Istanbul race is something that the AKP is going to de-legitimize, what might they do with the central bank?”
In addition to frustration at Erdogan’s management of Turkey’s economy, experts say the new mayor’s popularity was bolstered by his refusal to be baited into a mud-slinging match with the AKP, instead embracing the party’s supporters in a strategy his campaign team dubbed “radical love.”
Ahead of the election, Turkey’s largely state-controlled press branded Imamoglu a terrorist and attempted to stir nationalist passions by claiming his candidacy was being supported by Greece, Turkey’s longtime enemy. They alleged he was secretly Greek because of his family’s roots in the coastal city of Trabzon, which had in ancient times been ruled by the Persians and Greeks. One government-controlled newspaper referred to the mayor’s March 31 victory as a “coup”— implicitly linking him to the failed coup of 2016, widely believed to have been orchestrated by the U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gülen. CHP supporters also contended with structural impediments to voting: Istanbul’s Maritime Travel Company announced May 20 it would cancel water taxis into the city, citing a lack of interest in the route. Meanwhile, a popular travel company offered discounted flights to Greece on election day.
Turkey has arrested more journalists than any other country for three years running. In the lead up to the March 31 elections, mobs reportedly attacked at least two journalists critical of the President. But Soner Cagaptay, author of The New Sultan, says Imamoglu’s success is evidence Erdogan’s complete domination of the media is starting to backfire. “Not only are people abandoning traditional papers and networks, but also they are simply not buying into that messaging,” he says. Erdogan is the inventor of 21st century populism and nativism globally, Cagaptay argues in his book. Imamoglu’s “radical love” strategy — ignoring the populist leader but loving those who love him — “shows that there is a way to defeat the populists at the ballot box,” says Cagaptay.
U.S. officials and some outside experts say they expect this week’s meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to head off an escalating trade war and restart trade negotiations between the world’s two largest economic powers.
The two leaders are scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the June 28 and 29 G20 economic summit in Osaka, Japan, amid signs that both sides are eager to forestall an escalating round of tariffs that is pushing China deeper into debt and prompting U.S. business and political leaders to oppose additional tariffs on imports from China.
One sign that the Trump Administration wants to give economic peace a chance is the fact that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who is set to attend the Trump-Xi meeting, is holding up a final decision on selling advanced U.S. tanks and other military equipment to Taiwan, said a U.S. defense official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The Defense Department has notified Congress of the proposed $2 billion sale of M1A2 heavy tanks and anti-air and anti-tank missiles. But the administration has yet to act on the move, which would anger Beijing in the midst of an effort to restart trade negotiations.
“We are firmly against U.S. arms sales to Taiwan,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters on June 4. “We urge the U.S. to see the high sensitivity and severe harm of arms sales to Taiwan.”
Another signal of the Administration’s reluctance to anger Beijing right now is its muted response to the massive protests in Hong Kong to a bill that would allow China to extradite the territory’s residents. The bill has now been suspended.
In addition, U.S. Special Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, a trade hawk, sounded a slightly more moderate tone on Capitol Hill this week, saying, “It’s certainly in the interest of both China and the United States to have some kind of successful agreement. The President has said he definitely wants an agreement if we can get a great agreement for America.”
However, any agreement is likely to be more modest than what the Administration initially demanded, which included a rewrite of some Chinese laws that require businesses operating or investing in China to share intellectual property and Chinese companies to cooperate with the nation’s intelligence services.
When Chinese officials balked at that, Trump responded by raising tariffs on Chinese goods worth some $250 billion and threatened to impose tariffs on another $300 billion worth of Chinese exports, including cell phones, computers, toys, and clothing, if China didn’t agree to the U.S. demands.
Since then, however, said U.S. trade officials and outside experts, the temperature seems to have dropped as both countries have faced the likely consequences of an escalating trade war.
One expert, Kevin Nealer of the Scowcroft Group, an international consulting firm founded by Brent Scowcroft, President George H.W. Bush’s national security advisor, says the most likely outcome of the summit is an agreement to restart talks.
However, Nealer and China expert Zack Cooper of the American Enterprise Institute, expect the Administration to quietly drop its demand that China bow to U.S. demands that it rewrite its laws or face more tariffs, although the Administration is unlikely to say that publicly.
“My expectation is that we’ve passed the window for a major deal on structural issues and will instead get a narrow agreement focused on reducing the trade deficit,” Cooper said in an email.
A narrower deal to head off a trade war is likely to include a Chinese agreement to reduce its trade surplus with the U.S. by buying more American farm products such as soybeans and beef, as well as manufactured goods.
Rather than stiking with the demand that China rewrite some of its laws and threatening more tariffs, the adminiAstration is exploring other ways to curb what it says is China’s rampant theft of intellectual property, state subsidies, restrictions on market access, and other unfair trade practices.
Instead of imposing tariffs on entire product categories, for example, some U.S. officials are considering whether slapping sanctions on individual companies that violate an agreement could achieve many of the same ends.
National Security Adviser John Bolton has been studying such an approach, according to two people familiar with the effort. One, an dministration official, said the approach could have more international support than imposing more broad tariffs would.
Both China and the U.S. now have incentives to strike even a modest agreement rather than continue an escalating economic battle.
The Administration’s trade hawks are facing growing opposition from business leaders as the 2020 elections approach. This week, more than 300 representatives of U.S. companies and trade associations warned that adding more tariffs on imports from China won’t produce a stronger trade deal and will harm U.S. consumers and the economy.
It’s no secret that Trump pays close attention to the stock market, and this week his top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, told reporters: “You look at the rally, the stock market, I think the market says talk is better than no talk.”
“There are better alternatives to address China’s policies and practices that would not have the same adverse impacts on U.S. consumers, businesses, and local communities,” the U.S. Chamber of Commerce argued in comments filed with the Administration.
China, too, has reasons to play let’s make a deal. According to a June 19 blog post by Benn Steil and Benjamin Della Rocca of the Council on Foreign Relations, “the value added by foreign-owned firms in China has plunged since the trade war began one year ago, with trade fears pushing companies to shift production abroad”, and as a result private spending in China is contracting.
Beijing is counteracting the fall by pushing more domestic borrowing and restricting foreign lending, they continued. China’s national debt is now equivalent to 254 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, which means the country is “edging closer to debt crisis”, they said.
Correction, June 24:
The original version of this story misstated the status of a bill that would allow China to extradite residents of Hong Kong. The bill has been suspended, not withdrawn.
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NHM Maharashtra Recruitment 2019-20 Notification – Apply Offline for 5716 Community Health Officer (CHO) Vacancies: National Health Mission released 5716 Community Health Officer (CHO) Vacancies in the month of February 2019. Candidates interested can start applying online for NHM Maharashtra Job Vacancies from 21st June 2019 through Offline mode. Last Date to submit your application forms is 01st July 2019 @ www.nrhm.maharashtra.gov.in.
NHM Maharashtra Recruitment 2019-20: National Health Mission, Maharashtra has Job Openings for 5716 Community Health Officer (CHO) Posts. Candidates on fulfilling the below listed eligibility conditions can apply for NHM Maharashtra Jobs 2019 from 21st June 2019. However, candidates who have passed BAMS Degree are eligible to apply for NHM Maharashtra Vacancy 2019. Read further to know more about NRHM Maharashtra Career Notification.
Eligibility Criteria For NRHM Maharashtra Recruitment 2019
Eligibility Criteria for NRHM Maharashtra Vacancies for BAMS are listed below in pointwise. Take a look at below sections and apply for Job Vacancies in NHM Maharashtra Recruitment 2019 before the application closes.
Educational Qualification:
Passed BAMS Degree from a recognized board
Age limit:
Maximum Age Limit – 38 Years.
Selection Process:
Written Examination
Interview
Pay Scale:
Rs. 25,000/- per month + Performance based incentive and other allowance up to Rs.15,000/-
Application Fee:
Reserved Category – Rs. 100/-
Open Category – Rs. 150/-
How to Apply for NHM Maharashtra Recruitment 2019 Definitive Types
Candidate can download the Application form from the below link
Fill all the Mandatory Columns in Application Form.
Attach all the required documents along with photograph and Signature.
Send the Application to this below Address.
Postal Address:
District
Address
Demand Draft in favour of
Thane, Raigad & Palghar
Deputy Director Health Services Regional Mental Hospital campus, Dharmavir Nagar, Thane (West) Pin code- 400604
DDHS, Thane
Nashik, Nandurbar, Jalgaon & Ahmadnagar
Deputy Director of Health Services, Regional referral hospital campus, Shalimar, Nashik 422001
DDHS, Nashik
Pune & Satara
Deputy Director Health Services 3 rd floor, New Administrative Building, Near Sadhu Wasvani Chowk, Pune Pin code- 411001
DDHS, Pune
Sindhudurg & Sangli
Deputy Director of Health Services 3 rd floorCentral Building, Near SP Office, Raman mala, Kasaba bavada, Kolhapur
DDHS, Kolhapur
Latur, Osmanabad & Nanded
Deputy Director Health Services, Aarogya Sankul building, 3rd floor, Near to new collector office, Latur- Pin code – 413512
DDHS, Latur
Amarawati & Yawatmal
Deputy Director Health Services Near Chaudhari Vidhyalay, Women Hospital Premises, Durga Chowk, Akola Pin code-444001
Deputy Director Health Services, Matakacheri Campus, North Ambazari Road, Shradhanand peth, In front of Dikshabhoomi, Nagpur Pin code -400022
DDHS, Nagpur
Helpline:
National Health Mission, Tel- 22617510, 22617647. Principal, Public Health Institution, Near Diksha Bhoomi, Nagpur-440022. Official Website: www.arogya.maharashtra.gov.in
Important dates for NHM Maharashtra CHO Recruitment 2019
Starting Date to Apply
21st June 2019
Last Date to Apply
01st July 2019
Exam Date
21st July 2019
Important Links for NHM Maharashtra Recruitment 2019 for Community Health Officers
The Indian government launched NRHM on April 12, 2005; with the aim of providing comprehensive and effective medical care to the most disadvantaged and vulnerable segments of society, especially women and children, by improving access, availability and quality of public health services. The main strategies of the mission are: to ensure intra and intersection oral convergence, strengthen public health infrastructures, increase community participation, create a village-level health worker, health workers to encourage public partnerships -private, focus on quality services and improve the program’s management contributions. India has significantly improved life expectancy at birth, reduced mortality from malaria, and infant and maternal mortality in recent decades.
Despite the progress made, a large proportion of the population, especially in rural areas, continues to suffer and die from preventable diseases, complications from pregnancy and childbirth, and malnutrition. In addition to the old unresolved issues, the country’s health system faces new threats and challenges, with approximately 5 million people living with HIV / AIDS and non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and Blindness. Diseases related to smoking, mental illness, etc. They have put the burden of chronic disease on the country’s already overburdened health care system. India is in the midst of an epidemiological and demographic transition, which faces an increased burden of chronic diseases and a decline in mortality and fertility rates that lead to an ageing population. Premature morbidity and mortality from chronic diseases can be a significant loss of economic and human resources for India.
RPF Result 2019 – Dear Applicants!! Here we have good news for you… Yes, Railway Protection Force has announced RPF Constable & SI 2018-19 Group E Final Merit List in online mode. Interested candidates can check their results from the official website i.e, constable.rpfonlinereg.org. Those candidates whose names are in the merit list are going to undergo a medical examination. The merit list is released in a pdf format. Check more details on RPF Constable Result 2018-19 from this page.
RPF Sub Inspector Result 2018-19 – Indian Railways Protection Force are recently Uploaded final merit list for the Post of Constable & Sub Inspector SI, Recruitment 2018-19 on 24th June 2019. Those candidates who are waiting for the Final Merit List of Sub Inspector can use the direct link provided below in the table, Here everyone can check the results from the official website also on our page.
RPF Sub Inspector Result 2019
Organization Name
Indian Railways
Department Name
Railway Protection Force and Railway Protection Special Force
RPF Constable Result 2018-19 – Indian Railways Employment Notice Constable/RPF released for the recruitment of 8619 Constables in Railway Protection Force and Railway Protection Special Force on 24th June 2019. A huge number of applicants have applied for the above posts. Central Recruitment Committee has completed Online Test Group wise simultaneously in Dec-18, Jan-19 & Feb-19 on allotted dates. Those candidates are waiting for the Final Merit List of Constable, Here everyone can check the results from the official website also on our page.
RPF Constable Result 2019
Organization Name
Indian Railways
Department Name
Railway Protection Force and Railway Protection Special Force
Those Candidates who shortlisted in the Physical Tests have secured RPF/ RPSF CBT Exam marks as their respective community wise. In the RPF Merit List, only the roll number of selected applicants to be placed. Candidates can view and get the Result of RPF Exam for Female & Male Constable from a quick link provided below.
RPF Constable Normalized Cut-off Marks 2019
The Normalized Cut off marks for Group A, B, and F RPF Constable has been released. The cut of marks is different for male and female. Candidates can refer to the table below to know the cut off marks category wise.
For Male Candidates
Groups / Category
A
B
C
D
F
OBC
93.55
88.35
87.39
92.17
84.19
SC
77.29
83.73
78.95
83.33
70.51
ST
76.71
76.69
75.04
81
68.22
UR
79.75
87.15
86.22
92.87
86.89
Ex-SM
36.22
36.23
36.34
36.2
36.15
For Female Candidates
Groups / Category
A
B
C
D
OBC
46.67
49.81
47.29
60.6
SC
41.24
49.58
40.37
51.71
ST
38.49
43.27
39.21
47.79
UR
47.69
57.91
52.99
64.16
Ex-SM
–
–
–
45.89
RPF Constable Cut Off 2019 | Final Merit List of Constable 2019
A candidate needs to score a minimum amount of percentage in the Computer Based Test to get selected for the next round, which is the PET(Physical Efficiency Test) and PMT(Physical Measurement Test). The cut-off marks determine the shortlist for the PET/PMT round. Candidates can check the minimum qualifying percentage from the below: UR- 35%, SC – 30%.
The RPF Constable merit list is one of essential for all aspirants, the top mark obtained candidates who are shortlisted in the separate list called as RPF Constable Merit list. Once the results will be announced, they will find out the Merit list details and declared the list along with the Results. Every candidate who can get a place in the merit list and those candidates are having some priority for a further interview session.
Steps to download RPF Result 2019
Visit the official website of RPF Constable, i.e constable.rpfonlinereg.org
Click on the purple box displaying the title, Final Merit List of CONSTABLE/RPF & CONSTABLE/RPSF
Then choose the Group E whose Merit List you want to view.
The Merit List is generated after one chooses the Group. Go to the "Find option" and search for your Roll Number in the List.
Finally, download the RPF Constable Merit List pdf and take a print out of the file for further use.
RPF Result 2019 | Final Merit List of Constable/ RPF
Download Final Merit List of CONSTABLE/RPF & CONSTABLE/RPSF
FSSAI Admit Card 2019 has recently uploaded the Admit Card on 22nd June 2019. The admit card has been released for the 275 applicants of Assistant, Jr, Assistant Garde I, and others. Hence, those who have completed the Registration successfully can get the FSSAI Hall Ticket 2019. Likewise, the board releases the Exam Date on its official website. Read the article completely to get the steps to download the FSSAI admit card.
FSSAI Admit Card 2019
As Examination Dates are out now so for downloading their FSSAI Various Posts admit card link is active now. By providing their valid credentials candidates will be able to download their Admit Card. Hence, Candidates can download the admit card from the below section. Here, we provide you the direct link of the FSSAI Hall Ticket for the aspirant’s convenience. Moreover, Applicants can get complete information about the FSSAI admit card 2019 from this webpage.
FSSAI Administrative Officer, Technical Officer exam will be conducted through Online Mode only. Hence, to attend the exam candidates have to carry the FSSAI admit card. Hence, the board will not send any hard copy of FSSAI hall ticket to the candidates. Moreover, Candidates must download FSSAI admit card to enter the examination hall. However, the admit card has been released on 22nd June 2019. Find the below-given details in the admit card and fill it carefully to download the valid Admit Card
Name of the Applicant.
Exam Date, Time & Centre.
Post Applied for.
Application or Registration Number
Father Name and
Important Instructions.
FSSAI Exam 2019
Food Safety and Standard Authority of India has announced the exam date from 24th July to 26th July 2019. Moreover, All the Candidates should make their presence at the exam center before 30 Minutes. So, Candidates have to download the admit card from the end of the web page. Get all the instructions about the FSSAI exam in this section. Candidates will have 120 minutes to complete the examination. Hence, all the candidates should go through the FSSAI Exam Syllabus 2019 to make your exam preparation easy. The question will be in Bilingual both English and Hindi.
