.@USArmy 2nd Battalion, 6th Air Defense Artillery Regiment doesn't mess around when it comes to missile defense! Watch here to see how they bring the boom! 💥💥💥 pic.twitter.com/ZYm2b389ow
* Megyn Kelly sat down with the fired CBS staffer who leaked ABC's Amy Robach's hot mic revelation about Jeffrey Epstein * DailyMail.com can reveal the staffer is Ashley Bianco, 25, an Emmy-winning producer, who contacted the former Fox News star directly * Bianco was fired from CBS on Thursday after the network was informed by her old employer ABC that she had 'leaked' footage of Robach * Kelly teased the interview on Friday morning, announcing she had joined Instagram and had the feeling 'you'll be interested in my first post' * The interview will be Kelly's first step in making her comeback since she left NBC last year after making comments about blackface on air
The producer who was fired for 'leaking' ABC News anchor Amy Robach's hot mic revelation that the network killed off her Jeffrey Epstein sex slave story is coming forward in Megyn Kelly's comeback interview.
And DailyMail.com can reveal the staffer is Ashley Bianco, 25, an Emmy-winning producer for CBS This Morning, who contacted the former Fox News star directly in order to have her voice heard, a source said.
Bianco was fired from CBS on Thursday after the network was informed by her old employer ABC that she had 'leaked' the footage of Robach ranting about ABC shutting down her Epstein story out of concern of pushback from the British royal family.
At West Point, Graduation Day felt more like a tragedy than a triumph.
Patches, pins, medals, and badges are the visible signs of an exclusive military culture, a silent language by which soldiers and officers judge each other's experiences, accomplishments, and general worth. In July 2001, when I first walked through the gate of the US Military Academy at West Point at the ripe young age of 17, the "combat patch" on one's right shoulder—evidence of a deployment with a specific unit—had more resonance than colorful medals like Ranger badges reflecting specific skills. Back then, before the 9/11 attacks ushered in a series of revenge wars "on terror," the vast majority of officers stationed at West Point didn't boast a right shoulder patch. Those who did were mostly veterans of modest combat in the first Gulf War of 1990–91. Nonetheless, even those officers were regarded by the likes of me as gods. After all, they'd seen "the elephant."
WNU Editor: The above author is clearly pessimistic on what these endless wars have brought to America. But I find there is a bigger story that is not receiving the attention that it deserves. Even though the American military is a volunteer force, it still has no problem to attract recruits, even with a booming economy. These young men and women want to serve, knowing too well that they may find themselves in a war-zone and all the dangers that it may entail. There is something to be said about that.
The Egyptian hosts and their Russian guests took turns manning Egypt's Russian-made air defense systems during a joint military exercise near Cairo. Each practice target required just one missile to take it down.
The unusual field experience, in which Egyptian and Russian crews could share each other's operational skills, was the highlight of the two-week 'Arrow of Friendship' exercise – the first of its kind held by the two nations.
According to research recently published by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, there are seven countries in the world whose external loan debt to China surpasses 25 percent of their GDP. Three (Djibouti, Niger and The Republic of the Congo) are located in Africa, while four (Kyrgyztan, Laos, Cambodia and the Maldives) are in Asia.
Yet, as Statista's Katharina Buchholz notes, the world map of debt to China amassed through direct loans (excluding debt holdings and short-term trade debt) shows that a majority of countries heavily in debt to China are in Africa, but that Central Asia and Latin America follow close behind.
WNU Editor: Here is an easy prediction. Some of these countries are going to default on these Chinese loans.What the Chinese will then do will be interesting. The Chinese are not the type of people who are willing to write-off a debt.
After the Cold War ended, the world hoped for an era of peace. But things turned out differently. Now, 30 years after the historic fall of the Berlin Wall that shifted power balances, wars are more complex than ever.
The twentieth century was dominated by wars. An estimated 80 million people died in two world wars. Then there was the Cold War: an arms race between the USA and Russia. In Europe and large parts of the world, two hostile sides faced each other. In Asia, the Middle East, Africa and South America, the global powers financed bloody proxy wars.
Peaceful revolutions finally brought down the Iron Curtain in 1989. The Cold War was declared over. "We hoped that after the end of the cold war, there would be an era of peace," says Sarah Brockmeier, UN peacekeeping expert at the Global Public Policy Institute, a Berlin-based think tank.
U.S. President Donald Trump talks to reporters about Turkey's agreement to a ceasefire in Syria as he arrives in Fort Worth, Texas, U.S., October 17, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst.
The phrase "end the forever wars" is now vulnerable to becoming one more campaign slogan without much substance. For the majority of the American people desperately in search of a smarter, shrewder, more restrained foreign policy, that would be a shame.
Like all presidential candidates, Donald Trump made a boatload of promises when he was running for the nation's top job in 2016. He was the overly blunt, prickly, obnoxious non-politician who was going to turn the United States around with lower taxes, more jobs, a booming economy, fewer federal regulations, and a complete overhaul of the country's broken immigration system.
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - - Fresh clashes between Iraqi security forces and anti-government protesters broke out on Friday killing at least three people, despite a call for calm by the country's top Shi'ite cleric, as authorities grapple with the nation's biggest crisis in years.
Security forces fired tear gas and threw stun grenades into crowds of demonstrators wearing helmets and makeshift body armor on a main road in central Baghdad, sending protesters scattering, some wounded, Reuters reporters said.
Things are getting back to normal at the Pentagon, the new normal that is — a world in which no military plan or policy survives its first contact with the president.
During the first two years of Trump's presidency, the Pentagon, under Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, progressively stepped back from the time-honored tradition of conducting regular public briefings by an official representative to inform the press, and by extension the American public, how and why U.S. forces were engaged in dangerous, deadly missions around the world.
President Trump said Friday he is considering visiting Russia next year to attend its May Day Parade.
"I was invited. I am thinking about it. It is right in the middle of our campaign season," Trump told reporters at the White House.
Trump said he would like to attend the parade, which Russian President Vladimir Putin invited him to earlier this year, but indicated he may not because it is in the middle of the 2020 presidential campaign season.
According to the Justice Department, New York-based Aventura Technologies has been concealing that its network-connected camera products were made in China while raking in millions through lucrative contracts with the US military and government agencies.
A New York-based company was raided by federal agents on Thursday for allegedly selling insecure, Chinese-made surveillance cameras to the US military.
Since 2006, Aventura Technologies has been concealing that its products were made in China while raking in millions through lucrative contracts with the US government and private businesses, the Justice Department alleged in today's announcement.
Aventura's government customers include the US Army, US Navy, the US Air Force, the Department of Energy, and the Internal Revenue Service, among others. In total, the company pulled in $88 million in revenue since 2010, $20 million of which came from US government contracts that prohibited Aventura from sourcing equipment from China.
A still from a five-second clip published by the Iranian military shows the moment a surface-to-air missile system is fired, purportedly in the vicinity of Mahshahr Country and targeting a "foreign" drone that entered the country's airspace over southwestern Khuzestan province, November 8. Islamic Republic of Iran Army
Reported incident near Bandar-e Mahshahr port comes amid tensions in the Gulf
The Iranian army has shot down an unidentified foreign drone near the port of Bandar-e Mahshahr on the Gulf coast, according to reports from the country's news agencies.
The unmanned aircraft was downed over Iranian territory with domestically manufactured Mersad surface-to-air missiles. Provincial governor Gholamreza Shariati told agencies that the drone belonged to a foreign country and that parts of it had been recovered in a nearby lagoon. Iranian news agencies said the drone was shot down in the country's airspace. The US has denied that the drone was theirs.
President Trump awarded a posthumous Presidential Citizens Medal Thursday to the family of retired Army Col. Rick Rescorla, a Vietnam veteran credited with saving thousands of lives during the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.
The Presidential Citizens Medal is the second-highest civilian award after the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
"On behalf of the entire nation, I pledge we will forever and ever memorialize this American hero," the president said.
U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
One notable and little-reported conclusion emerging from the House Democratic impeachment proceedings is a consensus among some foreign policy professionals that President Trump's Ukraine policy has been an improvement over President Barack Obama's.
Ukraine was an occasionally hot issue in the 2016 campaign for all the wrong reasons. At the Republican convention, a false headline in the Washington Post, "Trump campaign guts GOP's anti-Russia stance on Ukraine," gave birth to a false narrative that candidate Trump, desperate to appease Vladimir Putin, would undermine U.S. support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
WNU Editor: I know among my friends, family, and contacts in Ukraine, they all share the same opinion that President Trump has aided Ukraine more than anyone else. They also have trouble understanding the U.S. media and Democrat political narrative that President Trump is a risk to U.S. national security when it comes to Ukraine. I say this because from their point of view President Trump has been far more generous in aid than his predecessor President Obama. My answer to all of this is always the same. Welcome to U.S. politics.
Long Yongtu, China's former vice-minister of international trade and the point man in the country's nine-year negotiations to join the World Trade Organisation in 2001, during an interview at Credit Suisse's China Investments Conference in Shenzhen on November 7, 2019. Photo: Yujing Liu
* The US president's daily tweets to 67 million global followers make him 'easy to read', said the former trade envoy and point man for China's WTO negotiations * Trump is a transparent and realistic negotiator who is concerned only with material interests such as forcing China to import more American products, on which Beijing is able to compromise, Long said
Donald Trump, whose trade war with China has upended global supply chains and imperilled the world's economic growth, would be most welcomed with another four years in the White House because he is easier to read than other American politicians, said the negotiator who led China's entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
The US president's daily Twitter posts broadcast his every impulse, delight and peeve to 67 million followers around the world, making him "easy to read" and "the best choice in an opponent for negotiations," said Long Yongtu, the former vice-minister of foreign trade and point man during China's 15-year talks to join the WTO nearly two decades ago.
"We want Trump to be re-elected; we would be glad to see that happen," Long said during Credit Suisse's China Investment Conference yesterday in Shenzhen.
WNU Editor: My contacts in China are saying the opposite. They want to see President Trump lose. As to who do they want to be the next President of the United States. Since yesterday they are rooting for this guy (see below).
Missile technology could be used to defeat Raytheon's state-of-the-art defense systems.
Russia has obtained Israel's most advanced interceptor missile, which could be reverse engineered to crack the latest Israeli and US air defence systems, according to news reports.
China's SINA news agency reported that an Israeli Stunner interceptor missile was captured by the Syrians and handed over to the Russians after Israel fired two Stunners at potentially threatening missiles.
"It's certainly a concern. If I was at Rafael, I'd be nervous right now," Ian Williams, deputy director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic International Studies, told Business Insider. "If I was Israel, my big concern is that if Russia can get the intelligence to defeat the interceptor to Iran," Williams added.
Perhaps trying to keep up with the Pentagon's own developing 'Laser Weapon System' program, President Vladimir Putin this week touted that Russia is out front in terms of the next futuristic arms race, including "Hypersonic, laser and other state-of-the-art weapon systems".
At a meeting of military commanders at the Kremlin on Wednesday, Putin boasted that "Hypersonic, laser and other state-of-the-art weapon systems, which no other country possesses, will be put in service," but also added that such advanced technology is "no excuse for Russia to threaten anybody".
Vladimir Yakunin, the former Russian Railways boss and KGB spy, leaned forward to describe the way the world is going. It was the middle of October, and he had just convened an annual gathering of statesmen from countries that are, as a rule, sympathetic to the Kremlin. Held each fall on the Greek island of Rhodes, the summit provides a chance for Russia’s allies to compare notes, assess opportunities and make plans for the future. Yakunin, an old friend of Russian PresidentVladimir Putin, serves as the master of ceremonies.
The global context this year seemed to suit his message perfectly. Six days before the summit opened at the Rhodes Palace, the island’s most luxurious hotel, the U.S. had announced that it was withdrawing U.S. troops in northern Syria, effectively abandoning the Kurds and giving Turkey and Russia free reign to do what they want in the region. The U.K.’s plan to leave the European Union had also just hit another embarrassing snag, as its government was forced to ask for yet another Brexit extension. Yakunin clasped his hands as he considered what all this meant for Russia and the world. “We can say the West is declining,” he told TIME. “The global architecture is changing.” He took a sip from his espresso, and added, “The liberal order will be changing.”
But judging by the turnout in Rhodes this year, Yakunin and his allies back in Moscow are not in a prime position to define the terms of a new world order. The only head of state who showed up was Mahamadou Issoufou, the President of Niger. The handful of attending politicians from Europe were years out of office. Few stayed for the entire weekend. Martin Schulz, the former President of the European Parliament, left before the end of the first day of the conference.
It seemed like a sign of the times for Russia. Compared to its influence in the late Soviet era, when Yakunin served as a KGB spy under diplomatic cover in New York City, the Kremlin today has little claim to the status of a modern superpower. Under President Vladimir Putin, Russia has played a central role in conflicts from the Middle East to Latin America. But its messengers, like Yakunin, have a tendency to overstate their country’s strength. Political experts insist that Putin lacks a strategy for filling the vacuum that President Donald Trump has left behind in Syria. Nor does Moscow have enough money to sustain a system of reliable alliances, the way that China has tried to do by investing billions of dollars each year in countries across Africa.
“Russia can’t really fill this vacuum,” neither in Syria nor the broader Middle East, says Stefan Meister, head of the Program for Eastern Europe and Russia at the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin. “It will only play with it. It can destroy, but it’s not able to build up the region.” Whether President Trump likes it or not, the U.S. is still the only power that can do that, says Shada Islam, a director at a Brussels based think tank, Friends of Europe. “The player in chief is still the U.S.—it’s the power that counts in the region,” she says.
The Russians, of course, don’t quite see it that way. One of Yakunin’s guests in Rhodes this year was Vyacheslav Nikonov, the Chairman of the Education and Science Committee in the Russian parliament, who also happens to be the grandson of the legendary Soviet foreign minister, Vyacheslav Molotov. (The Molotov cocktail was named after him, though he was not its inventor; during the Soviet invasion of Finland in 1939-1940, Finnish guerillas used the crude petrol bombs against the Russian troops.)
Less than a week after the forum in Rhodes, some 1,000 miles to the east in the city of Manbij, Russian troops faced no resistance as they moved into northern Syria. It was a scene of triumph for Moscow to broadcast on state TV, as Russian reporters streamed videos from bases that had just been abandoned by American troops.
But those images were hardly a reliable measure of Russia’s power in the Middle East. Since Putin intervened in the Syrian war in 2015 to defend the regime of Bashar Assad, Moscow’s role in the region has come with costs that Russia will have trouble bearing in the long run. “Many in Russia are reluctant to place the country in the position of a security provider because this would involve multifarious responsibilities. This is understood at Russia’s top leadership,” says Elena Chebankova, a Russian politics lecturer at Lincoln University. Russia will not go too far to act as “a world ‘policeman’ to the extent as the USSR did,” she says.
In July, Russia unveiled a proposal for a new alliance in the Middle East, dubbed the Collective Security Concept for the Persian Gulf Region. Its aim is to create stability in the Persian Gulf and involve major global and regional players including China, Russia, India, the U.S. and the E.U. But the plan left many Gulf officials wondering what Russia would do to guarantee the security it promised, says Nikolay Kozhanov, a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations in Moscow. “And the answer was quite obviously, nothing,” says Kozhanov. “Russia is a major player without any special cards in its hands.”
During Putin’s visits to Abu Dhabi andSaudi Arabia in October, their leaders rolled out the red carpet for the Russian President and declared a new era in relations with Moscow. But the trips turned out to be short on substance, says Rauf Mammadov, an energy policy expert at the Middle East Institute, a U.S.-based think tank. Putin came away with $3 billion in deals—a modest sum compared to the $300 billion Trump secured during his visit to Saudi Arabia in 2017.
