In the power circles of Tehran, where "Death to America" is regularly chanted, the idea has taken hold that Iran must eventually negotiate with President Trump, according to several people with knowledge of the shift.
These people said Iran's leadership had concluded that Mr. Trump could be re-elected and that the country cannot withstand six more years of the onerous sanctions he has imposed.
It is a remarkable turnabout for the political establishment in Tehran, which for the past 40 years has staked its legitimacy on defiance of the United States but has been particularly hostile toward Mr. Trump.
President Hassan Rouhani of Iran teased a possible meeting with Mr. Trump earlier this week, indicating he would be willing if it would benefit Iranians.
Mr. Rouhani reversed himself within 24 hours, suggesting he may have been overruled by Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But the people with knowledge of the Iranian hierarchy's thinking said Mr. Rouhani's behavior should be viewed as part of the emerging new strategy.
They said the strategy was following two parallel tracks: displaying a more defiant position on Iran's military and nuclear energy policies to irritate Mr. Trump, while signaling a willingness to talk under certain conditions, appealing to what are seen as his deal-maker instincts.
WNU Editor: Nothing lasts forever. The U.S. and Iran will enter into talks sometime in the future. The question that remains unanswered is when, and under what terms?
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has banned the use of fire to clear land throughout the country for 60 days, in response to the massive increase in blazing fires in the Amazon rainforest https://t.co/7TGSDYVBkw
The special-mission #submarine USS #FLORIDA SSGN728 continues to operate in the #Mediterranean Sea. Photos show her helm positions in the control room and the forward weapons room on 26 Aug. Topside views are 27 Aug. A DDS Dry Deck Shelter is mounted on deck just aft of the sail. pic.twitter.com/AuDe8pWNio
* Current and former spies are floored by President Donald Trump's fervent defense of Russia at this year's G7 summit in Biarritz, France. * "It's hard to see the bar anymore since it's been pushed so far down the last few years, but President Trump's behavior over the weekend was a new low," one FBI agent who works in counterintelligence told Insider. * At the summit, Trump aggressively lobbied for Russia to be readmitted into the G7, refused to hold it accountable for violating international law, blamed former President Barack Obama for Russia's annexation of Crimea, and expressed sympathy for Russian President Vladimir Putin. * One former senior Justice Department official, who worked closely with the former special counsel Robert Mueller when he was the FBI director, told Insider Trump's behavior was "directly out of the Putin playbook. We have a Russian asset sitting in the Oval Office." * A former CIA operative told Insider the evidence is "overwhelming" that Trump is a Russian agent, but another CIA and NSA veteran said it was more likely Trump was currying favor with Putin for future business deals. * Meanwhile, a recently retired FBI special agent told Insider that Trump's freewheeling and often unfounded statements make it more likely that he's a "useful idiot" for the Russians. But "it would not surprise me in the least if the Russians had at least one asset in Trump's inner circle."
"It's hard to see the bar anymore since it's been pushed so far down the last few years, but President Trump's behavior over the weekend was a new low."
That was the assessment an FBI agent who works in counterintelligence gave Insider of President Donald Trump's performance at this year's G7 summit in Biarritz, France. The agent requested anonymity because they feared that speaking publicly on the matter would jeopardize their job.
Trump's attendance at the G7 summit was peppered with controversy, but none was more notable than his fervent defense of Russia's military and cyber aggression around the world, and its violation of international law in Ukraine.
WNU Editor: Here we go again. Russian collusion. Russian collusion. Russian collusion. And talk about timing. All of this coming out on the day when the Inspector General releases a report that the former FBI Director essentially weaponized the FBI to pursue his political agenda. Including pushing this Russian narrative.
Senior leaders assigned to the U.S. Army's 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), participate in a training during a tactical leader's exercise at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, August 27, 2019. REUTERS/Bryan Woolston
* Satellite images appear to show the smoking remains of the rocket in the desert * Explosion took place on Thursday morning at Imam Khomeini Space Center * Iran had been planning the launch of its Nahid-1 satellite in the coming days
An Iranian space rocket blew up today according to satellite images of its smouldering remains on a launch pad in the desert.
The pictures were taken on Thursday morning over the Imam Khomeini Space Center in Semnan province, and suggest the Islamic Republic suffered its third failed launch this year alone.
State media and officials did not immediately acknowledge the incident at the Imam Khomeini Space Center in Iran's Semnan province.
However, satellite images by Planet Labs Inc. showed a black plume of smoke rising above a launch pad there, with what appeared to be the charred remains of a rocket and its launch stand. In previous days, satellite images had shown officials there repainted the launch pad blue.
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson sits on a chair after bilateral talks during the G7 summit in Biarritz, France August 26, 2019.Neil Hall/Pool / Reuters
President Donald Trump applauded Johnson, calling him on Twitter 'exactly what the U.K. has been looking for'.
Boris Johnson hurtled to the top of British politics with an air of charm and disarrayed befuddlement. He slipped into Latin and Greek, changed sides when it suited his ambitions and oozed a mischievous bravado, as when he put his foot on a table at the French president's palace last week.
But Johnson's decision on Wednesday to cut short a session of Parliament revealed another side: the ruthless tactician who took office as prime minister this summer. With Brexit hanging in the balance, Johnson marshaled all the power of Downing Street to cut out the legs of a wobbly opposition, risking a constitutional crisis to get what he has promised.
Suddenly the man affectionately known as "BoJo" was being rebranded by some opponents a "tin-pot dictator." And President Donald Trump, known for his own norm-smashing maneuvers, applauded Johnson, calling him on Twitter "exactly what the U.K. has been looking for."
WNU Editor: After a referendum where a majority of the people in the U.K. made a decision to leave the EU, followed by three years of non-stop negotiations/discussions/delays/etc. where it was clear from this observer that the political establishment in the U.K. were not really interested in making Brexit happen, Boris Johnson has changed all of that in the past two months. And the momentum is clearly on his side, otherwise the opposition to leaving the EU and to him would not be as galvanized as they are today. My prediction. The opposition to him will become even more fierce as the date to leave the EU fast approaches. And I do not think the opposition will succeed. They underestimated Boris Johnson, taking for granted that he will fail while feeling confident that the entire Brexit issue would fade away and/or be controlled and dictated by them. This has been a miscalculation. They do not have the votes to stop him, and coupled with the EU's determination to not compromise has only resulted in solidifying Boris Johnson's base while making him more determine to make Brexit happen. He also has time on his side, or more to the point, time is running out for the opposition. Brexit is two months away, and unless there is a rebellion in the Tory coalition, this divorce is going to happen.
Since leaving Iran with 2.1 million barrels, rogue tanker has changed its name, route in bid to evade scrutiny
Last spring, the Grace I left a filling station in the middle of the Persian Gulf loaded down with 2.1 million barrels of Iranian crude. Too large for the Suez Canal, the oil tanker made the long journey around the coast of Africa before showing up at the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea last month.
British authorities in Gibraltar impounded the ship and its cargo on suspicion it planned to deliver the oil it was carrying to Syria, which would violate EU sanctions against the country. Iran quickly retaliated and seized a British tanker in the Persian Gulf on a trumped-up charge.
After six weeks in maritime purgatory, the Grace was eventually allowed to depart, on the assurance that it was not headed for Syria. But some experts are convinced that's not true.
Signs Beijing may be importing Iranian oil as Trump's two biggest foreign policy headaches converge.
In early June, a Chinese-owned supertanker abruptly went dark in the Indian Ocean, the tracking system signalling its course apparently deactivated.
It was not the first ship to vanish from the monitors. The deactivation of transponders that generate a unique ID issued to ships by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has become increasingly familiar in recent weeks to the companies that track tankers.
The Trump administration has stepped up its efforts to track tankers linked to China's biggest state-run oil company in response to signs that the vessels are helping to transport Iranian crude in defiance of US sanctions against Tehran.
* Lopez Obrador said the device had been found in a room used for meetings but has not given details on who had placed it there
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Thursday unseen forces were spying on him and his cabinet, revealing that a "sophisticated camera" had been discovered at the presidential offices in central Mexico City.
During a regular daily news briefing, in which he usually expounds on everything from history and economics to culture, Lopez Obrador said the device had been found in a room used for meetings in the National Palace, his headquarters.
"Just imagine, they've been recording us in a meeting room, here in the Palace," the president said as he reflected on the importance of free speech and transparency.
Lopez Obrador, who did not provide details on the camera or how it came to be there, said he had no secrets.
"If you infringe on their sovereignty — how much are they going to tolerate it?" Yossi Mekelberg, a professor of international relations, said.
LONDON — A recent series of airstrikes in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon that neighboring countries blame on Israel risks escalating into a wider conflict, some analysts say.
The strikes — most of which Israel has not claimed responsibility for — began Saturday when Israel claimed to have thwarted an imminent Iranian attack by striking an elite wing of Iran's Revolutionary Guardnear Damascus, the Syrian capital.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Twitter that the Iranian fighters were targeting Israelis living in the Golan Heights, a region that Israel annexed from Syria after the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.
* Incredible footage from the International Space Station shows Hurricane Dorian swirling in the Atlantic * The footage shows Dorian strengthening at 1.05pm EDT on Thursday north of Puerto Rico * Hurricane Dorian, a Category 1 storm, is set to escalate into a Category 4 as it crosses warm Atlantic waters * The hurricane is expected to make landfall on Florida's eastern coast by Labor Day Monday * As of 11am EDT Thursday, Dorian is in open waters blowing at 85mph, 220 miles northwest of San Juan * Hurricane Dorian made landfall on the Virgin Islands Wednesday at 2pm EDT, causing power outages * The National Hurricane Center predicts Dorian could hit Florida as soon as late Sunday or early Monday * Gov Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency and urged residents to prepare for a Labor Day strike * Dorian caused some flooding and damage across the Caribbean earlier this week * It was expected to hit Puerto Rico on Wednesday but passed to the east of the territory, leaving it unscathed * Donald Trump shared a warning to Floridians Thursday morning saying: 'It will be a very big Hurricane' * Thursday afternoon he cancelled his trip to Poland in light of the hurricane * Florida is not currently under any watches or warnings and no evacuations have been ordered yet
Stunning footage from outer space shows Hurricane Dorian in all its might, swirling towards Florida, where it's forecast to make landfall on Labor Day Monday as a monster Category 4 storm.
The footage was taken by a NASA camera outside the International Space Station and shows Dorian at 1.05pm EDT strengthening as it menacingly churns in the Atlantic ocean just north of Puerto Rico, headed towards the northern Bahamas and Florida's eastern coast.
It is expected to intensify into a Category 3 storm by Friday and could strengthen into a Category 4 with vicious 130mph winds in the following days.
U.S. officials imposed sanctions on two Iranian military technology networks, undermining the regime's ballistic missile supply chain days after Tehran rebuffed talks with President Trump.
"The United States will continue to increase pressure on the Iranian regime until it changes its behavior," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday evening.
That's a reassuring message for Iran hawks who worried that Trump's open-minded comment about offering Iran a "letter of credit" might foreshadow a softening of the maximum pressure campaign. European allies would welcome such a shift, but the Trump administration used the announcement as an opportunity to call for allies to tighten their own sanctions enforcement.
Prominent members of Colombia's Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, including Ivan Marquez (center) say they are relaunching the group that demobilized after a 2016 peace deal Screen Grab Courtesy
Men in YouTube video lambast the Colombian president, Iván Duque, and his government for not keeping its end of the deal
Two former commanders of the demobilised Colombian rebel group the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, Farc, have announced a that they are returning to war, nearly three years after a peace deal which sought to end South America's longest guerrilla conflict.
The two men, known by their aliases, Iván Márquez and Jesús Santrich, released a video to YouTube early on Thursday morning in which they lambasted president Iván Duque and his government for not keeping its end of the deal, negotiated over four years of talks in Cuba.
خلصنا المزح بموضوع الجيب ✋ هذه الفضيحة كفيلة بإسقاط رؤوس كبيرة في جيشكم !! لأنها تدل عن "غباء وحمق" لأنكم لم تتعلموا بعد انكم بمواجة رجال لديهم من الحكمة والحرفية والشجاعة والإيمان مايكفي لهزيمتكم !!#انضبوا وضبوا تماثيلكم .. هالحركات حتى الأطفال بلعبة الغميضة ما بيعملوها ✋ pic.twitter.com/0FqVHC0hF9
Hezbollah has warned of retaliatory attack after drone strikes on Beirut at weekend.
Israel has positioned mannequins of soldiers in jeeps along the Lebanon border, according to Lebanese and Israeli correspondents, as the army braces itself for an expected attack from Hezbollah.
Ali Shueib, who works for Hezbollah's al-Manar satellite TV station, tweeted photos of what appeared to be two military off-road vehicles. In the front sat yellowish dummies in army uniform.
Israel names Iranian, Lebanese officers working secretively for years to give Shiite terror group advanced munitions; wants Lebanon, world to act to halt the program
The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday revealed the identities of four senior Iranian and Hezbollah officials involved in a joint project to manufacture precision-guided missiles for the Lebanese terror group, in a dramatic move apparently intended as a tacit threat to the officers. The army warned that the Iranian-led project was "jeopardizing the stability of Lebanon."
SHEBERGHAN, Afghanistan -- A pro-government commander in Afghanistan has been killed in a battle against a group of Taliban fighters that included his own son.
The battle also involved two Afghan brothers who fought on opposite sides – a pro-government militia fighter who was killed and his brother, a Taliban militant, who was wounded and escaped from the battlefield.
The overnight battle in Afghanistan's northern province of Jowzjan took place just hours after the slain commander, Baz Muhammad, spoke to RFE/RL about the need to end a war which pits "sons against fathers and brothers and against brothers."
The 60-year-old Baz Muhammad was in command of 18 pro-government militia fighters who were manning a checkpoint near the village of Kokaltash in Jowzjan's Faizabad district when it was attacked by more than 100 Taliban fighters on the night of August 26.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Thursday that U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan were being reduced to 8,600 but that American forces would remain in the country even if Washington reaches an agreement with the Taliban to end the 18-year war.
"Oh yeah, you have to keep a presence," Trump said in an interview with Fox News radio. "We're going to keep a presence there. We're reducing that presence very substantially and we're going to always have a presence. We're going to have high intelligence."
Trump said the U.S. force level in Afghanistan was being reduced to 8,600 "and then we make a determination from there as to what happens." Some 14,000 U.S. service members are currently in Afghanistan, among whom about 5,000 are dedicated to counterinsurgency operations.
WNU Editor: This 8,600 troop number is the back-stop that critics of these "peace talks" have been demanding since the beginning. Have the Taliban agreed to this is something that we will have to see wait and see.
More News On President Trump Saying That A Taliban Deal Is Close, And That U.S. Troops Levels Will Drop To 8,600
* Trump made the remarks in an interview with Fox News Radio without elaborating on what "a different level" means. * "Let's see what the end product is, that's what you have to judge it by," Trump said. * China softened its stance, saying it's willing to resolve the trade war with a "calm attitude" and indicating it won't retaliate immediately.
President Donald Trump said the U.S. and China are set to have trade talks on Thursday "at a different level."
"There's a talk scheduled for today at a different level," Trump said in an interview with Fox News Radio without elaborating on what "a different level" means.
"Let's see what the end product is; that's what you have to judge it by," Trump said.
* US Defence Secretary Mark Esper says Pentagon wants to expand presence in region, but PLA strategists suggest countries may not want to sacrifice relations with China * Beijing has already warned of countermeasures if American missiles are stationed in the region and the latest plans threaten to up the ante
Chinese military analysts have questioned whether the United States will be able to realise its plans to build more military bases in Asia.
Beijing has already reacted angrily to plans to base intermediate-range missiles in the region, saying it "will not stand idly by" if the US does so.
Ren Guoqiang, a spokesman from the Chinese Ministry of National Defence, said on Thursday that China was paying close attention to the latest US plans.
"The US side should be careful with its words and deeds," Ren said. "China remains resolute in protecting our legitimate rights and interests, as well as peace and security in the region."
The Trump administration is slow-walking $250 million in military assistance to Ukraine, annoying lawmakers and advocates who argue the funding is critical to keeping Russia at bay.
President Donald Trump asked his national security team to review the funding program, known as the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, in order to ensure the money is being used in the best interest of the United States, a senior administration official told POLITICO on Wednesday.
But the delays come amid questions over Trump's approach to Russia, after a weekend in which the president repeatedly seemed to downplay Moscow's military intervention in Ukraine and pushed for Russia to be reinstated into the Group of Seven, an annual gathering of the world's largest advanced economies. The review is also occurring amid a broader internal debate over whether to halt or cut billions of dollars in foreign aid.
WNU Editor: This military aid is only being used to wage war on Russian Ukrainians in the eastern part of the country, and in my opinion does not serve to advance the best interest of the United States. It does deserve a review, and I hope that it will also sends a message to the new Ukraine President that the days of the U.S. giving them a blank check may be coming to an end. Not surprising, some in Ukraine are miffed .... Trump is one big headache for Ukraine (Askold Krushelnycky, Kyiv Post). My prediction. The Ukraine President will be meeting President Trump next week. This military aid will be given. Unfortunately, there are too many in Washington, Moscow, and in Kiev who have a vested interest to see this conflict continuing.
More News On President Trump Holding Up $250 Million In Ukraine Military Aid
The ongoing Hong Kong protests have posed one of the largest political challenges for Beijing.
The Chinese Communist Party leadership is scrambling to resolve the crisis before Oct. 1, the Party's 70th anniversary of its takeover of China, according to an insider source in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, citizens prepare more strikes, rallies, and demonstrations to pressure the Hong Kong government into withdrawing a proposed extradition bill they believe embodies Beijing's ever-increasing encroachment on the city's affairs.
The source, who is the son of a Party elder, attended an Aug. 19 meeting of Beijing's representatives in Hong Kong, during which a message from Party leader Xi Jinping was conveyed: He is displeased with the way the Hong Kong government has handled protests, as it has intensified clashes and made protesters direct their anger toward the central government.
WNU Editor: Epoch Times is not a "friend" of the Chinese Communist Party, and the one source that they are using is a "son of a Party Elder" who heard it in a message that was delivered from Beijing in a meeting. But it does make sense. President Xi has kept his distance from the crisis in Hong Kong, preferring to have it handled publicly by the Hong Kong government and lower Chinese officials. But I am willing to bet that privately, he is spending a lot of time focused on what needs to be done in Hong Kong to make these protests stop. He knows that this is a threat to his authority, and that it should be dealt with ASAP. And trying to blame others for "this mess" is not going to help him.
* China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) issued a statement saying that its Hong Kong Garrison will "resolutely follow" the government's instructions to implement the "one country, two systems" principle. * State-run Xinhua news agency on Thursday morning published photos of armed personnel carriers and trucks carrying troops at the border, as well as a small naval vessel arriving in Hong Kong.
China sent a fresh batch of troops into Hong Kong on Thursday, and its military issued a statement saying its Hong Kong Garrison will "resolutely follow" the central government's instructions.
It came as the Asian financial center continues to grapple with weeks of protests, that sometimes turned violent. Hundreds of thousands have poured into the streets of Hong Kong since early June to rally against a now-suspended bill.
Earlier, state media reported that troops from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) had moved into Hong Kong. The military's moves were described as routine.
WNU Editor: China has about 6,000 to 10,000 soldiers in Hong Kong, so this deployment (and it is not really a big one) is just a positioning of it's military assets. But considering what is happening in Hong Kong, we should not be surprised if more soldiers are deployed to Hong Kong in the coming weeks.