For each wrong answer, 1 mark will be detected as negative marking. 4 Marks has been allocated for each correct answer. Question Paper will hold Multiple Choice of questions. So, Prepare according to the exam pattern given by FSSAI Board.
To download FSSAI admit card, User ID and Password is a must. So, Candidates have to log in by using the needed information. Moreover, follow the instruction mentioned in the hall ticket at the exam center. However, Candidates must download the admit card before the exam date. Check to the details in the FSSAI admit card after downloading it. Carry any one of the original ID proof listed below for the exam.
Updates regarding AAVIN Recruitment 2019-20 Notification is well presented on this page. As per the latest notice, there are 42 new vacancies available for Senior Factory Assistant (SFA) & Technician posts. Candidates who fulfill the AAVIN Milk Recruitment eligibility can apply on this page. The application process can be submitted from 24th June 2019. The application process will end on 15th July 2019. Scroll down to check educational qualification, selection process, age limit, pay scale, how to apply process and others.
AAVIN Recruitment 2019-20, Madurai Notification announced for 12 Technicians in Electrical, Operation, Boiler and Refrigeration post.Candidates who have passed 8th class, 10th, ITI can apply for AAVIN Milk Recruitment from 24th June 2019. Application forms in a prescribed application format must be sent to the postal address provided below on or before 25th July 2019.
AAVIN Milk Recruitment 2019 Notification
Name of the Board
The Tamil Nadu Co-Operative Milk Producer's Federation Limited
Name of the Post
Technicians
No of Vacancies
12
Application Starting Date
24th June 2019
Last Date to submit AAVIN Recruitment 2019 Application Form
Eligibility Criteria for Tamil Nadu AAVIN Recruitment 2019-2020
AAVIN Requirements 2019 is as follows,
Educational Qualification
Technician – Electrical :
SSLC/Xth std pass
Must possess ITI in the trade of Electrician with National Trade certificate and lineman /wireman B license
(OR) Passed Diploma in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and C license.
Technician – Operation:
Pass in SSLC with ITI certificate in the trade of Refrigeration & Air conditioning/Fitter/Dairy Mechanic/Electrician/Wireman/instrumentation with NTC
(OR) Passed Diploma in Mechanical/Electrical and Electronics/ instrumentation and control engineering
Technician – Refrigeration:
Passed SSLC or it’s equivalent
Passed ITI certificate in Refrigeration & Air conditioner Mechanic with NTC
(OR) Passed Diploma in mechanical engineering.
Technician – Boiler:
Passed VIIIth std
Must possess Boiler attendant certificate gr II/ gr III issued by the Director of Boiler, Chennai to operate boilers as per the norms prescribed by the authority.
Age Limit
The age limit for applying AAVIN Recruitment 2019-2020 is as follows
As per the norms
Age Relaxation:
SC/ST: 05 Years
OBC: 03 Years
PWD: 10 Years
Selection Process
Written Examination
Interview
Salary
Rs.19,500/- to Rs.62,000/- per month
Application Fee
OC.MBC/BC Candidates – Rs.250/-
SC/SCA/ST Candidates – No Application Fee
The filled in the application, complete in all aspects along with Xerox copies of required document Demand Draft (if applicable) should be drawn in favour of the General Manager M.D.C.M.P.U.Ltd, Payable at Madurai should be sent to the "General Manager, Madurai District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Ltd, Sathamangalam, Madurai-625 020"
How to apply or AAVIN Recruitment 2019-2020?
Click for the AAVIN Official Notification pdf provided below.
Download and take a print out of it.
Fill in all details that are asked in the AAVIN Milk Recruitment Application Form.
Paste your recent photograph
Attach xerox copies of necessary documents
Pay prescribed application fee.
Finally, post the application form along with your DD to the postal address provided below.
Postal Address:
The General Manager,
Madurai District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Ltd,
Sathamangalam, Madurai-625 020
Address & Helpline Details:
The Madurai District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Limited, Sivagangai Main Road, Sathamangalam, Madurai 625 020. PH: 9489619001- 4 Lines.
AAVIN Recruitment 2019-20 Notification for 30 Senior Factory Assistant (SFA).The Tamil Nadu Co-Operative Milk Producer's Federation Limited invites to the Applicants to fill 30 Senior Factory Assistant (SFA) Vacancies through Offline mode. An applicant who wants to apply for these vacancies in AAVIN Milk Recruitment 2019 can apply before the last date i.e. 15th July 2019. However, Offline application procedure for AAVIN Careers starts soon. Check eligibility details such as Educational Qualification, Selection Process, Age Limit and other Details related to AAVIN Recruitment 2019 Tamil Nadu in the below sections of this page.
AAVIN Milk Recruitment 2019-2020 Notification
Name of the Board
The Tamil Nadu Co-Operative Milk Producer's Federation Limited
Name of the Post
Senior Factory Assistant (SFA)
No of Vacancies
30
Application Starting Date
24th June 2019
Last Date to submit AAVIN Recruitment 2019 Application Form
Eligibility Criteria for Tamil Nadu AAVIN Recruitment 2019-2020
AAVIN Requirements 2019 is as follows,
Educational Qualification
Must have passed 12th Class/Intermediate
(OR) Must possess ITI in any Trade
Age Limit
The age limit for applying AAVIN Recruitment 2019-2020 is as follows
As per the norms
Age Relaxation:
SC/ST: 05 Years
OBC: 03 Years
PWD: 10 Years
Selection Process
Written Examination
Interview
Salary
Rs.15,700/- to Rs.50,000/- per month
Application Fee
OC.MBC/BC Candidates – Rs.250/-
SC/SCA/ST Candidates – No Application Fee
The filled in the application, complete in all aspects along with Xerox copies of required document Demand Draft (if applicable) should be drawn in favour of the General Manager M.D.C.M.P.U.Ltd, Payable at Madurai should be sent to the "General Manager, Madurai District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Ltd, Sathamangalam, Madurai-625 020"
AAVIN Careers 2019-2020 – Apply Offline Steps
As this is an Offline process, candidates are requested to follow the application processing steps. Make sure you fill all the details correctly in case of any mistakes or any unqualified application found then the application form will be rejected without no refund of application fee. So make sure about your eligibility criteria before registering for the AAVIN Recruitment 2019.
How to apply or AAVIN Recruitment 2019-2020?
Click for the AAVIN Recruitment 2019 Official Notification.
Then read all the pieces of information given in the notification.
Once you are done with the information then go for the application.
Download the application form using the below given link.
Then fill all the details that are asked in the AAVIN Application Form.
Attach all the asked documents to the application form with your CV.
Pay the prescribed application fee.
Finally, post the application form along with your DD to the postal address provided below.
Postal Address:
The General Manager,
Madurai District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Ltd,
Sathamangalam, Madurai-625 020
Address & Helpline Details:
The Madurai District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Limited, Sivagangai Main Road, Sathamangalam, Madurai 625 020. PH: 9489619001- 4 Lines.
The Department of Dairy Development was established in 1958 in Tamilnadu. The administrative and legal control of all state dairy cooperatives was transferred to the Department of Dairy Development on 1.8.1965. The Commissioner for Dairy Production and Dairy Development became the registration office under the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Corporation Act. With the adoption of the “Anand Boss” in Tamilnadu State, the Tamilnadu Federation of Milk Producer Cooperatives was registered in the State on February 1, 1981. The commercial activities of the Department, such as the acquisition, processing, cooling and packaging The sale of milk to consumers, etc., previously managed by Tamilnadu Dairy Development Corporation Ltd., was transferred to the Tamilnadu Federation of Milk Producer Cooperatives, most recently registered, known as “Aavin”.
Following the liberalization policy, private dairies also entered the dairy sector. According to the instructions of the Honorable Chief Minister of Tamilnadu, a high priority has been given to improving the performance of dairy cooperatives by adopting a systematic approach and appropriate strategy in dairy cooperatives. Dairy farmers’ cooperatives, trade unions, and the Tamilnadu State Federation have achieved remarkable results. The livestock population in India represents about 30% of the total livestock population in the world. India remained in no. 1 place in milk production. Tamilnadu is one of the major milk producing countries. Tamilnadu milk production per day is 145.88 liters of Lakh.
UPHESC Result 2019: Today’s Latest Update is Uttar Pradesh Higher Education Services Commissionare recently Uploaded result for the Recruitment Post of Assistant Professor in various Subject on 22nd June 2019. Those candidates who have been appeared in this recruitment exam can download the result from now!!! Candidates who had taken part in the exam must check the UPHESC Assistant Professor Exam Result 2019 for 60 Assistant Professor Posts. All the candidates can check the UPHESC Assistant Professor Result 2019 from the official portal @ uphesc.org.
UPHESC Assistant Professor Result 2019
Uttar Pradesh Higher Education Services Commission (UPHESC) has conducted the Written Exam on 15th December 2018, 5th & 12th January 2019. As we know, Applicants everyone is waiting for the UPHESC Assistant Professor Result 2019. Here on this page, we have provided a direct link to check and download your Results now. Additionally, we have also furnished the details of UPHESC Assistant Professor Cut Off Marks 2019 & UPHESC Assistant Professor Merit List 2019. Here, we have provided a direct link to download the UP Assistant Professor Result 2019.
All the candidates who had taken part in the exams must check UPHESC Assistant Professor Exam Results 2019. However, the officials have announced the UPHESC Assistant Professor Result 2019 in the online portal on 22nd June 2019. We advise the candidates to check all the sections given in this article and keep following our page recruitment.guru to get the latest updates. Applicants can also bookmark it to get notifications regarding the Admit Cards, Results, Govt Jobs & others.
UPHESC Assistant Professor Cut Off Marks 2019 is the minimum qualifying marks that a candidate can gain. All the candidates can check the UPHESC Assistant Professor Cut Off Marks 2019 from the official portal. However, we will update this article with the latest information. Moreover, the UPHESC Assistant Professor Cut Off Marks 2019 will be declared based on the Candidate's Category (SC/ ST/ OC/ Others). It mainly depends on the number of vacancies, the number of candidates attended the exam, toughness of the question paper. Based on the UPHESC Assistant Professor Cut Off Marks 2019, the Results and Merit List will be declared.
UPHESC Assistant Professor Merit List 2019 @ uphesc.org
The officials of the Uttar Pradesh Higher Education Services Commission (UPHESC) will announce the UPHESC Assistant Professor Merit List 2019. All the candidates who had taken part in the exams must check the UPHESC Assistant Professor Merit List 2019. The UPHESC Assistant Professor Merit List 2019 will be announced based on the performance of the candidates. UPHESC Assistant Professor Merit List 2019 will be declared after the declaration of the Results.
Steps to check UPHESC Assistant Professor Exams Results 2019
Meghalaya PSC Previous Papers pdf are updated on this page for Assistant Engineer (Electrical, CEW), Inspector of Drugs post. Hence, candidates who wish to attend the exam conducted by the Meghalaya Public Service Commission may refer to these MPSC Exam Old Papers. Candidates can also visit the official website www.mpsc.nic.in to get more Meghalaya PSC Question Papers with Answers pdf.
MPSC Question Papers with Answers pdf
This page contains the free downloading links of Meghalaya PSC Previous Papers for the jobs such as Inspector of Drugs, Assistant Engineer (Electrical, CEW)and other posts. These papers contain the previously asked questions along with answers. So, the candidates who are preparing for the examination may refer to the provided Last 5 years MPSC Previous Question Papers for getting an idea about the exam. By practicing these papers, an aspirant can increase their knowledge and will get confidence in the preparation. So, download and solve the Meghalaya PSC Old Papers and get qualify in the exam.
For Meghalaya PSC Exam Date 2019 Details – Click Here
Candidates applying for the various post under Meghalaya Public Service Commission (MPSC) will be selected through the written examination followed by Interview. Go through the below sections to get an overview of the exam pattern along with syllabus.
Meghalaya PSC Exam Pattern 2019
For AE, Drug Inspector Prelims Exam Pattern
Paper
Name of the Subjects
Marks
Paper 1
General Studies
150
Paper 2
Subject wise Paper (Post related)
300
Mains Exam Pattern – AE, Drug Inspector & Other
Paper
Subjects
Marks
Paper 1
General Studies
100
Paper 2
General Knowledge
100
Paper 3
Law Papers
100
Paper 4
100
The total duration of each paper is 1 Hour
The Interview will be for 250 Marks
For further details go through the Official Notification
Meghalaya Assitant Engineer Previous Papers are available now to download. Hence the candidates in the state of Meghalaya who applied for the AE jobs can refer these Question Papers of MPSC AE exam. Free downloading links of Meghalaya PSC Previous Papers are available below for free of cost. Also, refer the official website of the Meghalaya Public Service Commission i.e. www.mpsc.nic.in for more details about the Assistant Engineer exam.
MPSC Assistant Engineer Previous Papers Pdf
According to the Employment News, the candidates who applied for the Assistant Engineer jobs are now searching for the MPSC AE Previous Papers. Because for the Assistant Engineer job, there is a screening test. Hence for the screening test, first of all, you need to collect the required materials to start the AE exam preparation. Now if you are in a rush for the AE exam preparation materials then no need to search anywhere. Because you are in the correct place where you can find the Last 5 years Meghalaya PSC Previous Papers. The MPSC AE Previous Papers are the perfect materials to start the exam preparation. Also, refer the official website of the Meghalaya Public Service Commission i.e. www.mpsc.nic.in for more information regarding the Assistant Engineer exam.
Also, check the Sarkari Naukri for the latest Meghalaya State government jobs.
Meghalaya Public Service Commission AE Model Papers
After downloading the MPSC Assistant Engineer Exam Old Papers, start practicing those questions. Such that you will get an idea about the complexity of the questions that are asked in the previous years. And hence practice more the MPSC Assistant Engineer Previous Papers so that you will gain solving skills. That will help the candidates in solving the questions in very less time.
Also, for the sake of the applicants, we are also providing the Exam syllabus for the Assistant Engineer exam here. Therefore practice more the MPSC AE Previous Papers and important topics in the syllabus to gain more marks. Also, check the exam pattern for the Assistant Engineer exam such that you can get an idea about the plan of the examination. In a case, if you need any sort of information then refer the Meghalaya PSC Official site i.e. www.mpsc.nic.in
Download the Last 5 years Meghalaya PSC Previous Papers from the below links. The provided information is only for reference use. For better preparation, download and start preparing the old questions to score more marks. Also, refer the official website of the MPSC i.e. www.mpsc.nic.in for more details about the Assistant Engineer exam.
The Meghalaya PSC Law Officer Previous Papers updated here. The candidates who are appearing for the MPSC Written Exam can download and refer the MPSC Last Five Years Question Papers of Law Officers Exams.
Meghalaya PSC Law Officer Previous Papers
A huge number of candidates are applying for the MPSC Jobs and can attend the Written Exam on tentative dates. The applicants can prepare with the reference of Meghalaya PSC Old Question Papers PDF. With these Last Five years Question Papers, you can get knowledge about the test pattern, subjects, marks and time for each section. So, the interested applicants can go through the below links to download the Meghalaya Law Officer Solved papers along with the answers. Refer these MPSC Previous Question papers for free of cost from the attached links. Also, refer the Official Website www.mpsc.nic.in for more Meg PSC LO Sample Papers.
MPSC Law Officer Syllabus 2019
The applied aspirants once check the syllabus of your applied jobs and also verify the test pattern. Please click on the below link to refer the MPSC Law Officer Syllabus 2019.
Candidates who are going to attend the Written exam can once refer to the Meghalaya Law Exam Solved Question Papers. You can also download the MPSC Meghalaya Law Officer Previous Years Question Papers from the below attachment.
Meghalaya Law Officer Old Question Papers – Details
Commission: Meghalaya Public Service Commission
Post name: Law Officer, Various
Number of Jobs: 378
Official Website: www.mpsc.nic.in
Category: Previous Papers.
The Meghalaya PSC Mining Officer Previous Papers are here for free download. The applicants can refer this page for the reference of Meghalaya Public Service Commission MO Old Papers PDF.
Meghalaya PSC Mining Officer Previous Papers
The Meghalaya MPSC recently started inviting applications from the interested and eligible candidates to fill 378 Jobs. The aspirants who are having the interest to work with the Meghalaya Public Service Commission can apply before 10th June 2019. The applicants can check the Selection process of your applied job from the official notification. Applicants need to qualify in the Written examination which will conduct on the tentative dates. Download the Previous Years Papers of Meghalaya Mining Officer Recruitment Test. Refer & use these MPSC Mining Officer Old Question Papers as a reference for the preparation.
MPSC Mining Officer Syllabus 2019
The applicants can check the Syllabus and exam pattern decided by the PSC Commission of Meghalaya. Before going to attend the test, it’s better to check Meg PSC MO Syllabus. Please go through the enclosed link to refer to the syllabus and test pattern.