Saudi Aramco, the kingdom’s oil company, signed up to buy a stake in a new gas project in the Russian Arctic October 2018, but so far it has not materialized. A much lauded partnership between Russia’s sovereign wealth fund and a UAE-based global investment firm Mubadala was created in 2013, but the two sides have only allocated a third of the $7 billion that is up for investment. Russia’s economic ties to Persian monarchs are “still a nascent process,” says Mammadov. Likewise in Egypt, Putin agreed a deal in 2014 to build a Russian free-trade zone on the Suez Canal—a project that remains on the drawing board, wrapped up in Egyptian red tape. But that did not stop Egyptian President Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi from touting the project during a meeting with Putin in Russia last month.
The economic ties between Russia and China have also tended to produce more headlines than substance. Though Putin has hailed these relations as the “best they’ve ever been,” the primary proof has been the recent series of joint military drills, alongside plans announced last month for Russia to “radically enhance China’s defense capability” by helping the country to build a missile defense system.
Putin and his Chinese counterpart are more like frenemies than allies, says Mathieu Boulègue, a Research Fellow at the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House. For one thing, Russia is painfully aware that, with an economy 8 times smaller than that of China, it would need to accept the role of junior partner in any alliance with Beijing. “It’s not about cooperation,” says Boulègue, “but the messages it sends to the rest of the world.” The intended message is clear enough, he says: “‘We are not alone.’”
But loneliness may be wiser than some of the partnerships Russia is courting. Consider its recent moves in Africa. Through a series of security deals and mining ventures, the Kremlin managed to build an alliance in the last two years with the Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir—only to watch him deposed in a popular uprising this summer. At the end of October, Putin brought the heads of state from 43 African countries to Sochi, his favorite resort on the Black Sea coast.
The event produced another round of headlines around the world about Russia’s prowess in foreign affairs. But other than the pageantry, it was hard to see what Moscow stood to gain from these alliances. Only 3.7% of Russian goods end up in Africa today, while African goods account for just 1.1% of Russian imports. Russia’s current bilateral trade of $20 billion is just an eighth of China’s and half of the U.S.’s. Paul Stronski, a senior fellow at the U.S.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, sees Russian clout in Africa “tied to a handful of client states with relatively limited strategic significance.” That means Putin is still “nowhere near restoring the status that the Soviet Union once enjoyed on the continent,” Stronski told the BBC.
The same can be said of Yakunin. Though he clearly enjoyed the chance to address his audience of hundreds in Rhodes, the spectacle of the event felt hollow. “It has no real meaning other than maintaining an attractive image of Russia,” says Elisabeth Schimpfossl, the author of Rich Russians: From Oligarchs to Bourgeoisie, who first attended the Rhodes summit in 2009. Then, as now, the gathering was mostly a “PR event,” she says. And in that sense, at least, it resembles a lot of Russia’s recent moves in international affairs.
On November 9th, 2019 we mark the thirty year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall—a year synonymous with the end of the Cold War, the ideological defeat of the USSR, the victory of freedom of expression over censorship, democracy over authoritarianism. Thirty years later talk of Cold War with the Soviet Union have been replaced with “Information War” with Russia, referring to the mix of hacks and covert social media campaigns the Kremlin used to influence the 2016 U.S. election, a mere psy-op scratch compared to the larger campaigns it launches against its neighbours in the region. Barely a week goes by without some new policy report (I’ve authored at least two myself) or a former official warning the U.S. is losing the ‘information war’. But it’s a concept that should be treated with caution. Inside Russia ‘information war’ has grown to represent much more than a mere set of media tricks. It’s a worldview and an interpretation of history that annuls the values victorious in 1989, and it’s becoming more popular across the world. As I explored in my latest book, the most dangerous part of information war could be the idea of information war itself.
Using “information war” as a way to understand history first obsessed a certain breed of Russian geopolitical analyst looking to explain the failure of the Soviet Union. In the very late 1990s and the 2000s they began to assert the Soviet Empire collapsed not because of its poor economic policies, human rights abuses, lies, but because of “information viruses” planted by Western security services through Trojan horse ideas such as freedom of speech and economic reform. According to this revisionist version of history, alleged agents in the Soviet Establishment who posed as so-called modernisers, allied with a Washington-dictated fifth column of anti-Soviet dissidents, oversaw the dissemination of these ‘viruses’.
At first these grand ‘information war’ theories were not in the Russian mainstream. But as the Kremlin searched for ways to explain revolutions against kelptocrats and authoritarians abroad, as well as the growth of discontent at home, this all-pervasive information war philosophy became increasingly amplified by TV spokespeople and spin doctors, becoming something akin to state dogma in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2014. Today, runs the argument, the West wages information war against Russia through everything from anti-corruption investigations of the Russian elite, anti-doping investigations of the Russian Olympic team, the support of human rights NGOs and public broadcasting into Russia. This is a world view where all values, ideals, ideas are mere fronts to subvert the other side, where there is no qualitative difference between independent journalism and a covert social media psy op. This September, for example, a Russian Parliamentary committee charged the German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle with “interference” in Russia for broadcasting coverage of protests in Moscow against Putin’s rule, as if to equate the Kremlin’s hacks and deceptive social media operations in the U.S. with genuine reporting.
Russia, so goes the logic, has to compete in this deeply rotten world. According to the editor in chief of the Kremlin’s international news network, Russia Today (RT) is needed “for about the same reason as why the country needs a Defense Ministry” and is capable of “conducting information war against the whole Western world,” using “the information weapon.” This ‘information war’ world view is used to pursue the Kremlin’s global policy goals. Russia (as well as China) increasingly advocates for a ‘sovereign’ internet where censorship is normalized, rationalized by the idea that freedom of expression is just a weapon wielded by the perfidious West. The “information war” world view is now used to argue for a “multipolar” world where there are no universal norms, just zones of influence. The ideals of 1989, with its dream of universal human rights values flourishing in a borderless world are undone in the framing of this “information war.”
And the bad news is that this world view is catching on across the world–and not just among authoritarian states such as China looking to explain away protests at home as part of a Western plot. The U.S. has long had its own fringe conspiracy “info-wars” media. But these days one also hears the U.S. President and his acolytes describe criticism against him as part of a vast media plot. This world view doesn’t stop at America’s borders. In recently released transcripts Donald Trump told the Russian foreign minister in 2016 he didn’t mind Russia’s covert social media campaigns in the US as America “did the same in other countries.” The U.S. President’s frequent assertions that the U.S. should not support democratic values across the world, his deeply transactional, ideals-free outlook rhymes perfectly with the Kremlin’s own.
But even for those who do not support the Kremlin or Trump the abundance of deceptive campaigns on the the internet makes it tempting to slip into a world view where one feels surrounded by endless manipulation. The use of bots, trolls, cyborgs across the world is booming. From China to Poland, Iran to Ecuador governments and political parties are creating covert campaigns to boost their side or subvert the other, the cumulative effect being to destroy any shared reality and erode trust. And it’s not just governments, anyone can play at info-warrior. On closed internet groups belonging to the Identitarian Movement, for instance, a European far right group that wants to rid the continent of Muslims, you can download an ‘Information War Manual’ where you will be instructed how to coordinate online in order to taunt mainstream journalists (known as “sniper missions”), post nasty comments on the Facebook pages of politicians and plan “dislike” campaigns on YouTube to ‘vote down’ videos of your opponents. If you get into an online “dog-fight” with the enemy, a debate you can’t win, then you post to the hashtag #Air Support and other Infokrieg members will come to your aid, spamming the conversation with their taunts.
Even as journalists and analysts expose such information operations, whether from states like Russia or extremist groups, do we risk reinforcing a world view the Kremlin wants—that all information is just manipulation? Even the language used in describing the Russian operations in the U.S., words like “meddling” and “interference,” carries with it an implicit criticism of information flowing across borders, one of the most hard fought victories in the Cold War.
This is the Information War Catch-22. We need to expose covert information operations–without starting to see information as something inherently dangerous. To truly win the information war you have to avoid the underlying cynicism and conspiracy thinking implicit in the very idea of information war itself
India’s Supreme Court is preparing to hand down its final verdict on a decades-old flashpoint in Indian politics, which set off violent riots in 1992 and facilitated the rise of Hindu nationalists to political dominance.
Hindus believe that centuries ago a temple once stood in the city of Ayodhya, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, marking the birthplace of Lord Rama, one of the most widely-worshipped Hindu gods.
But a sixteenth century Muslim mosque stood on the site for hundreds of years, until it was demolished by a Hindu nationalist mob in 1992 following a long campaign of religious agitation.
In riots that followed in Mumbai, some 700 Muslims were killed. The state government, run by a local Hindu nationalist party, was accused of directing mobs toward Muslim areas and turning a blind eye to the violence.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the India-wide political wing of the Hindu nationalist movement, was at that time a marginal force in the country’s politics. But it seized on the Ayodhya dispute and now, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it is the dominant party in Indian politics.
India’s Supreme Court is expected to rule on the dispute on Saturday, deciding with finality who the land belongs to. Hindu and Muslim leaders in India have urged people to “exercise restraint” from violence ahead of the ruling. But more than 12,000 police have reportedly been deployed to Ayodhya, and roads leading to the site have been blocked. Officials say they are prepared to shut off internet access if necessary.
Here’s what to know about the Ayodhya ruling.
Why is Ayodhya so significant in Indian politics?
The Ayodhya case is a land disagreement between two Hindu and Muslim groups, who both believe a 2.77 acre plot of land in Ayodhya to be a site holy to their religion.
But the Ayodhya case is more than a land dispute. It’s political. And it goes to the heart of India’s identity politics.
To understand why, look at the history. British India had a long history of religious violence, particularly between the Hindu majority and the Muslim minority. When the country was divided under Partition in 1947, it was decided that India would be a secular state with no state religion — though there were some family laws that applied only to Muslims.
But by the 1970s and 1980s, Hindu nationalist leaders began embarking on tours of the country, drumming up support for a new kind of politics. They argued that Hindus had been discriminated against by “pseudo-secularism,” that Muslims had received a better deal, and that India should be a Hindu nation not a secular one. It was an idea that would fundamentally reshape India over the coming years.
The ruling Congress Party, while ostensibly secular, reacted by also beginning to take advantage of Hindu nationalism’s electoral potential. In 1986, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi opened the gates of the Babri Masjid — the disputed mosque in Ayodhya — for Hindus to worship inside. That act had significant consequences.
What’s the background to the Ayodhya dispute?
The controversy over Ayodhya long predated Rajiv Gandhi.
From the 1500s to the 1800s, the Muslim Mughal Empire covered much of India. It is during that period that the Babri masjid (the mosque in Ayodhya) was built.
According to records stretching as far back as the 1850s, Hindus have been attacking the Babri masjid, claiming a temple marking Rama’s birthplace had previously stood there until it was demolished by the Mughals.
In 1949, soon after independence, a group of Hindus broke into the mosque and placed idols of Ram inside, claiming they had miraculously appeared. A legal case ensued, and in response, police locked the gates.
The case proved a useful tool for the Hindu nationalist movement. A Hindu nationalist group affiliated with the BJP began a campaign to “reclaim” the site for Hindus.
In response, in 1986, Rajiv Gandhi opened the gates to Hindus. He also commissioned a TV dramatization of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana, detailing the life of Rama, which aired from 1987-88. The series was wildly popular, and many considered watching the show to be a spiritual experience.
The historian Arvind Rajagopal argues it laid the foundations for the religification of Indian politics, and played into the new vision of the Indian nation being engineered by Hindu nationalists. The soap opera, he writes in his book Politics after Television, was really “an ancient epic … thoroughly scrambled with a national origin myth of more recent vintage.”
What happened to the Babri mosque in Ayodhya?
In 1990, the Hindu nationalist campaign to “reclaim” the “Ramjanmabhumi” (Rama’s birthplace) reached its zenith. L.K. Advani, then the leader of the BJP, embarked on a month-long pilgrimage around India, holding rallies agitating for a temple to be built on the site of the mosque.
He was arrested on the way, but thousands of supporters reached Ayodhya and attempted to storm the mosque. They were rebuffed by security forces, leaving 20 dead.
Then, in 1992, Advani spoke at a rally in Ayodhya attended by 150,000 people. That day, a mob stormed the mosque and tore it down.
The demolition led to a wave of Hindu-Muslim violence across India, in which more than 2,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed, according to the historian Ramachandra Guha.
At the next national elections in 1996, the BJP won its first majority in the Indian parliament. Its manifesto included a pledge to build a temple to Rama on the site of the mosque in Ayodhya.
The Supreme Court will decide who the 2.77 disputed acres in Ayodhya belong to.
The parties to the dispute are the Muslim Waqf Board, which controls Islamic property in India, the Hindu Mahasabha, a Hindu nationalist political party close in ideology to the BJP, and the Nirmohi Akhara, a sect of Hindu monks.
If the court rules in favor of the Hindu parties, it will be a win for the BJP and could open a door for them to deliver on their campaign pledge to build a temple to Ram on the spot where the mosque once stood.
(LONDON) — UK police said Friday that 10 teenagers were among the 39 Vietnamese found dead in a truck container in southeast England, including two 15-year-old boys.
Police released the list of victims of what is believed to be one of the country’s worst cases of people smuggling.
“This was an incredibly important process and our team has been working hard to bring answers to worried families who fear their loved one may be among those whose tragic journey ended on our shores,” said Assistant Chief Constable Tim Smith.
“Our priority has been to identify the victims, to preserve the dignity of those who have died and to support the victims’ friends and families.”
The authorities worked with Vietnamese police and the coroner to identify the bodies that were found Oct. 23 in the back of a truck in an industrial park in the English town of Grays.
Police last week said all of the victims were Vietnamese citizens. DNA samples were taken from families in Vietnam who suspected their missing relatives may have been on that truck.
(STOCKHOLM) — A$AP Rocky will perform in Sweden several months after he was convicted of assault in a street brawl.
Concert promoter Live Nation says the rapper will return to Stockholm “after tremendous support from the Swedish fans.” The artist is due to perform Dec. 11 at Stockholm’s Ericsson Globe arena.
A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, was convicted of assault for a June 30 street brawl in Stockholm. He pleaded self-defense, saying he tried to avoid a confrontation with two men who were following his entourage.
On Aug. 14, Mayers and his two bodyguards were given “conditional sentences,” meaning they won’t serve prison time unless they commit a similar offense in the future.
President Donald Trump had weighed in to support the Grammy-nominated recording artist.
Spontaneous protests broke out at several locations in Hong Kong Friday afternoon after the death in hospital of a student.
Chow Tsz-lok, also known as Alex Chow, 22, was found with serious head injuries five days ago, in a car park near the scene of a street battle between police and anti-government demonstrators, and had been in a coma since.
Police earlier told reporters that Chow fell from the third to the second story of the car park. Officers were in the car park at the time, but the police deny that Chow was pushed or that they were pursuing him.
Although the circumstances remain unclear, the computer science undergraduate is nonetheless being regarded by protesters as having died as a result of injuries sustained during a demonstration—potentially the first such case in five months of increasingly violent unrest.
Within hours of his death on Friday morning, crowds of office workers began gathering in the financial district, occupying main thoroughfares and chanting “Hongkongers, take revenge!” Calls for protesters to take “blood for blood” circulated online.
Hundreds also rallied in different parts of the Kowloon peninsula and at the Hong Kong University of Science of and Technology (HKUST), where Chow was a student.
According to local media, HKUST’s president, Wei Shyy, cut short a graduation ceremony Friday in order to visit Chow’s family at hospital, and announced Chow’s passing to the graduands present.
Hundreds of students later marched on his campus residence to demand he condemn alleged police brutality. Live news images showed his lodge heavily graffitied and windows broken. A canteen and a cafe were also reportedly ransacked and vandalized. The university urged students to “exercise restraint during this difficult moment.”