More News On China Sending More Soldiers Into Hong Kong
* Comey created seven memos of his interactions with President Trump shortly before and after Trump took office * He kept several signed copies in his personal safe * Comey testified that he authorized a friend to leak a non-classified memo to the New York Times * He provided copies of four memos to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office * In May Comey gave a memo to a friend and lawyer, who provided it to the New York Times * After reviewing the matter, DOJ 'declined prosecution' * Comey's retention and 'dissemination' of memos 'violated Department and FBI policies' and his employment agreement
A Justice Department inspector general has concluded former FBI Director James Comey did not 'live up' to his responsibility to safeguard sensitive information – but has not recommended he be prosecuted for the leak of memos of his awkward conversations with President Trump.
Comey 'failed to live up to this responsibility' to protect internal information as other FBI agents are expected to, according to the report published Thursday.
But the IG wrote: 'We found no evidence that Comey or his attorneys released any of the classified information contained in any of the Memos to members of the media.'
Update: Not surprising, the former FBI Director is not repentant:
DOJ IG "found no evidence that Comey or his attorneys released any of the classified information contained in any of the memos to members of the media." I don't need a public apology from those who defamed me, but a quick message with a "sorry we lied about you" would be nice.
Attention, city dwellers! We're interested in identifying university-owned or commercially managed underground urban tunnels & facilities able to host research & experimentation. https://t.co/tHZ1Tqy5nV
Darpa is often described as the "mad science" wing of the Defense Department. They're the ones who have a history of working on cutting edge technology for the military like virtual fences, disaster relief robots, and the invention of the internet itself. They even tried to build Skynet in the 1980s.
But Darpa sent out a tweet today that's making people a little nervous. The agency wants a large underground facility for "testing" of some sort. And they need it by Friday at 5pm ET.
China's new quantum radar is more powerful than traditional anti-stealth systems like the SLC-7, seen here at the Zhuhai air show in 2016. Photo: Dickson Lee
You've heard of stealth aircraft—now meet stealth radar.
* Quantum radar, for decades merely a concept, was recently demonstrated at science institute in Austria. * Quantum radars can provide much more detailed information about their targets without giving away their position. * Contrary to claims, quantum radars do not make stealth obsolete.
A new high definition radar system that could change the nature of warfare has been demonstrated for the first time. The result, quantum radar, is a high definition detection system that provides a much more detailed image of targets while itself remaining difficult to detect. Quantum radars could provide users with enough detail to identify aircraft, missiles, and other aerial targets by specific model.
According to the MIT Technology Review, researchers at Austria's Institute of Science and Technology used entangled microwaves to create the world's first quantum radar system.
HURRICANE DORIAN is continuing to intensify in the Atlantic Ocean, as it tracks towards the Bahamas and Florida. Here are the latest updates and National Hurricane Center advisories.
HURRICANE DORIAN is continuing to rapidly strengthen in the Atlantic Ocean as it nears the Bahamas. Here is the latest update from the "extremely dangerous" hurricane.
DONALD TRUMP has cancelled a planned trip to Poland to remain in the US and monitor Hurricane Dorian, which he warned is an "absolute monster" heading straight for Florida.
HURRICANE DORIAN plunged the southeast coast of Florida into a panic with the storm steadily hurtling towards the US as weather forecasters warn the "whooper" superstorm is growing "stronger."
ARGENTINA'S new government could rebuff Trump and move ever closer to China as the US continues to isolate itself in South America, an expert has told Express.co.uk.
GERMANY'S resurgent far right looks set to make major gains in two regional elections this weekend with Angela Merkel's national coalition appearing increasingly fragile.
HURRICANE DORIAN is churning through the Atlantic Ocean and is expected to smash into Florida as an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 hurricane. Here is the latest path of Dorian as the weather system strengthens.
Two prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow, were arrested this morning in Hong Kong, their political organization says.
A statement from the pro-democracy Demosisto party said that 22-year-old Wong was “suddenly pushed into a private car on the street” near a subway station on the southern side of Hong Kong island.
About an hour later, the party said Chow, also 22, was arrested at her home.
A spokesperson for the police confirmed that Wong faces charges of inciting, organizing and participating in an unauthorized assembly in relation to an incident on June 21, when protestors besieged the police headquarters. Chow faces charges of inciting and participating in an unauthorized assembly on the same day.
Wong and Chow’s arrest could be part of a wider crackdown. In the afternoon, a police spokesperson confirmed the arrest of a former student union president at the University of Hong Kong, 23-year-old Althea Suen, while local media reported the arrests of a pro-democracy lawmaker, Cheng Chung-tai, and a district counselor, Rick Hui.
On Thursday night, police also detained Andy Chan, the head of a banned pro-independence party, as he attempted to board a flight out of the territory.
The arrests come at a highly sensitive time, with police having banned a large march that was due to take place tomorrow to call for universal suffrage for the former British colony. Hong Kong’s ongoing pro-democracy protests have been ending in street battles of increasing severity in recent weeks, and police gave this as the reason for the ban.
One of the organizers of the march, Bonnie Leung, told local media that the police were “declaring war on all peaceful protesters.” A large turnout is expected in defiance of the police order.
Meanwhile, another organizer of the march, Jimmy Sham, was attacked at a restaurant in central Kowloon yesterday. Local media reported that masked men armed with baseball bats attacked him and a companion as they were eating lunch.
Hours later, another activist, Max Chung, was attacked in Hong Kong’s northern suburbs by a group of men wielding metal rods.
Wong and Chow’s arrests are certain to exacerbate political tensions in the semi-autonomous enclave of 7.2 million, which was retroceded to China in 1997 but remains politically, culturally and linguistically distinct from the rest of the country.
The territory has been rocked by months of protest that were initially sparked by an unpopular extradition bill but have since exploded into a rebellion against its unpopular and unrepresentative government, and even against Chinese sovereignty itself.
The government has not ruled out imposing a state of emergency in a bid to restore order. Beijing has also intensified its rhetoric on the unrest, with the state-run Xinhua news agency labeling the protests a “color revolution” and the local military garrison acquiring new anti-riot vehicles in a highly publicized deployment.
(Bloomberg) –– President Donald Trump said he canceled a trip to Poland this weekend because Hurricane Dorian is poised to strike Florida, and will send Vice President Mike Pence in his place.
The storm is expected to strike Florida’s east coast by Monday, delivering torrential rain and 130 mile (209 kilometer) per-hour winds.
Trump said he would remain in Washington “to ensure that all resources of the federal government are focused on the coming storm.” He said he had called Polish President Andrzej Duda on Thursday to inform him of the change in plans.
“The storm looks like it could be a very, very big one indeed,” Trump said. “Mike will be going.”
Airlines are considering whether to cancel flights, cruise lines are rerouting ships in the region and travelers are rethinking Labor Day holiday plans as the storm approaches.
About 17.5 million Americans were expected to fly during the Labor Day weekend, according the trade group Airlines for America, with Friday typically the busiest day. But that’s when the U.S. National Hurricane Center says the state could start feeling the storm’s early effects.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a close political ally of the president, declared a state of emergency on Wednesday. On Thursday he expanded it to include all 67 counties, compared with 26 in his original executive order. He said he took the step due to Dorian’s “uncertain projected path,” according to an emailed statement.
Florida will again be a critical swing state in the 2020 elections. Trump has suffered criticism for his response to Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico and killed about 3,000 people in 2017.
Trump had planned to arrive in Poland on Sunday for a two-day visit, ostensibly to commemorate the 80th anniversary of World War II. But the timing had added significance in Poland as its Oct. 13 parliamentary elections approach.
For Duda, hosting Trump was a chance to show he’s in favor with the U.S. — viewed as the ultimate guarantor of Poland’s security — to boost the standing of his Law and Justice party ahead of the vote. Trump, meanwhile, planned to highlight lucrative energy and defense deals as evidence that his foreign policies are creating manufacturing jobs in key U.S. swing states.
Trump had also planned a meeting during the trip with new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Trump’s personal lawyer – former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani – recently said he was again lobbying Ukraine to investigate a natural gas company in the country connected to the son of former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic front-runner to challenge Trump in 2020.
The protracted shadow war between Israel and Iran has spilled beyond the borders of Syria following a series of attacks in Iraq and Lebanon blamed on Israel, and threats of Hezbollah retaliation that reporters in Israel and Lebanon say has prompted the Israel Defense Force (IDF) to station dummy soldiers in jeeps along its northern border.
Israel’s state of high alert over potential cross border attacks comes days after U.S. officials leaked confirmation Israel was behind a July bombing at a weapons factory in Iraq—which they said Iran was using to transport weapons to Syria. Lebanon blamed Israel for a drone strike on Sunday in the suburbs of Beirut. Following Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s meeting with United Nations Security Council envoys to protest what he called a “clear Israeli violation of Lebanese sovereignty” on Monday, the U.N. called on both sides to exercise “maximum restraint.”
Israel, which traditionally maintains a policy of ambiguity over oversees military operations, has not taken responsibility for either the Iraq attack or the Beirut drone strike, although its military said it had carried out a separate airstrike on Saturday near the Syrian border in order to foil an “imminent” drone attack planned by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah (Iran has denied planning the strike.) Despite the lack of official confirmation, Israeli media reports that the Beirut drone strike damaged equipment that would have enhanced Hezbollah’s precision guided rocket program. Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanon-based Iran-backed Shi’ite militia force claimed the strike was Israel’s first attack in Lebanon since the two countries fought a bloody war in 2006 and promised retaliation. “I say to the Israeli army on the border from tonight, stand guard. Wait for us one, two, three, four days,” Nasrallah said Sunday. Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun, a Hezbollah ally, likened Israel’s alleged actions to a “declaration of war” and said Lebanon had the right to defend itself.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a U.S. intelligence official told TIME that Iranian responses could come in various forms: an attack from Hezbollah or other Iranian-proxies; attacks from Sunni militias with alliances of convenience to Tehran; and even attacks on Jewish or Israeli “targets” outside of Israel. A worst case scenario, the official said, might be an Iranian-backed attack on Jewish settlements in the West Bank or the Golan Heights, which could set off a war.
The timing for the rise in tensions isn’t clear. While Iran’s influence in the region is growing—particularly through militias supported by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps-Quds Force in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen—the official who spoke with TIME said the threat to Israel has not increased substantially in recent months. The official declined to comment on why, at this juncture, Israel is expanding its shadow war with Iran. Here’s what to know about the escalation.
What are the roots of Israel’s conflict with Iran in Syria?
After the Syrian conflict broke out in 2011, Sunni rebels—many financed by Iran’s Gulf rivals, Saudi Arabia and the UAE—rose up against President Bashar Assad’s regime. In response, Iran began pouring money, resources and soldiers into the country in support of Assad’s regime, with which it had been strategically aligned since the 1980s. Concerned about the entrenchment of hostile Iranian forces near its northwest border, Israel has since launched hundreds of air strikes in Syria, including against Hezbollah positions and convoys transporting arms to the group in Lebanon. Iran and Iranian proxy militias have occasionally responded with cross border strikes, such as bylaunching rockets over a ski resort in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights in January.
Israel’s success at disrupting Iran’s infrastructure build-up in Syria has led the Islamic Republic to turn its attention to Iraq, where there havebeen several reports in recent months that Iran is building an array of ballistic missiles aimed at Israel. Israel appears to have followed suit, with recent attacks reported—but not acknowledged—on weapons storage facilities controlled by Iranian-backed Iraqi militias.
What was struck in Lebanon?
Sunday morning’s strike reportedly damaged a central component of Hezbollah’s precision guided missile program: an industrial-sized mixer used to make propellants that enhance missile engine performance and can increase their accuracy. The machine—called a plenary mixer—was likely hit as preparations were being made to move it to a secure location, according to Israel’s Haaretz.
An attack in Lebanon would cross unofficial red lines established after Israel’s bloody month long war with its northern neighbor in 2006. But the reported target follows the general pattern of Israel’s air strikes in Syria—largely tolerated by Russia, which backs the Assad regime. Israel’s attacks on convoys bound for Lebanon have typically concentrated on thwarting Hezbollah’s “accuracy project”—the group’s attempt to enhance the capacity of its rocket cache—to pinpoint targets in Israel.
How has the U.S. reacted to Israel-attributed attacks outside of Syria?
Washington appears uncomfortable. On Monday, the Pentagon issued a statement expressing its support for“Iraqi sovereignty” and reaffirmed Iraq’s right to defend itself against “external actors.” The Pentagon statement also said that U.S. “forces did not conduct the recent attack on a convoy or any recent attacks that resulted in the explosion of ammunition storage facilities in Iraq.” An official TIME spoke with on the condition of anonymity declined to say whether any Israeli officials had indicated to President Trump, his National Security Adviser John Bolton—known for his hardline anti-Iran views—or other Administration officials that they were considering stepping up attacks on Iranian proxies, including in Iraq, where more than 5,000 U.S. forces are still stationed.
Why Israel is amping up tension with Iran now?
Nobody knows for sure. Israel has not taken responsibility for the strikes but Netanyahu has hinted at involvement in Iraq. On Aug. 20, he told reporters “Iran has no immunity, anywhere” adding that Israel would act against Iran “wherever it is necessary.”
Beyond an undisclosed military rationale, regional experts say several factors may have affected the Prime Minister’s calculus. One is the upcoming Sept. 17 elections, where he is running against a former IDF general. But while Netanyahu may be keen to burnish his “Mr. Security” image, analysts consider him risk-averse and he has been careful to avoid entangling Israel in overseas conflicts.
The ramp up of Israel-Iran tension also coincides with discussion of a potential rapprochement between the U.S. and Iran. Following Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s surprise visit to the G7 summit in Biarritz last week, Trump said there was a “really good chance” he would meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani soon. While significant obstacles remain, such a meeting would be the first between a U.S. and an Iranian leader since the 1979-81 U.S. embassy hostage crisis. Top Israeli officials have voiced concerns that talks could result in a relaxation of the U.S.’ “maximum pressure campaign.”
But Ehud Eiran, a political science expert at Israel’s Haifa University thinks it is unlikely Israel would escalate tensions in a bid to scuttle U.S.-Iran talks, as some have suggested. “Israeli generals are usually very careful not to harm any American interests,” he tells TIME.
How might Hezbollah retaliate against Israel?
Neither Israel nor Hezbollah want all-out war. But Hezbollah leader Nasrallah has consistently maintained he would respond proportionately to any Israel attacks in Lebanon. Sources close to the Hezbollah leadership told Reuters Tuesday that the group was planning a “calculated attack” on Israel that would remain “below the threshold of war.”
Hilal Khashan, a professor of political science at the American University of Beirut says the dozens if not hundreds of unanswered attacks on Hezbollah positions and convoys in Syria, demonstrate the group’s lack of capacity to effectively retaliate, prompting further escalation. Israel is “simply informing everybody that a new rule of the game is being introduced,” Khashan says. “That is what drove Hassan Nasrallah out of his mind and caused him to issue a belligerent statement that I don’t believe he’s capable of enforcing.”
Still, the risks of miscalculation are considerable. The 2006 Lebanon-Israel war, which killed nearly 1,200 people and injured thousands more, was sparked by Hezbollah abducting a pair of Israeli soldiers near the border. Heiko Wimmen, a Beirut-based analyst at the International Crisis Group likened the situation to both sides performing “acrobatics on the edge of the abyss.”
By January 2018 the mayor of Puhoi was fed up. His assistant kept turning up to work drunk. His colleague wasn’t the only one; sometimes it seemed to him as if everyone in this Moldovan village of 5,500 people had a drinking problem. So the mayor, Petru Frunze, decided to hold a competition. Any couple who could stay sober for six months would receive a cash prize of 1,000 leu ($240) and jobs. Twenty couples signed up, but only one succeeded. As promised, Frunze found them jobs as cleaners in the capital city of Chisinau, around 15 miles away. He even covered their travel costs. But within a few months, they had both relapsed and turned back to alcohol. “This life isn’t for us,” they told him. The competition never ran again. “If we had just one success story, it would have been worth it,” says Nina Iurcu, who succeeded Frunze as mayor in April 2019.
In Puhoi, alcohol is the lifeblood of the economy and the community. Almosteverybody works for the local Asconi winery, and almost everyone distills their own wine. Alcohol is currency, used to pay people for small jobs and favors.“You’re not a person if you don’t drink,” says Nicolae Rusu, a 35-year-old construction worker, who says he used to make 300 liters of his own wine each year. Puhoi is no different to many other villages in this Eastern European country that borders Romania and Ukraine. The wine industry employs almost a tenth of the national workforce and income generated from viticulture forms 15% of the national annual budget. But the country is dependent on alcohol in many more ways than one.
Moldova has the highest levels of alcohol consumption in the world and thehighest death rate linked to drinking. One in four deaths are related to alcohol while the world’s average is one in 20. The latest 2016 World Health Organization (WHO)data found that people over the age of 15 drink on average 15.2 liters of pure alcohol (including alcohol made at home or illegally) per capita each year, the equivalent of around 167 bottles of wine. Following closely is Lithuania with 15 liters and the Czech Republic with 14.4, while Europe’s average is 9.8. “Every family has a person with a drinking problem,” says Tudor Vasiliev, a psychiatrist specializing in addiction and a coordinator of the National Alcohol Control Program.
Accurate figures for Moldova are hard to reach because up to 70% of alcohol consumed is homemade wine, says Olga Penina, a lecturer of Public Health at Chisinau’s State University of Medicine and Pharmacy. The wine-drinking culture sets Moldova and Georgia apart from other post-Soviet countries, where people prefer to drink spirits. The “cult of wine is strong”, says Penina. “Fighting it is problematic.”
Ramin Mazur for TIMEA bar in Chisinau, Moldova.
Although alcohol consumption levels have overall decreased in Europe, former Soviet countries like Moldova are still home to the world’s heaviest drinking populations. And it’s taking a devastating toll on public health. Alcohol contributes to the deaths ofone in five Russians, and it’s among the main reasons for lower life expectancy in the ex-USSR compared to Western countries. In Moldova, where liver cancer and liver cirrhosis are more common than anywhere else in Europe, men live to an average age of 68 and women, 75. Europe’s averages are 79 and 84 respectively.
In the Soviet Union, little was done to curb excessive drinking. It was even encouraged as alcohol production was a very profitable industry for the Soviet government, according the Marya Levintova, a public health expert on Russia. Levintova and a number of other other academics including Mark Schradsaid that alcohol in post-Soviet countries has been a “statecraft”. While generating revenue for the government, it has also stymied dissent and promoted autocracy. In his 2014 book Vodka Politics: Alcohol, Autocracy and the Secret History of the Russian State, Schrad wrote that “vodka became an instrument of state domination.”
This perception also exists in Moldova, Europe’s poorest country, where corruption and political instability are rife. “It’s a way of keeping the population passive,” says Ivan Lungu, a 38-year-old recovering alcoholic, who quit drinking a couple of years ago. “Drunk people don’t protest.”
Mayor Iurcu’s office in Puhoi is located in a dark and bare community center. Frayed wires poke from holes in the cracked ceiling. A warm smell of onion and garlic fills the hall. Next door, pensioners gather under a portrait of the Virgin Mary, waiting for a free bowl of soup and bread. Outside elderly men smoke around a table, watching the young construction workers balancing on a brick wall as they pass each other tools. A bus shelter down the road is plastered with adverts for jobs in other European countries. Inside the shelter hangs a painting of an idyllic house nestled in tranquil woodland.
Puhoi, like all villages in Moldova, has changed a lot since the fall of communism in 1991. It’s emptier. One million people have emigrated from the country since then, leaving behind a population of 3.5 million. Moldovans who can prove they’re of Romanian descent are eligible for a passport, and consequently access to the E.U. After Russia, Italy has the largest population of Moldovan migrants, with more than 140,000 Moldovan residents.