Aspirants who are going to attend the Written exam can refer these Meghalaya PSC Mining Officer Previous Years Papers from this page. Download the MPSC MO Last Five Years Question papers PDF.
The Meghalaya PSC LDA Previous Papers are available here. A vast number of candidates are applying for the MPSC Recruitment 2019 of 378 Jobs. Those can prepare for the Written Exam by downloading the MPSC Lower Division Assistant Old Question Papers from our site or from Official Website i.e., www.mpsc.nic.in Download the Meghalaya PSC Previous Papers of LDA Exam easily just with a click.
Meghalaya PSC LDA Previous Papers
The Meghalaya Public Service Commission applicants can start preparation for the Written test. The interested aspirants can apply Online for the MPSC Recruitment 2019 of 378 JE, LDA, SI, various openings before the last date. The Last Date to fill & submit the Online Application is 10th June 2019. The candidates can once go through the Official Notification before applying for the jobs. Those can also verify the Selection process for the applied job on the MPSC Recruitment notification. The Lower Division Assistant applicants have to qualify in the Written Exam followed by the Interview going to conduct by the Officials of Commission on tentative dates. So, the applied candidates can prepare with the help of MPSC Previous Papers can be selected easily since they will be going to perform in the Exam. Download and refer the Meghalaya Lower Division Assistant Old Question Papers PDF from direct links given below.
MPSC LDA Syllabus 2019
The Meghalaya PSC has given clear information about the Written exam for the Lower Division Clerk. The applicants of LDA jobs can check the Syllabus & Exam Pattern 2019 once to get clarity. Those who want to verify the Meghalaya PSC LDA Syllabus and Exam Pattern can once go through the enclosed link.
Download MPSC Lower Division Clerk Previous Years Papers PDF
The aspirants who are in the search for the preparation materials can refer to this page. Here, you will get the precious materials such as Meghalaya PSC Previous Papers & LDA Model Papers for Lower Division Assistant Written Exam. You can also download the Meghalaya Public Service Commission LDA Old Question Papers for free from the below links. Just you can click the link on which you want to download.
The Meghalaya PSC Previous Papers are updated here for all the jobs that are released under the Meghalaya Public Service Commission. Interested candidates can also download the MPSC Junior Engineer Previous Years Papers of 378 Jobs Recruitment Exams.
Meghalaya PSC Previous Papers
A huge number of aspirants are applying for the Meghalaya Government Jobs since there are huge openings in the PSC. The applicants can once check the Selection process of your applied job. The applicants need to qualify in the written test & interview to grab their dream job. So, start preparing for the written exam by checking the Meghalaya PSC Exam Syllabus & Exam Pattern 2019. Then you will know the test pattern, subjects, time and marks such details easily. Now, it is easy for you to plan the schedule for preparation. Interested graduates of Engineering Jobs can refer the Meghalaya Junior Engineer & Assistant Engineer Last Ten Years Papers of Civil from this page. You can also download the MPSC JE Civil Previous Years Exam Papers from the direct-attached links on our website recruitment.guru. Refer Meghalaya PSC Previous Papers for free within few seconds after clicking on download.
The Meghalaya Public Service Commission decided to invite applications from the talented & eligible candidates to fill various vacant positions in the Commission. The commission released the advertisement to fill 378 vacancies of Junior Engineer, Asst Engineer, Librarian, Lower Division Asst and so on. Visit the Official Website www.mpsc.nic.in for latest updates, recruitment notifications, results released by the commission and so on. The aspirants who aimed their career at the Meghalaya Government Jobs can use this wonderful opportunity given by the PSC of Meghalaya State. Once go through the Official Notification to check details such as Eligibility, educational qualifications, the application process, pay scale and so on. Apply Online for the MPSC Recruitment 2019 before the last date. The Online application submission link will expire on 10th June 2019. So, be fast to apply for the Meghalaya PSC Jobs. Then check the selection process of your applied jobs.
Many candidates are applying for the Meghalaya PSC Jobs and are about to start preparation. Those may be now in search for the Meghalaya Junior Engineer Civil Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2019. The Civil JE Written test consists of Objective form questions from the civil engineering related subjects. Please go through the below link to check the complete and latest Syllabus of Meghalaya Jr Engineer & Asst Engineer Recruitment Exams.
MPSC Meghalaya Junior Engineer Civil Old Papers PDF
The applicants are preparing for the Civil Engineer Written Exam and those can use these Meghalaya PSC Previous Years Question Papers as a reference for the preparation. By referring the Last Years Exam Papers of MPSC AE Civil you will get an idea about the test pattern, subjects and so on. So that you will easily grab the opportunity with that knowledge. You can download and practice these Meghalaya PSC Junior Engineer Old Papers & MPSC Asst Engineer Civil Last Years Papers to get the cutoff marks in a simple manner.
Our website recruitment.guru also providing the Previous Papers of All India Latest Govt Jobs, Bank Jobs, Railway Recruitment Exams and so on. Keep visiting our site for the important materials such as Syllabus & Previous Years Question Papers. You can also download the Admit Cards/ Hall Tickets of Latest Jobs without visiting the Official Websites. Below is the free download link for Meghalaya PSC Previous Papers of Civil JE & AE Jobs.
Meg PSC Civil Engineer Last Five Years Question Papers
BARC Recruitment 2019 – BARC is empowering young, talented and motivated students to contribute to path-breaking discoveries in frontier areas of scientific research and cutting-edge technologies by offering Junior Research Fellowships in the areas of Physical, Chemical and Biological Sciences. Interested and eligible candidates can register for the BARC JRF Vacancy 2019 before 12th July 2019. Around 25 fellowship persons are wanted by the Board. However, candidates waiting to build a career in BARC can use this opportunity.
As per the JRF Notification released by the BARC Board is that candidates should have not crossed the Age of 28 years to be eligible. All the selected candidates will be registered for PhD in Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI a deemed to be University of Department of Atomic Energy). Scroll down to know in detail about the BARC JRF 2019 Notification.
BARC Recruitment 2019 for JRF – Overview
Name of the Board
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) (OR) Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology (BRIT), Navi Mumbai.
Eligibility Criteria for BARC JRF Recruitment 2019
JRF Educational Qualification
Passed with 55% to 60% of aggregate in M. Sc in Physics/ Chemistry/ Life Science from a recognized university.
Check out the official notification to know in detail.
JRF Age Limit
Should not be less than 28 years.
Age Relaxation:
OBC Candidates – 03 years
SC/ ST Candidates – 05 years
Persons with Disabilities – 100 years
Application Fee
For General/ OBC Candidates – Rs. 500/-
For SC/ ST/Women/PWD Candidates – No Fee
Salary Details
Selected candidates for BARC Mumbai Recruitment will get the following amount as JRF Salary,
Rs. 31000/- per month + allowances as admissible under Central Government Rules.
Selection Process
On the basis of Merit
Interview Process
How to Apply for BARC JRF Recruitment 2019?
Download the Official Notification and read all the information carefully. Then go for the Online Application. The Online Application will be open till 12th July 2019. Follow the below-given steps to process the application in a much easier way.
Click on Apply Online Link.
If you are a new user go for new registration.
Fill in the basic details and get your Login ID
Enter your Login ID and Password.
Now register for the JRF Jobs.
Complete the application process.
Hit on the Submit button.
Take a print out of the completed application for future use.
BARC Recruitment 2019 Mumbai – Apply Online for 74 Work Assistant (WA) Vacancies: Dear Candidates!! Here we have a piece of great news for you from BARC India. Yes, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre recently announced the recruitment notification for Group C post of Work Assistants. Totally, 74 Posts are allocated for candidates who have passed 10th class or SSLC. Online application forms from eligible candidates will be accepted from 17th June 2019 @ www.barc.gov.in. To get the direct apply online link, please scroll down. The last date for the receipt of application forms is 1st July 2019.
However, candidates waiting to fill up Work Assistant Vacancies in BARC must know that their age should lie between 18 to 27 years only. Further, the recruitment process in BARC has 2 stages. There are Preliminary Stage and Advanced Stage. Only applicants who clear both Stage 1 and 2 will be selected for BARC India. Selected candidates will get a salary of Rs.18,000/- per month plus other allowances which include Health benefits, Promotion avenues, A incentives. Attractive professional update allowance etc..
BARC Recruitment for Work Assistants – Job Overview
Name of the Board
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) (OR) Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology (BRIT), Navi Mumbai.
Eligibility Criteria for Bhabha Atomic Research Centre Recruitment 2019
Eligibility conditions such as educational qualification, age limit, selection criteria,
Educational Qualification
Passed 10th/ SSLC/Matriculation
Age Limit
Minimum Age Limit – 18 years
Maximum Age Limit – 27 years
Application Fee
For General/ OBC Candidates – Rs. 100/-
For SC/ ST/Women/PWD Candidates – No Fee
Salary Details
Selected candidates for BARC Mumbai Recruitment will get the following amount as salary,
Rs. 18000/- per month (Cell No.1 Level 1 of pay Matrix) + allowances as admissible under Central Government Rules.
Additional Benefits:
In addition to the normal Pay and Allowances as admissible under rules, the employees of the Department of Atomic Energy are entitled for:
Exciting working environment
Promotion avenues.
Attractive performance-related incentives.
Attractive professional update allowance.
Healthcare for self and family members.
Leave Travel Concession for self and family.
Reimbursement of Tuition fee/Departmental Accommodation etc. as per Government of India Orders.
Selection Process
Stage 1 – Preliminary Stage
Stage 2 – Advanced Stage
Roles of Responsibilities of BARC Work Assistants:
Cosmetic maintenance of laboratories and office buildings and surrounding areas including toilets, providing clean, neat and hygienic ambiance in the area and miscellaneous office work.
Cleaning and decontamination of plants/machinery, assistance in plants/workshops/ store and other utility areas.
The duty may also involve working in round the clock shifts.
Duties include developing the gardens by digging soil and planting of different plants; maintenance of gardens by sweeping, watering, weeding, mowing, manuring, pruning and propagating plants and flower arrangements.
Agricultural operations including ploughing, harvesting, seed sorting/packing, pesticides and fertilizer treatment, bird watching, etc. Miscellaneous office work etc.
How to Apply for BARC Work Assistant Recruitment 2019?
Download the Official Notification and read all the information carefully. Then go for the Online Application. The Online Application will be open till 01st July 2019. Follow the below given steps to process the application in a much easier way.
Step 1: How to fill BARC Work Assistant Online Application Form?
Click on the BARC WA Apply Online Link.
Enter the required details.
Pay the application fee.
Step 2: Attach necessary documents
Attach the necessary documents
Step 3: Final Submission
Complete all the details.
Click on the Submit button.
Take a print out of the completed application for future reference.
WARNING:Candidates will be shortlisted for Written Test on the basis of the information provided by them in their online application. They must ensure that such information is true. If at any stage of the selection procedure, it is found that the information given by them or any claim made by them in their online application is false, their candidature will be liable to be rejected and also liable for any other appropriate action as deemed fit.
Important Dates for BARC Recruitment 2019 Notification
Firstly, Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha conceived the Nuclear Program in India. In the year 1945, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), the establishment was made by Dr. Bhabha for carrying out nuclear science research.. To intensify the effort to exploit nuclear energy for the benefit of the nation, Atomic Energy, Trombay Establishment by Bhabha was done in January 1954. This was done mainly for multidisciplinary research program which was essential for the ambitious nuclear program of India. After the sad demise of Bhabha in 1966, AEET was renamed BARC.
Also, BARC Training School was established by Dr. Bhabha to provide manpower needs of the expanding atomic energy research and development program. According to Bhabha, “When Nuclear Energy, successfully applied for power production in, say a couple of decades from now, India will not have to look abroad for its experts but will find them ready at hand”. Dr. Bhabha emphasized on self-reliance in all the fields of nuclear science and engineering. BARC is the mother of India of the R&D institutions such as IGCAR, RRCAT, VECC. These Boards carry out pioneering research on nuclear and accelerator technologies and industrial establishments such as NPCIL, ECIL, NFC, etc., spearheading nuclear power production, materials technology, electronics & instrumentation.
BARC Recruitment 2019 Job Opportunities:
Firstly, the BARC Project has Various openings for the year 2019-20 through GATE 2019 Score. However, the Vacancies available are for Scientific Officer Posts. Therefore, Candidates who fulfill the above mentioned eligibility conditions are eligible to apply for these jobs. Also, candidates who meet the age limit and other criteria can apply for BARC Vacancy 2019. You can also get details about application starting date and the last date.
On this page, we have provided post wise vacancy details regarding the vacancy in BARC Jobs 2019. However, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is providing employment notifications in recent days. Therefore, all the job seekers can get day today's updates regarding Recruitment in BARC Careers 2019 on this page. Also, check details regarding eligibility Criteria on this page. However, stay connected with our page to know more details about Job Vacancy in BARC Recruitment 2019.
Patna High Court Result 2019- for General Mazdoor & District Judge HJS Mains posts are be available here. Candidates appeared for the General Mazdoor & District Judge HJS Mains exam can check the Patna Court General Mazdoor Results 2019 on the Official Website. So, participants can make use of this page and verify the Patna Court 2019 Results. Even anyone can find the Patna Court General Mazdoor Results 2019 Download links here. We will be updating the latest Upcoming Patna HC Result Link, it will work once the result will be announcing it officially.
Patna High Court District Judge HJS Result 2019: Patna High Court has been released the result of Patna High Court District Judge HJS on 22nd June 2019. The officials have declared the Patna High Court Judge HJS Result 2019 via online from the official website patnahighcourt.gov.in. As we know that everyone will be waiting for the Patna High Court District Judge HJS Mains Result, Finally now its get released. Final Written Main Exam Result has been published. Hence check patnahighcourt.gov.in District Judge HJS Merit List 2019 to know your qualifying status.
Patna High Court District Judge HJS Result 2019 – Check Here
Patna High Court General Mazdoor 2019 Result: Patna High Court is going to announce the Admit Card of General Mazdoor (Computer Knowing) Posts. Patna Court Result 2019 is to be released by the board of Patna High Court. Mostly, the officials declare the Patna Court General Mazdoor Results 2019 via online from the official website. So get ready with your login credentials to check the Patna Court 2019 Results. The Patna Court General Mazdoor Results 2019 will be released in the form of pdf called Merit List. Hence check patnahighcourt.gov.in General Mazdoor Merit List 2019 to know your qualifying status.
Patna High Court General Mazdoor Result 2019 – Check Here
Patna High Court Merit List 2019
Patna Court General Mazdoor Merit List 2019 will be released on the official website i.e, patnahighcourt.gov.in All the aspirants who are curious to know the score can verify the Patna Court Selection List 2019 on this page. There will be two Tier procedure of selection comprising Online written Test followed by Interview. Final merit list will be prepared on the basis of performance in Online (written) Test and Interview have taken together.
Here we provide the pdf links of the Patna Court General Mazdoor Exam Merit List 2019. Thus, the exam participants who are unable to find the marks on the official website can download Patna Court General Mazdoor 2019 Qualified List from here. To view the Patna High Court Result along with the merit list, check step by step process given below. Candidates have to obtain minimum marks to get the selection in Patna High Court as a General Mazdoor as per the cut-off criteria.
Steps to download Patna High Court Result 2019?
Visit the Patna High Court Official Website i.e, patnahighcourt.gov.in
Now, Search for the Patna Court General Mazdoor Exam Results 2019 on the screen.
And then, click on the Patna Court Result 2019.
Now, Patna Court Login page will be displayed.
Start filling the necessary details such as Roll Number, Date of Birth, Password in the provided fields.
Now, you will get the Patna Court Exam Results 2019
Download Patna Court General Mazdoor Results 2019.
Finally, take the printed copy of the Patna Court Exam 2019 Results for reference.
Patna Court General Mazdoor Results 2019 Download Links
Patna Court General Mazdoor Cutoff Marks (Available Soon)
HSSC Patwari Question Paper is updated here to download for Canal Patwari, Patwari & Other posts. Candidates who are applying for the given posts can get here the latest HSSC previous year question paper pdf in detail. Also, to boost up your preparation we have also provided here exam pattern and syllabus details. So, go through the below sections carefully and prepare well for the examination.
HSSC Patwari Question Papers
HSSC Canal Patwari previous year question paper pdf can be downloaded from the below sections. Recently, Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) has released 1100 vacancies for canal patwari and 588 vacancies for Patwari posts. The application process has already started. Candidates who want to apply for the given posts can refer to the HSSC Recruitment 2019. The written examination will be from 13th July to 18th August 2019. So, refer the given HSSC patwari question paper pdf download links given here to get an idea of the examination.
HSSC Patwari Previous Year Question Paper – Details
Applicants applying for the Canal Patwari and Patwari posts need to qualify the written examination and interview. So, go through the given exam pattern to get an idea of the examination.