Speaking at a vigil on campus, Rey, a 19-year-old business student, said: “The situation has really crossed a moral line. This is not really about opposing political stances anymore. The police’s use of excessive force has resulted in a tragedy, and there is no way we can accept this.”
Reverend Chu Yiu-ming, a founder of the 2014 Occupy Central movement, addressed the vigil at HKUST saying that Chow “used his life to safeguard freedom. Even though his life on this planet has been cut short, yet his light is shining on us, inspiring and encouraging us.”
Thousands also gathered at the suburban car park where Chow was found unconscious. Mourners, including many families with young children, lit candles, laid floral tributes and wrote messages of condolence.
A salesman named Siu, who said he was in his 50s and lived opposite the car park, said: “I was heartbroken when I learned he had lost his life. He’s just a teenager. I don’t think the government is going to respond to this situation in a satisfactory manner. What they really need to do is face the reality and reflect on why the society has come to this—not stay in their own parallel universe.”
Live news feeds showed impromptu vigils taking place in several other districts of Hong Kong. Shortly after 8:00 p.m., a tense standoff took place in the Causeway Bay retail and entertainment district between riot police and angry crowds who occupied key intersections, shouting slogans and abuse.
Protesters also began setting up barricades on Nathan Road—the main artery through the congested Kowloon peninsula—and in at least two northern suburbs. A major suburban train station was evacuated after protesters began smashing the facilities.
Hong Kong’s embattled administration meanwhile issued a statement expressing “great sorrow and regret” over Chow’s death, and extended sympathies to his family. It added that a police crime unit was investigating the case. Some legislators also held a minute’s silence for Chow.
The young man’s demise comes at a time of worsening political tensions in Hong Kong and is sure to galvanize anti-government protesters, who are demanding greater political freedom for the enclave—a British colony for 156 years before it was retroceded to China in 1997.
Two days ago, a conservative politician was stabbed and hospitalized while out campaigning in local elections. Three days before that, a pro-democracy district councilor was attacked and had part of his ear bitten off after a political row outside a shopping mall. In recent weeks, at least two other democracy campaigners have been attacked and hospitalized, and two teenagers shot by police with live rounds, both of whom survived.
Thousands have been injured and arrested since the protests began in June. The unrest has taken an especially heavy toll on Hong Kong’s vital tourism and retail industries, pushing the territory into recession.
—With reporting by Abhishyant Kidangoor and Hillary Leung/Hong Kong
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INCOMING EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, has set alarm bells ringing with a bullish speech in which she suggested the bloc was ready to ditch "soft power" and flex its "muscles" in a bid to "asset itself on the world".
GIBRALTARIANS are "British through and through" - and the close "emotional link" between the Rock and the UK means it will always choose Britain over the EU, regardless of whatever happens with Brexit, Chief Miniser Fabian Picardo has said.
FALKLAND ISLANDS voters do not trust Jeremy Corbyn and see him as pro-Argentina, largely due to his contempt for Margaret Thatcher, the Island's radio boss said today.
EGYPT archaeologists are currently probing a "very strange animal," which might be "a lion or lioness," Minister of Antiquities Dr Khaled El-Enany told Express.co.uk in an exclusive interview.
MELANIA TRUMP was mocked by megastar John Legend, who offered a damning verdict on the First Lady's rise to office with husband and US President Donald.
IVANKA TRUMP stunned reporters when she "disagreed" with both her father and brother, opening up claims of a rift inside the Trump family in the White House.
CHINA has launched a stinging attack on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, branding his recent criticism of the Chinese Communist Party "extremely dangerous" and ordering him to stop "jabbering on".
When I was in high school, it blew me away to realize that some of my friends had never left the region. Some had never left our home city. Traveling was part of my development. I wouldn’t be the same person if I’d never left my home city. If you’re wanting to experience another culture, starting a business would be like jumping into a cold lake. It will be thrilling and possibly painful all at once. You’re likely the kind of person who loves a challenge. If you are, then read on to find out what countries are the best
Are you one of those people who when someone tells you, “don’t quit your day job,” you say, “Well…I wouldn’t.”? You’re one of the lucky people in this world who loves their job. The problem with jobs we love is that they don’t always pay the best. Maybe you’re working in a non-profit or you’re a teacher. These sectors are highly rewarding and low-paying. How then can you make extra money to live comfortably and support your family? A side business is how! You’re not alone if you think you’re going to make money on the side while doing the
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IBPS RRB Result 2019 Out!! | Check IBPS RRB Officer Scale 1 & Office Assistant Result @ ibps.in- The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has recently uploaded Officer Scale 1 & Office Assistant Result, Marks List on 04th October 2019. Those Candidates who have attended the Examination for the post can check and download your result from the below link. Here on this page, all the applicants can get complete details of IBPS RRB Result 2019.
Latest Updates: IBPS Probationary Officer PO, MT Pre Exam Result Marks 2019 released on 08th November 2019.
IBPS PO, MT Pre Exam Marks 2019Declared – Institute Of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has Recently Uploaded Pre Exam Result Marks for the Post of Probationary Officer PO and Management Trainee MT IX Recruitment 2019 on 08th November 2019. Those Candidates Who have Appeared in this Recruitment Exam Can Download Result Marks.
IBPS RRB VIII Officer Scale I, II, III Mains Exam Result 2019Declared– Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has Recently Uploaded Mains Result for the Post of Office Assistant (Multipurpose), Officer Scale I, II, III Recruitment 2019. Those Candidates Who have Appeared in this Recruitment Exam Can Download Mains Exam Result now.
IBPS RRB VIII Officer Scale I, II, III Mains Exam Result 2019
IBPS RRB VIII Officer Scale I, II, III Mains Exam Result Release Date
04th October 2019
Official Website
ibps.in
View the Result Status of Online Main Examination for CRP RRB VIII – Officers Scale I – Click Here View the Result Status of Online Single Examination for CRP RRB VIII – Officers Scale II – Click Here View the Result Status of Online Single Examination for CRP RRB VIII – Officers Scale III – Click Here
IBPS CRP RRB VIII Officer Assistant I Prelims Result 2019Declared– The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has Recently Uploaded Mains Admit Card/ Result & Marks List for the Post of Office Assistant (Multipurpose), Officer Scale I, II, III Recruitment 2019 on 04th October 2019. Those Candidates Who have Appeared in this Recruitment Exam Can Download Mains Exam Admit Card/ Office Asst. Result now.
IBPS CRP RRB VIII Officer Assistant I Prelims Score Card
IBPS CRP RRB VIII Officer Assistant I Prelims Score Card Release Date
04th October 2019
Official Website
ibps.in
IBPS CRP RRB VIII Officer Assistant I Pre Exam Marks – Click Here IBPS CRP RRB VIII Officer Assistant Mains Admit Card – Click Here IBPS CRP RRB VIII Officer Assistant I Prelims Result 2019 – Click Here
IBPS RRB PO (Prelims) Result 2019 – IBPS RRB Result (PO) 2019 for prelims exam result to be announced soon @ ibps.in. 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 CRP RRB VIII Officer Scale I Prelims Result 2019 – The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has recently uploaded the Prelims Score Card for the Post of Officer Scale I, II, III Recruitment 2019 on 24th September 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 VIII Office Assistant, Officer Scale I Prelims Exam Result now!
IBPS CRP RRB VIII Officer Scale I Prelims Result 2019
IBPS CRP RRB VIII Officer Scale I Prelims Score Card Release Date
24th September 2019
Official Website
ibps.in
IBPS CRP RRB VIII Officer Scale I Prelims Score Card 2019 – Click Here IBPS CRP RRB VIII Officer Scale I 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 Result – Click Here IBPS RRB VII Officer Scale I Result – 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 the 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 PO 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 are decided by the board and it varies for each category. Applicants 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.
Bastar University Result 2019 – Hello Students!!. Bastar University has released the results for various Courses. Students who have been appeared for those examinations can check the Bastar University Result from the official website of the University. Recently, the University has published the results of M.A, M.Sc, B.Sc ( Home Science), B.com PART-one, two, three, B.Sc Part one, two, three supply results and other Courses results are available here. It will be great if students visit the official portal of Bastar Vishwavidyalaya regularly. Students will get all the updates related to the result immediately. Here we have provided a direct link to check the results from the below table. It will help the students to get the results without any confusion. Moreover, Students can get complete information regarding Exam Dates, result dates from this page easily. We advise the Students to check the official website regularly to know their results on time.
Bastar University Result 2019
Bastar University has declared the UG/ PG Exam Results 2018-19. So, all the Students appeared for B.Sc ( Home Science), B.com PART-I, II, B.Sc Part -II, three, B.A supply results and all other Bastar University Course wise Results in here. Also, get all your Regular, Supplementary and Bastar University Revaluation Result 2019 direct link on this page. Follow the instruction available in the below section to know your BVVJDP Results 2019. All the concerned Students can also check the Bastar University Annual Exam Result. Students who are anxiously waiting for Bastar University Final Result 2019 need to pay attention to the information provided here. Also, we used to update the Upcoming University result link, it will work once the University will release it officially. Hence, Scroll down the entire page and get the Results of Bastar University here.
Bastar Vishwavidyalaya (BVV) or Bastar University, is a State University located in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, India. It is a teaching-cum-affiliating university which affiliates 30 colleges and has 10 University Teaching Departments (UTD). It was established and incorporated by Chhattisgarh Vishwavidyalaya Adhiniyam No. 18 of 2008 on September 2, 2008. The BVV motto is to enhance the capacities of the disadvantaged and preserve the human values for a future generation, The doctoral studies have been proposed to be started at the University and the new courses like Hindi, English, politics and Tourism and Hospital management are coming up.
Bastar University Supply/Revaluation Results
Students are waiting for the results if they scored well they will lead to next year. But if they will not get more marks they can apply for the Revaluation Results. Once they applied for the Examination, the higher level Examiner will check the paper again. They can get the revaluation results within the time. Also if still get fail marks, they can apply for the supplementary examination. For each and every semester Students can apply for the revaluation after the announcement of the main examination results. The Bastar University will take a week or more to process the exam papers to announce the Bastar University Revaluation Results. Do stay updated with the University to know about the Revaluation Exam Results.
RSMSSB Result 2019 Announced – Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board has recently uploaded results for various Posts. Now RSMSSB has declared the Aganwadi Supervisor DV Schedule, Lab Assistant & Informatics Assistant Result, Cut off Marks on the official website. Here on this page applicants can get all Results regarding the RSMSSB. We have dedicated this page to upload all the Recent results released from the Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board. Aspirants who are looking for RSMSSB recruitment 2019-20 exam results can find on our page. Moreover, aspirants can visit the official website of Rajasthan SMSSB for checking the result.
RSMSSB Physical Training Instructor 2nd Selected Candidates List 2019Declared– Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board has recently declared the Second List of Selected Candidates for the Post of Physical Training Instructor Recruitment 2018 on 25th October 2019. Applicants who have applied for this Recruitment Exam can download the Second List of Selected Candidates from the below table. As we know all those candidates are waiting for the RSMSSB Physical Training Instructor (PTI) Final Result. Everyone can check and download your results from the below links.
RSMSSB Physical Training Instructor 2nd Selected Candidates List 2019
Organization Name
Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board
RSMSSB Physical Training Instructor 2nd Selected Candidates List 2019 – Click Here RSMSSB Physical Training Instructor Final Result 2019 – Click Here
RSMSSB Live Stock Assistant Revised Result 2019Declared– Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board has recently declared the Revised Marksheet for the Post of Live Stock Assistant Recruitment 2018 on 01st November 2019. Applicants who have applied for this Recruitment Exam can download the Revised Result from the below table. As we know all those candidates are waiting for the RSMSSB Live Stock Assistant Revised Result. Everyone can check and download your results from the below links.
RSMSSB Live Stock Assistant Revised Marksheet 2019
Organization Name
Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board
RSMSSB Live Stock Assistant Revised Marksheet – Click Here RSMSSB Live Stock Assistant Revised Result 2019 – Click Here
RSMSSB Lower Division Clerk Result 2019Declared– Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board has recently declared the selection list for the Post of Lower Division Clerk Recruitment 2018 on 25th October 2019. Applicants who have applied for this Recruitment Exam can download the selected candidate’s list to attend Document verification. As we know all those candidates are waiting for the RSMSSB Lower Division Clerk Result. Everyone can check and download your results from the below links.
RSMSSB Lower Division Clerk Result 2019
Organization Name
Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board
RSMSSB Lower Division Clerk Result 2019 – Click Here
RSMSSB Women Supervisor DV Result 2019 – Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board have recently declared the DV Result for The Post of Supervisor in Women Empowerment Department Recruitment 2018 on 12th September 2019. Applicants who have applied for this Recruitment Exam can download Revised result and Cutoff marks from the below table. As we know all those candidates are waiting for the RSMSSB Supervisor (Women Empowerment) DV Result. Everyone can check and download your results from the below links.
RSMSSB Women Supervisor DV Result 2019
Organization Name
Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board
RSMSSB Women Supervisor DV Result 2019 – Click Here
RSMSSB Woman Supervisor Result 2019 – Rajasthan Staff Selection Board (RSMSSB) has recently uploaded the result for the Post of Supervisor on 22nd August 2019. Those Candidates who have appeared in this Recruitment Exam Can Download Final Answer Key, Result and Cutoff Marks, DV Schedule here. Check your results via the link mentioned below. Hence, all those might be looking for the RSMSSB Supervisor Result 2019. Here we have provided a direct link to download your result.
RSMSSB Woman Supervisor Result 2019
Organization Name
Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board
Post Name
Supervisor (Mahila Paryavekshak) – Women Department
RSMSSB NTT Result 2019 – Rajasthan Staff Selection Board (RSMSSB) has recently uploaded the result for the Post of NTT Recruitment on 06th August 2019. Those Candidates who have appeared in this Recruitment Exam Can Download Final Answer Key, Result and Cutoff Marks, DV Schedule here. Check your results via the link mentioned below. Hence, all those might be looking for the RSMSSB NTT Result. Here we have provided a direct link to download your result.
RSMSSB NTT Result 2019
Organization Name
Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board
RSMSSB Informatics Assistant Provisional Selection List 2019 – Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board have recently uploaded the Provisional Selected List 2019 for the Post of Informatics Assistant (Suchna Sahayak) Recruitment on 02nd August 2019. All registered Candidates those who have appeared in this Exam can download Provisional Selected List from the below link. Check your results via the link mentioned below. Hence, all those might be looking for the RSMSSB Informatics Assistant Provisional Selected List 2019 now!
RSMSSB Informatics Assistant Provisional Selection List 2019
Organization Name
Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board
RSMSSB Informatics Assistant Provisional Selection List 2019 – Click Here
RSMSSB NTT Teacher Result 2019 – Rajasthan Staff Selection Board (RSMSSB) has recently uploaded the result for the Post of NTT Teacher Recruitment 2018 on 01st August 2019. Those Candidates who have appeared in this Recruitment Exam Can Download Final Answer Key, Result and Cutoff Marks, DV Schedule here. Check your results via the link mentioned below. Hence, all those might be looking for the RSMSSB NTT Teacher Result. Here we have provided a direct link to download your result.
RSMSSB NTT Teacher Result 2019
Organization Name
Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board
RSMSSB Aganwadi Supervisor Result, DV Schedule 2019 – Rajasthan Staff Selection Board (RSMSSB) has recently uploaded Result, DV Schedule for the Post of Aganwadi for Women Recruitment 2018 on 27th July 2019. Those Candidates who have appeared in this Recruitment Exam Can Download Final Answer Key, Result and Cutoff Marks, DV Schedule here. Check your results via the link mentioned below. Hence, all those might be looking for the RSMSSB Aganwadi Supervisor Result & DV Schedule 2019 now!