“At first it was one family member, then two, now whole families have left,” Iurcu sighs. “How can you stay here? It’s gone from bad to worse. There’s nothing left.” Iurcu’s own brother left for Italy, she says, where he set up his own business. Mass emigration has fueled alcohol abuse, says doctor Vasiliev, as families and communities are broken up. “Italian syndrome” is colloquially used by doctors to describe alcoholic men whose wives or girlfriends have left to work there. It’s also used to describe the mental health problems common among women who have left to work there.
Poverty and low wages are driving Moldovans away, particularly those who come from villages. Abouta fifth of the rural population live in poverty and the United Nations Development Program estimates that Moldovans living abroad provide over a quarter of their family’s income back at home, where theaverage wage is 5,700 Leu ($320) a month.
Endemic corruption and a lack of job opportunities are major reasons people leave. Ranked 117 out of 180 countries inTransparency International’s 2018 Corruption Index, most of Moldova’s economy flows through the informal market. In 2014, it was revealed that$1 billion had simply vanished from three Moldovan banks, costing the country more than 10% of total GDP. It enraged Moldovans, 38% of whom are living on around $5 a day, according to theWorld Bank. Tens of thousands of peopleprotestedwhat they dubbed “the heist of the century.”
Ramin Mazur for TIMEGheorghe sells homemade wine at the Sunday markey in Straseni, Moldova, on Aug. 2, 2019.
“There’s a lot of hopelessness here,” says Lungu. “There’s nothing for young people to do. You can’t start a business, it’s too risky unless you can afford to pay bribes.” He struggled with alcoholism for over a decade. “Drinking gave me relief, short-term relief. It made me indifferent,” he says.
But the country’s problem with drinking has only made conditions worse for Moldovans still here. Domestic violence, crime, child neglect, inability to work and drink-driving are just some of the major problems associated with alcohol abuse. A 2015 study found a partner’s drinking problem to be the strongest factor associated with spousal violence in Moldova and several other East European countries. A 2018 study of children living on Moldova’s streets by Terre De Hommes, an NGO supporting vulnerable children, found that a parent’s alcohol abuse is commonly linked to violence at home, child abuse and neglect. “These are the main reasons children leave their homes,” the report writes.
Tatiana Goncear, Director of Chisinau’s branch of the international charity Mission Without Borders (MWB) works to support more than 500 vulnerable families, many of whom have been affected by alcoholism. Volunteers visit families at least twice a month and provide food packages. “Sometimes parents exchange the packages for drink instead of feeding their children.” That’s partly why the charity has also set up aid centers, where children can have a meal. “It might be the only one they get that day,” she says.
Moldova is not indifferent to the endemic alcohol abuse within its borders. In 2012, its Ministry of Health adopted an eight-year national plan to tackle the issue, the first of its kind in the country. The program banned certain advertisements, raised taxes on hard liquor, restricted sales hours and raised the legal drinking age from 16 to 18.
But the restrictions have had limited success. Most alcohol consumed in Moldova is home-brewed, yet there are no laws targeting home production. While taxes on liquor were raised, beer and wine are still cheaply available. In pubs and bars, it is not a legal requirement to ask for ID. Beer, meanwhile, can still be sold anywhere, without need for a license or an age limit. Vasiliev says he’s treated many alcoholics who became addicted to beer without considering or realizing it contained alcohol.
What regulations exist are not effectively enforced, says Vasiliev. “The reality is, there is no single body for ensuring the program is followed, which creates a lot of confusion about who’s responsible for what.” A bar owner in Chisinau says that most bars and supermarkets, don’t care about the time restrictions, nor the age limits, especially in the villages. “They know nothing will happen if they break these rules,” he says.
“If the government really wants to confront the drinking problem, it has to make it more expensive, less accessible,” says Vasiliev. In the markets, one liter of home-brewed wine goes for 9 Leu ($0.50) while a liter of milk costs 12 Leu ($0.66) on average. Daytime TV ads for alcohol have disappeared, but promotions can still be seen outside shops.
Moldova has been more successful at cracking down on driving under the influence. The government reduced the legal blood alcohol content, made penalties more severe and increased breath testing. A drunk driver can be put in prison for 3 to 5 years or fined up to 25,000 Leu ($1,383). Serghei Diaconu, former Chief of the Road Police and Adviser to the Prime Minister, tells TIME that the roads are a lot safer than they were ten years ago. In 2012, he introduced a “White Nights” campaign in which road police carry out random breath tests. 129 drunk drivers were caught in one night on one street in central Chisinau. “We caught a prosecutor and some police officers. It was really unexpected and just goes to show how people didn’t take it seriously enough,” says Diaconu. In 2008, 10% of drivers the police stopped were under the influence, but now it’s down to less than 1%, adds Diaconu.
Ramin Mazur for TIMEDr. Arcadie Astrahan at his rehabilitation center in Tohatin, Chisinau on Aug. 2, 2019.
While Moldova has attempted to tackle problem drinking, it’s still very hard for alcoholics here to get help. A Soviet legacy hangs over addiction treatments throughout the former U.S.S.R.,where alcoholics are seen as a burden on society and morally depraved, say Arcadie Astrahan, a doctor and the director of several rehab centers in Chisinau. In the Soviet era, any doctor diagnosing alcohol or drug addiction was obliged to put the person on a national registry, which was routinely shared with enforcement agencies. Once on a registry, a person lost their driving license and couldn’t get certain jobs.
Treatments for all forms of addiction had a heavily medicalized approach and sometimes punitive focus. People who refused treatment or continued to abuse illicit drugs or alcohol risked being committed to special work camps for drug users and alcoholics for six months to two years, where they were subjected to “reeducation through labor.” More than two million people, the vast majority of them alcoholics, went through these camps in the 1970s and 1980s. “Medical treatment only targeted the consequences of alcohol abuse, when someone was already sick, without looking at why someone drinks. A person is bound to relapse. It’s the same today,” Astrahan says.
The Moldovan government is willing to pay for alcoholics to undergo a detox, which can mean up to two weeks in a narcological dispensary, a Russian branch of psychiatry that targets addiction. For access to comprehensive treatment, including psychological and social rehabilitation that are more widely funded by other European governments, people must pay out of their own pockets. The Soviet-era registry is still in place. “It’s a major concern because it stops people finding official help,” Astrahan says. Some family doctors tell employers if their patients have a drinking problem, says Maria Ivanova, a 38 year-old recovering alcoholic. “This is not unusual, especially in villages where everyone knows each other.”
Even if you can fund your own treatment, finding it is another matter. Astrahan’s center, ‘Recovery,’ is the only one of its kind in Moldova, providing medical, psychological and social support. The center is on the outskirts of Chisinau, down a narrow residential road. It seems more like a traveler’s hostel with its shared dormitories and common room, where residents chat and laugh. Astrahan says that when the center was first established the neighbours complained multiple times to the council. “They didn’t want a load of ‘drunks’ hanging around. But when they saw we didn’t cause trouble, they stopped,” he says. Around 20 people stay for a 28-day rehabilitation period. But at a cost of 650 euros ($728), it’s not accessible to many Moldovans.
Astrahan introduces me to some kitchen staff who also went through the program. “If people want to come back and work for us, we try hard to find them something. It helps to stop them going back to their old life of drinking” he says. At a daily 11 a.m. meeting around 15 residents gather on couches and a psychologist asks each of them how they’re feeling. “This time a couple of weeks ago I’d be asleep from last night’s bender, or walking to the shops for booze. So, I’m very good,” says one young resident wearing a tracksuit.
Ramin Mazur for TIMEOne of the crisis rooms at a rehab center in Chisinau, Moldova on Aug. 2, 2019.
Where the government has failed to step in, some communities are trying to help their own. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), the international fellowship which helpsits members to stay sober through a 12-step program, is present in Moldova, as it is in over 175 countries. On Tuesday night, May 14, 47 people packed into the small room in the basement of a residential building in the outskirts of Chisinau. Some are mothers with their daughters, and fathers with their sons. Most are from Chisinau but a few travelled from villages. They sit tightly in rows that line the walls, and lean in from the doorway when there’s no space left inside. AA posters surround them. “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become quite unmanageable,” one poster outlines Step One.
Bonya, a 47-year-old from Chisinau gives the familiar introduction. “Hi, my name is Bonya and I’m an alcoholic. Sober for 7 years.” Each person introduces themselves this way and receives applause. Anywhere from 2 weeks to 28 years is how long members say they’ve been sober. Like many in the former Soviet Union, Bonya says drinking alcohol was linked to masculinity for him. “I thought drinking more than any of the boys meant I was the strongest.”
“This is the biggest group we’ve seen so far,” whispers Debbie, an American AA representative sitting next to me in the meeting. She’s one of four members who traveled from California to Moldova to spread awareness about AA. (TIME agreed to only use her first name to respect her wish for anonymity). The four have been members for more than 30 years and paid for the trip themselves. “We want to share our own experiences and knowledge in other places because alcoholism is everywhere,” says Douglas, who has been communicating with Moldovans thanks to the help of some of the group’s bilingual members.
Ramin Mazur for TIMEDr. Arcadie Astrahan during a meeting at a crisis center in the Ciocana district, Chisinau, on Aug. 2, 2019.
Some of Moldova’s AA members are in Astrahan’s 28-day rehab program. “They see a sober person who has what they want – an ordinary person, not a doctor, and it makes the goal seem attainable,” says Astrahan. A 26 year-old at Tuesday’s AA meeting says she doesn’t know English well, but wants to say a few words to the Californian representatives. “I drank because I felt bad. I don’t even know why,” her voice cracks. “But to know other people care about me means so much,” she says. Douglas gets up and hugs the young woman. Everyone applauds.
The anonymity that is key to AA is especially important in Moldova, where stigma around alcoholism is strong. “I would lose my job if my boss knew,” says one young woman. The level of prejudice around women drinking is higher. Even though public health expert Penina says men and women drink equally, women are significantly outnumbered by men in rehab and AA groups. “It’s okay for men to go out drinking on their own, but you never see a woman do that. It’s not acceptable,” says Ivanova, who started going to meetings two years ago after struggling privately with alcoholism for 13 years. “My friends and parents didn’t know. I was ashamed.”
AA appears to have been positively received by its Moldovan members but the program’s abstinence-based approach, followed by 2 million people worldwide, has faced criticism.With only three AA groups and a total of 100 active members across Moldova, the group’s reach is still small.Access to information about AA is needed to expand the group’s membership as well as reach younger people, the members say, many of whom found out about the network by word of mouth. “The biggest problem is that people only realize they’re alcoholics and find help very late. By then a lot of damage has been done to their health, relationships and jobs,” Ivanova adds.
But in Moldova few know about AA. Ivanova, who runs the AA Moldova’s website and works on its 24-hour hotline, says that people are suspicious about the group. “They don’t believe in free services and are trying to find out what the catch is. Sometimes people think we’re a sect.” When she contacts newspapers, TV and radio stations asking them to advertize AA “no one responds,” she says.
Ramin Mazur for TIMEA ward in a rehab center in Tohatin, Chisinau.
Moldovans are reluctant to engage in collective action and social solidarity is low, according to the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Transformation Index (BTI), a research center that monitors political developments around the world. The level of trust toward key democratic institutions in 2016 was one of the lowest in Moldovan history, with just 6% of the population declaring substantial or modest trust in parliament. “Everyone for themselves – that’s the mentality here,” says Lungu.
But for those who have found the courage to reach out, the rewards can be great. “If you told me ten years ago, ‘Bonya, you’re going to quit drinking’, I would never have believed you. Now look!” Bonya says with a laugh, as he smacks the table, shaking our tea cups. Next weekend, he’s driving to Belarus to voluntarily speak at an AA forum about his recovery. He’s already shared his story in Ukraine, Poland and Russia, where he also collects AA literature for the groups in Moldova. “It helps me to keep going,” he says, looking down as he fiddles with a cigarette lighter. Bonya has made friends with recovering alcoholics from all over the world and he shows me his two Scottish friends on Facebook.
He can’t speak English but his 19 year-old bilingual daughter, who comes to the forums with him, helps with translation. There’s going to be an AA forum in Moldova at the end of August and international members are invited, he says. “I’m not sure how many people will come.”
Italy’s Stromboli volcano erupted on Wednesday, spewing ash and a huge cloud of smoke into the air and sending tourists and residents running for shelter.
The volcano, on a small island of the same name just off the coast of Sicily, erupted at around midday. The explosion caused vegetation fires and created a tower of smoke and ash more than a mile high.
Tourists recorded the spectacular explosion on social media.
Elena Schiera, who was sailing on a boat with her family near the island when the volcano erupted, shared several videos of their escape from the cloud of smoke. “All of a sudden we heard a loud bang and saw a large black cloud spewing out of the Stromboli crater and pouring into the sea,” she told CNN.
The video shows the huge cloud of smoke advancing quickly just yards away from her boat. The caption reads: “Stromboli volcano eruption at 12:17…we survived miraculously. Moments of panic.”
Stromboli is one of Italy’s three active volcanoes, and one of the most active in the world. Wednesday’s eruption came barely two months after another eruption that killed a hiker near the summit on July 3.
No injuries or damage were reported this time.
Italy’s fire and rescue service said on Twitter: “A high intensity explosion in the centre-north section of Stromboli’s crater. Intervention by firefighters for widespread vegetation fires, teams on motorboats and helicopters. No one appears to be affected for now.”
#28agosto 12:17, esplosione di forte intensità nell'area centro-meridionale della terrazza craterica dello #Stromboli. Intervento #vigilidelfuoco per incendi di vegetazione diffusi, squadre con motobarca ed elitrasportate. Non risultano al momento persone coinvolte @INGVterremotipic.twitter.com/D1jJTEBNMe
Marco Giorgianni, mayor from the neighboring island of Lipari, told La Repubblica: “The situation is under control, we have however activated all the civil protection procedures. I have banned the docking of non-public transport boats.”
“We were expecting this eruption, even if we didn’t know the exact day,” Gianluca Giuffrè, resident of the island’s town of Ginostra, told news agency Adnkronos. “But we knew that after July 3 the eruptive activity remained very high. There have since been several small explosions, and in the past week there have been lots of spills of volcanic sand.”
(BOGOTA, Colombia) — The top peace negotiator for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia announced Thursday that he and a small cadre of hardline supporters are taking up arms again, accusing President Ivan Duque of failing to uphold the 2016 accord that sought to end a half century of bloody fighting.
In a video published before dawn, Luciano Marin appeared alongside some 20 heavily armed guerrillas dressed in camouflaged fatigues condemning the conservative Duque for standing by idly as hundreds of leftist activists and more than 150 rebels have been killed since demobilizing as part of the peace deal.
“When we signed the accord in Havana we did so with the conviction that it was possible to change the life of the most humble and dispossessed,” said Marin, better known by his alias Ivan Marquez, in the more than 30 minute video. “But the state hasn’t fulfilled its most important obligation, which is to guarantee the life of its citizens and especially avoid assassinations for political reasons.”
In the video, Marin, speaking from what he said were Colombia’s eastern jungles in the Amazon rainforest, stood alongside several former FARC leaders, including ideologue Seuxis Hernandez, alias Jesús Santrich, who abandoned the peace process after the U.S. ordered his arrest on drug charges.
A commander from the National Liberation Army, or ELN, a more radical guerrilla army that has filled the void left by withdrawing FARC rebels in far-flung rural areas, welcomed the pronouncement, which came as a shock to many Colombians.
“Better late than never,” said the fighter who goes by the alias Uriel. The commander of ELN troops in Colombia’s western jungles, he released a video on social media in which he appeared along a river with his face masked and fist clenched in the air.
But Rodrigo Londono, who had been the FARC’s top military commander and now heads its legal political party, distanced himself from his former comrades, with whom relations have been strained in the past year. In an interview with Blu Radio he apologized to his fellow Colombians and the international community, saying that the vast majority of rebels remain committed to the peace process despite rising security risks.
“I have mixed feelings,” said Londono, who is better known by his alias Timochenko. “It’s an unfortunate development, but at the same time it leaves things clearer and ends the ambiguity because we had been facing a complex situation for some time.”
There was no immediate reaction from Duque. But his peace commissioner, Miguel Ceballos, called for the special peace tribunals investigating the rebels’ war crimes to strip the deserters of benefits under the accord. He also said the government would insist on the rebel leaders’ arrest.
Some 7,000 rebels handed over their weapons to observers from the United Nations as part of the deal negotiated with the support of the U.S., Cuba and Norway. But smaller rebel groups and drug trafficking gangs have filled the void left by the withdrawing FARC rebels, leaving many Colombians frustrated with the slow pace of implementing the accord.
Duque rose to power last year on a law and order platform opposing many aspects of the peace deal, especially provisions that spare rebel leaders jail time in exchange for confessing their involvement in war crimes like the extortive kidnappings of civilians and recruitment of child soldiers.
In office, he’s moderated his views and started implementing ambitious aspects of the accord to build roads, schools and other infrastructure in traditionally neglected areas of the country where the state’s presence has historically been limited.
But critics, including the architects of the peace deal, have accused him of not doing enough to protect leftist activists and aligning with the U.S. to gut the special peace tribunals whose goal is to foster reconciliation and truth-telling for victims instead of seek full punishment for war atrocities.
“90% of the FARC remain in the peace process. We must continue to fulfill our obligations to them, and repress the deserters with complete force,” former President Juan Manuel Santos, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end the nation’s armed conflict , said in a message on Twitter. “The battle for peace must not stop!”
The leader of the Conservative Party in Scotland has quit her post one day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson moved to suspend Parliament ahead of Brexit.
Ruth Davidson cited family reasons in her decision to leave the job, but her distaste for Johnson was no secret.
Her departure could throw the unity of the U.K. into doubt. In her role, she was the most influential voice for Scotland remaining a part of the U.K. at a time when support for Scottish independence has risen amid widespread opposition to Brexit.
Davidson, who appeared on the 2018 TIME 100, campaigned successfully to keep Scotland inside the United Kingdom during the Scottish independence referendum in 2014.
And in 2017, she successfully brought the Conservatives back from the political wilderness in Scotland––winning 13 parliamentary seats, up from just one in the previous election. The total was enough to keep former Prime Minister Theresa May in power, amid a disastrous showing elsewhere in the U.K.
But her position was made more difficult when Johnson became Prime Minister in July. Johnson is widely seen as toxic in Scotland: earlier in August, a poll showed support for Scottish independence surpassing 50% for the first time since 2017.
Davidson––along with a majority of Scots––voted to remain in the E.U. in the 2016 Brexit referendum. But Johnson campaigned to leave, and has increasingly advocated Britain leaving the E.U. without a deal––which Davidson has said would be damaging to Scotland.
Davidson’s resignation will not change the parliamentary arithmetic around Brexit––she is a member of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, not the British Parliament in Westminster––but it is a blow for the moderate wing of the U.K.’s ruling Conservative Party, where was seen as a key figure and rising star.
Her name had even been raised among Conservatives as a potential future party leader. But Davidson said she had no plans to try for the role — last year, she became the first U.K. party leader to give birth to a child in the job. She was also the U.K.’s first openly gay leader of a major political party.
Even before May resigned, Davidson and her allies reportedly mounted a secretive attempt to prevent Johnson from winning the ensuing Conservative leadership election. Its codename, “Operation Arse,” made clear her feelings toward Johnson.