HSSC Canal Patwari/ Patwari Exam Pattern 2019
Name of the Subjects
Weightage
Total Marks
General Awareness, Reasoning, Maths, Science, Computer, English, Hindi & Relevant Subject
75%
90
History, Current Affairs, Literature, Geography, Civics, Environment, Culture, etc.
25%
It will consist of objective type questions
The total marks for the examination are 90 Marks
For further details go through the official notification
TN Postal Circle Result 2019 – Tamil Nadu Post Office GDS Selection list 2019 has been released on 22nd June 2019. Here anyone can find TN GDS Result 2019, TN Gramin Dak Sevak merit list, Tamilnadu Postal circle result for 4442 Postmaster vacancies. Totally 4442 vacancies were announced for the Post Master and Assistant postmaster recruitment process. Candidates those who have been appeared for this TN GDS Recruitment process can check their result from the official website i.e, www.appost.in/gdsonline/. TN GDS 2019 Result will determine the list of candidates who will be Applied For the Post.
TN Postal Circle Result 2019
Tamilnadu postal circle result has been declared and candidates who are all applied for the TN Post office Recruitment 2019 can able to check the result in the official website www.appost.in/gdsonline/. Tamilnadu Postmaster selection list has been released in the appost.in/gdsonline website only. So the candidates are requested to keep checking the official website for live result updates. Moreover, you can check TN Post GDS Result 2019 page regularly for instant updates.
Tamilnadu postal circle has released the recruitment notification for 4442 Postmaster and Assistant postmaster vacancies on 15th March 2019. Over 10 Lakhs candidates were applied for job notification. The candidates have been selected based on their TN SSLC Academic performance and minority reservation is given to a certain area like Academic Performance and SSLC Mark Verification. Here we have provided a direct link to check your TN GDS Result 2019.
The Merit list is the document that provides a clear view of the entire recruitment process. The board members of the TN Postal Circle will prepare the TN GDS Merit List 2019 after the completion of all the screening rounds. Under the rules and regulations of the recruitment organization, the name and roll number of the qualified aspirants will be shortlisted for the TN Postal Circle GDS Merit List 2019.
TN Postal Circle GDS Cut Off 2019 Location Wise
The Tamil Nadu Postal Circle GDS Cut Off Marks 2019 is the minimum percentage of required qualifying marks. The Exam takers have to score at least equal to or more than the cut off marks to become eligible for further selection rounds. If the applicants fail to meet the expected qualifying marks Tamilnadu Postal Circle GDS Result 2019 then the board members will not allow them for the next screening levels. Along with the exam result, the cut off marks will be available from the official website.
Steps to check TN Postal Circle Result 2019
Note your Online Applied Details Given by Post Office Recruitment 2019.
Go To TN Post Office Official Website @ www.appost.in/gdsonline/
In the Home Page, you will find Link to TamilNadu Post Office GDS Result 2019.
Select that link it will take you to the result page.
There you can check your Merit result by entering your Details Required.
Take a print out of your result details for future reference.
Important links to download TN Postal Circle Result 2019
Even as plans are afoot to launch a digital rupee, India proposes to ban cryptocurrencies altogether, and a law is reportedly in the works that would make holding cryptocurrencies a crime that would put you in jail. RBI has already banned cryptocurrencies. This is myopic. India needs to be open to the possibility of using cryptocurrencies for international payments bypassing the dollar.Cryptocurrencies have a bad name and that is probably well-earned. But all currencies that move around using the blockchain technology are not of the same kind. A subgroup is called stablecoins. Unlike bitcoins, which can be produced independently of any central bank, whose value is unstable and whose total numbers would hit a predetermined ceiling, stablecoins are linked to fiat currency, managed by banks and other reliable entities.Don't Think Just BitcoinThe principal attraction of a new stablecoin — there are many floating around, apart from Facebook's proposed Libra — is the possibility of using that for settling international payments that do not involve a US counterparty, without using the dollar.At the time when negotiations were on to create the International Monetary Fund, John Maynard Keynes had proposed, on behalf of the British government, creation of Bancor, a new unit of account for settling international payments in a new International Clearing Union. The Americans poohpoohed the idea and said the dollar would do quite well as the world's currency for settling international payments, thank you.The war-ravaged Brits were in no position to resist the pressure of the US, then financing much of the Allies' war effort, and Bancor went into that heap of good ideas in history that never saw the light of day.The US derives much power from the use of the dollar as the world's principal currency for settling payments between countries. It can borrow as much it wants from the rest of the world and simply print dollar bills to repay the loans. Other countries cannot follow that example. That is bad enough.Those were innocent times when the US merely profited from global seigniorage. Then, it started weaponising the dollar. The latest example is the Iran sanctions. If any entity transacts with any entity that has transacted with Iran, that is, even indirectly, that entity would be denied access to the dollar payment network.No bank can afford to be cut off from access to the dollar. So, no bank would deal with anyone that deals with an entity on which the US has declared secondary sanctions. The dollar is a powerful weapon in the hands of the US that it can wield against anyone it wants to. The Europeans made a half-hearted attempt to create a shied for European companies that want to do business with Iran, but this found no takers — so little credibility did this system have.Clearly, the way out is to have a payments system that allows transactions that do not involve a US counterparty to be settled in a currency other than the dollar. Of course, you can settle trade with the EU in euros and trade with Japan in yen, if you have those currencies in reserve. If you do not, you have to settle in dollars, as with all other countries.For Non-Dollar PaymentsCreating a payments system that sidesteps the dollar is primarily a political task, granted. But if that courage is summoned, a technical challenge would still remain. A blockchain-based currency is the most likely technical solution. If India's legal system makes all blockchain-based currencies beyond the pale, that would hurt India's ability to take part in, leave alone lead, an effort by a coalition of nations to create a payment mechanism outside the dollar framework. Facebook's Libra is the one making the most news. But JPMorgan is launching its own stablecoin. IBM has created the framework for a global payments system using cryptocurrencies.Not all currencies and payment systems that make use of the distributed ledger inherent in the blockchain are suspect by definition. Of course, systems must be put in place to prevent money laundering and heists that leave the unwary and the unsavvy bereft of their savings.Distributed ledgers would probably play a big role in fintech solutions for cross-border remittances. When a migrant labourer in Dubai wants to send money back home to India, the cost can be prohibitive, as much as 5%. Fintech is working on the problem. Several of the solutions could take the form of tokens that move around on the blockchain technology. India should not be prohibiting such experiments.Instead of banning cryptocurrencies, India should be taking the lead to rope in China, the European Union and other willing national governments and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) to create payment and settlement systems that do not allow one issuer of a national currency to acquire a stranglehold over the global financial system, leaving open the possibility of a new stablecoin linked to a basket of currencies being created for the purpose, the basket and the linkage being managed by a credible body such as the BIS.
A surge in India's oil imports from the United States outpaced growth in shipments from its traditional suppliers in the Middle East, after Washington imposed sanctions on Tehran in November, according to tanker arrival data obtained from sources.U.S. President Donald Trump's administration renewed sanctions against Iran last year over its nuclear programme, although some buyers were allowed to continue taking limited volumes of Iranian oil under a six-month waiver.In May, the United States ended those exemptions and said countries that continued to buy Iranian oil would face sanctions, but India buyers had already begun shifting some of their sourcing away from the Middle East.India, the world's third-biggest oil importer, bought about 184,000 barrels per day (bpd) oil from the United States over November 2018 to May 2019, compared with about 40,000 bpd in the same period a year earlier, the tanker data obtained from shipping and industry sources showed.Over this same period, India, which through May was Iran's second-biggest oil client after China, took 48% less oil from Tehran at about 275,000 bpd, the data showed.U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who will be in New Delhi on Tuesday, earlier this month said India should boost oil and gas purchases from Washington to cut reliance on difficult regimes like those found in Venezuela and in Iran.A previous round of sanctions against Iran - that began in early 2012 and ended in 2016 - allowed Saudi Arabia and Iraq to raise their Asian market share. India also raised the volumes it took from Venezuela in that period to fill the Iranian oil gap.But market dynamics have changed, with the United States becoming the world's top oil producer."Venezuela's oil output is now declining. Saudi grades are costly, and Iraq has limited capacity to sell extra oil. So Indian refiners can't escape from U.S. oil," said Sri Paravaikkarasu, director for Asia oil at energy consultancy FGE.She said the higher official selling prices (OSPs) of Middle Eastern grades and rising spot premium are also pushing India to buy more U.S. oil.India's intake of Saudi oil during the seven months to May rose by 11% to 804,000 bpd, while that from the United Arab Emirates jumped by 37% to about 360,000 bpd, the data showed.Imports from Iraq declined 3.3% to 1.01 million bpd, the data also showed.In contrast, crude imports from the United States have more than quadrupled.Ahead of the tougher U.S. sanctions this year, Indian refiners had rejigged their annual deals to buy more oil from some suppliers, including Mexico, and signed new contracts with the United States.Also, over the last few years, Indian refiners have installed secondary units to be able to process cheaper, lower-quality crude grades."Indians can blend heavy sour grades from Mexico with sweet oil from the U.S. and other sources to get medium sour crude similar to the Middle Eastern crude," said Ehsan Ul-Haq, lead analyst for Oil Research and Forecasts at Refinitiv.India's oil imports from Mexico rose by about 13% in the November 2018-May 2019 period from a year earlier to 268,000 bpd, the data showed."U.S. crude is available at a deep discount to Brent, very often even to Dubai and Oman. There is a scope that Indians will buy more U.S. crude because it will remain at a discount to Brent," Haq said.West Texas Intermediate crude futures are running at around $7 to $8 a barrel cheaper than international benchmark Brent futures.
Short-video apps such as ByteDance's TikTok and Bigo Live are increasing the quantity of educational content for Indian users after facing censure for inappropriate content on its platforms.Bigo Live, a Singapore-based live steaming platform, launched education channels earlier this month, for which it hired broadcasters, while TikTok's #EduTok has become a trending hashtag with over a billion views.The push into educational content comes at a time when a bulk of the content on such apps revolves around entertainment. TikTok faced a temporary ban in India after the Madras High Court ruled in April that the app was "dangerous for children". It has been since revoked. Google-owned YouTube has also been focusing on educational content. It is investing $20 million in developing such content. "For YouTube, such content adds engagement as it has a wider audience.But, for short-video apps which are purely for feed-driven entertainment purpose today, core educational content is challenging till they evolve their product and search capabilities," said Madhura Singhal, managing director, Praxis Global Alliance. 69933749 On TikTok, motivational speakers and tuition teachers are creating videos and giving life lessons through #EduTok. TikTok has over 240 million users in India. Tuition teachers are promoting math and language classes through short videos by teaching simple tricks or making entertaining videos.An English tutor who goes by the handle @alwalcreations with 3.6 million followers teaches English through translation, while promoting his classes. Another content creator with the handle @officialdear with over 300,000 followers has multiple videos of simple mathematics tricks.Motivational speaker Mahendra Dogney aka @mdmotivation164 shares simple life lessons on Tik-Tok about how to be happy.TikTok's content strategy thrives on trending hashtags. The other popular hashtags on the app include #yogaday, #cricketworldcup, #mytiktokstory, #tiktoktravel.Bigo Live aims to bring in more localised content to make it more accessible and is training over 14,000 paid broadcasters for this, said Nagesh Banga, deputy country manager. It also planning soft skills-based training, like personality development and interview skills."Seeing the larger picture, we want to make Bigo Live a one-stop platform where, along with entertainment, one finds content on education, reviews on products or movies, chat shows," said Banga. "During this season, students are usually off for vacations, so it's the right time to engage with those who want some vocational training."Owned by Nasdaq-listed Chinese company YY Inc, Bigo Live has already hired over 70 teachers for its English-training program and aims to raise that to 200 by end of this month. In India, the company competes directly with ByteDance-backed videoapps and Alibaba-backed VMate.EThad reported earlier that Bigo Live plans to invest $100 million in India in the next three years.
MUMBAI: The exit of Dr. Viral Acharya from the Reserve Bank of India as deputy governor will probably mark the end of conservatives with degrees from overseas universities having a significant say in Indian policy making. Speculation is rife that Rhodes Scholar Sanjeev Sanyal, Principal Economic Advisor to the Finance Ministry, may be in the reckoning to replace Acharya. Acharya follows Dr. Raghuram Rajan and Urjit Patel, both of who left the central bank after advocating strong measures to clean – up the banking system, introduce new ideas such as inflation targeting and fought for central bank independence. The New York University professor who became the youngest to become a deputy governor has been a strong advocate of conservatism when it came to either monetary policy or dealing with financial markets. When the RBI and the Government were indulging in war of words over transfer of excess capital and letting state – run banks off the hook for their bad finances, Acharya was in his elements to defend the central bank's role. Drawing examples of ruin and threat from former Argentina's central bank chief, who quit in the dispute over the transfer of reserves, to the Turkish debacle and the US president's public criticism of their central banks' actions, Acharya had said undermining the regulator's independence could be `catastrophic.' ``A government's horizon of decision-making is rendered short, like the duration of a T20 match (to use a cricketing analogy), by several considerations,'' Acharya said last October. ``There are always upcoming elections of some sort – national, state, mid-term, etc. In contrast, a central bank plays a Test match, trying to win each session but importantly also survive it so as to have a chance to win the next session, and so on.'' He strongly argued against the government's plans to form a separate payments regulator which would weaken the entire payments system. ``Setting up parallel regulatory agencies with weaker statutory powers and/or encouraging development of unregulated (or lightly regulated) entities that perform financial intermediation functions outside the purview of the central bank,'' undermines the central bank independence, said Acharya. After the exit of Patel, Acharya's was probably the lone conservative voice in the RBI on policy issues such as easing of Prompt Corrective Action that led to many weak state-run banks begin lending again. ``When the government is seen often making efforts to dilute the central bank's policies and effectively coercing the central bank into such dilutions, banks and private sector spend more time lobbying for policies that suit them individually, at the cost of collective good, rather than investing in value creation and growth,'' Acharya had said. Patel quit last December after constant hectoring from the bureaucracy over the transfer of excess capital to the government from the RBI and a special bail-out package for Non – Banking Finance Companies. ``Recourse to such asymmetric options – heads I win, tails the regulator dispenses – is akin to the use of steroids,'' said Dr. Acharya. ``They get addictive and have long-term adverse effects in the form of frequent relapse even though their use may be justified to relieve occasional intense pain. Hence, it would be better for the banking system to build its own immunity and strength.'' Although the MPC had started cutting interest rates this year, Dr. Acharya has been reluctant to vote for it, though he did so in the last policy review with reluctance which he explained with borrowed lines from Ernest Hemingway. "Why do old men wake so early? Is it to have one longer day?" wonders Santiago, the old fisherman, in "Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway. I found myself preparing and writing these minutes early too, perhaps so I could have one longer drafting day! Market is sensing that there could be changes in the way MPC conducts itself from now on. ``At the margin, the composition of the MPC will likely become incrementally more dovish, in our view, as Dr. Acharya stood on the more hawkish side of the policy spectrum,'' says Sonal Varma at Nomura Securities. ``Dr. Patra's views are well known, while Sanjeev Sanyal has argued for lowering the cost of capital in the past. Other candidates could be discussed in coming days.'' The latest difference between the academic Acharya and the establishment was the state of government finances. ``There is, however, an important upside risk to RBI's projected inflation trajectory that I wish to highlight in particular – that of fiscal slippage,'' said Dr. Acharya in the minutes of the MPC meeting released today. ``Correct economic measurement of the fiscal slippage should factor in the implications of a rising PSBR (Public Sector Borrowing Requirement) rather than rely solely on the consolidated fiscal deficit figures.'' But his boss Governor Das had said that government had maintained its fiscal promise and argued that it would be a mistake to club the borrowings of state-run enterprises into that of the sovereign as they have their own revenue stream from which they could pay out. ``Over the last few years, the Central Government has by and large followed a policy of fiscal prudence,'' Das has said. ``It has adhered to the fiscal deficit glide path in the last 5 years, though at a somewhat slower pace than committed earlier. Public sector borrowing includes several public sector enterprises which have their own revenue streams to service their debt and take care of their liabilities. Borrowings by such public sector enterprises are mostly for capital expenditure. Hence, such borrowings should be viewed differently.'' Acharya, known as chota Rajan, would join the ranks of Indians like Raghuram Rajan and Arvind Subramanian in returning to academics after a short engagement with Indian institutions.