RSMSSB Aganwadi Supervisor Result, DV Schedule 2019
Organization Name
Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board
RSMSSB Aganwadi Supervisor Result, DV Schedule 2019 – Click Here
RSMSSB Supervisor (Women Empowerment) Revised Result 2019 – Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board have recently declared the Revised Result, Cutoff Marks for The Post of Supervisor in Women Empowerment Department Recruitment 2018 on 25th July 2019. Applicants those who have applied for this Recruitment Exam can download Revised result and Cutoff marks from the below table. As we know all those candidates are waiting for the RSMSSB Supervisor (Women Empowerment) Revised Result & Cut off marks. Everyone can check and download your results from the below links.
RSMSSB Supervisor (Women Empowerment) Revised Result 2019
Organization Name
Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board
RSMSSB Supervisor (Women Empowerment) Revised Result, Cutoff Marks 2019 – Click Here
RSMSSB Informatics Assistant Final Result 2019 – Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board have recently uploaded the Final Result for the Post of Informatics Assistant (Suchna Sahayak) Recruitment 2018 on 23rd July 2019. All registered Candidates those who have appeared in this Exam can download Final Result from the below link. Check your results via the link mentioned below. Hence, all those might be looking for the RSMSSB Informatics Assistant Final Result 2019 now!
RSMSSB Informatics Assistant Final Result 2019
Organization Name
Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board
RSMSSB Informatics Assistant Final Result 2019 – Click Here
RSMSSB Aganwadi Supervisor Result & Cutoff Marks 2019 – Rajasthan Staff Selection Board (RSMSSB) has recently uploaded final Answer Key, Result, Cutoff Marks for the Post of Aganwadi for Women Recruitment 2018 on 23rd July 2019. Those Candidates who have appeared in this Recruitment Exam Can Download Final Answer Key, Result and Cutoff Marks here. Check your results via the link mentioned below. Hence, all those might be looking for the RSMSSB Aganwadi Supervisor Result & Cutoff Marks 2019 now!
RSMSSB Aganwadi Supervisor Result & Cutoff Marks 2019
Organization Name
Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board
RSMSSB Aganwadi Supervisor Result & Cutoff Marks 2019 – Click Here RSMSSB Aganwadi Supervisor Final Answer Key – Click Here
RSMSSB Lab Assistant Result & Cutoff Marks 2019 – Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board (RSMSSB) are recently uploaded Result, Cutoff Marks for the Post of Laboratory Assistant Recruitment 2018 on 23rd July 2019. Those candidates who have appeared in this recruitment exam can download Result, Cutoff Marks from the below link. Check your results via the link mentioned below. Hence, all those might be looking for the RSMSSB Lab Assistant Result & Cutoff Marks 2019 now!
RSMSSB Lab Assistant Result & Cutoff Marks 2019
Organization Name
Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board
RSMSSB Lab Assistant Result & Cutoff Marks 2019 – Server 1 | Server 2
RSMSSB Result – Industry Inspector 2019
RSMSSB Result – for the post of Industry Inspector is out now. The board is now allowing the applicants to check the Result. Hence, the applicants can check the RSMSSB Result for Industry Inspector post in the link given below.
RSMSSB Result for Sanganak (Computer) 2019 is available now. The Candidates those who are waiting for the RSMSSB Computer Result 2019 can check from the link given below. The Board has given the RSMSSB Sanganak Document Verification Schedule on 6th July 2019. The candidates who cleared the Written Exam Can check the Schedule and be prepared for a Verification. However, download the RSMSSB Sanganak Doc Verification Schedule 2019 from the link below.
RSMSSB Result – Sanganak (Computer) Recruitment 2019
Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Commission announces the result for agriculture supervisor. Aspirants can find the result online here. Just click on the link given below to check agriculture supervisor result 2019.
Post Name
Agriculture Supervisor
No of Vacancies
1832
Category
Sarkari Results
Exam Date
Update Soon
Result Date
Update Soon
Official Website
www.rsmssb.rajasthan.gov.in
RSMSSB Result for Agriculture Supervisor
RSMSSB Information Assistant Exam Result 2019
RSMSSB Lab Technician, Radiographer Assistant, Ophthalmic Assistant & other recruitment exam result. A huge number of contenders had applied for the post and have been attended the examination. Candidates are selected based on their performance in written examination and personal interview. Hence, aspirants can check the result for written examination from the link in the table below.
Officials of Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board releases the RSMSSB Exam Results 2019 online. The board allows the applicants to check the result online. Hence, aspirants can find the direct link to check exam result on our page.
To make it easy for the visitors of our page, we have given the different links to check the result respective of the vacancies. Hence, find the link you looking for and check the RSMSSB exam result 2019-20 below. Aspirants can download the RSMSSB result pdf online for respective vacancies. Check the merit list, the provisional selection list, and the final selection list given by the RSMSSB.
RSMSSB Cut Off Details
Every year the officials of Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board releases the notification and conducts its examination. The board decides the cut off mark and hence there is no ambiguity. Candidates who meet the qualifying mark are only eligible for further rounds. Failing to meet the qualifying marks is not eligible for upcoming rounds. Hence it is important for contenders to meet the required marks and prepare well for the examination to be part of Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board.
RSMSSB Exam Merit List 2019
Merit list is given by the officials on the official website. The resulting sheet consists of the name of applicants qualify and only those contenders are allowed to attend further rounds. However, click on direct links and steps to help applicants easily acquire their results.
Steps to Download RSMSSB Results 2019
Click on the link below
Find the respective result link in the page and click on the link.
Enter the login details if required and check the results
Candidates can also download the result pdf for respective vacancies.
In case of the merit list, check your name or roll number to find the result.
Finally, take the printout of the RSMSSB Result for further reference.
Karnataka GDS Result 2019 @ appost.in | Get Direct link for Karanataka GDS Result 2019 Merit list here: Karnataka Postal Circle will soon announce the result for the post of Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS). Candidates those who have applied for the post can check and download your result from the below link. Here we have given a quick link to access your result easily. Candidates can get the complete details from the official website www.appost.in. On this page, anyone can check the Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS) Result 2019 by using the direct link.
Latest Update on 09th November 2019:The Karnataka GDS Result 2019 is Under process. All the candidates are advised to keep checking this page for more updates. Here we will be updating the Karnataka GDS Result Expected Date soon……
Karnataka GDS Result 2019 – Check Here
The application process for the recruitment of eligible candidates for the post of Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS) was invited in the month of August 2019. This recruitment process conducted to fill up 2637 candidates for Gramin Dak Sevak Posts in Karnataka state. The Karnataka Post circle GDS merit list will be purely based on the marks of the candidates in SSC. On this page, anyone can check the All-State Postman & Mail Guard Result Result 2019 by using the direct link Indian Post Office Result 2019. Registered candidates can download their GDS Merit list 2019 Karnataka from this page directly by visiting this page. The result link will activate at the time of the result announcement.
Karnataka Postal Circle GDS Result 2019 – Overview
The Karnataka GDS Result (cycle II 2019) will be declared soon. The Provisional shortlisted candidates will invite for the Document verification process. Based on the Document verification process, the final result will declare. Applicants should keep track of this page to get all the latest updates. A huge number of applicants may think that when GDS Result published in Karnataka.
Karnataka GDS Expected Cut-Off marks 2019
After the Document Verification process, the final result will announce. As per the selection process for the post of GDS, after the declaration of GDS Merit List 2019 Karnataka shortlisted candidates will be called for verification of all the original documents and certificates. The complete information about the DV date, time, venue and other information will be intimated to candidates by the district recruiting authority. The final recruitment will be carried forward at the district level by the designated authority. Also, applicants can get the Karnataka GDS Result 2019 Merit list and Karnataka Post circle GDS result from this page.
Community/category
Expected Cut-off marks
Unreserved (UR)
95
Other Backward Classes (OBC)
89.90
Schedule Caste (SC)
83.84
Scheduled Tribe (ST)
83
PWD-A
78
PWD-B
77
PWD-C
78
Economically Weaker Section (EWS)
87.89
How to check Karnataka GDS Result 2019 Merit list?
Candidates must visit the official website of the Gramin Dak Sevak Engagement portal appost.in
On the home page, search for the "Results" tab.
Click on "Karnataka (2637 posts)" link.
The desired merit list for Karnataka GDS will be download by clicking the respective result link
Check the downloaded merit list PDF and search for the name.
ILBS Results 2019 to be released soon for Jr Executive Nurse & Various Posts @ ilbs.in Check Cutoff Marks, Merit list here. Candidates can check and download results from this site. The exam date will be updated on this site. The Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences is planning to release the exam date soon. ILBS Nurse Staff and various post’s latest results link will be updated on this site. So, have frequent touch with this site.
ILBS Results 2019 – Download here
The Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences will announce the exam date as soon as possible. ILBS is conducting the written exam for ILBS Junior Executive Nurse, Assistant Professor, Consultant ( Psychiatry, Radiology), & Other Various Posts. This year they have released 306 posts. The applicants can get the exam date here. And also we will update the result link, here you can check and download the results. Candidates can also get the Merit list here.
ILBS Junior Executive Nurse Result 2019 – Overview
ILBS Results from 2019 | Check Cut Off Marks, Merit List
Description
Details
Organization Name
Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences
Post Name
Junior Executive Nurse, Assistant Professor, Consultant ( Psychiatry, Radiology), & Other Various
Candidates can have information about the results, cutoff marks, and merit list in this post. To their results, aspirants should have hall ticket number and password along with them. With the help of these candidates can check their results. In case of missing those login credentials, you can contact the higher officials ILBS through the mail. From the further section, Applicants can check the information about cut off marks, merit list, and also steps to check results. Applicants will be selected by the Screening, Written Test/Skill Test and Interview.
ILBS JE Nurse Cut Off Marks
All the aspirants can have detailed information regarding ILBS Junior Nurse cut off marks. The Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences has not yet released the exact cut off marks. The cutoff marks may vary from one region to another and one state to another. The Cut off marks will play an essential role in every individual’s life who appears for the examination. Hence, the candidates should know the cut off marks criteria before going to examination to score high marks. The cut off marks will be soon updated in the official website @ www.ilbs.in.
ILBS Junior Executive Nurse Merit List 2019
In this section, the applicants can know clearly about the ILBS Junior Executive Nurse Merit List 2019. Generally, the Merit List will be released after the announcement of the results by the authority. The contenders who score maximum marks in all the sections will be listed on the merit list. After the completion of the examination, the results will be announced and then the merit list will be released on their official website. In the upcoming section, we have given the stepwise procedure to check the ILBS Result.
Stepwise procedure to check ILBS JE Nurse Results 2019
1. Initially, Candidates have to visit the official website of the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences at www.ilbs.in.
2. On the home page, click on the ILBS Junior Executive Nurse Result 2019 link.
3. Click on the Result and check your result.
4. Then finally the ILBS Nurse Result will display on your screen.
BTEUP Scrutiny Result 2019 Declared on 20th October 2019 @ bteup.ac.in | UP Diploma Polytechnic 2nd, 4th, 6th Semester Results. Welcome to our BTEUP Result page. Here we help you find all the BTEUP Scrutiny Result Semester Wise. The Board of Technical Education Uttar Pradesh has announced the UP Polytechnic Scrutiny Result. Hence, candidates who are waiting for the BTEUP Result 2019 can check from the direct link given below. BTEUP Revaluation Result for polytechnic diploma odd/even semester, annual and Back Paper exams will be released soon.. However, all the best and check the Result by clicking the link below.
Latest Update on 05th November 2019: BTEUP has Declared Re-evaluation Exam Result On Its Official Website Candidates can check the Result From the Link Given Below……Stay Connected with us for the latest Updated Results…
BTEUP Polytechnic/Diploma Revaluation Even Semester Result 2019 – Applicants who have applied for the BTEUP Scrutiny Revaluation can check your result from the below link. Here we have updated the latest result link. And the result link has activated now. Board of Technical Education has released the diploma/polytechnic scrutiny results for odd semesters on 20th October 2019. Hence the Students can keep checking the BTEUP official website bteup.ac.in to check the BTEUP Revaluation Result 2019.
BTEUP Scrutiny Revaluation Result 2019
Organization Name
Board of Technical Education Uttar Pradesh (BTEUP)
BTEUP Even Semester Exam Result 2019 – Click Here Download BTEUP 2nd, 4th, 6th Sem Result 2019 – Click Here
BTEUP Result
BTEUP Scrutiny Result for Polytechnic Exam is Released Today. UPBTE Finally released the Polytechnic Diploma Scrutiny Final Result by official website – www.bteup.in. This is a piece of very good news for the students who are looking for the BTEUP Scrutiny Result and UPBTE Polytechnic Diploma Merit List. The candidates those who are looking for the BTEUP Scrutiny Result can download directly from Recruitment.guru.
UPBTE Polytechnic Result 2019
Below we have enclosed the UPBTE Polytechnic Diploma Scrutiny Result. Students are waiting for so, many days but Uttar Pradesh Board of Technical Education has released the BTEUP Scrutiny Result now. So, People who are waiting for the BTEUP Scrutiny Result can download the BTEUP Scrutiny form 2019 directly from here. Also on this page applicants can get the BTEUP Security fees.
bteup.ac.in 2019 Result
UP Board of Technical Education is responsible for organizing polytechnic/diploma examinations and releasing results. BTEUP had conducted Polytechnic annual exams for 1st, 2nd and 3rd in June month. Written exams were conducted for all branches including Civil, Mechanical, IT, Electronics, Electrical, Computer science, etc. The board will release the scorecard and BTEUP Result 2018 -19 for these exams. Candidates can check them UP BET Result 2019 after the declaration. They will be available either on the BTEUP recruitment.guru website or in the college.
BTEUP Scrutiny Result
Candidates who were not able to clear some / all papers had applied for scrutiny. Now UPBTE is in the process of preparing UPBTE Scrutiny Exam Result 2019. The scrutiny exam result is declared now. Students who had applied can check them from below given links below. We will update the other information regarding UPBTE Polytechnic Results here.
UP BTE Revaluation Result – Diploma Revaluation Result 2019
UPBTE Re-evaluation / Scrutiny/ Re-checking Result for all semesters 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th will be available provided here. Board of Technical Education Uttar Pradesh, last year, had announced results for the UPBTE Regular Annual Results for All Semesters. Now, the students who got fewer marks than expected, are applied for UPBTE Scrutiny. Candidates who applied are eagerly looking for the Polytechnic Semester Exam Result. BTEUP Exam Result 2019 will go to be released in Month 2019. The Scrutiny Result 2019 has released on the official website.
Download UPBTE Scrutiny Result
Students can check their UPBTE Scrutiny result either on the official website or in the College. Mark Sheets will be available after the change in marks & overall Performance. There is always a chance for an increase in marks through Scrutiny. Students have to contact their Exam Cell for Scrutiny Result.
Download BTEUP Polytechnic Diploma Scrutiny Result
Board of Technical Education Uttar Pradesh Polytechnic Diploma Scrutiny Result 2019 BTEUP Scrutiny Result 2019 Check Scrutiny Process Filling of Scrutiny Form 2019 UP Polytechnic Annual Exam Copy Re-Check result.
Download BTEUP Scrutiny Merit List 2019
Below we have enclosed the BTEUP Results & Merit List for all zones. People can check their marks from the below links from Diploma Revaluation Result 2019.
Now you can check the BTEUP Scrutiny Final Result. BTEUP Exam 2014 Incomplete Result for Absent (AB)/ Incomplete (MW)Candidates Corrected Marks has been Announced by Board on 9 March 2019. Hence, Please Click On Given below Link.
BTEUP Scrutiny Result Download Links
Get BTEUP Scrutiny Result 2019 Zone 1 (Western Region)
NOTICE– Special Back Paper Exam will be Conducted on 23.12.2014 (Tuesday)
Important Note:
Board of Technical Education Uttar Pradesh has recently announced Result for the Polytechnic Diploma. Furthermore, After the Result, some students get fewer marks than expected. So they have to fill scrutiny Form for Re-Checking of their Answer books. So, there will be an increase in marks.