In the aftermath of the Brexit referendum, support for the Scottish National Party, which is currently in power in Scotland and advocates Scottish independence, rose. But Davidson campaigned firmly to resist calls for a second independence referendum. With her gone, the calls for Scotland to secede from the U.K. may increase.
Protests have gripped the Indonesian province of West Papua for more than a week as racial and political tensions boiled over into violence. Information is scarce due to an Internet blackout in the remote region, but reports claim several people have died in clashes between pro-independence demonstrators and Indonesian authorities.
Here’s what to know about the demonstrations as they stretch into their second week:
What sparked the protests?
The most recent unrest appears to have been sparked by the mass arrest of Papuan students in Surabaya, a city on the island of Java. Citing Papuan activists, the Guardian reports that 43 students were detained in relation to the destruction of a flag during celebrations marking Indonesia’s independence on Aug. 17. The episode led to a chaotic confrontation in which students barricaded themselves inside a dormitory to fend off an angry mob, and police reportedly threw tear gas inside the building and yelled racist slurs at the Papuan students, calling them derogatory names like “monkeys” and “pigs.” The following Monday, protests erupted in the West Papuan capital Manokwari, soon spreading to other parts of the province. Demonstrations showing solidarity with West Papuans have also been held in the Indonesian capital Jakarta.
STR—AFP/Getty Images Protesters face off with Indonesian police in Manokwari, Papua on Aug. 19, 2019.
What do the protesters want?
The protesters are demanding independence and racial justice. West Papua, which is located on the island of New Guinea, is a former Dutch colony that was temporarily designated as part of Indonesia upon the withdrawal of the Dutch administration. A 1969 referendum on the province’s autonomy, recognized by the international community but rejected by many Papuans as deeply flawed, declared it a part of Indonesia. “Free Papua” campaigns have since emerged calling for self-determination. The independence movement has primarily taken the form of peaceful protest and diplomacy, but at times has led to guerrilla warfare tactics against Indonesian authorities. The Indonesian government has been accused of violently suppressing the indigenous community.
How severe is the violence?
At least six protestors and one soldier reportedly were killed during unrest in the region’s Deiyai regency Wednesday, according to Al Jazeera, and several others including children were wounded. But a national police spokesman disputed the allegation that demonstrators were killed, saying one soldier died and three police officers injured when protestors stormed a district chief’s office with arrows and machetes.
The Associated Press reported that police said at least one soldier and two civilians were killed in the clashes.
Last Monday, protestors in the city of Sorong torched several buildings, including a jail, Agence France-Press reports. Demonstrators reportedly threw rocks at prisoners as they set the prison ablaze, while riot police deployed tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd.
A government-enforced internet shutdown has stymied the flow of information from the region, making claims difficult to verify. Authorities say the shutdown is a “matter of national security,” according to an NPR report citing local media, but human rights groups have criticized the blackout as an attempt to cover up potentially violent suppression of protestors.
How has the government responded?
Response from Indonesian authorities has been sparse. But last week, President Joko Widodo — known as Jokowi — called for peace and said that the government will try to look after “the honor and welfare” of all people in the restive region, according to Al Jazeera.
“My brothers and sisters in Papua and West Papua, I know you feel offended,” Jakowi said in a statement. “Therefore, as fellow countrymen, to forgive each other is the best. You may get angry but forgiving is better.”
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AIMA RMAT Result 2019 | Check AIMA RMAT Test Result @ www.aima.in- AIMA will release the RMAT Results very soon. In a developing country like India, the demand for professionally qualified managers to manage scarce resources effectively and efficiently is high. The AIMA RMAT 2019 is organized by All India Management Association (AIMA) in association with Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) for Ph.D. Business Administration on 02nd June 2019. Aspirants have participated in the RMAT Examination and they are now waiting for the Result. We are here to help you out with the RMAT 2019 Results. Here we have provided the updated latest result link, it will work once the result will release by officially.
Latest Update: All India Management Association will soon announce the RMAT Score Card on September Month.
AIMA RMAT June 2019 @ www.aima.in
The AIMA and AMU Joint Ph.D. program is aimed at providing formal training to budding faculty and working managers, with an inclination for academics, teaching research. It helps in the development of skills and competencies based on a sound understanding of the principles of management and methods of conducting research with scientific rigor. To select the right candidate they are conducting the Research Management Aptitude Test (RMAT) Examination. A huge number of applicants have appeared in the Examination. And, AIMA will soon release the AIMA RMAT 2019 Result. Candidate can check their result directly from the official website i.e, www.aima.in or the link given below.
The entrance examination will comprise of two parts like Basics of Management and Research Fundamentals & Aptitude. The result of the Research Management Aptitude Test will be declared by AIMA. The AIMA has conducted the RMAT Examination successfully. And, very soon it will release the list of selected candidates for the interview process. The aspiring candidate will be screened through a written test Research Management Aptitude Test (R-MAT) followed by an Interview at AIMA, New Delhi for RMAT shortlisted candidates.
The result will be available on the official website of the exam. Candidates who appear for the test will need to login to the website with their registered id and password to download the result. The test takers may also get a notification on their email id or contact number related to the RMAT result. The entire Programme will be conducted through face to face sessions and regular counseling by experts, external and internal guides.
AIMA RMAT Result 2019 | AIMA Test Result 2019
If the Candidates will get selected in the Written Examination, they will be called for the Counseling Process. Document verification and face to face sessions with regular counseling be experts will start after the declaration of result. The personal counseling session will be provided in AIMA, New Delhi. It fully depends upon the RMAT Result 2019. The Interview and counseling process will focus on Management Skills. To improve the management skills in the candidates, AIMA & AMU decided to conduct the RMAT Examination. We advise the applicants to attend the Interview & counseling process well.
Steps to check AIMA RMAT June Result 2019
Visit the official website of All India Management Association i.e, www.aima.in
In the home page see the Testing services tab
In that click on the Ph.D. – RMAT link
A new page will be open, the right side we have a link for RMAT June 2019 – Result
Click on the link and RMAT June 2019 result will display on your screen
Download or take a print out of the result for further reference.
Maharashtra SSC Supplementary Result 2019 will be declared shortly @ mahresult.nic.in | Maharashtra State Board of Secondary is going to declare the MSBSHSE 10th Result 2019. Candidates can check SSC Supplementary Exam 2019 Result in this page. We provide a direct link for Maharashtra SSC Supplementary Result. The MSBSHSE 10th Supplementary Results 2019 is also available on Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education official website i.e, mahresult.nic.in
Latest Update: The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary will soon announce the Maharashtra SSC 2019 supplementary results online Today!!!
Maharashtra SSC Supplementary Result 2019
Maharashtra State Board of Secondary Higher Secondary Education is simply called as MSBSHSE. The SSC exams conduct in March month every year. The results are declared in June. Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education has conducted the 10th supplementary exams in June/ July months. A total of 1,28,914 students took the exam that was conducted in July. The results will be available at mahresult.nic.in. All those candidates are eagerly waiting for Maharashtra Board 10th Supplementary results. We found a number of searches for Maharashtra SSC supplementary result 2019 on the internet. So we are providing the latest information regarding Maharashtra board results to the candidates who are searching for Maharashtra SSC supplementary result 2019.
MSBSHSE SSC Supplementary Result 2019 – Overview
MSBSHSE 10th Supply Result 2019 | SSC (10th) Supply Exam Result
Description
Details
Organization Name
Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education
The MH SSC supplementary results will be announced by Maharashtra Education board. Candidates can check MSBSHSE 10th Supplementary Results 2019 on this page. You can get Maharashtra SSC supplementary result 2019 within a fraction of seconds in our site. The candidates need Hall ticket numbers to check MSBSHSE SSC Supplementary Results 2019. Here we will be updating the latest result link and it will activate at the time of official announcement. The MH board has officially declared the MSBSHSE 10th Supplementary Results 2019 on the official website.
After the announcement of SSC Supplementary Exam 2019 Result, the Maharashtra Board will release the Schedule for the Answer sheet photocopies and revaluation. So based on the Schedule, all the Students can apply for the Revaluation and Photocopies of their Paper. Actually, the results of the 10th Class Examination was declared on 29th May 2019. The mark sheet of Maharashtra SSC supplementary exam result 2019 will include the name and roll number of the candidates, mothers name, name of examination, subjects appeared for, marks secured in each subject and the qualifying status of the candidate.
How to check Maharashtra SSC Supplementary Result 2019?
Students should click on the official website link i.e, mahresult.nic.in
On the home page, students can view the latest SSC Supplementary Exam 2019 Result link
Click on the MSBSHSE 10th Supplementary Results 2019 link
Enter the required details and check it once
Your MSBSHSE SSC Supplementary Results 2019 will display on the screen
Download or take a print out of the result for further reference.
Direct link to download Maharashtra SSC Supplementary Result
Direct Link to check Maharashtra SSC Supplementary Result 2019
HPBOSE JBT Result 2019 | Get Direct link for the HP D.El.Ed Results 2019 @ hpbose.org – Hello Dears!! Our Himachal Pradesh Board has recently announced the HPBOSE D.El.ED Result 2019 on 27th August 2019. We welcoming you all to check and download your results from the below link. As we know all of you may be expecting for the HPBOSE JBT Result 2019. As per the announcement, the officials have declared the HPBOSE JBT Result on time. We advise the applicants to keep track on this page to get HP JBT CET Result 2019, Merit List and Cut off Marks.
Latest Update: According to the official update, HPBOSE has announced the JBT Entrance Result 2019. The HPBOSE D.El.ED Result 2019 was announced on 27th August 2019 – Tuesday
HPBOSE JBT Result 2019 @ hpbose.org
All the candidates can get the HP JBT Entrance Exam Result 2019 from the official website hpbose.org result 2019. Along with this, we have updated the HP JBT CET Result 2019 link in the below table. Here we will help you out with the HP JBT Result Merit List and Cut off Marks. Also, applicants can just by clicking the below link to analyze your results easily. Most of the Candidates are interested in this HP JBT Commission Result 2019 to get admission in the Two Year Diploma in Elementary Education program offered by various institutes in collaboration with HPBOSE. In order to access the JBT Result 2019 online, candidates will need to provide their roll number or application numbers of the website.
HP JBT Entrance Result 2019 – Overview
Two Year Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed.) CET-2019 Result
Applicants those who are searching for the HP JBT Entrance Result 2019 can get the complete details from the above table. Here we have mentioned the Exam details, Result date, and the official website link hpbose.org result. Candidates will need to provide their roll number or application numbers of the website to get your HP JBT Entrance Exam Result 2019. These details are provided in the hall ticket or the HPBOSE D.El.Ed Admit Card of the candidate. Therefore, candidates are advised to keep their admit cards or hall tickets ready in advance before trying to check or access the results online.
HP JBT Result Merit List 2019 – HP D.El.Ed Results 2019
HPBOSE JBT Entrance exam will paly a major role in the admission process. The applicants should get the Cut off marks, as well as their name, should attain into the HP JBT Result Merit List 2019. So the candidates will get a higher priority at the time of Counselling process. HPBOSE JBT Entrance Result 2019 is hosted on the official website of the Himachal Pradesh Board i.e. HPBOSE, to ensure easy accessibility to it for the candidates. However, candidates who are not familiar with the online checking process for JBT Entrance Results can follow the steps provided below
How to check HP JBT Entrance Exam Result 2019?
Visit the official website of Himachal Pradesh Board i.e, hpbose.org
On the home page search for the CET /Vacancies Tab provided at the top
Find and Click on CTE D.El.Ed. 2019 Option / Link in the drop-down menu
Then it will be redirected to a new page and click on 'Result CET D.El.Ed 2019' option
Enter your Roll No or Application Number in the provided fields
Click on the search button, Then HP D.El.Ed Results 2019 displayed on the screen
Download or take a print out of the result for further reference.
EPFO Results 2019 | EPFO Assistant Prelims Result, Cut Off Marks, Merit List @ epfindia.gov.in – Hello Guys!!! Here we have good news for you Because Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is going to announce the EPFO Assistant Prelims Results. Also as per the announcement, EPFO Assistant Prelims Exam Results 2019 will declare on 31st August 2019. The EPFO Organization has conducted the EPFO Assistant Prelims Examination on 30 & 31st July 2019. Applicants can check and download EPFO Assistant Results from the official website @ epfindia.gov.in.
New Update: EPFO Assistant Result (Prelims) 2019 expected @ epfindia.gov.in by 31st August 2019. Know EPFO Assistant Prelims Expected Cut off 2019. Check Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) Assistant Mains exam schedule and exam pattern here.
EPFO Results – 280 Assistant Vacancies
As we know all of you are waiting for the EPFO Assistant Pre Results now!!. Applicants can keep track on this page to get the latest updates regarding the EPFO Assistant Results. As per the advertisement, recently the EPFO Recruitment 2019 Notification out for 2233+ SSA & Other Vacancies. All the applicants can get the EPFO Assistant Results Date, EPFO Results 2019 Cut off & others from this article. Getting a Jobs in EPFO is not an easy process. So Applicants should clear the EPFO ASO Prelims Examination. After the EPFO Pre Exam Results, based on the performance in the test can attend the Mains Examination.
EPFO Assistant Prelims Results 2019– Overview
EPFO Assistant Prelims Exam Results 2019 | Cut Off Marks, Merit List
All the candidates those who have appeared for the EPFO Assistant Prelims Exam can get the latest updates and the Result details from the above table. Here we have mentioned all the details like EPFO Assistant Results Date, Exam date, and others. Also, applicants can keep track on this page to get your results on time. Here we will be updating the latest EPFO Assistant Prelims Results link at the time of official announcement. We will help you out with the EPFO Exam Results 2019.
So all the applicants those who have appeared for the EPFO Assistant Prelims Exam can start preparing for the Mains Examination. Because the Result will be published within two days. So Candidates can get the EPFO Previous Years Papers Pdf from this link to prepare the Mains Examination. While referring the previous year Question Paper, candidates can get some idea about the Current year Question papers.
EPFO Results 2019 Cut off
Applicants should concentrate on the EPFO Results 2019 Cut off Marks to attain the Merit List. So for these reasons, everyone can analyze the Syllabus for the Mains Examination. Here all the applicants can check EPFO Syllabus 2019 Pdf to get more knowledge about the Question Pattern. By referring the Syllabus, applicants can understand the Question Pattern and giving more importance to some related topics. The EPFO Cut off marks and Merit list depends on some factors. Check Phase I Score Card Merit List & Cut Off details here.
EPFO Assistant Prelims Expected Cut off 2019
Categories
Expected Cut off
General
78-85
EWS
73-77
OBC
70-75
SC
68-70
ST
65-69
How to check EPFO Assistant Prelims Results 2019?
Visit the official website of Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) i.e, epfindia.gov.in
On the home page, click on "Miscellaneous Tab"
In Recruitments Tab, find all the latest updates of the EPFO.
Search for the link related to EPFO Assistant Result 2019.
Enter the details of the registration number, password, and date of birth of the participant and click on submit button.
Then, EPFO Assistant Exam Result 2019 of the candidate appears on the screen.
IBPS RRB Result 2019 Out!! | Check IBPS RRB VII Office Assistant, Officer Scale I Allotment Reserve List @ – The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has recently uploaded Allotment Reserve List for the Post of Office Assistant (Multipurpose), Officer Scale I, II, III Recruitment 2019 on 29th August 2019. Those Candidates who have attended the Examination for the post can check and download your result from the below link. Also, IBPS RRB Result (PO) 2019 for prelims exam is expected to be released soon @ ibps.in by 30th August 2019. Here on this page, all the applicants can get complete details of IBPS RRB Result 2019.
IBPS RRB Result (Prelims) Result 2019 – IBPS RRB Result (PO) 2019 for prelims exam is expected to be released soon @ ibps.in by 30th August 2019. The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) conducted the IBPS RRB Prelims Exam for the posts of PO and Clerk on 4th August and 17th August respectively. Candidates who appeared for the exam can check their result on the official website after the declaration of results. Those Candidates who have appeared for this Recruitment can check and download results from the below link. Check your results via the link mentioned below. Hence, all those might be looking for the IBPS RRB Result (Prelims) Result 2019 now!
IBPS RRB Result (Prelims) Result 2019 – Click Here
IBPS RRB VII Office Assistant, Officer Scale I Allotment Reserve List 2019 – The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has recently uploaded Allotment Reserve List for the Post of Office Assistant (Multipurpose), Officer Scale I, II, III Recruitment 2019 on 29th August 2019. Those Candidates who have appeared for this Recruitment can check and download results from the below link. Check your results via the link mentioned below. Hence, all those might be looking for the RRB VII Office Assistant, Officer Scale I Allotment Reserve List now!
IBPS RRB VII Office Assistant, Officer Scale I Allotment Reserve List 2019
IBPS RRB VII Office Assistant, Officer Scale I Allotment Reserve List 2019 – Click Here
IBPS RRB Prelims exam 2019 was conducted to fill a total 8354 vacancies to the posts of Office Assistant (Multipurpose), Officer Scale-I, Officer Scale-II (Agriculture Officer), Officer Scale-II (Marketing Officer), Officer Scale-II (Law), Officer Scale-II (CA), Officer Scale-II (IT), Officer Scale-II (General Banking Officer), and Officer Scale – III.
IBPS RRB Result is generally released within a month of conduction of exam. Going by the trends, it is highly expected that the IBPS might release the result by this week (30 August 2019). IBPS RRB PO Expected Cutoff is listed below for all categories (Gen/OBC/SC/ST). IBPS RRB (PO). Candidates who appeared for the exam shared that the difficulty level of the exam was 'Moderate'. Candidates were able to make around 55-64 good attempts out of a total of 80 questions from Reasoning & Numerical Ability sections. As per the exam analysis, the difficulty level of the exam was 'Easy to Moderate' level. Candidates made around 60-72 good attempts in the Clerk examination.
IBPS RRB Prelims Expected Cut off 2019
After considering the thorough exam analysis of the IBPS RRB PO & Clerk Prelims exams and taking in view the total number of candidates who appeared for the exam and total vacancies, we have listed here the expected cutoff of the IBPS RRB PO Prelims 2019 and IBPS RRB Clerk Prelims 2019 (Category-wise).
IBPS RRB PO Prelims Expected Cut off 2019
Category
Cutoff
General
57-62
OBC
52-56
SC
46-50
ST/PWD
40-45
IBPS RRB Clerk Prelims Expected Cut off 2019
Category
Cutoff
General
60-70
OBC
54-59
SC
48-52
ST/PWD
45-50
The table above covers the previous cut off marks. This cut off marks is decided by the board and it varies for each category. Applicants those who meet the minimum qualifying marks will be allowed to take up further rounds.
How to Download IBPS RRB Prelims Result 2019?
Visit the IBPS RRB official portal i.e ibps.in
On the home page, applicants can see the IBPS RRB Prelims Result 2019
You will get the link like IBPS RRB Prelims Result 2019
Enter the required details on the link
Now, your IBPS RRB Prelims Result 2019 will displayed on the screen.
Download or take a print out of the Result for further reference.
Naval Dockyard Mumbai Recruitment 2019 – Apply Online for 1233 Apprentice Vacancies. Recent Job Notification has advertised for the Apprentice Post. There are 1233 vacancies are available to fill up through Mumbai Naval Dockyard Recruitment 2019. Naval Dockyard Apprentice Online form is available on bhartiseva.com from 3rd September 2019. Interested can register for the Naval Dockyard Jobs 2019.
The last date for submission of application forms to Naval Dockyard Mumbai Careers 2019 is 24th September 2019. Selected candidates will have training for one or two years depends on the trade. Candidates meeting the eligibility level are suggested to apply for the Indian Naval Dockyard Recruitment 2019. Go through the below section for details about the Apprentice jobs in Naval Dockyard Mumbai. Check the Naval Dockyard Mumbai Recruitment Official Website @ bhartiseva.com 2019.