MUMBAI: A private equity fund managed by JM Financial has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a significant minority stake in Coimbatore-based co-living operator Isthara Parks as the firm founded by ace banker Nimesh Kampani aims to capitalise on an institutional drive in a largely unorganised room-sharing and accommodation market, said three persons in the know of the development.The funds are committed from JM Financial India Fund II and Isthara will use the funds for expansion to other cities in the country. A formal announcement is expected as early as Tuesday."The agreement has been signed. JM will be taking a significantly large exposure and will have representatives on board. The deal may get announced as early as tomorrow," said one of the sources mentioned above."The company plans to add about 10,000 beds in the next 12 months. The idea is to take long-term lease on real estate assets and providing fully-furnished co-living spaces," the source said.When contacted, JM Financial Fund and Isthara declined to offer comment.Founded by serial entrepreneur Gilbert James Laurduraj, Isthara provides fully-furnished shared-living accommodation for working professionals and students, with a host of amenities such as daily meals, WiFi internet, gymnasium besides laundry and housekeeping services. Currently, the company manages about 3,000 beds across 29 properties in Hyderabad, Bengaluru and National Capital Region.Gilbert James had co-founded an international chain of schools called NACE Schools, which he successfully sold to Providence Private Equity in 2016-17.69935642 JM Financial is raising 1,000 crore for its second private equity fund, a sector-agnostic investment vehicle. In 2016, JM had appointed Darius Pandole, a former partner of New Silk Route to head its PE business.JM Financial India Fund targets high-growth, small to mid-market companies in financial services, consumer, IT/ITeS, infrastructure services and manufacturing sectors. PE investments in India have hit a record of $35.8 billion in 2018, up 37% compared to the previous high of 2017, data compiled by EY showed.Meanwhile, fund raising by PE/VCs increased by nearly 40% to $8.1 billion in 2018 compared to $5.8 billion in 2017, it showed.
NEW DELHI: Yum! Brands' KFC India is selling off 61 equity-owned restaurants to diversified group RJ Corp-promoted Devyani International (DIL) for an undisclosed amount, in line with its global strategy to exit capital-intensive operations and focus on brand growth and development.As part of the agreement, DIL, already Yum!'s biggest franchise partner in India, will acquire 61 additional restaurants in Karnataka, AP and Telangana."We continue to re-evaluate ownership strategy as part of an annual process and in line with business growth. The strategic intent is to unlock growth for the brand," KFC India managing director, Samir Menon, told ET.Yum's other brand in India, Pizza Hut, is already entirely franchised. DIL is Yum's oldest franchise partner in the country with an operating footprint of close to 500 KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants.69935609 The latest divestment is in continuation of the sell-off in November last year, when KFC divested 13 restaurants to DIL for the Kerala and Goa markets."KFC is one of the fastest growing brands in our portfolio. Our partnership with Yum is driven by commitment to build the brand by expanding geographic presence and driving world class operations," said Virag Joshi, DIL's chief executive.With the latest divestment, less than 10% of KFC India's 400 outlets across over hundred cities are now company-operated. Going forward, Menon said, the company is targeting to better last year's expansion of setting up 50 additional outlets, which are predominantly expected to be through franchisees. "At this point, there is no intent to set up more equity restaurants, unless the market dynamics demand," he said. Over 98% of the KFC business globally, across 140 countries, is now operated by independent franchise owners.Yum!'s other franchise partner in India is Sapphire Foods, which was set up by a consortium of funds led by Samara Capital in 2016 following which Sapphire Foods acquired part of Yum! Brands' franchise business for Rs 750 crore. National Restaurant Association of India estimated the food service industry at Rs 4.2 lakh crore in 2018-19, and forecast to grow 9% by 2022-23 in a report released last month.
By Lionel LaurentApparently, Mark Zuckerberg has helped Bitcoin to surge past $10,000 again, a price it first surpassed in 2017 as part of an epic speculative bubble that popped not long after.Last week, the Facebook Inc. co-founder unveiled his social network's cryptocurrency, Libra, a corporate version of Bitcoin that embraces regulation and is backed by fiat money like dollars or euros. (Bitcoin doesn't and isn't.)No matter the glaring differences between the two digital tokens, the symbolic coming-together of Zuckerberg and the Winklevoss twins – whose post-Facebook career has been all about dragging Bitcoin into the daylight of mainstream finance – has created a narrative where crypto has "made it." If Zuckerberg is praising it, not burying it, this thing must be real.For those who have lived through three hype cycles in the space of five years, though, it is hard to put faith in the idea that the price of Bitcoin – which is up 100% since April, up 200% since February, yet still 50% down from December 2017 – reflects any intrinsic value better than one or two years ago. Much like the last time the currency hit $10,000, there is nothing stopping it from rocketing higher before crashing.What has changed since 2017? Much about the market is still murky, and regulators are probing potential price manipulation amid concern that a large proportion of reported trading volumes are fake or exaggerated. Tokens like Tether, which plays a big role in spurring Bitcoin trading, are firmly in investigators' cross-hairs.For those who support Bitcoin as a peer-to-peer payment mechanism that cuts out banks, there's not much to cheer either. The virtual currency is still slow, cumbersome and costly. It processes about five transactions per second, versus about 1,700 on the Visa network. In times of high demand, the capacity problem becomes glaring; in April, transaction fees rose some 200 percent. Fixes like increasing the block size and off-chain transactions have only helped a bit.Nor is Bitcoin any more useful for retailers. The price volatility and high fees were already a turn-off for those dabbling in 2017. Two years later, companies that are testing crypto, like AT&T Inc., still prefer not to handle Bitcoin itself but to use a third party to convert it into dollars.Thus follows the "digital gold" argument – or, Bitcoin is so bad at payments it should only be HODL'd. Supposedly, every millennial needs crypto as a hedge against inflation and geopolitical risk: Central banks are keeping interest rates low, war in the Middle East is a rising possibility, and the EU is set to lose one of its biggest members.But that line of reasoning requires people to believe in Bitcoin as a store of value – a stretch for most – and for its price to reflect that. The currency's three-year price chart offers little comfort. 69930771 What's left is exactly what's always been there: A token whose price goes through the roof during times of exuberance because of artificially imposed scarcity. Bitcoin's rules dictate there will only be 21 million of them, and the difficulty and rewards of mining new ones adjust along the way. Provided people always want some, and believe they are worth more than the Pokemon cards under the bed, the potential for price swings is unlimited. It's a speculator's paradise.Rather than blame Zuckerberg, we need to grapple with the real-world problems that fuel people's desire for a golden ticket. For many millennials, saving money earns no interest, retirement looks to be a dream, and owning a house is beyond reach. That's what allows people like Bitcoin icon Charlie Shrem to tweet: "5 BTC is all you need, HODL for 15-20 years and you'll never need to work again."Why blame Zuckerberg? Blame Satoshi, Bitcoin's creator, or policymakers who haven't worked out how to control speculative asset bubbles anywhere, let alone crypto's. For once, Facebook isn't the bad guy.(This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of economictimes.com, Bloomberg LP and its owners)
By Chandan TapariaNifty failed to hold above the 11,761 mark but remained consolidative for most part of the session and closed on a flat note near the 11,700 level on Monday. It formed a Bearish Candle on the daily scale, but dips got bought into while supply pressure continued at higher levels.The index has also taken multiple support near to its 50-day EMA at 11,650 mark, but absence of buying interest was visible at 11,800. Now it has to cross and hold above 11,761 to extend its move towards 11,850 and then 11,929 levels, while a hold below 11,650 level may negate the short-term consolidation for a decline towards 11,600 and then 11,550 levels.On the options front, maximum Put open interest was at 11,700 followed by 11,500 levels, while maximum Call OI was at 12,000 followed by 11,800 level. Marginal Call writing was seen at 11,800 followed by 11,900 levels while there was Put unwinding at 11,800 followed by 11,700 levels. Options data suggested a slight shift in immediate trading range to 11,600-11,900 zone.India VIX moved up 3.91 per cent to 15.18 level.Bank Nifty failed to surpass its previous day's high but consolidated in a narrow range of 200 points for most part of the session. It formed a small Bearish Candle on the daily scale, but managed to hold above 30,500. Now it has to hold above 30,600 to extend its move towards 31,000 while on the downside multiple supports are seen at 30,250.Nifty futures closed negative at 11,721 level with a loss of 0.28 per cent. There was long buildup in Indiabulls Housing Finance, BEL, BHEL and Divi's Lab while shorts were seen in Glenmark, IGL, Ujjivan Finance and TechM.(Chandan Taparia is Technical & Derivative Analyst at MOFSL. Investors are advised to consult financial advisers before taking an investment calls based on these observations)
BENGALURU: Infosys CEO Salil Parekh's amended terms of employment faced resistance from some shareholders at the company's annual general body meeting on Saturday, with about a fifth of votes polled dissenting, even as the IT company's promoters unanimously approved the resolution.The terms, which were amended last month, called for faster vesting of stock options.About 15% of shareholder votes went against granting stock options to both Parekh as well as COO UB Pravin Rao, data filed with the Bombay Stock Exchange showed.In May, the Bengaluru-headquartered company said Parekh would get shares worth Rs 10 crore under a new employee stock option plan and changed his employee agreement to enable him to vest the restricted stock units in 12 months instead of the earlier three years. Under the new plan, Pravin Rao also gets shares worth Rs 4 crore.In total, Infosys revived its Esop for all staff, offering as many as five crore shares or 1.15% of its total stock. In 2016, the firm had committed 1% of shares in an Esop as it battled attrition of employees.The dissenting investors may have had concerns that the short-term incentive plan could affect the company in the long term, analysts said."In the past, shareholders had approved the vesting period of three years, which has now been changed to an accelerated vesting of one year. The fear among investors is that this change could lead to short-term thinking," said Shriram Subramanian, managing director of InGovern, a proxy advisory firm.Infosys said the grant of stock options was to provide an incentive to increase shareholder value and drive execution excellence of the company's business strategy.Last week, in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Infosys said the CEO's remuneration was tied to revenue growth, operating margin percentage, digital revenue growth and organisational goals, including leadership motivation and organisational stability.
Traditional businesses need to think out of the box: Durgesh Buch, GCCI president Durgesh Buch also acknowledged that business chambers need to adapt corporate culture maintaining the ethos of Mahajan.
DMK leader objects to bridge being painted in saffron colour Dr P Thiaga Rajan the DMK MLA has written to the Highways department objecting to the colour combination being used to paint the iconic Albert Victor bridge in Madurai
Minister Tanaji Sawant admits irregularities in 'Jalyukta Shivar' scheme, Opposition seeks ACB probe Admitting that around 1,300 complaints have been received regarding the Rs 13,000 crore Jalyukt Shivar scheme, he said that water conservation department has sought an open inquiry in this matter.
Gujarat: Monsoon yet to arrive, but rains to continue Meteorologist Manorama Mohanty told DNA that conditions are favourable for the onset of monsoon in south Gujarat, but the onset of monsoon will take another 24-48 hours.
Supreme Court clears ordinance to restore Maratha quota in medical PG admission It said the admission process ended on June 17 and it cannot pass any order on the plea
Rains wreaks havoc, uproots 183 trees in Ahmedabad AMC receives complains of waterlogged roads from 36 areas, uneven roads hampers traffic movement in the city
Congress dissolves all district committees in Uttar Pradesh The move came exactly a month after the Congress' dismal performance in the recently held Lok Sabha elections in the state
RBI surplus: Bimal Jalan panel against high one-time transfer, Garg dissents In February, RBI decided to offer an interim dividend of Rs 28,000 crore to the Centre
Budget Session of Parliament: Raucous start to debate on President's address Our Prime Minister is a very big salesman. We (Congress) have been unable to sell our product that is why we lost, says Adhir Rajan Chowdhury
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati snaps ties with Samajwadi Party Formally shutting the door on Akhilesh's party, BSP announces it will contest future polls alone
Monzo, the fast-growing U.K.-based challenger bank with more than two million account holders, has raised £113 million (~$144m) in additional funding.
Confirming TechCrunch’s scoop in April, the Series F round is led by Y Combinator’s “Continuity” growth fund, and gives the company a new £2 billion (~$2.5b) post-money valuation. That’s double the £1 billion valuation it garnered in October last year.
A number of other new and existing investors have also participated in the Series F. They include Latitude, General Catalyst, Stripe, Passion Capital, Thrive, Goodwater, Accel, and Orange Digital Ventures.
The investment by London-based Latitude, the growth fund from prolific seed investor LocalGlobe, is particularly noteworthy given that LocalGlobe itself didn’t previously back Monzo. The same might be said of YC’s Continuity, considering that Monzo isn’t a YC alumni (although GoCardless, Monzo co-founder Tom Blomfield’s previous startup, did take part in the Silicon Valley accelerator).
The take-away: a growth fund attached to an early-stage fund can be a great antidote to the anti-portfolio (the list of successful companies a VC firm either missed, were unable or chose not to invest in).
Meanwhile, Monzo’s new funding round and YC’s backing should be viewed within the context of not only fast growth and increasingly convincing product-market fit in the U.K. — the challenger bank is currently adding 200,000 new sign-ups for its current account each month — but also recently unveiled plans to tentatively launch across the pond.
We first reported that Monzo was busy assembling a U.S.-based team over five months ago, and the U.K. company made its U.S. plans official last week. This will see a U.S. Monzo app and connected Mastercard debit card available via in-person signups at events to be held soon. The rollout will initially consist of a few thousand cards, supported by a waitlist in preparation for a wider launch.
The U.S. launch is being done in partnership with a local bank, but in the longer term Monzo plans to apply for its own U.S. bank license, similar to the strategy it employed in the U.K. so as to own and operate as much of its technical, product and regulatory infrastructure as possible.
In the U.K., this has helped Monzo achieve an NPS score of 80, which Blomfield previously told me is unusually high for a bank. This is seeing 60% of U.K. signups remain long-term active, transacting at once per week. As a counterpoint, however, the percentage of Monzo users that pay a salary into their Monzo account sits at between about 27% and 30% of active users, suggesting that a significant number of Monzo customers aren't yet using it as their main account (Monzo's definition of salaried is anyone who deposits at least £1,000 per month by bank transfer).
Success in the U.S., therefore, isn’t a given, conceded Blomfield when I had a call with him earlier this month. Instead, he argued that the key to cracking North America will be creating a fully localised version of Monzo based on carefully listening to U.S. users and once again finding product-market fit. He says there are obvious and less obvious cultural and technical differences in the way Brits and Americans save, spend and manage their finances, and this will require significant product divergence from the U.K. version of Monzo. Today’s new £113 million injection of capital is clearly designed to provide some of the breathing space required to achieve that.
As a side note, there are encouraging signs from other London-based fintechs that have ventured across the pond. One recent example is the financial "digital assistant" chatbot Cleo, which entered the U.S. around a year ago and has been more successful than the company anticipated, seeing Cleo add 650,000 active U.S. users to date. In fact, the U.S. currently makes up more than 90% of new Cleo users, prompting one source to describe the U.K. startup as effectively a U.S. company now.
As a misanthrope living in a vibrant city, I’m never short of things to complain about. And in particular the problem of people crowding into my photos, whatever I happen to shoot, is a persistent one. That won’t be an issue any more with Bye Bye Camera, an app that simply removes any humans from photos you take. Finally!
It’s an art project, though a practical one (art can be practical!), by Do Something Good. The collective, in particular the artist damjanski, has worked on a variety of playful takes on the digital era, such as a CAPTCHA that excludes humans, and setting up a dialogue between two Google conversational agents.
The new app, damjanski told Artnome, is “an app for the post-human era… The app takes out the vanity of any selfie and also the person.” Fortunately, it leaves dogs intact.
Of course it’s all done in a self-conscious, arty way — are humans necessary? What defines one? What will the world be like without us? You can ponder those questions or not; fortunately, the app doesn’t require it of you.
Bye Bye Camera works using some of the AI tools that are already out there for the taking in the world of research. It uses YOLO (You Only Look Once), a very efficient object classifier that can quickly denote the outline of a person, and then a separate tool that performs what Adobe has called “context-aware fill.” Between the two of them a person is reliably — if a bit crudely — deleted from any picture you take and credibly filled in by background.
It’s a fun project (though the results are a mixed bag) and it speaks not only to the issues it supposedly raises about the nature of humanity, but also the accessibility of tools under the broad category of “AI” and what they can and should be used for.
The enterprise drone space has been heating up over the past couple years, but a startup in the entertainment drone space is raising the big cash now.
The Drone Racing League is in the process of raising up to $50 million from investors in a Series C round according to SEC docs published today. The startup has already raised over $26 million of that figure and is looking to secure additional investors to close out the rest. Investors in the new round appear to already include Lux Capital and RSE Ventures.
We reached out to Drone Racing League for comment.
The company had previously raised $32 million in funding from backers including Sky, CRCM Ventures and Hearst Ventures. Drone Racing League closed a $20 million Series B in 2017.
The startup, as the name implies, is in the business of speedy drone racing. It was founded in 2015 with the goal of capitalizing on some of the excitement around the technology, while aiming to build out a league that captured the thrill of airborne Formula-1 racing.