Scrutiny Form:
Candidates can get Scrutiny Form from their respective Colleges. Students have to contact their Exam Cell for Scrutiny form.
There is always a chance for an increase in marks through Scrutiny. So Candidates need to fill the form for Subjects in which they are sure that they will have a chance of increment in marks.
However, The Process of Scrutiny is live. Candidates need to be very choosy about the Selection of Exam Paper. It is free to fill scrutiny of any paper.
UPPSC Asst Conservator Syllabus 2019 is provided here to download. So the candidates who already applied for UPPSC jobs can check the UPPSC Forest Ranger officer Syllabus. Also, you can find the UPPSC Exam Pattern in the below section. Download UPPSC Assistant Forest Conservator Syllabus pdf for reference and exam preparation. The candidates can also check the UPPSC Assistant Conservator Syllabus 2019 @ uppsc.up.nic.in
UPPSC Asst Conservator Syllabus 2019 Pdf
The candidates who applied for AFC Uttar Pradesh state jobs are now searching for UPPSC FR Syllabus. So for the desirable candidates like you, we are giving the complete UPPSC Asst Conservator Syllabus. Therefore in the UPPSC Syllabus, you can find all the concepts which appear in the UPPSC FR exam. After viewing the concepts in UPPSC Forest ranger Syllabus, you can estimate which topics are important and which are not. So that concentrate on the important topics which are having more weight-age. The candidates can also get more updates at Sarkari Naukri.
The candidates who are waiting for UPPSC jobs, here is the latest employment news. The Uttar Pradesh government recently released the UPPSC Notification 2019. Through this UPPSC Recruitment, the UP Government is going to fill 924 vacant posts. And these vacancies are for the posts of Assistant Forest Conservator, Forest Ranger Officer. So the candidates who are willing to start careers in UPPSC can utilize this opportunity.
Also, the candidates of UP can check the table of UPPSC AFC Exam Pattern below. Besides UPPSC Syllabus, we are also attaching the UPPSC AFC Previous Papers here. Download the UPPSC Forest Ranger Syllabus and old papers and start your exam preparation. Hope our information will help you in your preparation and in cracking the UPPSC Forest Ranger Officer Examination 2019.
Selection Procedure for UPPSC Forest Range Officer Recruitment 2019
The candidates will undergo through the UPPSC Prelims and Mains Examination for recruitment of Assist Forest Conservator and Forest Ranger Officer Posts. however, the UPPSC Asst Conservator Syllabus for prelims and Mains are listed below. Let’s check the latest UPPSC Forest Ranger Officer Syllabus details here. Also, download the free UPPSC Forest Conservator Syllabus pdf for free.
The candidates who are willing to attend the UPPSC exam can check the syllabus on this page. Then the applicants will have an idea about the topics covered in the examination.
UPPSC Forest Range Officer Syllabus 2019 – General Hindi
Verb.
Tenses.
Articles.
Comprehension.
Subject-Verb Agreement.
Vocabulary.
Fill in the Blanks.
Idioms & Phrases.
Error Correction.
Adverb.
Sentence Rearrangement.
Grammar.
Unseen Passages.
Synonyms.
Antonyms etc.
UPPSC Asst Conservator Syllabus 2019 – General Studies
Current Events – National & International.
Culture & Heritage – India & UP.
Geography – India & UP.
History – India & UP.
Science & Technology.
Countries & Capitals
Important Days.
Environmental Studies.
Current Affairs – National & International.
Budget and Five Year Plans.
General Polity.
Important Financial & Economic News.
Sports.
Economy – India.
Awards and Honors.
Abbreviations.
Books and Authors.
Science – Inventions & Discoveries.
International & National Organizations etc.
For more UPPSC Assistant Forest Conservator Syllabus details download the Pdf below.
The candidates who are willing to attend the exam can check the UPPSC Forest Range Previous Paperson this page. So, we suggest the applicants check the solved papers and prepare well for the examination. The above information about the UPPSC Asst Conservator syllabus is only for the reference use. So the candidates who applied for UPPSC AFC jobs can check the UPPSC Syllabus for better preparation. Candidates can find any sort of information regarding the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission recruitment on our page. Or else you can also visit this www.uppsc.up.nic.in official website.
The Uttar Pradesh Asst Conservator Syllabus is available here for download. Candidates who are appearing for UPPSC Asst Conservator Exam will be searching for UPPSC Asst Conservator Syllabus & UPPSC Asst Conservator Exam Pattern. We are providing UPPSC Assistant Conservator Syllabus & UPPSC Assistant Conservator Exam Pattern for the guidance of candidates. The UPPSC Assistant Conservator Syllabus PDF is also available for download from the link given below. The UPPSC Asstt Conservator Exam Syllabus & Pattern is also available on the official website. Aspirants can check for UPPSC Conservator Syllabus & UPPSC Forest Assistant Conservator Exam Pattern to start their preparation.
Candidates can visit our website for more updates regarding UPPSC Forest Recruitment 2019, UPPSC Asst Conservator Exam Important Dates, UPPSC Asst Forest Conservator Syllabus & Exam Pattern, UPPSC Asst Conservator Previous Papers, UPPSC Asst Conservator Admit Cards 2019 etc.
UPPSC – uppsc.up.nic.in
Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) is an authorized organization working under the State Government of Uttar Pradesh. The UPPSC conducts various exams for the recruitment of capable candidates into State Civil Services. UPPSC does all the recruitment procedures for selection of applicants for different departments in State Government. The UPPSC releases notifications every year for recruitment of aspirants into various posts in UP Government. Eligible candidates who are interested in Government Jobs of UP can apply to this posts through online mode after the release of notification. Aspirants can visit the authorized website for further details. The official website of Uttar Pradesh PSC is uppsc.up.nic.in.
UPPSC Asst Conservator Exam Pattern 2019
S.No
Exam
Paper
Subject
Marks
1.
Written Test
Paper I
General Hindi
300
Paper II
General Studies
300
Paper III
Optional I
200
Paper IV
Optional I
200
Paper V
Optional II
200
Paper VI
Optional II
200
2.
Interview Test
150
UPPSC Forest Asst Conservator Syllabus 2019
The UPPSC Asst Conservator Syllabus pdf is available for download from the link given below. The UPPSC Asst Conservator Exam consists of General Hindi & General Studies.
UPPSC Asst Conservator Syllabus for General Hindi
Verb.
Tenses.
Adverb.
Articles.
Subject-Verb Agreement.
Fill in the Blanks.
Error Correction.
Comprehension.
Sentence Rearrangement.
Vocabulary.
Grammar.
Unseen Passages.
Idioms & Phrases.
Synonyms.
Antonyms etc.
UPPSC Asst Conservator Syllabus for General Studies
New HP TET Syllabus 2019 is here. Download Himachal Pradesh TET Syllabus Pdf. Check HP Teacher Eligibility Test TGT, Language Teacher, Shastri, Junior Basic Training (JBT), Punjab Language Teacher and Urdu Language Teacher posts Exam Pattern. Get HP TET Exam Syllabus, Test Pattern, Exam Dates, Timings, Exam Centers and furthermore info @ hpbose.org
HPTET Syllabus 2019 Pdf
Candidates who are searching for the Himachal Pradesh TET Syllabus, they can download it here. We have provided complete information regarding the HP TET Syllabus and Exam Pattern. Applicants can also download the Syllabus through the direct link provided below. Interested people can visit the official website to know furthermore details regarding the HP Teacher Eligibility Test Syllabus and Exam Pattern. Candidates can also find HP TET Previous and old Papers on our site.
According to the Latest Employment News, Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education has newly announced the Teacher Eligibility Test Notification. The HP has released TET Notification to Recruiting a Talented candidates to fill the TGT (Arts, Non-Medical, Medical), Shastri, Language Teacher, Punjab LT, Urdu LT, and JBT Posts. It is great news for the people who are waiting for the Teaching Jobs. For further more details regarding the HP TET Recruitment go through the full article.
HP Teacher Eligibility Test Syllabus 2019 – Details
Description
Details
Name of the Board
Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HP BOSE)
Candidates who are applying the HP TET Recruitment 2019 they will be selected for the Teaching Jobs based on their performance in –
Written Examination.
HP TET Exam Pattern 2019
Applicants who are appearing they can check the Himachal Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test Exam Pattern here. We have provided complete information regarding the Exam Pattern.
HP TET TGT (Arts) Exam Pattern:
SL. NO
Subject
No.of Questions
Marks
Duration
1.
Child psychology
30
150
2:30 Hrs
2.
General awareness
30
3.
English
30
4.
Social Studies
60
Total
150
150
HP TET TGT (NM) Exam Pattern:
SL. NO
Subject
No.of Questions
Marks
Duration
1.
Child psychology
30
150
2:30 Hrs
2.
General awareness
30
3.
Mathematics
30
4.
Physics and Chemistry
60
Total
150
150
HP TET TGT (Medical) Exam Pattern:
SL. NO
Subject
No.of Questions
Marks
Duration
1.
Child psychology
30
150
2:30 Hrs
2.
General awareness
30
3.
Botany and Zoology
30
4.
Chemistry
60
Total
150
150
HP TET Shastri Exam Pattern:
SL. NO
Subject
No.of Questions
Marks
Duration
1.
Shashtri degree course
120
150
2:30 Hrs
2.
General awareness
30
Total
150
150
HP TET Language Teacher Exam Pattern:
SL. NO
Subject
No.of Questions
Marks
Duration
1.
Hindi Course of Graduation Level
120
150
2:30 Hrs
2.
General awareness including Himachal Pradesh, Current Affairs & Environmental Studies
The written examination will consist of Objective Type Questions
The total number of questions is 150 and each question will carry 1 mark
The total duration of the examination is 150 minutes i.e. 2:30 Hrs
Candidates need to secure minimum 60% qualifying marks
For further details go through the official notification
HP TET Exam Syllabus 2019
Get the posts wise syllabus details in the below section. By following the topics it will be easier to prepare for the examination. So, go through the below sections.
HP TET Arts Syllabus for TGT
Pedagogy.
current affairs.
Social Studies.
environmental studies.
English literature & grammar.
Teaching-learning processes.
Child psychology and development.
General awareness including Himachal Pradesh.
HP TET Non Medical Syllabus 2019 Pdf for TGT
Mathematics.
Pedagogy.
current affairs.
Physics and Chemistry.
environmental studies.
English literature & grammar.
Teaching-learning processes.
Child psychology and development.
General awareness including Himachal Pradesh.
HP TET Medical Syllabus 2019 for TGT
Pedagogy.
current affairs.
Botany and Zoology.
environmental studies.
English literature & grammar.
Teaching-learning processes.
Child psychology and development.
General awareness including Himachal Pradesh.
HP Teacher Eligibility Test Syllabus for Shastri TET
Questions will be asked from Shastri degree course of HP University.
General awareness including Himachal Pradesh.
current affairs & environmental studies.
Himachal Pradesh TET Syllabus for Language Teacher TET
Questions will be asked from Hindi Course of graduation level of HP University.
General awareness including Himachal Pradesh.
current affairs & environmental studies.
TET Syllabus for JBT TET
Mathematics.
Social Sciences.
Environmental Studies.
Teaching learning processes.
English literature & grammar
Hindi literature & grammar.
Child Development and Pedagogy.
General awareness & current affairs including Himachal Pradesh.
Himachal Pradesh TET Syllabus for Punjabi Language Teacher TET
Questions will be asked from Punjabi Course of Graduation level of H.P. University.
Himachal Pradesh current affairs & Environmental studies.
General awareness.
HP Teacher Eligibility Test Syllabus For Urdu Language Teacher TET
Questions will be asked from the Urdu Course of Graduation level of H.P.
Himachal Pradesh current affairs & Environmental studies.
General awareness including.
HP TET Syllabus 2019 Pdf Download
HP Teachers Eligibility Test Syllabus Pdf – Click Here
NEW DELHI: Are stints in Lehman Brothers and Nomura Bank as the global financial crisis unfolded good preparation for managing law and order in Ayodhya? That's one among several interesting points about UP government's Team Ayodhya, a three-member core team tasked with maintaining peace pre and post Supreme Court judgment. Ayodhya's Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ashish Tiwari, from Madhya Pradesh, is an IIT Kanpur computer engineer, who worked in Lehman Brothers and Nomura till 2010. The 36-year-old joined IPS in 2012 after his second civil services exam attempt. He will work with District Magistrate Anuj Kumar Jha, 38, from Bihar. Jha has a masters degree in public administration and joined the IAS in 2009. Both these young officers are recent arrivals in Ayodhya. Tiwari joined his post in June, and Jha in February. 71978557 The UP administration added some experience to youth by posting Additional Director General of Police, Ashutosh Pandey, 52, to Ayodhya. Pandey, a 1992 batch IPS, is considered an 'Ayodhya specialist'. He had been posted as SSP in the town earlier and had camped in Ayodhya last year when a VHP Dharm Sansad and Shiv Sena gatherings had ratcheted up tension. "It is a highly efficient set of officers," UP's Additional Director General (Law and Order) PV Ramasastry told ET. Tiwari and Jha, in their first Ayodhya postings, have been holding flag marches and meeting locals and political leaders. Ramasastry told ET that chief minister Yogi Adityanath has "directed all senior officers, of ADG and Inspector General (IG) level, to spend time in various districts to build confidence. "The CM did a nearly four-hour long review meeting last night. We had started the exercise of effective monitoring over a month ago," Ramasastry said. And even though the Ayodhya dispute goes back in time, since the judgment is coming in 21st century, there's naturally a special social media operation. A social media cell has been set up in UP Police Headquarters in Lucknow and social media monitoring groups in various districts have been tasked to monitor posts.
By Ellen Milligan and Jonathan BrowningThree Chinese banks are suing the brother of Asia's richest man in a London court for failing to pay back $680 million in defaulted loans.The Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China agreed to loan $925.2 million to Anil Ambani's firm Reliance Communications Ltd. in 2012 on condition that he provide a personal guarantee, ICBC's lawyer Bankim Thanki told the court. Some repayments were made by the wireless carrier but in February 2017, it defaulted on its payment obligations.The embattled Indian tycoon says that while he agreed to give a non-binding "personal comfort letter," he never gave a guarantee tied to his personal assets - an "extraordinary potential personal liability." He's the brother of Mukesh Ambani, who's worth $56 billion and is the wealthiest man in Asia and 14th richest in the world. Anil, on the other hand, has seen his personal fortune dwindle over recent years, losing his billionaire status.ICBC "failed and continues to fail, to distinguish between Mr. Ambani on the one hand, and the company to whom the loans were being extended...on the other," Ambani's lawyer Robert Howe said in a court filing.Anil Ambani was chairman of Reliance Communications, which fell into administration earlier this year. His wider telecommunications-to-infrastructure empire Reliance Group has continued to struggle under a mountain of debt. As of July, four of its biggest units, excluding the phone company, had about 939 billion rupees ($13.2 billion) of debt, Bloomberg reported in September.Anil Ambani was caught up in a similar case earlier this year, when India's Supreme Court threatened him with prison after Reliance Communications failed to pay to pay 5.5 billion rupees to Ericsson AB's Indian unit. The judges gave him a month to find the funds, and his brother, Mukesh, stepped in to make the payment.The brothers' relationship has been fraught since their father's death left behind a vast empire that was split between them. While Mukesh's oil & petrochemicals businesses have flourished, Anil's assets dwindled.According to a court filing, Anil went to Beijing in the winter of 2011 to negotiate the loan with ICBC's former Chairman Jiang Jianqing directly. The lenders sought a share pledge before granting the loans, but the legal dispute centers on whether Ambani or one of his associates went on to provide a personal guarantee as security.Hasit Shukla, Reliance's commercial & treasury head, signed a personal guarantee on Ambani's behalf by power of attorney when the loan was set up seven years ago, Thanki said. But Ambani didn't give Shukla the authority to sign for him, making the guarantee non-binding, his lawyer Robert Howe said in written submissions."Mr. Ambani's position is that the claim made by ICBC in relation to his alleged personal guarantee for loans to RCOM is without merit," a spokesman for the tycoon said in an email.Industrial & Commercial Bank is the sole claimant in the London case, and is representing itself and the other two lenders."This is a straightforward debt claim to recover outstanding loans made to RCOM in good faith, and secured by a personal guarantee given by Mr. Anil Ambani," the banks said in a statement.In Thursday's court hearing, ICBC's lawyers asked Judge David Waksman for an early ruling or a conditional order requiring Ambani to pay into court the unpaid sum and interest under the facility agreement. Ambani has declined to give any evidence of his wealth, they said.