Naval Mumbai Dockyard is otherwise called Naval Dockyard—is an Indian shipbuilding yard at Mumbai. Shipbuilding was a set up calling all through the Indian coastline preceding the coming of the Europeans and it contributed essentially to sea investigation all through Indian sea history. Indian rulers debilitated with the coming of the European forces during the center ages. Indian shipbuilders, be that as it may, kept on structure ships equipped for conveying 800 to 1000 tons.
The shipbuilders assembled boats like HMS Hindostan and HMS Ceylon, enlisted into the Royal Navy. Other verifiable boats made by the Indian shipbuilders included HMS Asia (instructed by Edward Codrington during the Battle of Navarino in 1827), HMS Cornwallis (onboard which the Treaty of Nanking was marked in 1842), and HMS Minden (on which Francis Scott Key composed the lyric “The Defense of Fort McHenry”, later to turn into the verses to “The Star-Spangled Banner”
NVS Result 2019 – Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) has recently uploaded the result for the post of Principal, Assistant, PGT Teacher and other various Post Recruitment 2019 on 05th August 2019. Those Candidates who have appeared in this recruitment exam can download Navodaya Result 2019. NVS has recently uploaded the Computer Operator, Assistant, Asst. Commissioner Result. Applicants can get the direct link here to check and download their Navodaya Result 2019. Candidates who clear the selection rounds with good merit will be shortlisted for the PGT, Principal and other posts as per their merit.
NVS TGT Principal Result 2019– Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) is all set to release the NVS TGT Principal Result & Interview Schedule. Those Candidates who have appeared in this recruitment exam can Download Result & Interview Schedule now. Applicants can download NVS Result from the below link. By clicking the direct link, applicants can verify the NVS TGT Principal Merit List 2019. Moreover, candidates can check the NVS Result from the official website i.e, navodaya.gov.in
NVS Principal & PGT CBT Result & Interview Schedule 2019– Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) has recently released the NVS PGT & Principal Result & Interview Schedule on 05th August 2019. Those Candidates who have appeared in this recruitment exam can Download Result & Interview Schedule now. Applicants can download NVS Result from the below link. By clicking the direct link, applicants can verify the NVS Principal & PGT CBT Result & Interview Schedule. Moreover, candidates can check the NVS Result from the official website i.e, navodaya.gov.in
NVS Principal & PGT CBT Result & Interview Schedule 2019
NVS Principal & PGT CBT Result & Interview Schedule 2019 – Principal | PGT
NVS Result 2019(DV)– Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) has recently uploaded the Document Verification result for the Post of Principal, Assistant, PGT Teacher and other various Post Recruitment 2019 on 15th July 2019. Those Candidates who have appeared in this recruitment exam can Download Result now. Applicants can download NVS Result and DV Result from the below link. By clicking one direct link applicants can verify the Assistant & Computer Operator DV Result. Moreover, candidates can check the NVS Result from the official website i.e, navodaya.gov.in
NVS Result 2019 DV (Assistant & Computer Operator)- Check Here
NVS Result 2019 – Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) conducted the written test for Postgraduate Teacher, Principal, and various other posts from 10th to 13th June 2019. Currently, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti has announced the Assistant Commissioner Result on 28th August 2019. Thousands of aspirants seeking to get NVS posts have competed for the PGT written test in scheduled dates. Applicants can download the NVS Assistant Result 2019, NVS Computer Operator Result 2019, NVS Asst. Commissioner Result from this page. By clicking one direct link to download their results without any hesitation. Moreover, here we have included the NVS PGT Expected Cut Off 2019, NVS Computer Operator Cut Off 2019 in this article.
A large number of candidates seeking to get central government jobs have applied for the NVS posts from 15th January 2019 to 14th February 2019. The selection process includes Written Examination and Interview Rounds. Candidates who clear the selection rounds with good merit will be shortlisted for the PGT, Principal and other posts as per their merit. Currently, the officials have declared the NVS Computer Operator Answer Key 2019, NVS Assistant Result 2019 & Others.
The organization will announce NVS Cut Off PGT 2019 along with the result. The NVS will release the NVS PGT Expected Cut Off 2019 shortly. Probably, the Navodaya Result 2019 is expected to release in the month of July. The cutoff marks/qualifying marks will be based on various factors such as the number of posts, the number of candidates competed for the posts, and various other posts. NVS Computer Operator Cut Off 2019 category-wise, section-wise will be released by the organization. Candidates must have to score the qualifying marks to get shortlisted for the interview round.
NVS Merit List 2019 | NVS Result 2019 Cut Off
NVS will release the PGT merit list along with the result. Candidates who have shortlisted in the written test round can attend the interview round. The NVS PGT Merit list will consist of the names of qualified candidates. Competitors can download NVS PGT Merit list 2019 from the NVS official portal, navodaya.gov.in soon. At this time the officials have released only the Non-Teaching Post Result.
Steps to check NVS Non-Teaching Post Result 2019
Applicants initially visit the official website of Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti i.e, navodaya.gov.in
In the home page, from the main menu click on the recruitment
In the Recruitment tab, click on the Results
Results will be displayed on your screen
Applicants can click the appropriate NVS Result 2019
Download or take a print out of the result for further reference.
Tripura High Court Recruitment 2019 – Apply Offline for 08 Court Manager Vacancies. Offline Applications are invited from the Graduates of Indian Nationals for Court Manager, Group A Gazetted Post in High Court of Tripura. Candidates already in Government jobs also apply for this vacancies through proper channel. Tripura High Court Recruitment Board accepts the application form from 27th August 2019.
Applications are invited only from Indian Citizens who have not convicted an offense or dismissed by the Government, Central Government, High Court, Statuary, or local authority. The last date for receipt of Tripura Court Manager Application form is 30th September 2019. Get the application form for the Court Manager Job at the end of this page. Read this article for detailed information about the Tripura High Court Recruitment 2019.
High Court of Tripura Court Manager Recruitment 2019 Notification
Eligibility Criteria for Tripura High Court Recruitment 2019
Educational Qualification:
B.Tech in Computer Science/Information Technology with a degree in MBA from recognized University/ Institute or MBA in Finance/HR
Completed (1 year) Diploma in Computer Science accredited by DOEACC.
Experience – 2 years in Managerial Capacity.
Desirable – Experience in the law of field.
Age Limit:
Minimum Age Limit – 18 Years
Maximum Age Limit – 40 Years
Age Relaxation:
SC/ ST Candidates – 45 Years
Salary Details:
Applicants selected for the Tripura High Court Recruitment Court Manager post will get a salary on the pay matrix level 15 of Tripura State Civil Services (Revised Pay) (First Amendment) Rules, 2018 subject to revision by the State Government from time to time.
Rs. 64,800/-
Application Fee:
General Candidates – Rs. 500/-
SC/ ST Candidates – Rs. 250/-.
Pay the Fee through Demand Draft in favor of Registrar General, High Court of Tripura, payable at Agartala or Postal order.
Selection Process:
Written Examination.
Interview.
How to Apply Offline for Tripura High Court Recruitment 2019?
Download the Official Notification through the link given below.
Read the Notifications carefully for the requirements that needed to apply.
Download the Application form for Tripura High Court Recruitment if you satisfy the eligibility conditions.
Fill the required details that are asked in.
Pay the application fee through DD or postal mode.
Send the duly filled application form with the essential document copies to the below mentioned postal address.
NOTE – Subscribe the envelope as “Application for the post of Court Manager”
Postal Address:
Registrar General, High Court of Tripura. Agartala, Tripura-799002
ImportantDates for Tripura High Court Recruitment 2019
Starting Date to Apply
27th August 2019
Last Date to Apply
30th September 2019
Important Links for Tripura Court Manager Notification 2019
The Tripura High Court is the High Court of the territory of Tripura. It was built upon 23 March 2013, in the wake of making appropriate alterations in the Constitution of India and North-Eastern Areas (Re-association) Act, 1971. The principal Chief Justice will be Justice Deepak Gupta ( 23.3.2013 to 16.5.2016) Earlier, the province of Tripura alongside the other six conditions of the North – East of India was under the Gauhati High Court , a perpetual seat of the Gauhati High Court was set up in Agartala in the year 1992 having regional locale of the territory of Tripura.
Tripura High Court could comprise of the main equity and up to 15 judges. Judges could be chosen from attorneys (with 5 years of experience), government workers (with 10 years of experience including 3 years as a zillah judge), judges of little reason courts or shudder Ameen (with 5 years of experience), or pleaders of lander courts or High Courts (with 05 years of experience).In the guideline, the High Court is bound by its very own past choices, however, there are clashing experts regarding what degree this is so. Advance from the High Court in common issues typically misleads the Court of Appeal, and thereupon in instances of significance to the Supreme Court (the House of Lords before 2009).
MPSC Syllabus 2019 is available here for Agriculture Service Exam, Subordinate Services PSI, STI, ASO, Civil Judge, Group A & B Combined Engineering Services, Tax Assistant, Clerk, Forest Services, Assistant Town Planner, Agriculture Officer & Other posts. Applicants who are applying for Subordinate Services like Sales Tax Inspector (STI), Police Sub Inspector (PSI) & Assistant Section Officer posts can get here the complete MPSC Subordinate Services Syllabus 2019 in Marathi here. Also, download the syllabus pdf from the below links along with Exam Pattern to start your exam preparation.
Maharashtra Public Service Agriculture Services Mains syllabus has been given revealed. As the MPSC Agriculture Service Mains Exam is going to be held on 29th September 2019. Hence, candidates are advised to download the syllabus from the bottom of the section. Therefore, the Agriculture Services Mains exam is very important to get placed in the Maharashtra Public Service Commission. So, all the candidates should qualify the exam. Therefore, we have given you the syllabus and exam pattern for your convenience to prepare for the exam.
Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) is conducting the Civil Judge Mains exam on 18th August 2019. Candidates whoever have applied for MPSC Civil Judge exam 2019, need to have a proper preparation to crack the exam successfully. For this purpose on this page, we have given detailed information about Maharashtra www.mpsc.gov.in civil Judge prelims & mains syllabus & exam pattern. For further information read the below sections.
Maharashtra Public Service Commission released the Engineering Services Syllabus for Group – A & B Combined Prelims & Mains Exam 2019. Here you can download syllabus pdf along with Maharashtra PSC Engineering Services Exam Pattern details. However, go through further sections to get more details like MPSC Engineering Services Combined (Pre & Mains) exam dates 2019.
MPSC Group C Syllabus 2019 in Marathi Pdf is provided here to download. Interested applicants can easily get the download links for MPSC Syllabus 2019 Pdf and Exam Pattern on this page. Candidates who have applied for the MPSC 2019 Exam are not aware of the MPSC 2019 Syllabus and Exam Pattern. Hence, to help them, here we have updated the latest MPSC Syllabus 2019 and Exam Pattern in a detailed manner. Additionally, aspirants can also get details of MPSC 2019 exam dates, exam pattern, syllabus, previous papers, and much more.
Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) has released 234 vacancies for the posts of Tax Assistant Clerk & Other. Interested and eligible aspirants applying for the given posts will be selected through various stages. Only thing candidates need to do is to start their exam preparation, for that we have provided here the complete MPSC Group C Recruitment 2019 Syllabus here in detail.
MPSC Syllabus 2019 for Forest Service Examination is available here. The Aspirants who are going to attend the MPSC Forest Service Examination 2019 can check the Syllabus for Prelims and Mains Examination. However, we updated the latest MPSC Exam Syllabus for both Prelims and Mains Forest Service Examination 2019. Hence, go through the details below and check the MPSC Exam Syllabus and Test Pattern 2019.
MPPSC Forest Services Exam Syllabus 2019
Description
Details
Exam Name
Forest Services Examination 2019
No. of Vacancies
Various
Category Name
Syllabus
Prelims Exam Date
26th May 2019
Mains Exam Date
15th September 2019
MPSC Exam Pattern for Forest Service Examination 2019
The Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission selection process for Forest Service Posts is having Prelims and Mains Examinations. The Candidates who are qualified in Prelims and Mains are shortlisted for Interview Round. However, the Complete MPSC Exam Pattern for Prelims and Mains is listed below. Hence, check the details clearly and start preparing for Prelims Examination.
MPSC Exam Syllabus for Prelims – Forest Service Examination
S.No
Subjects
Maximum Marks
Time Duration
1
English
100
60 Mins
2
Marathi
3
General Studies
Questions will be Multiple Choice Questions.
Maximum Marks for Prelims is 100.
Negative marking will be as per MPSC Board Rules.
MPSC Exam Syllabus for Mains – Forest Service Examination
S.No
Subjects
Maximum Marks
Time Duration
1
General Studies
200
01 Hr
2
General Science & Natural Conservation
200
Total
400
Question Paper: MCQ’s.
Number of Question in each Section 100.
Each Question Carries 2 Marks.
Negative Marking will be as per MPSC Board rules.
MPSC Exam Syllabus for Forest Service
The Maharastra Public Service Commission Exam Syllabus for Forest Service Examination 2019 is updated below. The aspirants who are going to appear the MPSC Prelims Examination on 28th Oct 2019 can check the details below. Later, Download the MPSC Exam Syllabus Pdf for free from the link given below. Moreover, check the Official Website for more details.
MPSC Forest Service Exam Prelims Syllabus 2019
Marathi Language
English Language
Current Affairs (National & International)
General Mental Ability
Logical Reasoning
Analytical Ability
Problem Solving
Basic Numeracy.
MPSC Syllabus for Forest Service Exam Mains 2019
General Studies (Paper-I)
Indian History related to Maharashtra.
Physical, Social, Economic & Geography of India & World. (Related to Maharashtra)
Politics & Governance, Constitution & Political System, Rural & Urban Local Self Govt.
Maharashtra PSC Assistant Town Planner Syllabus 2019
MPSC Syllabus 2019 Pdf for Assistant Town Planner posts are mentioned here. Interested candidates who would like to prepare for the MPSC Assistant Town Planner can get the MPSC Syllabus 2019 Pdf download links here. Check Maharashtra Public Service Commission Syllabus to make your exam preparation smooth.
MPSC Syllabus Pdf – MPSC Assistant Town Planner Exam Pattern
S. No.
Exam Type
Name of the Subjects
1.
Objective Type Questions
General Knowledge
2.
English Language
3.
Reasoning Ability
4.
Aptitude
It is an objective type
It consists of subjects include General Knowledge, English language, Reasoning Ability, and Aptitude.
MPSC Assistant Town Planner Syllabus 2019 Pdf Download
Are you looking for the MPSC Syllabus 2019 Pdf download links? If so, you’re at the right place. This is because here we have given the direct download links for MPSC Syllabus 2019 Pdf and Exam Pattern. Hence, applicants can easily get the MPSC Assistant Town Planner Syllabus and Test Pattern here. In the below-mentioned MPSC ASO Syllabus, you can find the topics for every subject that comes for the written examination. Check the detailed MPSC Assistant Town Planner Syllabus 2019 Pdf and read all those topics to crack the test. And, if you read the below section, you can get the exam pattern for MPSC Assistant Town Planner. Consider both the MPSC Syllabus 2019 Pdf and Exam Pattern before preparing for the written exam.
Maharashtra MPSC Syllabus 2019 – English
Sentence Improvement.
Active and Passive Voice.
Substitution.
Error Correction (Phrase in Bold).
Sentence Completion.
Synonyms.
Fill in the blanks.
Spelling Test.
Prepositions.
Transformation.
Antonyms.
Joining Sentences.
Para Completion.
Idioms and Phrases.
Passage Completion.
Spotting Errors.
Error Correction (Underlined Part).
Sentence Arrangement.
MPSC Syllabus 2019 Pdf – General Knowledge
Environment.
Basic Computer.
Botany.
Famous Days & Dates.
Chemistry.
Indian History.
Inventions in the World.
Indian Parliament.
Indian Economy.
Zoology.
Basic GK.
Indian Politics.
Indian Culture.
Famous Books & Authors.
Sports.
Geography.
Physics.
Maha PSC Syllabus 2019 – Reasoning
Analogy.
Decision Making.
Cubes and Dice.
Alphabet Series.
Blood Relations.
Non-Verbal Series.
Number Series.
Directions.
Arithmetical Reasoning.
Clocks & Calendars.
Mirror Images.
Number Ranking.
Statement Conclusion.
Coding-Decoding.
MPSC Assistant Town Planner Syllabus 2019 – Quantitative Aptitude
Number System
Partnerships
Compound Interest
Problems on squares, cubes
Averages
Allegations & Mixtures
Probability
Mensuration
Discounts
Simplifications
Time & Distance
Percentages
Geometry
Simple Interest
Boats & Streams
Permutations & Combinations
Ratios & Proportions
Problems on Ages
Time & Work
Profit & Loss
Fundamental Operations
Least Common Multiple (LCM) & Highest Common Factor (HCF)
MPSC Assistant Town Planner Syllabus 2019 Pdf – Download Here
MPSC Agriculture Officer Syllabus 2019 Pdf download links are available here. Applicants who are looking for the MPSC Syllabus and Exam Pattern can download it here. Refer to the Maha PSC Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2019 on this page. Using the MPSC Syllabus 2019 Pdf and Test Pattern, you can obviously get to know the topics to read. Moreover, you can also check mpsc.gov.in to be clear about the MPSC Exam Pattern, Exam Dates, and so on.
The subjects include English, Marathi, General knowledge, and Technical Knowledge
The number of questions for paper – I will be 100 and exam duration is 1 hour
And, the number of questions for paper – II is 100 and the duration to complete the exam is 2 hours.
Download MPSC Syllabus 2019 Pdf download
We can say that lots of candidates are applied for the MPSC ASO Exam. And, those applicants are now looking for the MPSC Agriculture Section Officer Syllabus and Exam Pattern to prepare for the exam. So, we have gathered the detailed MPSC Syllabus of the Agriculture Section Officer. In the below-mentioned MPSC Syllabus, you can find the topics for every subject that comes for the written test. Hence, check the MPSC ASO Syllabus 2019 Pdf and read the entire subjects to attend the written test in a good manner. Read this full page to know the exam pattern as well. So, read both the MPSC Syllabus 2019 Pdf and Exam Pattern before preparing for the written test.
MPSC Agriculture Officer Prelims Syllabus
MPSC AO General English
Synonyms
Transformation
Idioms and Phrases
Spelling Test
Sentence Improvement
Para Completion
Error Correction (Phrase in Bold)
Spotting Errors
Passage Completion
Substitution
Antonyms
PrepositionsSentence
Joining Sentences
Error Correction (Underlined Part)
CompletionActive and Passive Voice
Sentence Arrangement
Fill in the blanks
MPSC AO General Studies Syllabus
The economy of India & Maharashtra State.
History of Modern India & Indian National Movement.
History of Maharashtra and Movement for Maharashtra Statehood etc.
Current Affairs – Regional, National, and International.
International Relations and Events.
General Science.
Science and Technology.
Environmental issues.
Geography of India.
Geography of Maharashtra State.
Indian Constitution & Polity.
Society, Culture & Heritage of Maharashtra State.
Arts and Literature of Maharashtra State.
Policies of Maharashtra State State.
Disaster Management.
General Ability
MPSC AO Marathi Syllabus
Idioms and Phrases
Antonyms
Synonyms
Sentence Structure
Comprehension Passage
Grammar
Common Vocabulary
MPSC Agriculture Officer Mains Syllabus
MPSC AO Syllabus for Agriculture Paper
Global warming.