We did a deep dive on the company’s efforts back in 2016 and the surrounding drone racing enthusiast space. The athletes fly custom-built hardware at 90 miles per hour in tourneys that take place at sites ranging from empty warehouses to professional sports arenas. Races have been broadcast on NBC Sports, Twitter, Sky Sports and FOX Sports Asia according to the startup.
In March, Spotify filed a complaint against Apple with the European Commission over the so-called “Apple tax” and claims of restrictive rules regarding the App Store. In the time since, Apple has responded with the launch of a website that takes aim at the anti-trust, anti-competitive claims against it, and most recently, a deep dive into how the process of app approvals works, by way of a CNBC profile. Now, Apple has responded to the EC complaint with its own filing that says Spotify is only paying this “Apple tax” on less than 1 percent of its paid subscribers.
Specifically, Apple’s filing says that Spotify only pays a 15% “app tax” (revenue share) on just 0.5% of its 100 million premium subscribers, or around 680,000 customers. This revenue share only impacts those customers Spotify acquired during the 2014-2016 time frame who signed up for the subscription through an in-app purchase. Afterward, Spotify switched off the option to sign up in the app.
This is in contrast to the claim made by Spotify CEO Daniel Ek on the company’s blog in March, where he wrote that “Apple requires that Spotify and other digital services pay a 30% tax on purchases made through Apple's payment system.”
In addition, MBW reports, citing an unnamed source, that Spotify pays even less than the standard 15% for those customers who signed up through in-app purchase due to label discounts. The source told the outlet that Spotify just wants to “pay nothing.”
However, Spotify’s claim goes beyond the Apple tax.
It also said that Apple used its App Store power to penalize the competitor in other ways — like limiting Spotify’s ability to communicate with customers, or even send emails to its iOS users. Spotify said Apple also blocked its iOS upgrades — something it brought to light years ago. Apple, meanwhile, has always maintained it has treated Spotify like any other app developer.
Apple’s responses to these latter points were also sneaked into the recent CNBC piece where a “longtime Apple veteran” who was only identified as “Bill,” made certain to tell the news site that he had “called Spotify when an update was rejected” — e.g. because Spotify had been emailing customers and asking them to pay the music streamer directly outside the App Store.
In addition to Spotify’s EU complaint, Apple is facing other attacks against its App Store in the U.S. courts.
And in June, two app developers proceeded to sue Apple over its App Store practices, making similar claims about Apple’s 30% commission on app sales and its requirement to price apps in tiers ending in 99 cents.
After using the App Store for years to dramatically grow their business, Spotify seeks to keep all the benefits of the App Store ecosystem — including the substantial revenue that they draw from the App Store's customers — without making any contributions to that marketplace. At the same time, they distribute the music you love while making ever-smaller contributions to the artists, musicians and songwriters who create it — even going so far as to take these creators to court.
…
Apple's approach has always been to grow the pie. By creating new marketplaces, we can create more opportunities not just for our business, but for artists, creators, entrepreneurs and every "crazy one" with a big idea. That's in our DNA, it's the right model to grow the next big app ideas and, ultimately, it's better for customers.
Wind turbines are a great source of clean power, but their apparent simplicity — just a big thing that spins — belie complex systems that wear down like any other, and can fail with disastrous consequences. Sandia National Labs researchers have created a robot that can inspect the enormous blades of turbines autonomously, helping keep our green power infrastructure in good kit.
The enormous towers that collect energy from wind currents are often only in our view for a few minutes as we drive past. But they must stand for years through inclement weather, temperature extremes, and naturally — being the tallest things around — lightning strikes. Combine that with normal wear and tear and it’s clear these things need to be inspected regularly.
But such inspections can be both difficult and superficial. The blades themselves are among the largest single objects manufactured on the planet, and they’re often installed in distant or inaccessible areas, like the many you see offshore.
“A blade is subject to lightning, hail, rain, humidity and other forces while running through a billion load cycles during its lifetime, but you can't just land it in a hanger for maintenance,” explained Sandia’s Joshua Paquette in a news release. In other words, not only do crews have to go to the turbines to inspect them, but they often have to do those inspections in place — on structures hundreds of feet tall and potentially in dangerous locations.
Using a crane is one option, but the blade can also be orientated downwards so an inspector can rappel along its length. Even then the inspection may be no more than eyeballing the surface.
“In these visual inspections, you only see surface damage. Often though, by the time you can see a crack on the outside of a blade, the damage is already quite severe,” said Paquette.
Obviously better and deeper inspections are needed, and that’s what the team decided to work on, with partners International Climbing Machines and Dophitech. The result is this crawling robot, which can move along a blade slowly but surely, documenting it both visually and using ultrasonic imaging.
A visual inspection will see cracks or scuffs on the surface, but the ultrasonics penetrate deep into the blades, making them capable of detecting damage to interior layers well before it’s visible outside. And it can do it largely autonomously, moving a bit like a lawnmower: side to side, bottom to top.
Of course at this point it does it quite slowly and requires human oversight, but that’s because it’s fresh out of the lab. In the near future teams could carry around a few of these things, attach one to each blade, and come back a few hours or days later to find problem areas marked for closer inspection or scanning. Perhaps a crawler robot could even live onboard the turbine and scurry out to check each blade on a regular basis.
Another approach the researchers took was drones — a natural enough solution, since the versatile fliers have been pressed into service for inspection of many other structures that are dangerous for humans to get around: bridges, monuments, and so on.
These drones would be equipped with high-resolution cameras and infrared sensors that detect the heat signatures in the blade. The idea is that as warmth from sunlight diffuses through the material of the blade, it will do so irregularly in spots where damage below the surface has changed its thermal properties.
As automation of these systems improves, the opportunities open up: A quick pass by a drone could let crews know whether any particular tower needs closer inspection, then trigger the live-aboard crawler to take a closer look. Meanwhile the humans are on their way, arriving to a better picture of what needs to be done, and no need to risk life and limb just to take a look.
WordPress now accounts for 34 percent of all websites globally, and today one of the key companies that helps handle the creation and management of some of those WP-hosted sites is getting a little bigger through some consolidation in the wider ecosystem. WP Engine, which works with businesses to build and manage their WordPress-hosted sites, has aquired Flywheel, a smaller competitor.
Financial terms of the deal are not being disclosed, WP Engine’s CEO and chairperson Heather Brunner said in an interview, but she confirmed to TechCrunch that it involved her company raising a small round (amount also undisclosed) from its existing investors to help finance the deal. WP Engine’s investors include Silver Lake (which last year put a whopping $250 million into the company) along with WordPress developer Automattic, Silverton, GuidePost Growth Equity (formerly known as North Bridge) and Eric Ries (of "Lean Startup" fame).
Brunner also declined to talk valuation of WP Engine, although she noted that current annual recurring revenue is at $132 million, and that Flywheel’s is $18 million, and with a current growth rate of 50%, together the two are on track to make $200 million in ARR by 2020 and likely pass the $1 billion mark for valuation, en route to a public listing.
“It is our aspiration to build a public-ready company, and this acquisition is part of making that happen,” she said. (Ironically, that could mean that WordPress’s partner, and sometimes competitor, could go public before it does.)
The deal is a sign of some consolidation in the ecosystem that has built up around WordPress. WP Engine is a veritable powerhouse in that ecosystem, having been an early mover in the space — WordPress backed it back in 2011 — and now working on building and managing sites for some 120,000 brands and agencies in 150 countries (likely totalling multiples of that in terms of actual sites).
WP Engine, as Brunner describes it, focuses largely on mid-market and larger businesses, while Flywheel — founded and currently based out of Omaha — has focused on smaller businesses. That makes the two natural complements to each other, but Brunner notes that there will be more gained from the union.
“The team there is very product focused,” she noted. “They’ve built a suite that we feel has been focused around small agencies, but they are also the types of tools that larger agencies will benefit from.” She is referring to the product Local by Flywheel, a local development application used by more than 150,000 developers.
Flywheel, founded in 2012, had only raised around $6 million in funding, including a $4 million round several years ago. The economies of scale of throwing in its lot with WP Engine will give it a much wider exposure and access to new customers.
"We founded Flywheel with the belief that in order to help creatives do their best work, we needed to create an internal culture that encourages our employees to do the same," said Dusty Davidson, CEO and co-founder of Flywheel, in a statement. "That philosophy has led us to build an incredible company and some of the most well-loved products in WordPress, supported by an impressive group of talented people and the most remarkable open source community in the world."
WP Engine has made a few other acquisitions prior to this, of other partners in the WordPress ecosystem, marking it out as a consolidator in the field. Brunner noted that while some of the company’s growth efforts might lead it to further acquisitions, it is also pursuing a second track of working with third party partners and acting as the intermediary platform for companies to bring in other services in aid of running their sites. Partners in the WP Engine ecosystem — alongside WordPress itself, of course — include Amazon Web Services, Cloudflare, Google, HubSpot and New Relic, she noted.
And we’re back! TechCrunch is returning to NYC for a Meet and Greet tomorrow at The Yard in Herald Square. It’s been a couple years since we’ve held an event in NYC and we’ve missed it.
Join Managing Editor Jordan Crook, Battlefield Host and Senior Writer Anthony Ha, Head of Startup Battlefield Neesha Tambe, and Hardware Editor Brian Heater on Tuesday, June 25th from 5:00pm – 6:15pm. From ExtraCrunch, our new subscription tier, to Startup Battlefield, TC’s world renowned startup launch competition, learn more about the new things at TechCrunch. You’ll have an opportunity to meet investors, startup founders and other folks in the startup community as well.
TechCrunch is actively searching for the next best startups to feature in Startup Battlefield this fall at Disrupt San Francisco and Hardware Battlefield in Shenzhen, China. If you are an investor or community manager for early stage startups, join us tomorrow evening to refer your companies. Early stage founders are invited to attend and learn more about Startup Battlefield. Founders of later stage startups are encouraged to come and network with TechCrunch Editorial at the event.
TechCrunch New York Meet and Greet
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Time: 5:00pm – 6:15pm
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While the Raspberry Pi first started as a simple computer designed to teach kids how to code, it has become a versatile device with many different use cases.
When it comes to physical design, the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B looks like the previous flagship model. It's a single-board computer with a lot of connectors that is the size of a deck of cards. But everything has been updated.
Brian Heater says that if you're looking for a smart home hub to double as an alarm clock, the Lenovo Smart Clock is your best bet. But if video playback and chat are important, Amazon's got you covered.
The company is launching six new media literacy activities for the curriculum that will teach kids things like how to avoid a phishing attack, what bots are, how to verify that information is credible, how to evaluate sources, how to identify disinformation online, spot fake URLs and more.
This weekend, Ravelry enacted a policy that explicitly bans support of Donald Trump and his administration in content posted to the site, including project entries, patterns, forum posts and profiles.
The Equity team discusses the role VCs have played in the development of Facebook’s Libra, Original Content reviews the Netflix series “When They See Us” and most importantly, Mixtape is back with a conversation with Uber’s Meena Harris.
In developer lingo, quality-of-life updates are all about refining things that already work. Thanks to these incremental improvements, it should make the end-user experience much more enjoyable. And with iOS 13, it feels like Apple's main focus is on this concept.
Dark Mode is basically the only new flashy feature of iOS this year. But that's not a bad thing. From my experience, all the tiny refinements across the board are really convincing. iOS 13 is a much more interesting release than iOS 12 for instance.
I've been playing with early beta versions of iOS 13, so here's what you should be looking for.
Dark Mode is gorgeous
Dark Mode is here, and it looks great. It's a system-wide trigger that completely transforms the look and feel of your iPhone — you have to play with it to really feel the difference. The easiest way to activate it is by opening the Control Center panel, long pressing on the brightness indicator and turning it on.
While you can trigger it manually, you can also select an automated mode in the settings. Right now, my phone becomes dark at night and lights up in the morning. iOS uses your current location to time the change with the sunset and sunrise.
Widgets, notifications and menus now use black or transparent black as much as possible. You can choose new Apple wallpapers that change when you turn on Dark Mode, or you can optionally dim your custom wallpapers at night.
Apple has updated all its apps to support Dark Mode, from Notes to Mail, Messages, Safari and more. And it works really well with those apps.
But the issue is that many third-party apps haven't been updated for Dark Mode yet. So it's a disappointing experience for now, but I'm sure many app developers will update their apps before the final release of iOS 13.
Many apps already support a dark version that you can trigger in the app settings. But Apple really wants third-party developers to follow the system-wide option going forward. So those apps will have to be updated as well.
Low-level improvements
iOS still looks like iOS. But if you carefully pay attention to your first experience of iOS 13, you'll notice two things. First, animations have been sped up — it feels like unlocking your phone, opening and closing an app or swiping on a notification are much faster. It's hard to know if those actions have been optimized or if it's just Apple hitting the fast-forward button.
Second, Face ID is better. It's not a dramatic change, but your phone recognizes you a tiny bit faster than before. iPhone users will appreciate that they don't have to buy a new phone for this free improvement.
The two other iOS 13 changes that you can experience in any app is that the keyboard now supports swipe-to-type and the share sheet has been updated. It is now separated in three areas: a top row with suggested contacts to send photos, links and more depending on your most important contacts.
Under that row of contacts, you get the usual row of app icons to open something in another app. If you scroll down, you access a long list of actions that vary from one app to another.
Siri and the Shortcuts app have been improved and now work more closely together. In addition to a more natural Siri voice, Shortcuts is now installed by default with iOS, which is great news for automation and scripting on your phone.
And I was surprised to see all my voice-activated Siri Shortcuts in the Shortcuts widget. For instance, since iOS 12, I’ve been able to say "Hey Siri, I'm heading home with Citymapper" to launch Citymapper with directions to my home. There's now a button in the Shortcuts app to trigger that Siri Shortcut.
More interestingly, you can now create automated triggers to launch a shortcut. For instance, you can create scenarios related to CarPlay, a location or even a cheap NFC tag. Here are some examples:
Launch a music playlist when I connect my phone to CarPlay or to my car using Bluetooth.
Dim my screen and turn on low power mode when I activate airplane mode.
Turn off my Philips Hue lights when I put my phone on an NFC sticker on my nightstand.
App improvements
All first-party apps have been improved in one way or another. Some changes are small, but a few apps have received a massive update.
Photos looks completely different with a new main tab. Instead of a relatively boring-looking grid of photos, you now get four sub-tabs that should help you navigate your photo library more efficiently.
'Years' lets you jump straight to a specific year. The 'Months' view is the most interesting one as iOS tries to sort your photos in smart albums based on dates and locations. When you open an event, you get the best photos of this event in the 'Days' tab. Some photos, such as duplicates, are hidden by default.
And the last tab, 'All Photos,' features the traditional never-ending grid of all your photos in your camera roll. Everything is still there. Live photos and videos now automatically play by default in some views. I've never been a fan of autoplaying videos but I guess that's what people like.
The camera has been slightly improved, especially when it comes to Portrait mode with better segmentation of hair. And photo editing has been redesigned — it looks more like VSCO now.
While Maps is getting a gradual update with better mapping data, most people won't notice changes for a while. You can see real-time transit data, your flight status and share lists of places with friends, though. It might not replace Citymapper, FlightLogger or Mapstr, but more contextual data is key when it comes to competing with Google Maps.
Speaking of Google Maps, there's a new Look Around feature that could have been called Apple Street View. I recommend trying the feature in San Francisco because it's stunning. This isn't just 360 photo shots — those are 3D representations of streets with foregrounds and backgrounds.
Messages is getting some much-needed improvements. You can now choose a profile name and profile picture and share it with your contacts. I hate the default grey avatar, so it's great to let people push a profile picture to other people.
If you have a Memoji-compatible device, you can now share Memoji stickers. If you've used Bitmoji in the past, this is Apple's take on Bitmoji. And finally, search has been improved and is now actually useful. You can find an address or a specific message in no time.
Health has been redesigned but features more or less the same data. But it's worth noting that Apple now lets users track, visualize and predict menstrual cycles from the Health app.
Privacy
iOS 13 has a big emphasis on privacy as well thanks to a new signup option called "Sign In with Apple." I couldn't try it as I couldn't see the option in any app. But Sarah Perez already wrote a great explainer on the topic.
In a few words, this button will let you create an account for a service without inputing an email address and password, and without connecting with your Google or Facebook account. Apple keeps as little data as possible — it's all about creating a unique identifier and storing that in your iCloud keychain.
Apple is adding more ways to control your personal information. If an app needs your location for something, you can now grant access to your location just once. The app will have to ask for your permission the next time. Similarly, iOS 13 can tell you when an app has been tracking your location in the background with a map of those data points.
But I didn't realize iOS 13 also blocks Bluetooth scanning by default in all apps. Many apps scan for nearby Bluetooth accessories and compare that with a database of Bluetooth devices around the world. In other words, it's a way to get your location even if you're not sharing your location with this app.