MUMBAI: Canadian asset management firm Brookfield is in talks to invest $800 million in India's largest green energy company ReNew Power, said two people familiar with the development. Brookfield, which is currently conducting due diligence, would be providing partial exit to Goldman Sachs. The US investor owns over 48% in ReNew Power."The deal could be concluded in the next few months as it suits the narratives of both the buyer and the seller. This could be one of the biggest deals in the space. Many global investors are looking at this space in view of its potential," said a person close to the development.ReNew Power, Brookfield and Goldman Sachs declined to comment for this report.Founded in 2011 by Sumant Sinha, the son of former finance minister Yashwant Sinha, ReNew Power has more than 4,300 mw of operational and 3,200 mw of under-construction capacity. It counts Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, CPPIB, Asian Development Bank, Global Environment Fund and Japan's JERA as its investors. 71978426 ReNew Power has shelved plans for an initial public offering and is reportedly planning to raise funds through asset sales.Goldman Sachs, a backer of the company since 2011, has invested about $370 million in ReNew Power through 2013 and 2014. The US fund planned to offload a significant stake during the proposed IPO, and has been seeking a partial exit for the past two years. Valuation mismatches and concerns over low tariffs have delayed the exit."The deal hinges on whether Goldman Sachs manages to get itself a handsome valuation. In the past, several investors have offered to take over some of its stake, but deals have fallen through due to low valuation," said a person aware of the matter.This could be Brookfield's second investment in India's renewable energy space after it acquired two wind farms from Axis Energy Ventures for nearly Rs 500 crore ($72 million).
MUMBAI: Canadian asset management firm Brookfield is in talks to invest $800 million in India's largest green energy company ReNew Power, said two people familiar with the development. Brookfield, which is currently conducting due diligence, would be providing partial exit to Goldman Sachs. The US investor owns over 48% in ReNew Power."The deal could be concluded in the next few months as it suits the narratives of both the buyer and the seller. This could be one of the biggest deals in the space. Many global investors are looking at this space in view of its potential," said a person close to the development.ReNew Power, Brookfield and Goldman Sachs declined to comment for this report.Founded in 2011 by Sumant Sinha, the son of former finance minister Yashwant Sinha, ReNew Power has more than 4,300 mw of operational and 3,200 mw of under-construction capacity. It counts Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, CPPIB, Asian Development Bank, Global Environment Fund and Japan's JERA as its investors. 71978426 ReNew Power has shelved plans for an initial public offering and is reportedly planning to raise funds through asset sales.Goldman Sachs, a backer of the company since 2011, has invested about $370 million in ReNew Power through 2013 and 2014. The US fund planned to offload a significant stake during the proposed IPO, and has been seeking a partial exit for the past two years. Valuation mismatches and concerns over low tariffs have delayed the exit."The deal hinges on whether Goldman Sachs manages to get itself a handsome valuation. In the past, several investors have offered to take over some of its stake, but deals have fallen through due to low valuation," said a person aware of the matter.This could be Brookfield's second investment in India's renewable energy space after it acquired two wind farms from Axis Energy Ventures for nearly Rs 500 crore ($72 million).
MILAN: Hero MotoCorp, the world's largest maker of two-wheelers by volume, is reviewing its overseas sales strategy after its almost one-decade old globalization plan did not take off and the domestic market still accounting for 97% of its sales.The company has set a target of selling one million units overseas annually in the next three to four years, Rajat Bhargava, head of global business for Hero MotoCorp, told ET. With a projection of increasing total annual sales to 10 million units during the same period, the company expects overseas sales to contribute 10% to its revenue from 3% at present, he said.In FY19, Hero MotorCorp sold about 210,000 units abroad out of the 7.8 million units that it produced.Notably, selling one million units in foreign markets annually was a five-year target that the company had set for itself earlier too, in 2011, after splitting from its erstwhile partner Honda.Hero MotoCorp currently has operations in close to 40 countries and it will enter no more than three new markets in the next few years, Bhargava said. "The priority is to make sure wherever we are present, we grow in those markets."Subsequently, the company is set to miss another target it had set itself in 2011 – of being present in 50 markets by 2020. Emerging markets like Bangladesh, Columbia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Nigeria are some of the big export destinations for Hero, where mass-market products like Splendor and Passion have a high relevance. The company has two overseas manufacturing plants, one each in Bangladesh and Columbia, with Bangladesh accounting for almost half of its overseas business. "The plan is a combination of how we grow in the existing markets where we are already big. And in those countries where we have just entered, or are about to enter, to get from 0% to 5%," Bhargava said. Winning consumer confidence in any country as a new entrant is a big challenge, he said, and it takes time to consolidate market share even for one of the world's largest manufacturers.A larger global footprint will also help the company hedge itself from a sales slowdown in India – like the ongoing one where sales have declined by over 16% during the April to September period over last year. Hero MotoCorp's peers Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor derive 45% and 20% of their sales, respectively, from overseas markets.However, Bajaj and TVS have a head-start over Hero, with the former two having been exporting two-wheelers for almost two decades now.(The correspondent is in Milan at the invitation of Honda Motorcycles & Scooters India Ltd.)
Gold prices have been consolidating and are trading in the range of $1,520-$1,485 zone, but in spite of this consolidation, prices are over extended if we look from key trendline this summer. That key trendline is 200-day moving average. The gold bulls have patiently waited for the next phase of rally and wait is getting stretched, as China came with the statement that US-China trade deal is progressing well and they might lift the existing tariffs.This news is bearish for gold as a primary reason for rally in gold was slowdown due to trade war tariffs. In October, in spite of weak US Dollar, gold was trading in a range. The reason was strong US economy data and trade war tension slimming down. 71974384 As seen from the chart, whenever gold prices have drifted far from 200-DMA, it tends to again test the moving average going forward.In July 2017, gold prices were far away from 200-DMA and prices met 200-DMA in September 2017 (two months). Next in January 2018, we can see the same scenario and this time prices met 200-DMA after five months i.e. in May 2018.Again in July 2018, prices went lower below this level and there was quite a gap between price and the zone. The prices met the level in November 2018 after a gap of 4 months.In Jan 2019 again the price action was away from 200-DMA and met in March 2019 after a gap of two months. Now from the start of July 2019, price action is still far away from 200-DMA and it's been four months and yet prices are nowhere near the level. So we could see price converging in the next month as historically after five months, prices do come near 200-DMA.So even though gold is consolidating and nowhere in overbought zone, according to oscillators like RSI, 200-day moving average do suggest that gold rally is overextended. Whenever such a scenario comes, it sends the message to technically oriented traders that market is potentially overbought or oversold and vulnerable to bear or bull raid. It is for this reason that market participants take profits or sell outright whenever the distance between price and the underlying moving average becomes conspicuous.(Investors should consult their financial advisers before taking any investment calls based on this article)
By Chandan Taparia Nifty50 on managed to surpass Thursday's high and extended the gains towards the 12,034 mark in the first half of Friday's session. However it failed to hold the gains above 12,000 level and drifted sharply towards the 11,888 level. It formed a bearish candle on the daily scale and a Doji on the weekly scale. Multiple supports are seen at lower zones, while selling pressure is seen near 12,000 and 12,050 levels.Now, Nifty has to continue to hold above 11,850 level to witness an up-move towards 12,035 and then 12,103 levels, while on the downside supports are seen in the 11,780 – 11,750 zone.In monthly options, maximum Put open interest was seen at 11,600 followed by 11,500 levels while maximum Call OI was at 12,000 followed by 12,300 strike. There was Put writing at 11,900 and 11,700 levels while Call writing was seen at 12,300, followed by 12,200 levels. Options data suggested a broader trading range between 11,800 and 12,200 levels.India VIX moved up 4.24% to 15.85 level.Bank Nifty relatively outperformed the benchmark index and extended its gains towards the 31,100 mark. It gained nearly 400 points on an intraday basis, but failed to hold the gains at higher levels and closed near the 30,700 mark.The index formed a Shooting Star candle on the daily scale and a Bullish Candle on the weekly scale. Supports are gradually shifting higher and now it has to hold above 30,500 zones to witness an up-move towards 31,000 and then 31,250 levels, while on the downside supports are seen at 30,250 and then 30,000 levels.Nifty futures closed negative at 11,940 with a loss of 0.90%. Long buildup was seen in IGL, MGL, Kotak Bank and IndusInd Bank while shorts were seen in Siemens, GAIL, BPCL and Bank of Baroda.(Chandan Taparia is Technical & Derivative Analyst at MOFSL. Investors are advised to consult financial advisers before taking an investment calls based on these observations)
NEW DELHI: IT firm Infosys on Friday said it along with some current and former executives has submitted applications with the Registrar of Companies in the matter related to severance agreement with former CFO Rajiv Bansal.Infosys said it has applied for compounding "to put this legacy matter to rest"."The company (along with certain current and former key managerial personnel) have submitted applications with the RoC, Karnataka...for compounding of certain alleged offences that pertain to matters relating to the severance agreement executed with the former CFO of the company in October 2015," Infosys said in a regulatory filing.Infosys had agreed to pay Bansal a severance amount of Rs 17.38 crore or 24 months of salary, but the company suspended payments after he got Rs 5 crore as co-founder N R Narayana Murthy and others objected to the package as excessive.Bansal's severance payout has been one of the contentious issues Infosys founders had raised to allege governance lapses at the Bengaluru-based firm.Murthy had raised questions asking if the same was paid as "hush money".Infosys, in its Friday filing, said through the compounding process, the company seeks to resolve certain alleged offences under the Act.These include the company not seeking prior and separate approvals required - as per the Act - from the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, Audit Committee and the Board of Directors, and not making the requisite disclosures, the filing said."In these applications, the company (and other applicants) have made multiple submissions including those setting forth their good faith belief on compliance with relevant provisions of the Act and having acted in an honest, reasonable and diligent manner and in the best interests of the company and its shareholders and without any intent to avoid or act in breach of any obligations under the Act," the filing added.Infosys said it will provide an update on the conclusion of the compounding process.
Upskilling is no longer restricted to just mid- and senior-level professionals who want to keep themselves relevant in their job. Freshers and college students are now taking to digital learning platforms, which helps them gain an edge over peers and clinch that dream job.Edtech companies like upGrad and Great Learning are now introducing courses for students that cost as low as 10% of the original versions. Students enrol on the platforms directly or through the colleges.With courses available in latest and relevant tech like data science and machine learning, these platforms offer tie-ups and certifications from reputed universities such as IIIT-B or even global ones like University of Texas and, hence, find takers quickly. "There was a lot of hands-on learning and, for someone like me who is completely new to programming, it was a kick-start to learn all the new tools, especially Python (a programming language). After a bit of practice, I got the hang of it," said Soumya Sundararaman from Bengaluru, now a trainee decision scientist at Mu Sigma. She was a mathematics graduate."If you check when the current curriculum was last updated, chances are that the syllabus is outdated. With our courses in data sciences and other new-age tech, we see an uptick from students. We have specific courses for students and have tied up with universities such as Lovely Professional University to enrol their students. Some of our learners also enrol individually," said upGrad co-founder Mayank Kumar. In terms of customer base, digital learning platforms have seen a doubling in headcount in the last 8-12 months. Simplilearn saw more than doubling of learners (106% growth to be precise) for the data science and AI courses alone. Its co-founder and chief business officer Kashyap Dalal said, "In campus placements, if the normal pay package is Rs 3-4 lakh, those equipped with focused knowledge on programming languages earn Rs 6-7 lakh. In other words, they command a talent premium."Catering to the limited time in hand, courses are designed such that they are shorter and more intensive, getting wrapped up in under six months. "We have partnered with banks who offer EMI options and the courses are also as short as five months, so that these students can get placed at the earliest," said Great Learning co-founder Hari Krishnan Nair.