Types of Soils.
Fertilizer control.
Insect morphology.
Afforestation.
Watershed Management.
Bio-diversity.
Ultra Structure of Plant cells.
Post-Harvest Technology.
Plant Diseases.
Horticultural crops.
Herbicides and Fungicides.
Historical developments in Agriculture.
Integrated Farming Systems.
Weed flora and their management.
Silviculture.
Extension Education.
Cell structure.
Environmental Pollution and Prevention.
Plant Genetic Resources.
Tissue culture and Plant Genetic Engineering.
Neurophysiology.
Agricultural Economics.
Agro-based industries.
The importance of Horticulture in Telangana.
Sustainable Management etc.
MPSC Assistant Town Planner Syllabus 2019 Pdf – Download Here
New BBMP Recruitment 2019-20 Notification – Apply for 4000 Pourakarmika (ಪೌರಕಾರ್ಮಿಕರು) Vacancies: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike has recently issued a job notification to fill up 4000 new vacancies. BBMP Job Vacancies are for Pourakarmika Posts. Candidates who are in search of jobs in Karnataka can apply for BBMP Latest Recruitment @ www.bbmp.gov.in. All eligible aspirants can appear for Walk-in-Interview with your duly filled application forms.
Bangalore City Health and Family Welfare Society (BCH & FWS) are going to conduct Walk-in for various posts under National Health Mission for the various program from 9th September 2019 to 9th October 2019. Applicants should have knowledge of Kannada (read, write, speak). Candidates will have recruitment on the contract basis for a period of One Year. Interested can appear for walk-in with your CV and essential documents. Scroll down to get apply online link and also check Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Jobs Eligibility details.
All aspirants willing to apply for BBMP Job Recruitment must have completed 10th Class/SSLC/Matriculation or its equivalent are eligible to apply. however, the age of applicants should lie between 18 to 45 years only. further, the selection of suitable aspirants for BBMP Vacancies is done based on the interview. to know more details about Bharat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), please visit its official website i.e. www.bbmp.gov.in (OR) www.kpsc.nic.in. Take a look out website i.e. www.recruitment.guru to know details about BBMP syllabus, Previous papers, admit cards, cut off, results and finally, BBMP Upcoming job notifications.
Candidates who are interested in applying for BBMP Job Vacancies must fulfill all the below-listed eligibility conditions without fail. Check Educational Qualification, age limit, selection process, examination pattern, Salary for BBMP Jobs for Engineers, application fee below
Educational Qualification:
Passed 10th Class/SSLC/Matriculation from a recognized university or institution
Must know to speak the Kannada Language
Age Limit:
Age Limit for BBMP Recruitment 2019 for Engineers is as follows,
Minimum Age – 18 Years
Maximum Age – 45 Years
Age Relaxation
SC/ ST/ Cat – 1 – 40 Years
Cat 2A/2B/3A/3B – 38 Years
Selection Process:
Written Exam/ Interview
Salary:
Rs.17,000/- to Rs.28,950/- per month
Application Fee for BBMP Recruitment 2019 Bangalore
Others – Rs.200/-
SC/ST – Rs.100/-
PH – Nil
How to apply for BBMP Recruitment Notification 2019?
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is the administrative body responsible for the civic services and some infrastructure assets of the Greater Bangalore metropolitan area. It is the fourth largest municipal corporation in India and is responsible for a population of 6.8 million over an area of 741 km2. Its limits have multiplied more than ten times over the past six decades. Its duties and responsibilities include the “orderly development of the city”: zoning and building regulations, health, hygiene, licensing, trade and education, as well as the quality of life issues such as open public spaces, water bodies, parks, and green spaces.
The BBMP represents the third level of government (the central and state governments are the first two levels). The BBMP is run by a municipal council composed of elected representatives, called “companies”, a representative of each of the districts of the city. Elections to the Council take place every five years and the results are decided by popular vote. Members contesting council elections represent one of the state’s political parties.
Central banks use several different methods to increase (or decrease) the amount of money in the banking system via methods such as adjusting reserve requirements, changing interest rates, and adjusting the federal funds rate.
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MUMBAI: Indian banking system detected Rs 71,500 crore worth of frauds in financial year 2018-19 which to put in scale is slightly more than the Rs 71,000 crore recapitalisation package planned by the government to revive the health of its public-sector banks.Interestingly, over 90 percent of these losses were to the government owned banks while the share of incidents that emanated from these lenders was at 55.4 percent.Overall, 3,766 incidents of frauds were detected in FY19, a 15 percent spike from a year ago, while the losses incurred saw an 80 percent rise from the last year, even as FY18 saw the most infamous banking fraud in India's history where Nirav Modi siphoned off nearly Rs 13,000 crores from Punjab National Bank in February 2018."In terms of area of operations, frauds related to advances constituted the preponderant share of the total amount involved in frauds in 2018-19, while the share of frauds in off-balance sheet items declined from a year ago," according to RBI's annual report released on Thursday. "Frauds relating to card/internet and deposits constituted only 0.3 per cent of the total value of frauds in 2018-19."Most of these frauds were because cheating and forgery, followed by misappropriation & criminal breach of trust, RBI said. Small frauds less than Rs.1 lakh were just 0.1 percent of the amounts involved.Another point of concern for regulators and policymakers came from the fact that it took banks an average of nearly 2 years to detect frauds. Large frauds above Rs.100 crore took banks nearly four and a half years to detect, RBI said. Nearly Rs 52,000 crore worth of frauds detected were classified as big frauds. To curb this menace, the central bank said that it is in talks with various agencies including the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to create an interlinked database for fraud monitoring. In furtherance, the regulators said that analytic engines of banks and user interface of fraud registry would be improved to create a more robust monitoring system.The RBI, in the report, said that they also subjected 57 banks through IT examination to check their cyber security preparedness and compliances."Targeted thematic examinations were also carried out, focusing on applications, infrastructure and systems used by the banks."
Mumbai: The largest telco by subscribers Reliance Jio will continue to eat into the user base of older rivals Vodafone-Idea and Bharti Airtel, and is likely to command 45 percent of the market by March 2022, says a report. Intense competition and elevated debt levels and continued reliance on capital infusion continue to be a drag on the sector, India Ratings said in a note Thursday. The telecom sector has had a tumultuous time since the entry of Jio in September 2016 with a year-long freebies campaign, leading to forced mergers, erosion of profit, exits and even bankruptcies. The market share gain for Jio, which has over 340 million subscribers already and adding 10 million users a month on average, will be at the expense of Airtel and Vodafone-Idea, it said. Even now, the data tariffs of the deep-pocketed Jio continue to be 25-30 percent cheaper than competition, the agency said. The aggregate gross debt of Vodafone-Idea, Bharti and Jio stood at Rs 3.9 lakh crore in FY19, implying gross leverage of over 8x for the sector, it said. "Telcos liquidity profiles are structurally weak as free cash flows are likely to remain negative over FY20-22 due to high capex intensity which stood at Rs 1.2 lakh crore in FY19," it said, adding the operators will continue to rely on refinancing or capital infusion. On the forthcoming 5G auctions, the agency seemed to hint that the companies may not be so interested in bidding. At the proposed reserve prices, any incremental investment in 5G technology may yield return on capital employed of only about 5 percent". The media content space is likely to undergo a disruption, with the availability of cheaper & abundant data options under unlimited plans leading to higher content consumption on mobile devices, it said.
By Cyril Shroff & Smruti ShahOver the years, India's foreign direct investment (FDI) policies have been progressively liberalised by GoI. The point is to further India's aim in establishing itself as an attractive investment destination. Despite the decline in FDI trends globally, India seems to be on the right track with the receipt of an all-time high FDI inflow of $64.4 billion in 2018-19.With a view to further liberalise the extant FDI regime in India, on Wednesday, the Union Cabinet relaxed the limits on investment in the entities engaged in the business of coal mining, and contract manufacturing, while relaxing the local sourcing requirements for singlebrand retail trading (SBRT).Current policy permits 100% FDI under the automatic route for two categories: (a) coal and lignite mining, limited only for captive consumption purposes by power generation projects, iron, coal washing units, and other eligible activities permitted under and subject to the Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act, 1973; (b) setting up of coal-processing plants subject to the condition that the company shall not conduct coal mining and shall not sell washed/sized coal from its coal processing plants in the open market, and shall supply the washed/sized coal to those parties who are supplying raw coal to processing plants for washing/sizing.Wednesday's announced reform permits 100% FDI under automatic route for sale of coal, for coal mining activities including 'associated processing infrastructure' subject to provisions of Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015, and the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.This change seeks to open up the coal mining sector to foreign investment beyond just captive use allowed under the earlier dispensation. Large global corporations such as BHP and Peabody Energy can benefit from GoI's move to fully open up the coal mining sector in India to foreign players.Under the existing FDI regime, 100% FDI is allowed under the automatic route for the manufacturing sector, where a manufacturer is permitted to sell its products manufactured in India through wholesale or retail, including through ecommerce. However, considering the lack of clarity on outsourcing of manufacturing activities — that is, contract manufacturing — a provision for contract manufacturing has been introduced.With a view to further stimulate domestic manufacturing as part of 'Make in India' initiative, 100 per cent FDI under automatic route has been allowed in contract manufacturing, to bring it on par with the existing FDI regime. Hence, manufacturing activities now may be conducted by the investee entities themselves, or through contract manufacturing under a lawful contract, either on principal-to-principal or principalto-agent basis.Under the extant FDI regime, 100% FDI is permitted — that is, up to 49% under the automatic route and beyond that under the approval route. There is an additional requirement of procuring 30% of the value of goods from India as part of the local sourcing norms, where an SBRT entity has FDI of 51% or more.In order to provide greater flexibility, and considering the likes of Apple, Ikea and Uniqlo, the local sourcing requirements have been relaxed to the extent that all procurements made in India — including both where goods are sold in India and exported — by the SBRT entity for the particular brand will be counted towards local sourcing.To open the FDI doors further, GoI has now decided that retail trading through online trade can be undertaken prior to the opening of brickand-mortar stores, provided that such an SBRT entity will open its physical stores within two years from the starting date of their online retail business. This reform aims at creating employment opportunities in logistics, digital payments, customer care and training.The Narendra Modi government has continued its effort in liberalising the FDI regime. With a global economic slowdown anticipated in the months to come, these timely measures should prove to be effective and is likely to reinforce the confidence in investors towards the GoI's commitment to attract more FDI while improving ease of doing business.Shroff and Shah are managing partner and partner, respectively, at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas. Inputs by Aviral Chauhan, senior associate with the firm.
NEW DELHI: Apple, the maker of iPhones, has told government officials that it plans to invest close to Rs 1,000 crore in setting up its online selling platform, and opening three of its iconic retail stores across major cities over the next two to three years."There have been meetings with company executives. The first store is likely to come up in Mumbai followed by Delhi and a third location is yet undecided," a senior government official familiar with the company's plans told ET.Apple did not respond to ET's query on its investment plans.In a statement on Thursday, the company welcomed the government's move and said that it is working on plans to set up its first company-owned retail store, besides setting up its own online store."…we look forward to one day welcoming customers to India's first Apple retail store. It will take us some time to get our plans underway and we'll have more to announce at a future date," Apple said. "We love our customers in India and we're eager to serve them online and in-store with the same experience and care that Apple customers around the world enjoy," the company added. 70902253 'Major Branding Exercise'The government on Wednesday eased foreign direct investment (FDI) rules around Single-Brand Retail Trade (SBRT) by allowing exports and contract manufacturing to be counted in the mandatory 30% local sourcing norm over a period of five years. The government also allowed foreign single brand companies to sell directly via webstores, irrespective of a brick-and-mortar store presence."The export focus in SBRT is a winwin for all concerned. Apple has ramped up exports within a short period of two years from India. Apple's exports in future will not just meet but far exceed the 30% local sourcing requirements multiple times…," said Pankaj Mohindroo, chairman of the Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) which has Apple and its contract manufacturers Wistron and Foxconn as members in India.ET reported in its August 29 edition that Apple plans to sell directly to Indian consumers first through its own online store – which is easy to execute given its existing global template – while working on opening retail stores, which will involve time and larger investments.People familiar with the matter said that the Apple stores will be a major branding exercise and the company hopes that customer experience within the store will help push sales through its retail and online partners, rather than take business away from them."These stores are like mini-malls in themselves, where people walk and get an experience of the Apple world, typically spend about half an hour to 45 minutes, then go back to the small retailers or online channels through which they can get some discounts since Apple never really discounts products," one person said.Vivan Sharan, technology analyst and partner at Koan Advisory, said that unlike some retailers whose investment goes into real estate, Apple does not invest in land."So, most of its investments will go into operations, stores, logistics, architecture, back offices, call centers, web design, leading to the highest quality of job creation seen in the Indian retail sector yet," said Sharan.Apple's India journey though has been bumpy so far, with its market share currently hanging around 1% by volume and 3% by value, due mainly to a lack of demand for its expensive phones in a price-sensitive market flooded with affordable high-spec devices of Chinese players such as Xiaomi and OnePlus. The government has previously rejected proposals to permit reselling of refurbished phones, which would have helped Apple lower price of its devices, and also didn't agree to sops tailored only for the Cupertino-based company. Later, the company's application to open company-owned stores under a special category, which could bypass the mandatory local sourcing clause, kept languishing with the government for over three years.But the latest government move will help the company deepen its retail presence, which experts say could help push sales, backed up by its steadily expanding local manufacturing operations. In fact, Apple has already started exporting from India to Europe, which helps it conform to the new local sourcing rules needed to set up its flagship retail stores."There is talk of many smartphone makers now setting up stores in India but nobody can match an Apple store's premium," said Navkender Singh, research director with IDC. "These stores will give Apple complete control over the experience of their customers and take ownership of a customer's journey".
MUMBAI: Vehicle makers are pulling out all the stops in a bid to make the most during the festive season, amid a crippling slowdown in the local market.With buyers dithering to enter the showroom, the companies are literally landing up at their doorstep to make a sales pitch. Most of them have boosted their sales and marketing budgets and are launching special campaigns for the festive months, traditionally the busiest sales season.A leading two-wheeler maker is engaging with the youth by organising events on college campuses, while Hyundai Motor is using the portals of puja pandals as an opportunity to push sales and Maruti Suzuki is approaching prospective customer segments like defence personnel and government employees with special offers. Others are also increasingly using car and bike melas, mall and airport activities, moving billboards and showroom on wheels in search of the buyer.Innovative OffersSuch activities have been used in the past as well, but the intensity has never been so fervent. Gone are the days when you see a scramble in the showrooms, a senior industry executive said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. In these days, one has to engage with the buyers at their homes, schools, colleges, workplaces and shopping complexes, he said, adding: "In short, we have to walk to the customer, instead of them walking to us."70902402 The automotive industry is going through its worst slowdown in about two decades. India's car market has shrunk by a quarter and two-wheeler sales declined 14% so far this fiscal year. In a tepid economic environment with the fear of job losses also looming large in several sectors, manufacturers and dealers have been compelled to resort to innovative offers and campaigns, in addition to the discounts that are already at a record high, to bring in buyers.Hyundai Motor has named its festive campaign 'Celebrathon', while for Mercedes-Benz, it is a 'Wish Box'. The local unit of Toyota Motor has launched two financing schemes for buyers in the festival season: 'Toyota Edge' and 'Toyota Smart'. Through the offers, companies are promising better value to prospective buyers, seeking to convert their intent into purchase.Higher marketing spendThey are also spending more. Automakers have increased their sales and marketing budgets for the September-December period by strong double digits, said industry insiders. They estimate it to be Rs 500-700 crore, as the companies have blocked prime time television slots, newspaper space and earmarked huge amounts for below the line activity.Puneet Anand, the group head of marketing at Hyundai Motor India, said the company's marketing spending this year would be 30-35% higher. Given the tough environment beyond new product launches, one has to look at ways of engaging with people at their doorsteps and in their language, Anand said, adding that the effort put in was much more this time.Hyundai has screened midand high-income housing societies across the country's top 15 cities and will be doing events in more than 100 such locations.To push its premium bikes, Hero MotoCorp has organised X-Track experiential off-road bike track in major cities.Targeting focused groupsMaruti Suzuki has organised hundreds of on-ground activation events targeting focused groups to generate demand, executive director of sales and marketing Shashank Srivastava told ET. Over the last 45 days, the company has reached out to army men, doctors, government employees, tea estates, fisheries and cotton and groundnut farmers.The companies have also entered into partnerships with lenders to ensure easy availability loans at attractive rates.Maruti Suzuki has requested lenders not to paint all buyers with the same brush and provide up to 100% financing on the on-road price of vehicles if an individual has a good credit rating, Srivastava said.Hyundai has tied up with State Bank of India to give a 10% cashback on the booking amount when the payment is made through the latter's YONO app. It has a similar tieup with ICICI Bank, too. Hero MotoCorp is offering benefits of up to Rs 8,500 via payments app Paytm on its scooters. Other offers include a low down-payment of Rs 999 and interest rate of 6.99%, when 9-10% is the norm.Attractive vehicle-exchange schemes along with assured buyback options are also being increasingly offered to entice buyers."With discounts and incentives at an all-time high, this is the best time to buy a car," said a leading dealer.Automakers have also lined up at least a dozen new car and two-wheeler launches close to the festive season, which starts with Ganesh Chaturthi and Onam in September and concludes with Diwali towards the end of October.
MUMBAI: Lenders to Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL) are considering hiving off a chunk of the mortgage firm's loans outstanding from builders and transferring that to companies created specifically to hold the debt.These special purpose vehicles (SPVs) could also work like pooled entities, such as alternative investment funds (AIFs), said multiple people aware of the discussions over a debt resolution plan for DHFL.Under such an arrangement, DHFL's lenders will transfer as much as Rs 30,000-32,000 crore of its Rs 42,000 crore wholesale loans outstanding to the SPVs. If they go ahead with this plan, DHFL will become a predominantly retail-focussed shadow bank with a much lighter balance sheet, making it easier for its lenders to rope in a strategic partner.They are currently evaluating the ownership structure of the SPVs, which may even house a project each, and the process by which they will enforce the conditions on the loans given by DHFL, the people said.Development managers are expected to be appointed for each project to complete the work. DHFL's lenders will get paid from the cash flows of the SPVs, after servicing fees to the development managers and servicing of any additional debt infused in the projects for their completion.The new development managers will infuse fresh funds either through equity or fresh working capital loans, kickstart the stuck real estate projects and generate cash flows through the sale of the inventory to pay back the loans, the people said.Cash Flow BeneficiariesDHFL and SBI didn't respond to emails until press time Thursday. AIF is a trust like structure where the collection of the debt extended by DHFL to the wholesale book will happen and the lenders will be serviced out of that, the people aware of the discussions said. The SPV or the AIF is expected to be the beneficiary of all future cash flows — the repayment of loans given to the projects. They will distribute the proceeds to the unit holders or the banks. The idea is to create a legally tenable structure that gives the lenders a direct access to the underlying real estate assets and its cash flows.The lenders have been in discussions with business groups with interests in real estate, such as the Adani, Tata, Piramal groups, to come on board as the development managers of the projects and complete those in lieu of a development management fee. The Adani Group is expected to pick up several of the projects, the people said.Emails to the Adani and Tata groups did not generate a response. The Piramal Group called the news speculation, and declined to comment further.Although the lenders are pushing for one manager for each project, there could also be multiple managers roped in, each managing a cluster. According to the people ET spoke to, to facilitate the new asset managers to complete the projects and help servicing the debt obligations, the security or the collateral (land, FSI approvals, etc.) for the underlying assets against which loans are outstanding will be enforced. This will also help ringfence the development manager from any future legal challenges.This step is likely to follow an immediate intervention whereby lenders are looking to take a 51% stake in the company by converting a part of the debt into equity at par and facilitating a change of management.DHFL's board is scheduled to meet on Friday, where it would consider a proposal for issuance of equity shares and other securities, including by way of preferential issue, against debt as part of a resolution plan.The company had borrowed from banks, mutual funds, insurers and retail depositors to bankroll realty projects which subsequently got stuck. An official said an AIFlike structure would suit the lenders and project managers. "AIF is a trustee structure. The assets move but not the liabilities. They are payable when able. In any other structure like an NBFC, the debt liabilities will also move and the new manger will have to honour these obligations," said the official. "An AIF manager is not borrowing; he is managing as a trustee. Unit holders will economically benefit."