You now get a standard permission popup for apps that actually need to scan for Bluetooth devices — Mobike uses Bluetooth to unlock bikes and Eve uses Bluetooth to interact with connected objects, for instance. But the vast majority of apps have no reason to scan for Bluetooth devices. You can decline Bluetooth permission and use Bluetooth headphones normally.
Random tidbits
Let's go through some tiny little updates:
App updates are smaller because iOS doesn't download everything from their servers — only files that are relevant to your current device.
Files works with Samba file servers, and you can zip/unzip files.
Safari features a new site settings popup to request the desktop site, disable a content blocker or enable reader view. This is much cleaner than before.
Notes has a new gallery view.
Mail lets you customize font style, size and color. You can also indent text, create bulleted lists, etc.
Find My iPhone and Find My Friends have been merged in a new Find My app. It also theoretically can help you find misplaced devices using other Apple devices from other people around your device — everything is supposed to be end-to-end encrypted.
Things I couldn't try
CarPlay has been redesigned for the first time in years. But I don't own a car.
You can store security camera footage in iCloud if your camera is HomeKit-compatible. But I don't own a security camera.
ARKit has been improved and can detect people in the real world.
You can install custom fonts from the App Store and manage them from the settings. You can then use those fonts in any app.
Lyrics in the Music app now scroll just like in a karaoke. I haven't tried that.
The Reminders app has been redesigned but I wasn't using the app before. It feels like a full-fledged task manager now. Maybe I should use it.
Overall, iOS 13 feels like a breath of fresh air. Everything works slightly better than it used to. None of the changes are outrageous or particularly surprising. But they all contribute to making iOS a more enjoyable platform.
This is your opportunity to get a glimpse of the future of iOS — and iPadOS. Apple just released the first public beta of iOS 13 and iPadOS 13, the next major version of the operating systems for the iPhone and iPad. Unlike developer betas, everyone can download those betas without a $99 developer account. But don't forget, it's a beta.
The company still plans to release the final version of iOS and iPadOS 13.0 this fall (usually September). But Apple is going to release betas every few weeks over the summer. It's a good way to fix as many bugs as possible and gather data from a large group of users.
As always, Apple's public betas closely follow the release cycle of developer betas. And Apple released the second developer beta of iOS and iPadOS 13 just last week. So it sounds like the first public beta is more or less the same build as the second developer build.
But remember, you shouldn't install an iOS beta on your primary iPhone or iPad. The issue is not just bugs — some apps and features won't work at all. In some rare cases, beta software can also brick your device and make it unusable. Proceed with extreme caution.
I've been using the developer beta of iOS and it's still quite buggy. Some websites don't work, some apps are broken.
But if you have an iPad or iPhone you don't need, here's how to download it. Head over to Apple's beta website and download the configuration profile. It's a tiny file that tells your iPhone or iPad to update to public betas like it's a normal software update.
You can either download the configuration profile from Safari on your iOS device directly, or transfer it to your device using AirDrop, for instance. Reboot your device, then head over to the Settings app. In September, your device should automatically update to the final version of iOS and iPadOS 13 and you'll be able to delete the configuration profile.
Here's a quick rundown of what's new in iOS 13. This year, in addition to dark mode, it feels like every single app has been improved with some quality-of-life updates. The Photos app features a brand new gallery view with autoplaying live photos and videos, smart curation and a more immersive design.
This version has a big emphasis on privacy as well thanks to a new signup option called "Sign in with Apple" and a bunch of privacy popups for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi consent, background location tracking. Apple Maps now features an impressive Google Street View-like feature called Look Around. It's only available in a handful of cities, but I recommend… looking around as everything is in 3D.
Many apps have been updated, such as Reminders with a brand new version, Messages with the ability to set a profile picture shared with your contacts, Mail with better text formatting options, Health with menstrual cycle tracking, Files with desktop-like features, Safari with a new website settings menu, etc. Read more on iOS 13 in my separate preview.
On the iPad front, for the first time Apple is calling iOS for the iPad under a new name — iPadOS. Multitasking has been improved, the Apple Pencil should feel snappier, Safari is now as powerful as Safari on macOS and more.
Adam Zelcer founded the advertising company Adboy.com.
Entrepreneurs take a long journey when naming their brainchild, comparable to a parent naming their own flesh and blood.
There are many reasons behind naming – one untalked-of and probably the most important. This is, how to choose a name that gets you more business.
Technology changes how we do business. So, when developing a business name, putting some thought into how people are going to find you and what you want them to do after they find you could go a long way.
Ignoring this could do just the opposite and result in being harder to find, getting less return from your advertising and having your competitors capitalize off your brand.
Businesses have been using things like alphabetical order, call to action, keywords and more to shape business names for optimized discovery, recall and responsiveness since the phone book.
When looking for a business, I'm sure you've seen at least one of these two business name optimizations frequently used in the past for discovery:
1. Optimizing for discovery in phone books
Pre-internet, a listing in the phone book was key to getting your business discovered – but how did businesses get to the top of the list in their category? Piece of cake. Free listings in the white pages were categorized by business type and ordered alphabetically. Many companies ended their name with a describing word of their category and started it with something like “AAA” "AA", "AA1" and "A AAA" to be one of the first listings in their category. You will still find thousands of these business names in different locations by typing "AAA" into yellowpages.com.
2. And a similar strategy was used for search-engine discovery
Prior to 2012, search engine algorithms gave weight in their rankings to sites that included keywords in their domain, otherwise known as exact-match domains. So, Google was more likely to rank "accountantsmelbourne-dot-com" higher than "abc-partners-dot-com" if a user searched for "Accountants Melbourne" because the keywords matched the search with similar words in its domain.
Over time, domain names and business names alike grew longer. Many were purposefully packed with every major keyword applicable to their niche.
Early-stage startup founders it's now or never, it's do-or-die, it's [insert your preferred time-crunch cliché here]. The application deadline for the Startup Battlefield at Disrupt San Francisco 2019 expires in just 24 hours.
If you're ready to go up against a cadre of approximately 15-30 outstanding startups on the Disrupt Main stage, then apply to compete in the Startup Battlefield before the application window slams shut on June 25th at 11:59 p.m. (PT).
Competing in Startup Battlefield is free. TechCrunch does not charge fees or take any equity. If you make it through the vetting process — TechCrunch editors set a high bar — you'll receive free, extensive pitch coaching from our Startup Battlefield-tested editors. Their advice, coaching and guidance will prepare you to deliver a killer, six-minute presentation to a panel of expert judges — notable VCs and technologists. And you'll be ready to handle the nerve-wracking Q&A that follows your pitch.
The teams that make it into the final round will present their pitch and demo again — to a second set of judges. And from that select group, one startup will be named champion, claim the $100,000 cash prize, hoist the Disrupt Cup and get ready for a very bright future.
The entire event takes place in front of thousands of avid startup fans and influencers — investors, founders and journalists from more than 400 media outlets. We also live-stream the entire event around the world on TechCrunch.com, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter — and make it available later on-demand.
All Startup Battlefield teams benefit from competing whether they win or not. You'll be on the receiving end of intense media and investor attention. You'll exhibit for free in Startup Alley for all three days of the show. You'll receive invitations to VIP events, free passes to future TechCrunch events and complimentary subscriptions to our new editorial offering, Extra Crunch. That adds up to serious opportunity.
All that opportunity expires in just 24 hours. Don't miss your chance — apply to the Startup Battlefield before June 25th at 11:59 p.m. (PT).
There's more than one way to stand in the Disrupt SF spotlight. Apply for our TC Top Picks program. As part of this select group, you'll receive a free Startup Alley Exhibitor Package, VIP treatment and plenty of investor and media attention — including an interview with a TechCrunch editor on the Showcase Stage.
Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at Disrupt San Francisco 2019? Contact our sponsorship sales team by filling out this form.
Argo AI will invest $15 million over five years to create a center for autonomous vehicle research at Carnegie Mellon University, one of the latest efforts by the Ford-backed company to accelerate the development of self-driving cars.
The center, Carnegie Mellon University Argo AI Center for Autonomous Vehicle Research, will focus on advanced perception and decision-making algorithms for autonomous vehicles, the company said Monday.
The investment follows the introduction of Argoverse, a set of curated data and high-definition maps that Argo AI released for free to researchers. Argoverse was created to give academic researchers the ability to study the impact that HD maps have on perception and forecasting, such as identifying and tracking objects on the road, and predicting where those objects will move seconds into the future.
Argo sees Argoverse and now this research lab as ways to encourage more research and hopefully breakthroughs in autonomous vehicle technology.
“We are thrilled to deepen our partnership with Argo AI to shape the future of self-driving technologies,” CMU President Farnam Jahanian said in a statement. “This investment allows our researchers to continue to lead at the nexus of technology and society, and to solve society’s most pressing problems. Together, Argo AI and CMU will accelerate critical research in autonomous vehicles while building on the momentum of CMU’s culture of innovation.”
The announcement builds off of an earlier collaboration between CMU and Argo. In 2017, the company said it had formed affiliations with CMU and Georgia Institute of Technology to work with three faculty members to “push the limits in computer vision and machine learning.”
Argo’s investment in CMU makes sense. Argo’s headquarters aren’t far from CMU. And the university is known for its robotics program. There’s also a personal connection.
Argo was founded by a team with deep CMU roots. Co-founder and president Peter Rander earned his masters and PhD degrees at CMU. Rander and Argo AI CEO Bryan Salesky worked together for years at National Robotics Engineering Center, a unit within Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute.
Rander left and became the engineering lead at Uber ATG and Salesky went over to the Google self-driving project, now called Waymo. They left their respective jobs to form Argo in 2016.
This isn’t the first autonomous vehicle company to see potential in CMU.
In 2015, Uber announced a strategic partnership with CMU that included the creation of a research lab near campus aimed at kick starting autonomous vehicle development. But that relationship ended up gutting CMU’s own robotics lab known as as the National Robotics Engineering Center. Before the year was up, dozens of people, including the NREC’s director, had left to work at the Uber Advanced Technologies Center.
Google bought Kaggle in 2017 to provide a data science community for its big data processing tools on Google Cloud. Today, the company announced a new direct integration between Kaggle and BigQuery, Google’s cloud data warehouse.
More specifically, data scientists can build a model in a Kaggle Jupyter Notebook, known as Kaggle Kernels in the community. You can then link directly to BigQuery through the tool’s API, making it much simpler to query against the data in the data warehouse using SQL, a language data scientists tend to be very familiar with.
The benefit of this approach, according to Google, is that you don’t have to actually move or download the data to query it or perform machine learning on it. “Once your Google Cloud account is linked to a Kernels notebook or script, you can compose queries directly in the notebook using the BigQuery API Client library, run it against BigQuery, and do almost any kind of analysis from there with the data,” Google wrote in a blog post introducing the integration.
Data scientists, who have a particular way of working, get to work in a familiar fashion and it reduces the friction involved in building a model and conducting machine learning against it. Instead of moving back and forth between tools, you can do all your work in a smoother, more integrated way and it should save time and effort in the long run.
What’s more, because Kaggle is a public community of data scientists, you can share Kernels should you choose to do so. Conversely, you can search the public repository and use existing Kernels as a starting point or as a reference to experiment with different types of data sets.
The Kaggle community also provides a means to discuss issues with other data scientists in an open way. The community has 3 million users and there are currently 200,000 Kernels available to explore in the public repository.
There might be no better microcosm of 2019 Apple than Catalina. The latest version of macOS arrives during a transitional time for the company. The desktop is a showcase for increased focus on content, a continued push toward cross-platform compatibility and a renewed push to court creative professionals.
For a few years now, the desktop operating system has played second fiddle to iOS, but the long mobile honeymoon has begun to wane, as smartphone sales have begun to flag for the first time since Apple revolutionized the category with iPhone. The company clearly sees a future in the billion-dollar play of Apple TV+, while the return of products like long-lamented Mac Pro find it attempting to reassert its core audience.
macOS 10.15 has a lot updates to comb through, but the new stuff largely focuses on two primary categories:
Changes in the way Apple serves up content, with new versions of Apple Music and Podcasts (farewell, iTunes) and TV.
Playing more nicely with iOS and mobile devices. This, of course, has been a longtime push for the company, but the ease of porting iOS/iPadOS apps through Project Catalyst and Sidecar, which brings native second screen support to the iPad, are arguably the two biggest changes to the operating system this time around.
Apple Music
Apple users of a certain age got a little misty-eyed with this one. macOS updates are probably not the best way to mark the passage of time, but at least they appear year in, year out, like clockwork. Like the slow, silent death of the iPod Classic, the end of iTunes does point to the closing of an important chapter for the company — and digital music in general.
Apple, of course, has been prepping us for this inevitability for years now by breaking the iOS version of iTunes into separate Podcast and Music apps. Honestly, it's a little surprising that it took so long for the desktop version to follow suit.
"Customers love iTunes and everything it can do. But if there's one thing we hear over and over, is can iTunes do even more?" VP Craig Federighi jokingly asked onstage at WWDC — before offering a mock up of the application bundling in Calendar and Mail. That got a big laugh. Engineers love that stuff.
The company positioned the newer, leaner desktop version of Apple Music as part of the war against software bloat. That's part of the story, but the real issue at play here is how the conversation has shifted from digital music ownership to subscription-based services. Apple Music is now more front and center, an added leg up in the company's continued battle against services like Spotify.
Even with the name change and shift in focus, however, the app will prove familiar enough to longtime iTunes users, right down to the logo. And for those concerned about the total destruction of the nearly 20-year-old software, the iTunes name is, in fact, staying around in the form of the "iTunes Store," which distinguishes the legacy download store from Apple's streaming offering. No doubt labels are continuing to push access to music purchases, though whether "iTunes" will continue to exist in this small sliver of macOS remains to be seen.
For all of the sentimentality, the continued use of both "iTunes" and "Apple Music" has likely caused some level of confusion among consumers. Hell, I know I still refer to the Podcasts app as "iTunes" from time to time. Old habits, etc.
"For You" is now the centerpiece of the Apple Music experience. The homepage operates similarly to what you get with iTunes, offering up a combination of curated suggestions, recently played and recommendations from friends. The offering is more dynamic than before, tailoring more of the content to Apple Music listening.
If you're like me (longtime Spotify user here), the app will prompt you to sign up for Apple's service. This will no doubt serve as an annoyance for non-subscribers looking to listen to their own local music collection. You can largely avoid this by navigating directly to the Artists, Albums or Songs icons in the sidebar or by keeping your searches to "Your Library."
Apple TV
The macOS version of the Apple TV app gets a major update following hot on the heels of its iOS counterpart. Apple's very clearly priming the pump here to ready its billion-dollar premium streaming offering, which is due out at some point in the fall.
Like Apple Music, most of the big changes here are how the content, in preparation for what looks to be a pretty big paradigm shift for Apple heading into the end of the year. But while we're all waiting for TV+ to drop, the company has brought one key addition to the app: Channels.
Announced at the company's big TV event earlier this year, Channels integrates premium networks like HBO, Show and Start directly into the app. In addition to competing directly with Netflix, Hulu and the like, Apple is also hoping to replace your cable provider. And honestly, given the approval ratings of companies like Comcast and Time Warner these days, that might not ultimately be that much of a challenge. Of course, whether people look to Apple to take that step may depend on the success of TV+ as an effective Netflix replacement.
Up top, content is divided into four categories: Watch Now, Movies, TV Shows, Kids and Library. The format is similar to Apple Music, in that content discovery is pushed out from, with the library relegated to the last tab. For now, that means downloads and cable channels. In the future, that will no doubt mean a prompt up front to subscribe to Apple TV+. Likely the streaming service will have prominent placement among the Watch Now recommendation, along with its own tab up front.
Kids get their own tab this time out, as well. The tab curates family-friendly fare into a single location, including some familiar IP like Mickey Mouse and Charlie Brown, along with movies and TV broken down by age groups (2-4, 5-7 and 8-10).
Podcasts
Podcasts have long had their moment in the sun on iOS with their own standalone app. Now they've been liberated on the desktop. Like the new Music app, Podcasts isn't much of a departure from iTunes. Now that there's something in the neighborhood of 700,000 individual shows, however, it's probably about time they've got their own thing. Likely the app will take on more of its own individual voice as it matures.
As with the mobile version, Listen Now is the primary pane, offering up shows in reverse chronological order. This change was met with mixed results when the company implemented it on iOS. As someone who prefers to listen to podcasts in the order they're posted, I'm not a particularly big fan of the setup. I'll be spending more time listening from the bottom up in the Downloaded section.
I do wish the company offered a little more control over how shows are served up. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's extremely particular about these sorts of things.