పూర్తిస్థాయి అడల్ట్ కంటెంట్ తో వచ్చిన ఏడు చేపల కథ సినిమాకు మొదటి రోజు కుర్రాళ్లు బ్రహ్మరథం పట్టారు. తెలంగాణ, ఆంధ్రప్రదేశ్ లోని బి, సి సెంటర్లలో ఈ సినిమాకు హౌజ్ ఫుల్ షోలు నడిచాయి. అటు విశాఖపట్నం లాంటి సిటీల్లో కూడా పెద్ద థియేటర్లలో హౌజ్ ఫుల్ బోర్డులు కనిపించాయి. అలా టార్గెట్ ఆడియన్స్ కు రీచ్ అయిన ఈ సినిమా, మొదటి రోజు కోటి 6 లక్షల రూపాయల షేర్ రాబట్టడం విశేషం. కేవలం […]
ఏపీ జీవనాడి పోలవరం ప్రాజెక్టుకు నిధులు విడుదల చేసేందుకు కేంద్ర ప్రభుత్వం అంగీకరించింది. రాష్ట్ర ప్రభుత్వం ఇప్పటికే ఖర్చు చేసిన రూ. 5,600 కోట్లలో 1,850 కోట్లను విడుదల చేసేందుకు కేంద్ర ఆర్థిక శాఖ ఆమోదం తెలిపింది. త్వరలోనే నాబార్డు నుంచి రాష్ట్ర ప్రభుత్వానికి నిధులు విడుదల కానున్నాయి. మిగిలిన సొమ్మును కూడా త్వరలోనే రీయింబర్స్మెంట్ చేస్తామని కేంద్రం చెప్పింది. ఇప్పటికే రివర్స్ టెండరింగ్ నిర్వహించిన రాష్ట్ర ప్రభుత్వం…782 కోట్ల రూపాయలను ఆదా చేసింది. పనులను రివర్స్ […]
మహారాష్ట్రలో ప్రభుత్వ ఏర్పాటు అంశం కొలిక్కిరాలేదు. సీఎం పదవి విషయంలో శివసేన వెనక్కు తగ్గకపోవడంతో బీజేపీ దిక్కుతోచని స్థితిలో పడింది. నేటి అర్థరాత్రితో మహారాష్ట్ర అసెంబ్లీ కాలం కూడా ముగుస్తోంది. దాంతో ముఖ్యమంత్రి దేవేంద్ర ఫడ్నవీస్ తన పదవికి రాజీనామా చేశారు. గవర్నర్ను కలిసి రాజీనామా అందజేశారు. శివసేనకు ముఖ్యమంత్రి పదవి ఇవ్వకుండానే ఆ పార్టీ మద్దతుతో ప్రభుత్వం ఏర్పాటు చేయాలని బీజేపీ భావించింది. కానీ శివసేన అందుకు అంగీకరించలేదు. చెరో రెండున్నరేళ్ల పాటు సీఎం పదవిని పంచుకోవాల్సిందే […]
కేంద్ర ప్రభుత్వం గాంధీ ఫ్యామిలీకి మరో షాక్ ఇచ్చింది. సోనియా, రాహుల్, ప్రియాంక గాంధీలకు కల్పిస్తున్న స్పెషల్ ప్రొటెక్షన్ గ్రూప్-ఎస్పీజీ భద్రతను ఎత్తివేసింది. కొద్ది రోజుల క్రితమే మాజీ ప్రధాని మన్మోహన్ సింగ్కు కూడా ఎస్పీజీ భద్రతను తొలగించి జెడ్ప్లస్ కేటగిరీ భద్రతను కేంద్రం కల్పిస్తోంది. ఇప్పుడు గాంధీ ఫ్యామిలీకి కూడా ఎస్పీజీని తొలగించింది. ఇకపై గాంధీ కుటుంబసభ్యులకు సీఆర్పీఎఫ్ ద్వారా జెడ్ ప్లస్ కేటగిరిలో భద్రతను కల్పించనున్నారు. గాంధీ ఫ్యామిలీకి వచ్చిన ముప్పేమీ లేదన్న భావనతో […]
ఏపీ ప్రభుత్వ స్కూళ్లల్లో ఇంగ్లీష్ మీడియం ప్రవేశపెట్టడాన్ని నారా లోకేష్ వ్యతిరేకించడంపై వైసీపీ ఎంపీ విజయసాయిరెడ్డి ట్విట్టర్లో స్పందించారు. దేవాన్ష్ను తెలుగు మీడియంలో చదివిస్తామని చెప్పండి చూద్దాం అంటూ సవాల్ చేశారు. స్కూళ్లలో చైనీస్, జపనీస్ నేర్పించాలంటూ చంద్రబాబు చేసిన ప్రసంగాలకు సంబంధించిన పాత వీడియోను లోకేష్కు చూపించి జ్ఞానం ప్రసాదించండి అని సూచించారు. ”మీ పిల్లలను ఇంగ్లీష్ మీడియంలో చదివిస్తారు… పేద పిల్లలు మాత్రం తెలుగులోనే చదవాలి…ఉన్నత స్థితికి వెళ్లకూడదా” అని విజయసాయిరెడ్డి ప్రశ్నించారు. ఇంగ్లీష్ […]
తటస్థవేదికలో భారత్- పాక్ డేవిస్ కప్ సమరం భారత డేవిస్ కప్ జట్టు నాన్ ప్లేయింగ్ కెప్టెన్ గా మహేశ్ భూపతి మూడేళ్ల షో ముగిసింది.పాకిస్థాన్ తో ఈనెల ఆఖరి వారంలో జరిగే ఆసియా-ఓషియానా డేవిస్ కప్ జోనల్ సమరంలో భారతజట్టు నాన్ ప్లేయింగ్ కెప్టెన్ గా రోహిత్ రాజ్ పాల్ వ్యవహరించనున్నాడు. ఈ విషయాన్ని ఆలిండియా టెన్నిస్ సమాఖ్య అధికారికంగా ప్రకటించింది. రోహిత్ రాజ్ పాల్ నాయకత్వంలోని భారతజట్టులో వెటరన్ లియాండర్ పేస్, సాకేత్ మైనేని, జీవన్ […]
టాలీవుడ్ లో శ్రీరెడ్డి ఓ సంచలనం. ఏకంగా ఫిలింఛాంబర్ ముందు అర్థనగ్నంగా కూర్చున్న చరిత్ర ఆమెది. అయితే ఆమె ఎన్ని ప్రయత్నాలు చేసినా ఆమెకు మా అసోసియేషన్ లో సభ్యత్వం ఇవ్వలేదు. ఇంకా చెప్పాలంటే దాదాపు టాలీవుడ్ అంతా ఆమెను వెలి వేసింది. దీంతో చేసేదేం లేక ఆమె చెన్నై వెళ్ళిపోయింది. అక్కడే అవకాశాల కోసం ప్రయత్నించుకుంటూ.. ఎలాగోలా ఓ 2 సినిమాల్లో నటించే ఛాన్స్ వచ్చింది. అలా కెరీర్ ను నెట్టుకొస్తున్న శ్రీరెడ్డికి ఎట్టకేలకు టాలీవుడ్ […]
ప్రముఖ వ్యాపారవేత్త, ఎంపీ గల్లా జయదేవ్ కొడుకు అశోక్ హీరోగా వస్తున్నాడు. మహేష్ బాబుకు వరసకు ఇతడు మేనల్లుడు అవుతాడు. ఈనెల 10న అశోక్ కొత్త సినిమా ఓపెనింగ్ గ్రాండ్ గా జరగనుంది. రామానాయుడు స్టుడియోస్ లో జరగనున్న ఈ ఓపెనింగ్ ఫంక్షన్ కు టాలీవుడ్ ప్రముఖులు హాజరుకాబోతున్నారు. ఈ గ్యాప్ లో హీరోయిన్ ను కూడా ఫైనలైజ్ చేశారు మేకర్స్ గల్లా అశోక్ సరసన నిధి అగర్వాల్ హీరోయిన్ గా నటించబోతోంది. ఇస్మార్ట్ శంకర్ తో […]
Recently reelected, Indonesian President Joko Widodo announceda desire to move the nation’s capital from Jakarta to the East Kalimantan region, citing environmental concerns, the most exigent of these being the fact that Jakarta is literally sinking due to the uncontrolled extraction of groundwater. Widodo said he wished to separate Indonesia's government from its business and economic hub in Jakarta.
However, what would a move from Jakarta do to Indonesia's burgeoning startup economy?
Shifting administrative governmental hubs
According to Widodo, studies have determined that the best site for the proposed new capital is between North Penajam Paser and Kutai Kertanegara, both located in East Kalimantan. The basis of this selection is due to studies highlighting the region's relative protection from natural disasters, especially when compared to other regions. This would definitely be a benefit for the governmental heart of Indonesia, ensuring continuous administrative functions in a disaster-prone region. Other governments have separated administrative centers from their economic hubs with varying degrees of success, with some examples being Brazil's creation of Brasília, as well as Korea's projected move from Seoul to Sejong.
What is most interesting to note from prior examples is that these newer branched-out cities are non-surprisingly, heavily government-centric. In Brasília, roles tied to the government make up nearly 40% of all jobs, while in Sejong, a lack of facilities like public transit and commercial mall space cause many to commute into Sejong for government work, instead of permanently settling in the area. Given the semi-undeveloped nature of East Kalimantan, these anecdotes are quite troubling if the government is actually moving to North Penajam Paser or Kutai Kertanegara.
These facts raise the question of economic impacts of such governmental moves. In fact, one may even opine that while these moves do allow for governmental growth, ultimately, they may hurt the country economically due to a divestment between both government and economic hubs. In this specific instance, it is most important to analyze the impact of such a move on Indonesia's startup economy, as the nation is one the world's leaders in startup growth.
Indonesia's startup economy
Indonesia has emerged as a startup hub within Southeast Asia in recent years, with its population of over 260 million marking it as the world's fourth-most populous country. Additionally, Indonesia's mobile-first population has enabled the full embrace of the internet era, with 95% of all internet users in Indonesia connected to the web via a mobile device.
Similarly, startup growth has boomed in the island archipelago, with several Indonesian-based unicorns disrupting local, regional, and global economies. Softbank-backed ecommerce giant Tokopedia is currently in talks for a pre-IPO funding round, while emerging super-app Gojek controls significant portions of the ride-sharing industry in Asia, simultaneously expanding into separate industries to include digital payments, food delivery, and even video-streaming. Additionally, online travel portal Traveloka (in which Expedia has a minority stake) has recently entered the financial services space, furthering its impact within Asia. These specific examples of high-growth startups demonstrate a population hungry for innovation, further driving the developing startup economy.
Chris Cox’s motivational speeches were at the heart of Facebook’s new employee orientation. But after 14 years at the social network, the Chief Product Officer left in March amidst an executive shake-up and Facebook’s new plan to prioritize privacy by moving to encrypt its messaging apps. No details on his next projects were revealed.
Now the 37-year-old leader will be putting his inspirational demeanor and keen strategy sense to work to protect the environment and improve the government. Today at Wired25 conference, Cox finally shared more about his work advising political technology developer for progressives Acronym, and climate change-tracking satellite startup Planet Labs. He also explained more about the circumstances of his departure from social network’s C-suite.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 08: Chris Cox speaks onstage at the WIRED25 Summit 2019 – Day 1 at Commonwealth Club on November 08, 2019 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for WIRED)
Leaving Facebook
On how he felt leaving Facebook, Cox said “partofthereasonIwasokayleavingwas that after2016 I’d spentacoupleyearsbuildingoutabunchoftheteamsthatIfeltweremostimportanttosortoftakethelessonsthatwelearnedthroughsomeof2016andstarttoputinplaceinstitutionsthatcanhelpthecompany,bemoreresponsibleandbeabettercommunicatoronsomeofthekeyissues.”
LIVE: We're live with Chris Cox, former Chief Product Officer, Facebook, from our #WIRED25 summit in conversation with WIRED senior writer Lauren Goode.
As for what specifically drove him to leave, Cox explained that “It wasn’t something where I felt I wanted to spend another 13 years on social media. Mark and I saw things a little bit differently . . . Ithinkwearestillinvestigatingasanindustry,howdoyoubalance protectingtheprivacyofpeople’sinformationandcontinuingtokeeppeoplesafe” Cox said.
On whether moving towards encryption was part of that, he said he thinks encryption is “great: and that “It offers an enormous amount of protection” but noted “it certainly makes some of those things more complicated” on the privacy vs safety balance. He complemented Facebook’s efforts to build ways of catching bad actors even if they’re shielded by encryption. That includes digital literacy initiatives in Brazil and India ahead of elections, and offering forwarding systems for sending questionable information to fact checkers. “I think there are pros and cons with these systems and I’m not a hard-liner on any one of them” Cox said, and noted that what Facebook is building is “resonant with what people want.”
Cox was asked about the major debate about whether Facebook should allow political advertising. “We think political advertising can be good and helpful. It often favors up and comers versus incumbents.” Still, on fact-checking, he said “I’m a big fan” even though Facebook isn’t applying that to political ads. He did note that “Ithinkthecompanyshouldinvestigateandisinvestigatingmicrotargeting . . . if there’shundredsofvariantsbeingrunofthecreativethenit’strickytogetyourarmsaroundwhat’sbeingsaid.” He also advocated for more context in the user interface distinguishing political ads.
Chris Cox speaks at Wired25
Cox’s Next Projects
Since leaving Facebook, Cox has joined the advisory board of a group called Acronym which is helping to build out the campaign and messaging technology stack for progressive candidates. “Thisisanareawheremyperceptionisthattheprogressiveshavebeenbehindon the abilitytodevelopanduseasateam infrastructurethathelpsyouhaveagoodvoterfile, how to developmessaging —justbasicpoliticsin2019.”
Wired’s Lauren Goode asked if he was aligning himself with progressives, taking a political stance, and whether he could do that while still at Facebook. “Absolutelynot” Cox responded. “AndwhyisthatIthinkwhenyou’reinaveryseniorroleataplatform, you have a duty to be much more neutral in your politics.”
He then came out with a bold statement enabled by his independence. “I think Trump should not be our President. The other thing I care a lot about right now is climate change and he’s not going to help us there.”
That led to Cox discussing that he’s also been working to advise San Francisco startup Planet Labs which is using satellite imagery to track climate change. “Thevisionwastobuildthesesmall, aboutshoebox-sizesatellites withsolarpanelpanelwingsandhaveafleetoftheminspace,whichisreal-timeimagingtheearth.”
With that data, Cox explained you can track wildfires, deforestation, coal power plants, methane gas, and more. Then, “Youcanstarttocontributetohavingahealthsystem,whereyoubasicallyimagingtheeartheveryhour,andthenyou’recreatingsomepublicdatasetwithtoolsthatplugintodecisionmakersbanks,insurancecompanies,policymakers, investors, journalists, students…”
Asked about big tech’s responsibility for addressing climate change, Cox said “Ithinkattheveryleastit’smakingacommitmenttobeingcarbon-negative.”
Acronym and Planet Labs’ work intertwines, as Cox believes climate data proves the need for someone new in the Oval Office. While Cox didn’t discuss it on stage, Wired listed him as part of Shasta Group, which is Cox’s own vehicle for contributing to these projects. Still, he’s not ready to launch a full-fledged company of his own in politics and climate. “I’mstillsoyoungatthisfieldthatIdon’thaveenoughconfidenceinmyownmentalmodeloftheworld.”
Cox concluded that by harnessing big company’s employees and having team leaders put more attention on climate change, “Idothinktechcanlead.”
Joshua Luber runs a sneaker empire valued at more than $1 billion, but he thinks they're just now scratching the surface. The consumer marketplace recently expanded to include a fifth category (collectibles). "It's an evolution of eBay that works similar to the stock market," Luber states, "but at the core, it's around the concept of true market price."
We visited StockX's 15,000-square-foot facility in Detroit to get a peek into their authentication process, and sat down with Luber to chat about humble beginnings, business expansion and sneakers.
The crowded landscape of programs teaching non-technical people to become software developers has been a proving ground for a new model of education financing: income share agreements (ISAs). With an ISA, students avoid paying tuition upfront or taking out private loans, instead paying a percentage of their income for a time after graduation after they’re earning a minimum income.
The model aligns education providers with students’ career outcomes, and one startup is staking a claim to be the leader in the space; Kenzie Academy, a year-long program with a physical campus in Indianapolis — and a student body that’s 66 percent online — announced a partnership with Community Investment Management (CIM) earlier this week that provides $100 million in debt to cover the operating costs associated with students who defer payment through ISAs.
Kenzie co-founder and CEO Chok Ooi says that core to Kenzie’s mission is the goal that its graduates “can stay in the heartland and attract more jobs so that someone coming out of the Midwest no longer has to move to Silicon Valley or New York to have a successful career in tech.” This $100 million is one of the largest commitments yet to financing ISAs and Kenzie is using it to recruit a more diverse population of students who may not be able to afford tuition or qualify for student loans otherwise.
I interviewed Ooi to understand how Kenzie differentiates itself from competitors, how it has iterated its model to improve retention and job placement and how he expects the ISA market to evolve over the next couple years. Here’s the transcript of our conversation, edited for length and clarity:
Eric Peckham: The landscape of software developer training programs is crowded. Where did you see an opportunity to do something different, and how do you position Kenzie relative to others in the market?
Chok Ooi: My co-founder came from Galvanize, so we observed firsthand the proliferation of tech and coding boot camps. These are typically short-term, three-to-five month programs and they tend to do well serving people with college degrees. I would say that they are disrupting the masters’ program space. We saw a major gap in programs that serve a much larger demographic of people who are much earlier in their development. People who never went to college, or did a little bit of college and dropped out, or just never had a professional work experience. A three-month training is insufficient to get them to a point where they could land a technical job and be successful.
We saw an opportunity to bring high-quality tech education to the American heartland that is 12 months in length. For about two-thirds of our students, this is their first post-secondary credential training.
We are giving them not just the technical skills, but elements from a traditional four-year college as well, like critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills.
Compared to those other bootcamps or training programs, is Kenzie targeting different job outcomes for its graduates?
We did a survey of our students that asked them to name the top five tech companies they desired to work for. None of the Silicon Valley companies made the list other than Salesforce. Indianapolis is the second largest Salesforce office outside of San Francisco. The rest of the companies our students named were companies like DMI and Zylo that people in Silicon Valley don’t hear about but are doing very well in the Midwest. Their friends work there. They’re a fabric of the community. If we really want to create job opportunities for the rest of America, we cannot adopt the Silicon Valley mindset.
Kenzie Academy co-founder and CEO Chok Ooi.
So how do you evaluate technical aptitude and critical thinking in the admissions process? What’s that process look like, and how has it evolved over the last couple of years? What have you learned in order to make that more effective?
Prior to founding Kenzie, I started a company nine years ago called AglityIO. The model for AgilityIO was similar to companies like Andela. We were trying to solve the talent crunch in the Bay Area by recruiting and training people with the raw talent in Vietnam. Today, that company works with Google, Uber, NerdWallet, Meetup.com and 150 other tech companies. So I've experience in developing processes to identify raw talent in this context.