By Chandan Taparia Nifty50 witnessed strong volatility as the August series F&O contracts expired on Thursday. The index opened negative, drifted towards the 10,920 level and then recovered to 11,020 mark. Eventually, the bounce got sold into and finally the index closed with the around 100 points cut. Nifty has been falling since last session after it failed to surpass the 11,141 mark. But supports remained intact in the lower zone near 10,880 and 10,850 levels. Now it has to cross and hold above 11,000 to witness an upward move towards 11,080 and then 11,141 levels, while on the downside supports are seen at 10,850. Since it is the beginning of a new series, Options data was scattered across various strike prices. Maximum Put OI was at 11,000 followed by 10,600 while maximum Call OI was at 11,200 followed by 11,700 level. There was Put writing at 10,600 and 10,800 levels while Call writing was seen at 11,500 followed by 11,600 levels. The Options data suggested a broader trading range between 10,700 and 11,300 levels. India VIX fell 2.49 per cent to 16.42 level. Bank Nifty opened negative and remained highly volatile as it traded in a broader range between 27,700 and 27,250 levels throughout the session. It formed a bearish candle on the daily scale as sustained selling pressure was seen on every bounceback. The index has been forming lower highs and lows from past two sessions. Now as long as it holds below 27,750 level, it could revisit the recent swing low of 27,000 and then 26,500 levels. Nifty futures closed negative at 10,947 level with a loss of 0.92 per cent. Long buildup was seen on select FMCG, Technology and Pharma counters while shorts were seen in Financials, Metals and Media indices. (Chandan Taparia is Technical & Derivative Analyst at MOFSL. Investors are advised to consult financial advisers before taking an investment calls based on these observations)
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's booster package was well articulated, but bolder steps are expected from the government to help the economy and market sentiment, says Samir Arora, the Singapore-based fund manager and founder of Helios Capital. Excerpts from an interview with ETMarkets.com What are your thoughts on the Finance Minister's booster package? Is it too late?The FM's package was well articulated. More importantly, it showed the government is taking industry concerns on board. We had thought that the market would bottom up when it believed that the government was listening to the market and that is what seems to have happened. FM's package along with two others promised packages, RBI bonanza for the government as well as falling interest rates should all help the economy. Did FM's announcements meet your expectations? What more could have been done?We believe the government can take even bolder steps to help the economy and the market sentiment. For example, the government should scrap capital gains taxes -- both long term and short term -- on equities and replace those with higher securities transaction tax (STT), to be tax neutral. The effect of this on the market sentiment would be so strong that it could kick-start many things. Please note that I am not suggesting that equity investors should be subsidized or have differential tax benefits relative to other asset classes. Collectively, from all equity investors collect the same taxes but in a different form, in this case STT. Will these announcements help perk up the economy or is it too early to say?On the margin, all sincere steps to help the economy and corporates and investors are useful. The biggest healer always is time and economy cannot be turned around in a few weeks. But it is important to stem the decline in sentiment and economic momentum. If the government quickly pays off its GST dues to small and medium enterprises and other contractual payments to construction companies etc, it would bring in much cheer to the economy, just in time for the festive season. What are your thoughts on the Jalan Committee report ?No one had any doubt that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) owed a big dividend to the government. We were surprised that the dividend is being paid in one shot but this is more good than bad for money is really needed now. Also, there is no uncertainty or speculation about future payouts. Do you think Indian equities would see strong inflows from FIIs in days to come?To start with, FIIs must stop selling and then only we can dream about big inflows. Overall, the Indian market has seen a significant decline in interest from foreign investors over the past few years and one reason for that is the fact that India is -- more or less -- the only country in the world which charges capital gains tax to foreign investors. This is a significant negative and lowers expected returns from India. Plus it is an administrative nightmare to implement. It is worth repeating that no other major country in the world charges taxes to foreign investors due to difficulty in reconciling taxes paid with underlying investors. Taxes paid in India don't have any offset benefit in most cases and are essentially like an expense. Still, on the margin, we expect FII flows to turn positive in the last quarter but we will never know what we have given up due to these taxes. What is your outlook for the market for the rest of the calendar year?I have turned positive over the last few weeks and we are looking at the market with a degree of optimism. Earnings recovery has been elusive so far. When do you think we will see a concrete recovery in corporate earnings – FY20 or FY21 and why?Since, half the current year is already over, this one is easier to answer. Other than optical earnings increase driven by corporate banks, broader recovery should be higher in FY 21. Reason: time heals many wounds plus base effect. Which sectors are you upbeat on in India and why?We like only three sectors- financials, consumer and IT. Financials and consumer have long-term secular growth potential and all these three sectors have great companies with a long history of creating shareholder value. Which sectors are you currently avoiding in India and why?We have always been generally negative on state-owned companies and commodity companies and have now added most aspects of infrastructure to this list. What theme do you think will rule the stock market for the next 5 years?That is a difficult call and it is not possible to invest like this. We believe that financials and consumer are secular, long-term themes that offer maximum investment potential in India. When do you think private capex will pick up?We will not be holding our breath on this. In any case, there is no confidence in the corporates that they will be rewarded for undertaking significant capital expenditure, which makes the situation even worse. What are your thoughts on the inverted US yield curve? Do you think there is an impending recession in the US?I do not believe there are significant US recession prospects in the immediate horizon. With negative interest rates all around the world, investors may have driven down US long rates for they can at least believe that they are getting positive returns and this need not be due to some super negative view on the US economy.Trade tensions between the US and China can be much more negative for global markets and there, the hope is that President Trump would not like to see US markets go down a lot before he softens his stance.
NEW DELHI: Apple, the maker of iPhones, has told government officials that it plans to invest close to Rs 1,000 crore in setting up its online selling platform, and opening three of its iconic retail stores across major cities over the next two to three years."There have been meetings with company executives. The first store is likely to come up in Mumbai followed by Delhi and a third location is yet undecided," a senior government official familiar with the company's plans told ET.Apple did not respond to ET's query on its investment plans.In a statement on Thursday, the company welcomed the government's move and said that it is working on plans to set up its first company-owned retail store, besides setting up its own online store."…we look forward to one day welcoming customers to India's first Apple retail store. It will take us some time to get our plans underway and we'll have more to announce at a future date," Apple said. "We love our customers in India and we're eager to serve them online and in-store with the same experience and care that Apple customers around the world enjoy," the company added. 70902253 'Major Branding Exercise'The government on Wednesday eased foreign direct investment (FDI) rules around Single-Brand Retail Trade (SBRT) by allowing exports and contract manufacturing to be counted in the mandatory 30% local sourcing norm over a period of five years. The government also allowed foreign single brand companies to sell directly via webstores, irrespective of a brick-and-mortar store presence."The export focus in SBRT is a winwin for all concerned. Apple has ramped up exports within a short period of two years from India. Apple's exports in future will not just meet but far exceed the 30% local sourcing requirements multiple times…," said Pankaj Mohindroo, chairman of the Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) which has Apple and its contract manufacturers Wistron and Foxconn as members in India.ET reported in its August 29 edition that Apple plans to sell directly to Indian consumers first through its own online store – which is easy to execute given its existing global template – while working on opening retail stores, which will involve time and larger investments.People familiar with the matter said that the Apple stores will be a major branding exercise and the company hopes that customer experience within the store will help push sales through its retail and online partners, rather than take business away from them."These stores are like mini-malls in themselves, where people walk and get an experience of the Apple world, typically spend about half an hour to 45 minutes, then go back to the small retailers or online channels through which they can get some discounts since Apple never really discounts products," one person said.Vivan Sharan, technology analyst and partner at Koan Advisory, said that unlike some retailers whose investment goes into real estate, Apple does not invest in land."So, most of its investments will go into operations, stores, logistics, architecture, back offices, call centers, web design, leading to the highest quality of job creation seen in the Indian retail sector yet," said Sharan.Apple's India journey though has been bumpy so far, with its market share currently hanging around 1% by volume and 3% by value, due mainly to a lack of demand for its expensive phones in a price-sensitive market flooded with affordable high-spec devices of Chinese players such as Xiaomi and OnePlus. The government has previously rejected proposals to permit reselling of refurbished phones, which would have helped Apple lower price of its devices, and also didn't agree to sops tailored only for the Cupertino-based company. Later, the company's application to open company-owned stores under a special category, which could bypass the mandatory local sourcing clause, kept languishing with the government for over three years.But the latest government move will help the company deepen its retail presence, which experts say could help push sales, backed up by its steadily expanding local manufacturing operations. In fact, Apple has already started exporting from India to Europe, which helps it conform to the new local sourcing rules needed to set up its flagship retail stores."There is talk of many smartphone makers now setting up stores in India but nobody can match an Apple store's premium," said Navkender Singh, research director with IDC. "These stores will give Apple complete control over the experience of their customers and take ownership of a customer's journey".
Enforcement Directorate seeks to sell Nirav Modi's paintings, watches The total proceeds of crime, the agency informed the court through its plea, in three firms of Nirav Modi is Rs. 6,498 crores.
'Set big goals', Union Home Minister Amit Shah urges PDPU students He acknowledged that various governments in the past played an important role in the growth and development of the country, but this government has the political will to take tough decisions.
'Despite challenges, in 19 days I got to know a lot about Jammu and Kashmir' Senior reporter Manish Shukla shares his experiences in the Valley. Part II
Rural Jammu and Kashmir is all set to see developmental change Under PM Awas Yojana, 50 thousand houses will be provided in the village by the year 2020
Enforcement Directorate grills Ahmed Patel's son Faisal Patel in Sterling Biotech case The agency had summoned Faisal Patel to join the probe in the case
Four new judges recommended for Supreme Court This comes within two weeks after the Centre raised the sanctioned strength of 30 to 34 including Chief Justice of India
Uttar Pradesh cops fall back on traditional method to put end to rumours All Ears Here: After rise in mob violence, police spreads public awareness through a town crier
Indian Air Force plans to buy 30 new fighter aircraft A proposal in this regard by the IAF is likely to be taken up before a high-level meeting of the Defence Ministry in the next few weeks, government sources said.
It's critical to avoid ankle injuries if you're an athlete or enjoy being physically active, and sprains are the most common type of ankle injury you'll face. Fortunately, you can reduce your risk of an ankle sprain by doing balance training, stretching your ankle and surrounding muscles, doing ankle strengthening exercises, and making lifestyle changes. It's also important to get proper treatment and recover fully if you have a sprain, and you may choose to take measures like taping or bracing your ankle to further reduce your chance of sprains.
Massage your calves, Achilles, and ankles with your knuckles. Use your knuckles to apply light to moderate pressure to your ankles and the areas surrounding them. Massage in small circles over these areas for around 5 minutes before engaging in physical activity, or whenever your ankle joints feel tight.[1]
For the best results, have a physical therapist or athletic trainer do the massage and show you the proper technique. Then you can do it yourself whenever necessary.
Do calf stretches with your hands against a wall. Face the wall, lean slightly forward, extend your arms, and place your palms flat against the wall at shoulder height. Take a half step forward with your left leg, keep the knee bent slightly, and keep your left foot flat on the floor. Slide your right foot slightly back so that you can extend it fully but comfortably keep your right foot flat on the floor.[2]
Once you've gotten in the proper position, lean your upper body a bit more toward the wall until you feel your right calf stretching slightly. Keep both feet flat on the floor. Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds.
Then, return to the starting position and bend your right knee slightly until your feel your calf stretching again. Keep your feet flat on the floor and hold this stretch for 15-30 seconds.
After that, switch the positioning of your legs and repeat the stretches.
Instead of leaning against a wall, you can lay your palms flat on the edge of a sturdy table.
Sit on a chair and push each foot against a wall. Position the chair so that it's facing the wall and you can sit in it, extend one leg fully, and touch the entire bottom of your foot to the wall. Once you do so, push your foot firmly against the wall and hold the position for 5-10 seconds, then release the push without moving your foot. Repeat the push 9 more times, then switch feet for 10 more reps.[3]
Do 2-3 sets of 10 reps for each leg.
Consider adjusting your foot position while doing 3 sets—do one with your foot pointed straight up, one with it rotated slightly inward, and one with it rotated slightly outward.
Do seated pedal-pushes with a resistance band. Sit in a chair, loop the resistance band around your foot just behind your toes, and hold the ends of the band in your hands. Touch your heel to the floor, keep the rest of your foot angled upward, and hold the band taut. Press down against the resistance of the band for 1 second, as if you're pressing the accelerator pedal of a car.[4]
Do 3 sets of 10 reps per foot.
You can buy elastic resistance bands at any fitness supply retailer. Different bands have different resistance levels, so start with a lower resistance and work your way up as your ankle strength increases.
Try forward, back, and side-to-side leg kicks with your resistance band. Loop the band around the leg of a sturdy table, then tie the ends of the band around your left ankle. Stand with the outside of your left ankle facing the table leg, far enough away so that the resistance band is taut. Slowly kick your leg forward 10 times, backward 10 times, and inward (away from the table leg) 10 times.[5]
Then, turn 90 degrees so you're facing the table, and kick your left leg outward 10 times.
After that, tie the band around your right leg and repeat the exercises.
You can also wrap the resistance band around a sturdy post or beam.
Lie down on your back and raise your legs in the air. Get comfortable on an exercise mat, rug, or mattress. Then, bend at your hips so that your legs are at a 90 degree angle to the rest of your body.[6]
If necessary, place pillows under your body to help get yourself comfortable. You shouldn't feel any pain during the exercises.
Make slow circles with your feet to warm up your ankles. Keep your leg pointing straight up in the air. Gently move your ankle in a circular motion. Make your circles as big as you comfortably can.[7]
Do 10 circles in 1 direction, then reverse and do 10 circles in the other direction.
Move your foot back and forth like you're pushing on a pedal. With your legs sticking in the air, slowly rock your foot back and forth. Pull your toes back toward your ankle, then press your toes down into a point. Continue to go back and forth in a fluid motion.[8]
This motion is similar to pushing a gas pedal on a car.
Do 10-15 ankle pumps.
Trace the letters of the alphabet using your foot. With your leg straight up in the air, act like you're writing the letters of the alphabet with your toe. Try to make the letters as big as possible so that you have to really move your ankle. Keep your leg straight the entire time, being careful that you don't bend your knee.[9]
Do the exercise twice, and try to make your letters bigger the second time.
Don't do anything that feels uncomfortable. If you need to, modify the exercise to fit your needs by going slow or making smaller movements.
Start by balancing on each leg with your eyes open. Stand up straight with your feet facing forward and shoulder width apart. Raise one of your feet so that your lower leg is parallel to the floor, or as close to parallel as you can manage. Hold the pose for 30-60 seconds, then return to the starting position and switch legs.[10]
Focus your eyes on a stationary object, like a poster on the wall or a nearby exercise machine.
To aid your balance, hold your arms straight ahead or straight to your sides, palms down. If you need extra help, place one hand on a nearby table, countertop, or similar sturdy object.
Do this pose 2-3 times on each leg per workout. Aim to do balance training workouts at least 3 times per week.
Balance training is known as proprioception. Your body's joints—and your ankle joints in particular here—will make constant adjustments to keep you balanced, strengthening them in the process.
Advance on to doing leg balances with your eyes closed. Once you can easily balance on one leg with your eyes open for 60 seconds, do the same maneuver with your eyes closed. Close them as soon as you raise your leg to the proper position, and open them when you're ready to lower your leg.[11]
The first time you try this, place your hand on a sturdy object like a tabletop—it's noticeably more challenging to balance with your eyes closed!
Do 2-3 repetitions (reps) of 30-60 seconds per leg during each workout.
Move on to trying one-legged half-squats with your eyes open. After you've mastered balancing for 60 seconds with your eyes closed, go back to keeping your eyes open. This time though, dip down slightly by bending the knee of your leg that's still on the floor—aim to drop down about . Hold this "half-squat" for 1 second, then return to the one-leg balance position and repeat.[12]
Do 10 half-squats on one leg, then switch to the other. Do 2-3 sets of 10 reps each for each leg.
Hold your arms straight ahead with your palms down to aid your balance. If you need additional support when starting out, grasp one or both hands on the back of a sturdy chair.
Close your eyes and try the one-legged half-squats. This is where you get to put it all together. After you can handle the open-eyed half-squats, try the same thing with your eyes closed. Use the back of a chair for support the first time, though, or you may tumble over![13]
As before, aim to do 2-3 sets of 10 reps with each leg, at least 3 times per week.
Choose well-fitting athletic shoes that keep your ankles neutral. Wearing athletic shoes that keep your ankle in a neutral position—that is, not rotated inward, outward, forward, or backward—may make you less susceptible to ankle sprains. Consider shopping at a specialty shoe retailer where they can do a "gait analysis" and custom fit your shoes.[14]
Many people believe that high-top athletic shoes provide more ankle support and protection than low-tops, but there isn't much evidence to prove this either. Consider it a matter of personal preference.[15]
Wear professionally-fitted ankle braces when doing athletic activities. Whether you've experienced ankle sprains before or not, research indicates that bracing your ankles will reduce your chances of spraining them during athletic activities. There are a variety of lace-up, hook-and-loop closure, soft, and semi-rigid braces to choose from, and your best option is to work with your doctor, physical therapist, and/or athletic trainer to find the best option for you.[16]
A professionally-fitted brace is more likely to provide the support and protection you need, while not overly restricting your range of motion.
Tape up your ankles properly as an alternative to braces. Ankle braces might offer slightly more protection against sprains, but a good tape job is another solid option. Like a brace, taping up your ankle increases stability and support without sacrificing too much range of motion.[17]
It's important that you tape up your ankles properly, so that you get the right protection and don't overly constrict your blood flow or range of motion. Have a trainer or other professional show you how to tape up the right way before trying it yourself.
Generally, though, you need to create a base wrap below, over, and above the ankle, create "stirrups" that run down the sides of the ankle, and then wrap several figure 8 patterns around the ankle.
Get treatment and allow for recovery time after a sprain. If you sprain your ankle, you must give it time to heal. Otherwise, you'll be much more likely to sprain it again, perhaps even more seriously. If you experience a sprain, contact your doctor for treatment advice and, depending on the severity, an exam and treatment. Follow their recovery recommendations carefully.[18]
Some sprains take 1-2 days to heal, while others may take 6 weeks or more and, in some cases, require surgery.
For mild sprains, you doctor will likely advise rest, applying an ice pack wrapped in a towel several times per day, and possibly wrapping the ankle with a bandage or brace.
Eat an anti-inflammatory diet to help protect your joints. Build your diet around fish and other lean proteins, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables. Make sure you eat healthy fats with your meals, but keep unhealthy saturated fats to a minimum. Cut out processed foods and simple sugars, and limit red meat.[19]
It's okay to drink small amounts of red wine on an anti-inflammatory diet, such as 1 glass per day.