Like all the the other content updates, discovery continues to be king. The company has invested a lot in editorial curation in recent years, knowing that recommendations are the best and easiest ways to get people to keep engaging. It's always nice to see podcasts getting an increased focus from big companies — Apple in particular. After all, it was one of its product lines that gave the medium its name.
Sidebar syncing
Here's an interesting piece that didn't get much love during the keynote earlier this month. Device media syncing has traditionally been the realm of iTunes. Now that the company has broken up and effectively sunset the app, it's opted to integrate the feature directly into the finder.
Now when you plug in an iOS device, it will pop up in the Finder sidebar alongside other drives. From here, you can check to see if your software is up to date, restore the phone and manage backups. It also shows how much storage you've got left, battery charge and a bunch of other pertinent information.
A menu up top gives options for managing music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, audio books, books and photos. It's a bit of an adjustment, managing all of that in the Finder, but it's nice having it all up front in one location.
Photos
I'll be honest, I don't really use Photos very often on the desktop. In fact, I've apparently never actually used it on the work laptop I've used to install Catalina (caution, meet wind), requiring me to walk through the install process. That said, there are some nice additions borrowed from the iOS version that do make the macOS version more engaging.
Users can view photos by Days, Months or Years. If you have location on for shots, the software will present things contextually, so you can view anniversaries and the like. Apple presented a really compelling application onstage with the birthdays of a child throughout the years, allowing you to see all of that date in one place. It's a bit like a more powerful version of Facebook's anniversary feature.
Like the iOS version, Apple uses AI to identify the "best" shots, which are presented in a larger format, while less aesthetically pleasing ones (I regularly snap photos of my hotel room numbers, for example) are removed from scrolling. The app will also auto-play live photos as you scroll through, for a more dynamic experience.
Sidecar
This is arguably the most eagerly awaited addition of the bunch — certainly it's the one I'm most excited about. I've been a user of both Luna and Duet. Until a few months ago, I didn't expect this would be the sort of thing Apple would bake directly into their ecosystem. But here we are, and I'm excited. Third-party solutions have relied on clever workarounds with varying effects.
With Sidecar, iPads double as a secondary display. Third-party solutions have been a godsend for me on the road. When I get to my destination, I break out the iPad, set it up on a stand and use is it for my Tweetdeck feed and online resources while writing stories in the main window.
All of this can be done with Sidecar's extended desktop, but the feature takes things further, making this as close as we've come yet to an officially sanctioned touchscreen Mac, with touchscreen Apple Pencil input. The latter works by mirroring the display on the iPad. The effect is something like using a Wacom tablet to draw on the content housed on your primary display, while the Mac does all the heavy computational lifting.
That last part is particularly important, given who Apple is going after with the feature. Sure it's handy among frequent travelers, but the real target here is creative professionals, a category that Apple once dominated outright, but for whom it has begun to experience increasing competition through the likes of Microsoft with its Surface line.
The feature is compatible with pro apps with stylus support, from Photoshop to Maya. The MacBook Touch Bar, meanwhile, lives at the bottom of the iPad display. The secondary display features a wide range of touch gestures, as well, including:
Cut: Double three-finger swipe up
Copy: Three-finger swipe up
Paste: Three-finger swipe down
Undo: Three-finger swipe left
Redo: Three-finger swipe right
Best of all, it works both wired and unwired, though the former is recommended in situations where there's a lot of wireless noise around you. Per Apple, the system should be able to connect up to 10 meters away, using a combination of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to connect and send signals with minimal lag.
I’ve taken to using the feature to spread out a bit in my local coffee shop (yes, I’m that guy, now) and have been really impressed by the responsiveness. There are a few ticks here and there that I’d change (for example, adjusting the brightness on the iPad’s touchbar just impacts the primary solution), but
Accessibility
It's always refreshing to see companies add features make experiences more accessible for people with disabilities. Voice Control is the big one here. I'm not in a position that requires access to such features right now in my life, but I've been playing around with the feature using some of the actions highlighted in the video accompanying the announcement at WWDC.
Understandably, it takes a lot of getting used to, including learning the limitations of what the system is capable of. But playing around with it for a bit, it's easy to see how this could be a game changer for users who are unable to access traditional input methods.
For example, I started with "Open Messages." Then, "Show Numbers," which overlays numbers on the variety of different actions. That means instead of saying "compose message" like I might with Siri, I say "15" and then begin inputting text on that line. It's still early days for the feature, of course, and it may have limited application with some third-party apps, but I’m still glad to see Apple making a point of including it here.
Look for some more hands-on write-ups with various new features in the coming months. The public beta of Catalina drops today. The final version is set for release some time this fall.
It's stunning how fast emerging new technologies can coalesce around a simple human need and suddenly change everything, not to mention spur billions in investment.
That's what has happened in the past five years to the basics of humans getting around town, or "mobility" in the shorthand of Silicon Valley. And that's the first of the five reasonsTC Sessions: Mobility is a must: The Mobility category is too momentous to walk on by. Arguably no tech category has invoked a bigger spectrum of emerging technology to deliver results that touch more lives.
The second reason? Mobility is still the Wild West any way you look at it. Very little is settled on either the tech or business front. What is true vehicle autonomy, for example, and when will we have it? At TC Sessions: Mobility, attendees like Waymo CTO Dmitri Dolgov, Zoox co-founder Jesse LevinsonandLia Theodosiou-Pisanelli from Aurora, among others, will be weighing in on those topics — and many more.
Keeping those onstage interviews real when it comes to demanding topics is always a challenge, which brings us to the third reason: TechCrunch has some of the most respected editors anywhere when it comes to covering mobility. TechCrunch's Kirsten Korosec, Megan Rose Dickey and Matt Burns built this show and will handle most of the interviews onstage. You can trust them to ask the right questions.
Fourth, please check out the amazing agenda for the show. It really speaks for itself. There is no hot mobility topic — from autonomy to VC investing trends, from micro-mobility to mobility-first city design, to safety and security — that the agenda does not touch.
And the last reason, but perhaps most valuable of all: Consider who you will meet at this show, and how easily you will make new connections. Thanks to our CrunchMatch system, attendees can easily discover each other based on interests and arrange to meet at the show. At every TechCrunch event, literally thousands of new connections arise through CrunchMatch.
And here's a bonus reason: The sponsors organizing breakout sessions and exhibits at this show are recognized mobility leaders and will have top team leads on site. Catch up with ABB, AAA, Merchants Fleet, Waymo and many more — see the breakout lineup here.
We hope to see you there!
$295 tickets are still available. Book yours today as prices go up at the door. Bringing a group of four or more? Save 15% with a group discount here.
Psst – if you’re a student you can book a $45 ticket with this link.
Ivan Smolnikov is the CEO and founder of Smartcat, the market network platform for the translation industry.
The last few decades have produced many successful marketplaces. We went from goods marketplace pioneers such as eBay and Amazon to simple service marketplaces such as Uber, Lyft, Doordash, Upwork, Thumbtack, TaskRabbit, and Fiverr. But why haven’t we seen many successful B2B service marketplaces?
Some would argue that companies such as Upwork, Thumbtack, Fiverr, or TaskRabbit are horizontal B2B marketplaces in the sense that they provide access to suppliers of different services. But while businesses do indeed transact with freelancers on such "horizontal" marketplaces, for most service verticals these are limited-value, one-off transactions. They fail to enable long-term business collaborations.
So, such marketplaces haven’t delivered more valuable services nor introduced a new paradigm for how businesses buy specific services at scale and on an on-going basis. Why is that?
Horizontal marketplaces are stuck at the discovery process
Horizontal services marketplaces don’t provide much value beyond matching clients with quality service providers. In other words, they don't facilitate collaboration between buyers and suppliers, never mind provide ways for the two parties to collaborate more efficiently over time as they engage in follow-on projects.
In essence, the model these marketplaces were built around is not much different from the likes of Craigslist, which put a convenient UX on traditional classified advertisements.
Complex B2B services require workflow and collaboration tools
In their article “What’s Next for Marketplace Startups?,” Andrew Chen and Li Jin found that there aren't many successful service marketplaces because those offerings are complex, diverse, and difficult to evaluate. It's challenging to define a successful transaction in a service marketplace because it's harder to quantify success.
One reason is that several service providers must often work together to complete a single job for a buyer, requiring a complex workflow from end to end. As a result, it's difficult for marketplaces to not only mediate service delivery but also make it significantly more efficient for buyers and suppliers. If both the buyer and suppliers don't see a significant efficiency gain other than being initially matched, why would they continue using the marketplace?
(Image via Getty Images / Lidiia Moor)
The $50 billion translation industry is a prime example of complex B2B services marketplaces. On the supply side are roughly 50,000 small agencies around the globe responsible for more than 85% of this $50 billion industry. (Note we are referring to agencies here as suppliers, though they play on both sides.)
On the demand side are businesses that need to translate text from one language into another. Plus about 1,500,000 freelance linguists work in this industry, many of whom are more specialized than professionals in other industries.
Anyone can find and hire a translator on Fiverr or Upwork. Both provide a vast selection of language translators. However, the quality and cost of the translation depends on the translation tools available to the translator as well as their subject expertise.
Neither Fiverr nor Upwork provide computer-aided translation (CAT) and collaborative workflow solutions for users of their platforms. Additionally, neither provides an effective way for all parties to collaborate and continuously improve the efficiency and quality.
But the problem with traditional marketplaces goes even further: Multiple translators and reviewers are usually needed to complete a single job for a customer. Multi-language translation projects are even more complicated. Such projects require multiple service providers and cost estimates, in addition to project management tools.
This is why building a B2B service marketplace is difficult. Service marketplaces must not only connect buyers and suppliers, but also provide tools to enable an efficient and collaborative workflow that reduces wasted time and effort.
Horizontal marketplaces suffer high attrition
In addition to the problems already outlined, traditional marketplaces experience another issue that prevents them from growing and retaining market participants: Buyer and supplier attrition.
Many business services are based on regularly recurring engagements. In some cases, a buyer and a service provider interact daily, requiring a different workflow than gig-marketplaces are built around.
Buyers and suppliers have little motivation to continue interacting on a platform with no workflow automation solutions. They lack a way to improve service efficiency and quality, automate collaboration, payment, paperwork, and other basic processes required for a business.
This is why many traditional marketplaces suffer from slow network effects and high attrition. (A network effect is what happens when a platform, product, or service delivers more value the more it is used.
Think Facebook, eBay, WhatsApp.) Why wouldn’t companies work directly with service providers outside of a marketplace after they were introduced? What incentives keep the service transaction on the marketplace? These are critical questions to answer when building a marketplace.
Traditional marketplaces target broad services, making it nearly impossible to provide workflow solutions for buyers and suppliers. Going forward, successful service marketplaces will be developed relying on an industry-specific SaaS workflow. This will focus buyers and suppliers on longer-term projects and interactions that serve the unique needs of collaborations and transactions in a specific vertical.
A market network is a platform that combines elements of an n-sided marketplace, a network, and workflow solutions. An n-sided marketplace is one that requires coordination of multiple supply-side parties to provide a complex service for a single buyer.
Market networks enable multiple buyers and suppliers to interact, collaborate, and transact on the same platform. They provide users with industry-specific workflow solutions that enable efficient, ongoing collaboration on long-term projects. This reduces costs and leads to a higher quality of services and increased overall value for all users.
But how do you actually build a successful market-network platform? While the answer to that varies from company to company, here is our approach. We were able to build a market network for the translation industry that combines the components: network, marketplace, and workflow solution.
The first step to building an effective complex market network is to develop a workflow that is easy for users to embrace. It might not seem like much, but this increases productivity by enabling teams to perform tasks that were previously impossible.
Trash is a new startup promising to make it easier for anyone to create well-edited videos.
Social video is an area that CEO Hannah Donovan knows well, having previously served as general manager at Vine (the video app that Twitter acquired and eventually shut down). She said that in user research, even though people had “really powerful cameras in their pockets,” when it came to editing their footage together, they’d always say, “Oh, I'm not technical enough, I’m not smart enough.”
Donovan, who also worked as head of creative at Last.fm, said she “got curious about whether we could use computer vision to analyze the video and synthesize it into a sequence.”
The result is the Trash app, which comes with a straightforward tag line: “You shoot, we edit.”
Donovan demonstrated the app for me last week, shooting a few brief clips around the TechCrunch New York office, which were then assembled into a video — not exactly an amazing video but much, much better than anything I could have done with the footage. We also got to tweak the video by adjusting the music, the speed or the “vibe,” then post it on Trash and other social networks.
Donovan founded the company with its Chief Scientist Genevieve Patterson, who has a Ph.D. from Brown and also did postdoctoral work with Microsoft Research.
Patterson told me that Trash’s technology covers two broad categories. First there’s analysis, where a neural network analyzes the footage to identify elements like people, faces, interesting actions and different types of shots. Then there’s synthesis, where “we try to figure out what are the most cool and interesting parts of the video, to create a mini-music video for you with a high diversity of content.”
The app should get smarter over time as it gets more training data to work with, Patterson added. For one thing, she noted that most of the initial training footage used “Hollywood-style cinematography,” but as Trash brings more users on-board, it can better adapt to the ways people shoot on their phone.
It’s starting that on-boarding process now with what Donovan calls a “creator beta,” where the team is looking for a variety of creators — particularly talented photographers who haven’t embraced video yet — to try things out. You can request an invite by downloading the iOS app. (Donovan said there are plans to build an Android version eventually.)
Trash has raised $2.5 million from sources as varied as the National Science Foundation, Japan’s Digital Garage and Dream Machine, the fund created by former TechCrunch Editor Alexia Bonatsos. Donovan said the startup isn’t focused on revenue yet — but eventually, it could make money through sponsorships, pro features and by allowing creators to sell their footage in the app.
And if you’re wondering where the name comes from, Donovan offered both a “snarky response” (“I don’t give a damn and I don’t take myself too seriously”) and a more serious one.
“We believe that one person's trash is another person's treasure,” she said. “With filmmaking, as you know, there's a lot of things that get left on the cutting room floor. That’s one of the product concepts, in the longer term, that we want to explore.”
The landmark study greatly increases the efficiency of surface delivery of nutrients and pesticides to plants. Currently, when crops are sprayed with stuff that’s supposed to help them grow faster or better, the vast majority of that (up to 95 percent, according to CMU’s engineering blog) will just end up either as concentrated deposits in the surrounding soil, or dissolving into ground water. In both cases, accumulation over time can have negative knock-on effects, in addition to being terribly inefficient at their primary task.
This method, described by researchers in detail in a new academic paper, would manage to improve efficiency to nearly 100% absorption of nutrients and pesticides delivered as nanoparticles (particles smaller than 50 nanometers across – a human hair is about 75,000 nanometers wide, for context) sprayed onto the leaves of plants, which then make their way through the plant’s internal vascular system all the way down into the root system.
Using this method, agricultural professionals could also greatly improve delivery of plant antibiotics, making it easier and more cost-effective to treat plant diseases affecting crop yields. It would be cheaper to delivery all nutrients and pesticides, too, because the big bump in efficiency of uptake by the plants means you can use much less of anything you want to deliver to achieve your desired effect.
This research could have huge impact in terms of addressing growing global food supply needs while making the most existing agricultural land footprint and decreasing the need for potentially damaging expansion of the same.
SpaceX is going to launch a Falcon Heavy rocket for only the third time ever tonight, should all go according to the current mission plan. The launch, set to take place during a four-hour launch window that opens at 11:30 PM EDT (8:30 PM PDT) tonight, will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.
On its first-ever nighttime launch, Falcon Heavy’s STP-2 mission will carry a cargo made up of a number of payloads from commercial customers, as well as from the U.S. Department of Defence, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA. The mission involves putting 24 different spacecraft into orbit, along three separate orbital paths. One of the is an experimental research satellite for the Air Force Research Laboratory, and NASA’s payload includes four different experimental craft, which the agency detailed this month.
It’ll also carry LightSail 2, a crowdfunded spacecraft spearheaded by Bill Nye’s Planetary Society, which will make its way through space using the literal solar wind beneath its massive sail. SpaceX is also re-using Falcon Heavy boosters for the first time, with side boosters used on the Arabsat-6A mission flown in April, and it’ll attempt to recover all three first-stage rockets via landings at Cape Canaveral and aboard its drone landing pad barge.
The launch will be streamed live above, with the feed getting started around 15 minutes prior to scheduled launch window opening.
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Five arrested for lynching man to death in Jharkhand Tabrez Ansari, 22, on Sunday died at a hospital, a week after he was brutally thrashed by a mob over suspicion of stealing a bike
The new app, 
A visual inspection will see cracks or scuffs on the surface, but the ultrasonics penetrate deep into the blades, making them capable of detecting damage to interior layers well before it’s visible outside. And it can do it largely autonomously, moving a bit like a lawnmower: side to side, bottom to top.
#gettrashed