Chronic inflammation can weaken your joints or make them feel more painful.[20] Because of this, it's good for your ankles if you reduce inflammation in your body.
Maintain a healthy weight to put less pressure on your joints. Carrying extra weight on your body puts added pressure on your joints, especially your ankles. Additionally, it may affect your balance and could increase your risk of spraining your ankle. To lower your risk, talk to your doctor to find out your healthy target weight. Then, work with your doctor or a dietitian to make changes to your diet or exercise routine to help you reach or maintain your goal weight.[21]
Everyone's needs are different, so it's best to talk to your doctor before trying to lose or gain weight.
If you're having trouble deciding what to eat, ask your doctor to refer you to a dietitian. They will help you design a diet plan that's both healthy and appetizing.
Do 30 minutes of low impact cardio exercise daily. Exercising daily will help protect your bone and joint health and will help your heart stay healthy. Low impact exercises are easier on your joints, so they're a great option if you're worried about ankle injuries. Choose an exercise that gets your blood pumping but doesn't involve a lot of running or jumping. For instance, you might try:[22]
Choosing a topic for your thesis, whether it be for a master's, Ph.D., or undergraduate, can feel like a daunting task, but it can also be exciting. Your thesis is your chance to dive deep into a topic that interests you and contribute something new to your field. To pick the right topic for you, start by brainstorming potential topics without worrying if they're good or not. Then, narrow your topics based on feasibility and your personal strengths. Finally, start researching so you can craft a good thesis question.
Write down your main interests related to your field of study. Since you'll likely spend 2 years or more working on your thesis, it's best to pick something that interests you. Plus, this topic could shape the path you take in the future by directing where you go for your further studies or what type of job you get. To generate topics that interest you:[1]
Review all of the classes you've taken and the subjects you've covered.
Think about why you got into your field of study.
Consider what you like to read about in your free time, especially things related to your field. This might be books, news articles, or blogs.
Think of people in your field who you admire or aspire to be like. Then, ask yourself what you like about them.
Consider if you'll continue your academic studies after graduation, as well as what you'd want to study.
Go through your past coursework to find papers you enjoyed writing. You may be able to incorporate a paper you wrote as part of your coursework into your thesis to give you a jumping off point. Sort through the papers you've written in your last 2 years of study and identify any that stand out to you. Think about how much you enjoyed researching the topic you were writing about, as well as which topics felt easy.[2]
Consider any lingering questions you had working on past projects as a starting point for your new thesis.
It's best to stick to your recent work because it will better reflect your current knowledge and abilities.
You can use the same topic you used in your prior work, or you can use your old work to point you in the direction of a new topic.
Research current events to see what's happening in your field. Read the news to see what's happening in the world right now. Then, do a search on an academic database, like EBSCO or J-STOR, about your field of study or your interests and review the top results. Look for topics that are getting a lot of attention or where people are asking questions. These topics might be good for your thesis.[3]
For example, let's say you're studying politics. You might read about current presidential candidates and reflect on how their platforms have diverted from the historical platforms for their political party.
If you're writing a literature thesis, look at the novels that are being nominated for this year's literary awards and consider their genre, theme, or style.
For a thesis on psychology, you might look for news about PTSD research or read articles about pop psychology that people are sharing on social media.
For an aeronautical engineering thesis, you could read up on what SpaceX is currently working on, or look into NASA's most recent experiments.
Check prominent research journals in the field you're interested in to see what current academic conversations look like.
Make a list of keywords that show up during your searches so you can look up published theses using sites like ProQuest. That way, you know what topics have already been covered.
Look for gaps in current research related to your field. Your thesis should add something new to your field of study, which might seem daunting. However, reviewing current research can help. Consider which areas leave a lot of questions unanswered, then add those topics to your list of potential ideas.[4]
You don't need a topic that's completely absent from research, as this would be difficult to examine.
One way to find a unique angle is to combine 2 topics together. Alternatively, you can build on someone else's work.
For example, let's say you're studying clinical psychology and want to write about PTSD. You might find that not much research has been done into how people with PTSD cope with workplace conflicts.
Similarly, let's say you're studying politics and want to look at how political party platforms evolve. You might find that there's a gap in research when it comes to evaluating how voters react to platform changes.
Ask your professors which topic they think is right for you. Your instructors have a lot of insight into your field of study, as well as prior and current research. Additionally, they likely know a lot about you. They can help you understand the best paths of study for you, so find out what they think. Tell them about your goals, then ask for advice.[5]
For instance, you might say, "I'm hoping to be a research professor one day, and I want to focus on modern poetry. Which of these thesis topics do you think would make me most attractive to doctoral programs?"
Talk to your classmates about their lingering questions. This might help you recognize areas that need more research. Ask your classmates if they had any questions come to mind during the classes you took together. Additionally, consider asking to see their notes. Look for areas where they seemed to be confused or wrote questions in the margins.[6]
Focus on questions that can be researched and don't have a simple answer. For instance, a question like, "How can we motivate people without offering them extrinsic rewards?" can be researched and doesn't have a simple answer. Conversely, the question, "When did free verse poems start to become mainstream?" is easy to answer with a simple Internet search.
Think about what type of work you plan to do in the future. Your thesis may shape your future path because it can lead to other research opportunities. Plus, you'll build deeper knowledge and understanding about this topic, making it an asset on your resume. List the goals you have for yourself in the future, then come up with topics that can help you reach those goals.[7]
You don't need to plan out your whole life. However, it's good to have an idea about where you're going.
Think about the type of work you want to do, the job title you want to attain, or the types of organizations you want to work with.
For instance, if you want to be a university professor, you might choose a topic that you plan to continue researching through your doctorate and career as a professor.
As another example, let's say you want to be a project manager for an engineering firm. You might choose a topic that encompasses both your knowledge of engineering and your interest in motivating other engineers to produce their best work.
Make a list of 5-10 topics that might be interesting thesis topics. Include the best topics you generated during your brainstorming session. Try to include a range of ideas, as you'll eliminate most of them as you narrow your focus. However, having multiple ideas will make it easier to find one that offers a lot of opportunity for research.[8]
Undergraduate theses may be more broad, while master's or Ph.D. theses should be more specific.
Choose the best topics that came to you while you were brainstorming.
You might enjoy doing this activity with a classmate who's also working on their thesis. You can bounce ideas off of each other.
For example, you might write down things like "evolution of political party platforms," "effect of civil war on cultural norms," "themes of literature immediately before and after a social crisis," "effects of robotics on the workforce," "mission to Mars," or "building intrinsic worker motivation."
Eliminate topics that don't seem to offer avenues for new research. If a topic has already been well-researched, then it might not be great for your thesis. Think about what you can add to a topic. If you don't see a lot of room for growth, go ahead and cross that topic off your list.[9]
For instance, you might love William Shakespeare, but finding a new area of research about his work could prove difficult. Similarly, if you're studying psychology, you'll likely want to avoid writing about older ideas that aren't widely supported anymore, like dream analysis.
Choose your thesis supervisor once you have a general idea of what you'll research. Look for a professor who has expertise in the areas you want to study. Then, talk to them to see if they'd be willing to be your thesis supervisor. Tell them why you chose them specifically, as well as which topics you're considering pursuing.[10]
Say something like, "Hi, Dr. Gomez. I know you're really knowledgeable about morality politics. I'm planning to write my thesis about a topic related to morality politics, so I hoped you might be my thesis supervisor."
Discuss your top 1-3 topics with your thesis supervisor. Your thesis supervisor will help you pick your thesis topic based on what they think will be the best fit for both of you. Bring your thesis supervisor a short list of topics you're considering. Then, explain why each topic interests you and ask for their advice.[11]
For example, you might say, "I'd like to write my thesis about modern American haiku structure, autobiographical expression in contemporary 21st-century poetry, or poetry in the Internet age."
Your thesis supervisor will likely want you to choose a topic that they know well and are interested in themselves.
Conduct research into your topic. You need to fully understand your topic before you can formulate a thesis question. Use your library, Internet databases, journal articles, books, and other research materials to learn about your topic. As you read, annotate the materials by writing notes and questions in the margins.[12]
This will help you figure out what types of questions to ask about your topic.
If you can, highlight or mark important passages and summarize sections of text in the margins of the work.
Talk to your librarian. They can help you find materials that might be of interest to you, and they can pull books or journals related to your topic.
Write 5-7 potential thesis questions based on your research. At first, don't worry about writing good questions. After you have several that interest you, rewrite each question so that you can argue one side of the issue. Then, phrase your questions using clear, concise wording. Here are some example questions:[13]
How did 20th-century warfare alter literary themes?
How have expanding cultural norms impacted the criteria for literary awards?
What social changes have impacted diplomatic exchanges among world leaders?
How does detaching morality from public policy affect the efficacy of legislation?
How does culture adapt in the aftermath of a civil war?
How can robotics enhance early childhood education?
What are the best ways to motivate employees to work harder?
What treatment protocols can enhance recovery in PTSD patients?
Identify the question you think you can best research and answer. You want to select a question you can answer well so that your thesis will be successful. To determine the best question to focus your thesis on:[14]
Think about the process you'd need to use to research the topic, such as a digital search, social experiments, or lab testing. Then, decide if you'd be able to complete these tasks with the time and resources you have.
List the research materials you have available to you, such as computer databases, library materials, or a laboratory.
Consider your thesis supervisor's area of expertise.
Think about the courses you've taken and the skills you've developed.
Select a final research question with the help of your thesis supervisor. Once you've identified a thesis question that you'd like to use, talk to your thesis supervisor to get their opinion. They may approve it as-is, but they could also offer advice on how to improve it. Work with them to craft the best thesis question for your project.[15]
Listen to your thesis supervisor's advice. They've likely been doing this for a long time, and they know what it's like to be in your shoes.
Try to choose your topic as early as you can. This will help you stay on track to finish your thesis on time.
It's helpful to do additional research throughout the selection process. If you find texts that might be of use to you later, save them to use in your thesis.
Since you'll spend at least 1-2 years on your thesis, it's best to choose a topic that interests you.
The Maldives is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean made up of 1,190 islands, 200 of which are inhabited. It's a popular vacation and honeymoon destination, and it's well known for its turquoise waters and pristine beaches. When traveling to the Maldives, choose to stay on a resort island for a relaxing and picturesque experience, or visit some of the islands inhabited by native Maldivians for a less expensive vacationing option. From snorkeling with bountiful marine life to island hopping, there is plenty to do and enjoy!
Visit the Maldives from November to April for the best weather. These months make up the dry season in the Maldives, which means the chance for rain interrupting your afternoon at the beach is much lower than during the wet season. Expect to pay more for accommodations and be around more people, as these are the most popular months to travel here.[1]
Regardless of what time of year you travel to the Maldives, you can expect temperatures in the range.
Arrange to go from May to October for less expensive lodgings. If you are looking for accommodations that are a little more wallet friendly and don't mind a little rain, book your trip during the wet season months. This is also a great time to travel if you'd prefer a less crowded vacation, as the peak travel time to the Maldives is from November to April.[2]
If you like to surf, this is the time to go to the Maldives. In addition to more rain, there will also be more wind, which means the waves and swells will be bigger.
During the rainy season, there is generally about of precipitation on a monthly basis. The mornings are normally clear, followed by cloudy afternoons.
Obtain a valid passport. If you don't already have one, fill out a passport application several months before your trip. When you book your flight to the Maldives, you'll be issued a 30-day visa automatically. If you want, you can extend that to a 90-day visa, depending on your travel plans.[3]
If you have a passport that will be expiring within 6 months of your travel dates, you'll need to get it renewed before you travel.
Research and book your flight several months in advance. Flying directly from the United States to Malé (the capital of the Maldives) is really expensive, with tickets ranging anywhere from $1300 to $2000 per ticket (with some airlines pricing tickets as high as $6000). It's generally less expensive to fly to Europe or the Middle East and then fly directly to Malé from there.[4]
Most travelers fly into the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport, located in Malé.
British Airways is the only European airway to offer a direct flight to the Maldives.
Depending on your credit card programs, you may be able to use miles and points to decrease the cost of your flight to the Maldives.
Prepare for a long flight and pack a carry-on bag. It's a great idea to pack a bag with some kind of entertainment, like a book, magazine, or electronic device with movies or television episodes downloaded. You also may want to pack a change of clothes, deodorant, and a toothbrush to help yourself feel fresh for the duration of your flight.[5]
If you're flying from the United States, your flight time will take anywhere from 18 to 23 hours, depending on layovers. Flying from the UK will take about 10 hours.
Pack for your trip several days before you leave for the airport. If you'll primarily be on a resort island, you'll need to bring clothes for the beach and for hanging out at the resort. If you'll be traveling off of resort islands, you'll need to wear clothes that adhere to the Islamic code of ethics (women need to keep their legs and arms covered, and men shouldn't be bare chested).[6]
Because the Maldives is a Muslim country, pork products, alcohol, and religious texts are banned, so make sure to leave these items at home.
Even on resorts, the dress code is fairly casual and relaxed.
Don't forget to refill any prescriptions you might need while you're away, and bring chargers for all your electronics.
Choose a resort island for a relaxing, laid-back atmosphere. If you just want a place to relax and enjoy your beautiful surroundings, there are about 105 resorts you can choose from, each located on its own island. Many of these resorts include breakfast, and many of them offer deals which include dinner, too.[7]
Because the Maldives is a fully Muslim country, you won't be able to find alcohol on non-resort islands. Also, beaches on non-resort islands often won't allow bikinis and those islands also don't allow public displays of affection or homosexuality.[8]
Book your lodging ahead of time if you're going to stay at a resort. Several months before your trip, take some time to review the different resorts to find one that caters to your likes and wants. There are resorts with golf courses, private villas, lagoons, extensive beaches, and lots of other luxury accommodations. Resorts fill up quickly, especially during the dry season, so book your lodging as soon as you know your travel dates.[9]
Because the Maldives is such a popular and beautiful location, there really aren't very many budget hotels available. You can expect to pay about $200 per night for a room at most resorts, but depending on what you're looking for, you could end up spending closer to $600 or $800 a night.
Book an over-the-water villa for a picturesque experience. If you're staying at a resort, you'll probably have the option to book an over-water villa for some extra privacy and miraculous views. They're generally a bit more secluded from the rest of the resort, which can be nice if you're interested in a romantic getaway.[10]
If you're staying in the Maldives for several days, you could spend several nights in a villa for the experience, and then relocate to another resort to enjoy the beauty of a new location.
Check out B&Bs and Couchsurfing if you're traveling on a budget. Couchsurfing is a network of individuals who allow travelers to stay with them for free. B&Bs or budget guesthouses provide accommodations for $30 to $60 per night. You'll generally get a room, shower, breakfast, and free WiFi, though many guesthouses offer additional accommodations, like bottles of water and air conditioning.[11]
The site https://www.hotelscombined.com is recommended for finding guesthouses in the Maldives. But take some time and search online through different sites to find an option that fits your budget.
Airbnb is also becoming much more popular in the Maldives, and those houses generally range from $50 to $100 a night.
You can also pay about $80 for a day pass to most of the resorts.
Take a seaplane for a quick, yet expensive, trip to your island. Once you fly in to Malé, you need to get to your resort or guesthouse, which is most likely on a separate island. One option is to take a seaplane for an additional charge. This is a more expensive option, running about $250 to $500 per person for a flight that will take 30 to 60 minutes.[12]
Some resorts include transportation to their island from Malé, so check out those options when making your reservations.
There are no predictable schedules for seaplanes, so you might have to wait several hours after your main flight lands to get on a seaplane to go to the resort.[13]
Book a speedboat to quickly get from one resort island to another. Ferries generally don't stop at resort islands, so speedboats are a quick way to get to and from your destinations. While less expensive than taking a seaplane, speedboat trips are also expensive, sometimes charging $200 per person for a 30 to 40 minute trip. Unfortunately, there aren't many other options to get to the resort islands.[14]
Check your resort to see if they offer a discount on speedboat rides to the island. Some will include the speedboat fee in your room fee.
Ride a ferry for an inexpensive way to travel around non-resort islands. You'll just pay several dollars per trip to get from one island to another, as long as they don't house a resort. This is a great way to explore the different islands, especially if you're staying at guesthouses in the Maldives.[15]
Ferries run on unpredictable schedules, so you may have to wait several hours for a ride.
Walk around the islands to explore the beautiful beaches. Most islands are very small, and you can walk from one end to the other within a few miles. When you're on an island, you don't need to worry about renting a car or motorcycle, though some islands rent bicycles for you to enjoy. It's generally very safe to walk around any island in the Maldives.[16]
If you're walking around local islands, native Maldivians may approach you to offer you bits of Maldivian chocolate.
Go fishing at sunset to enjoy the beautiful views. Whether you're staying at a resort or at a guesthouse, you can arrange a fishing trip for about $50 per person. You'll get to go out on a 60-foot dhoni, which is a wooden boat traditionally used by Maldivians.[17]
Sunset fishing is super popular because of the views, but you can also go fishing during the day. Just ask your host or resort for details.
Book a snorkeling excursion to swim with marine wildlife. If you're interested in snorkeling, choose a resort that offers that excursion. You can also book a Liveaboard boat (like a large yacht), which will take you to different reefs and areas for you to explore.[18]
You can even snorkel underneath some of the islands because of the way they're formed.
You can expect to see many different kinds of fish, clams, sharks, turtles, and octopus. You may even get to see and swim alongside a whale shark, which is one of the largest fish in the ocean.
Hop from island to island to explore the different beaches. Book an excursion for about $50 per person for a day of island hopping. You'll get to relax on a large boat and explore the different beaches in the Maldives. Even though the islands are relatively close together, each one boasts its own special beaches, water features, and beauty.[19]
Many local islands have beaches designated for tourists, which means once you're on them, you can wear your bathing suits and bikinis. Topless sunbathing is illegal, so keep your suit on at all times!
For "long-term" hopping, book rooms at several different resorts over the course of your trip to spend time on multiple islands, rather than doing all your hopping in one day.
Reserve a private island for a romantic picnic. When booking your accommodations, search for resorts that offer private island stays. Apart from a resort, you can also search for "private islands for rent" in the Maldives for options to rent directly from an individual who owns an island. You can expect to pay upwards of $1600 per day for a private stay on an island.[20]
Uninhabited islands are also often rented to resort guests for private excursions.
Dine underwater at Ithaa, an undersea restaurant. As of 2018, this option is only available for guests staying at the Hurawalhi Island Resort, and reservations are needed months ahead of time. You can join 14 other guests in a dining room completely surrounded by water and watch the vibrant marine life swim around you as you enjoy your meal.[21]
Make a reservation for lunch for a less expensive dining option and to enjoy the water while the sunlight is still streaming through.
The water in Maldives is treated in such a way that it loses all its natural minerals, which could mean you feel less hydrated than normal even if you're drinking a lot of water. You can purchase rehydration salt packets from the pharmacy to add to your water if you feel sluggish, or try to primarily drink bottled water.[22]
Make sure to alert your bank before you travel so they don't block your credit cards.
Restaurants, ferries, and shops on local islands mostly accept Maldivian rufiyaa. You can exchange currency for rufiyaa in Malé and at most resorts.[23]
Maldives is an entirely Islamic country, so if you leave a resort island, be prepared to adhere to Islamic laws. Mainly, women need to cover their arms and legs, there is no alcohol permitted anywhere, and homosexuality and public displays of affection are illegal.[24]
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Maharashtra State Board of Secondary Higher Secondary Education is simply called as MSBSHSE. The SSC exams conduct in March month every year. The results are declared in June. Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education has conducted the 10th supplementary
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