As people are doing the online assessments, we collect data points of how long it takes for them to solve the problem, what their different decision points are and things like that. Then as they get enrolled in Kenzie, we continue to collect attendance data, grades, and then placement data and use that to look at success and failure cases. We constantly refine our assessment.
Are you seeing any particular pattern or cluster in the applications you're receiving or the candidates you're accepting in terms of prior field of employment or aspect of their background?
We won't bury the lead on this news, startup fans. We're giving all you professional procrastinators and time-delayed decision makers an extra week to pull yourselves together and score early-bird savings on passes to Disrupt Berlin 2019 (11-12 December).
Early-bird pricing remains in play until 15 November at11:59 p.m. (CEST). Don't let this last-chance clock run out. Beat the deadline, buy an early-bird pass to Disrupt Berlin and keep up to €500 in your wallet.
One of the many awesome aspects of Disrupt is the opportunity to learn from a range of experts in the startup community. Here are just three examples of the knowledge you can absorb at Disrupt. Want more? Check out the full event agenda.
Series A financing is a tricky beast and one of the hardest deals to close. If this hot topic speaks to you, don't miss this panel discussion going down on the Extra Crunch Stage.
What does it take to raise a Series A with Jessica Holzbach (founder, Penta) and Louise Samet (partner, Blossom Capital). Venture capital funds have boomed this decade, but raising money is still hard for young companies. What are investors today looking for in teams, metrics and products?
Climate change is arguably the biggest issue of our time. Learn how one founder turned sustainability into her business.
How to build sustainability as a business with Benjamina Bollag (founder/CEO, Higher Steaks). As climate change and the impacts of a warming world become more important for the consumers who are exposed to it, hear from a developer of lab-grown meat and others on how to build sustainability as a business.
Who wouldn't love a crystal ball to divine investment trends for the coming year? We have the next best thing — minus the hocus pocus.
Investing in 2020 with Carolina Brochado (investment director, SoftBank Vision Fund) and Tom Hulme (general partner, GV). Nothing changes quite as rapidly as investment trends. Brochado and Hulme will offer perspectives from their experience both on the ground in Europe and from 50,000 feet to talk about what 2020 has in store for startups.
There's plenty more knowledge and opportunity packed into two short days. Don't miss the Startup Battlefield pitch competition. Be there as 15-20 stellar startups vie for the Disrupt Cup, investor love, media attention and the $50,000 prize.
Looking for skilled coders to help bring your vision to life? Head to the Extra Crunch Stage and watch the Hackathon finalists pitch working products they designed and built in 24 pressure-filled hours. Who will win the $5,000 prize for best overall hack?
This July, Facebook announced a new division called NPE Team which would build experimental consumer-facing apps, allowing the company to try out new ideas and features to see how people would react. It soon thereafter tapped former Vine GM Jason Toff to join the team as a product manager. The first apps to emerge from the NPE Team have now quietly launched. One, Bump, is a chat app that aims to help people make new friends through conversations, not appearances. Another, Aux, is a social music listening app.
Aux seems a bit reminiscent of an older startup, Turntable.fm, that closed its doors in 2013. As in Turntable.fm, the idea with Aux is that of a virtual DJ’ing experience where people instead of algorithms are programming the music. This concept of crowdsourced DJ’ing also caught on in years past with radio stations that put their audiences in control of the playlist through their mobile app.
Later, streaming music apps like Spotify experimented with party playlists, and variousstartups launched their own guest-controlled playlists.
The NPE Team’s Aux app is a slightly different take on this general idea of people-powered playlists.
The app is aimed at school-aged kids and teens who join a party in the app every day at 9 PM. They then choose the songs they want to play and compete for the “AUX” to get theirs played first. At the end of the night, a winner is chosen based on how many “claps” are received.
As the app describes it, Aux is a “DJ for Your School” — a title that’s a bit confusing, as it brings to mind music being played over the school’s intercom system, as opposed to a social app for kids who attend school to use in the evenings.
Aux launched on August 8, 2019 in Canada, and has less than 500 downloads on iOS, according to data from Sensor Tower. It’s not available on Android. It briefly ranked No. 38 among all Music apps on the Canadian App Store on October 22, which may point to some sort of short campaign to juice the downloads.
The other new NPE Team app is Bump, which aims to help people “make new friends.”
Essentially an anonymous chat app, the idea here is that Bump can help people connect by giving them icebreakers to respond to using text. There are no images, videos or links in Bump — just chats.
Based on the App Store screenshots, the app seems to be intended for college students. The screenshots show questions about “the coolest place” on campus and where to find cheap food. A sample chat shown in the screenshots mentions things like classes and roommate troubles.
There could be a dating component to the app, as well, as it stresses that Bump helps people make a connection through “dialog versus appearances.” That levels the playing field a bit, compared with other social apps — and certainly dating apps — where the most attractive users with the best photos tend to receive the most attention.
Chats in Bump take place in real time, and you can only message in one chat at a time. There’s also a time limit of 30 seconds to respond to messages, which keeps the chat active. When the chat ends, the app will ask you if you want to keep in touch with the other person. Only if both people say yes will you be able to chat with them again.
Bump is available on both iOS and Android and is live in Canada and the Philippines. Bump once ranked as high as No. 252 in Social Networking on the Canadian App Store on September 1, 2019, according to Sensor Tower. However, it’s not ranking at all right now.
What’s interesting is that only one of these NPE Team apps, Bump, discloses in its App Store description that the NPE Team is from Facebook. The other, Aux, doesn’t mention this. However, both do point to an App privacy policy that’s hosted on Facebook.com for those who go digging.
That’s not too different from how Google’s in-house app incubator, Area 120, behaves. Some of its apps aren’t clear about their affiliation with Google, save for a link to Google’s privacy policy. It seems these companies want to see if the apps succeed or fail on their own merit, not because of their parent company’s brand name recognition.
Facebook hasn’t said much about its plans for the NPE Team beyond the fact that they will focus on new ways of building community and may be shut down quickly if they’re not useful.
Facebook has been asked for comment about the new apps and we’ll update if one is provided.
The Daily Crunch is TechCrunch’s roundup of our biggest and most important stories. If you’d like to get this delivered to your inbox every day at around 9am Pacific, you can subscribe here.
The company announced an updated, cleaner design that does away with information density, instead giving more room to the videos and their titles. Other new features include an "Add to Queue" option on the desktop, a desktop version of YouTube's stop suggesting feature and more.
The design changes, which started rolling out yesterday, are focused on the desktop and tablet versions of YouTube, not the YouTube mobile website or app.
Disney has revealed more details about its international streaming plans. Keep in mind, though, that Disney+ won’t be exactly the same in every territory, thanks to rights/licensing deals that may already be in place.
Across the board, the company is trying to find ways to become more innovative, especially around its work in AI. Microsoft is unusually open about this process, too, and actually made it a focus at this week’s Ignite conference. (Extra Crunch membership required.)
Alibaba is doubling down on its logistics affiliate Cainiao, two years after acquiring a majority stake in the firm. The Chinese giant said today it would invest an additional 23.3 billion yuan (about $3.33 billion) to raise its equity in Cainiao to 63%.
This is the first time there's been a high-bandwidth satellite network for any central Arctic ground-based use, Kepler says, and this connection isn't just a technical demo: it's being used for the hundreds of researchers in the MOSAiC team.
Sanjay Gupta previously served as a managing director at Disney India and Disney-owned Star. He’ll be replacing Rajan Anandan, who left the company to join VC fund Sequoia Capital.
Sir Martin Sorrell has enjoyed huge success, having built the world's biggest advertising conglomerate, WPP, over 32 years. He's also out for revenge, after he left WPP due to allegations of misconduct.
Official word has come down from federal authorities on one potential cause of the mystery illness affecting vape users: Vitamin E acetate, a chemical found in some vaping products that has been demonstrated to linger in the lungs long afterwards. The finding has been called a “breakthrough” but is far from the last word on the situation.
Sadly, the condition has already claimed the lives of at least 39 people, and more than 2,000 cases have been reported collectively from every state but Alaska. At present the only advice offered has been to stop vaping altogether.
In a media teleconference, the heads of the investigation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explained the basis for pointing the finger at Vitamin E acetate. The substance was cited as a possible problem early on but only recent testing has established it as a bona fide suspect, the team explained.
Samples taken from the lungs of 29 victims of the condition were sent in from 10 different states, and vitamin E acetate was found in all of them. “These findings provide direct evidence of vitamin E acetate as the primary site of injury within the lungs,” said Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the CDC .
Although she agreed that this evidence is a “breakthrough,” she noted that it is at present merely a correlative finding — more research is required to establish causation, namely the mechanism of harm, though other work has been done in that area.
“Previous non-CDC research suggests that when vitamin E acetate is inhaled, it may interfere with normal lung function,” she said.
“It’s important to note that these findings do not rule out other possible compounds or ingredients that may be causing these lung injuries,” she continued. “There may be more than one cause of the outbreak.”
Equally important are the statistics involved with the sources of the substances in question. As mentioned earlier in the investigation, a huge proportion of those suffering from this condition were using THC products, and specifically ones acquired through unregulated channels like street dealers.
The vitamin E acetate may have been added for the purpose of essentially cutting the product, Schuchat mentioned in response to a question on the call.
“That may be done for the illicit purpose, or the profit purpose, of diluting the materials, making it look nice and perhaps not having to use as much THC or other active ingredients,” she said.
Other potentially dangerous chemicals have been identified in vape products when heated and aerosolized, including many that even the creators might not have predicted.
Knowing a potential culprit doesn’t get at the heart of the problem, which would be that this chemical (perhaps among others) has already built up over months or years in the lungs of frequent vape users. Treatment is a parallel line of research, but knowing at least one substance responsible should be helpful.
The CDC’s previous advice still stands, the officials noted: They advise avoiding vaping altogether, as there are very few controls at present over which ingredients are allowed in vape products, and what must be declared on the packaging, or indeed whether those declarations are in any way accurate.
Aaron Bartnick (@AaronBartnick) served as Digital Director for Congressman Seth Moulton's presidential campaign. He is currently completing graduate studies at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
As the digital director for Congressman Seth Moulton's 2020 presidential campaign, I was responsible for everything the campaign did on the internet: the emails you claim to hate, the videos we hoped would go viral, the online infrastructure that supported organizers in the field, and more. But our biggest investment of both time and money, by far, was in digital advertising.
For our campaign and many others, digital ads were the single biggest expense outside of payroll. Yet these ads are terrible for campaigns, toxic for democracy and are even bad for the companies who profit off them. Last week, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey took a bold first step in banning political ads — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Google CEO Sundar Pichai should follow suit.
Digital ads are one of the most important channels for acquiring new supporters and serving them that all-important question: "Will you chip in $10, $5, or whatever you can to support our campaign? Even $1 helps!" When the Democratic National Committee announced in February that presidential candidates would need a minimum of 65,000 individual donors to qualify for the first two debates, acquiring these small dollar donors became a do-or-die priority for campaigns.
The trouble is, when 25 campaigns are competing in a Democratic donor market that had just five competitors in 2016, and when each campaign is desperate to acquire new donors, prices go up. Way up.
We — and I suspect many others — routinely ran what were supposed to be revenue-generating ads at a loss, spending $10, $20, or even $30 in order to acquire one new donor and their contribution of as little as $1. This is a terrible deal for campaigns: they hemorrhage cash in order to lose money acquiring more, costing weeks or months of valuable runway, all while Facebook pockets the difference. At scale, the consequence is massive: the remaining 18 Democratic candidates have already spent over $53 million on Facebook and Google this cycle, most of it these kinds of ads.
This is $53 million — plus millions more from prolific former candidates like Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Gov. Jay Inslee — which would have otherwise been invested in infrastructure to turn out voters and help Democrats in November no matter who is the nominee. Instead, it went straight into Facebook and Google's coffers.
These ads are toxic to our democracy.
Due to short online attention spans, the character limits that enforce them and the engagement algorithms that act as gatekeepers to the digital world, campaigns must distill complex issues down to a two sentence pseudo-essence that would leave even debate moderators unsatisfied. And if you want to have a prayer of anyone clicking on your ad, it had better be as inflammatory as possible — people click when they're angry.
The easiest way to do this is to simply make things up, something most campaigns would never consider, but which Zuckerberg made clear in congressional testimony this week his platform would happily enable. Companies like Facebook and Google force us to present voters with a world that is black and white, in which all nuance is distraction, and in which civic engagement is something that can be done from your phone for just $1 (Unless you'd like to make this a monthly recurring donation? Your support has never been more crucial!). This does not an informed, healthy democracy make.
Political ads are not even good for the companies that serve them. On a quarterly earnings call the same day as Dorsey's announcement, Zuckerberg estimated that political ads run by candidates would make up just 0.5% of Facebook's 2020 revenue. Assuming similar performance to the previous 12 months, in which Facebook earned $66 billion, this would be about $330 million in political ad revenue.
In exchange, Facebook has earned itself years of bad PR, increased regulatory risk as congressional leaders are beginning to see it as a national security problem, and even existential risk as leading presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren has vowed to break up the company if elected. All over revenues that hardly even justify the opportunity cost of Zuckerberg's hours of preparation for congressional hearings.
So who benefits from these kinds of ads? Those who want to create a chaotic information environment in the United States in which facts are subjective, reality is ephemeral and the only information you can trust comes from the people manipulating social media to feed it to you. It is therefore no surprise that one of the first organizations to condemn Dorsey's decision was the Russian state-sponsored media outlet Russia Today.
Presented with a choice between minuscule revenues and existential risk, between patching a bug in American democracy and abetting Russian propaganda, Dorsey made a wise choice for both his bottom line and his country. Zuckerberg and Pichai would do well to follow his lead.
Jessica Alter is co-founder and chairman of Tech for Campaigns, an organization building the lasting tech and digital arm for Democrats and has helped over 200 campaigns on this front since 2017.
Jack Dorsey's announcement that Twitter will no longer run political ads because "political messages reach should be earned, not bought" has been welcomed as a thoughtful and statesmanlike contrast to Mark Zuckerberg's and Facebook's greedy acceptance of "political ads that lie." While the 240-character policy sounds compelling, it's both flawed in principle and, I fear, counterproductive in practice.
First: like it or hate it, the U.S. political system is drowning in money. In 2018, a non-presidential year, it is estimated that over $9B was spent on the U.S. elections. And unless laws change, more will continue to flow. Banning digital ads will not reduce the amount of money in politics, and will simply shift it to less transparent channels. In an ideal world, it would be great if all "political messages were earned and not bought," but that is not how our system works. Candidates, Super PACs, C4s and others already allow the majority of their budgets to be swallowed up by other, less visible, accountable and cost-effective, channels — including television, mail, telephone, and radio.
More likely, at least some of the money will end up with even less transparent organizations that aren't deemed "political," but very much are.
Second, banning digital political ads will not only hurt the very candidates people should want to help, it will also damage our democratic process. Analog mediums are significantly more expensive and inefficient than digital ones, so candidates who have a lot of money and/or have spent time cultivating their followings will continue to dominate. In other words, incumbent candidates, rich people and reality TV stars enjoy an outsized advantage when digital advertising is denied.
A recent Stanford study found that, at the state house level, more than 10 times as many candidates advertise on Facebook than advertise on television. The research found that digital ads lowers advertising costs, which expands the set of candidates for whom advertising — and thus the potential to reach voters and seriously contest an election — is a real possibility.
Lesser well-known, but often highly-qualified candidates at the state, local and federal level are precisely the people who have been celebrated for their new perspectives, creative ideas and commitment to shake up the system. People who put their heads down, do good work in their communities and decide to run because they want to make a difference will be the ones that are disadvantaged.
You know who gets plenty of earned media opportunities? Donald Trump. He will be fine. In fact, he will be better than fine because we've just handed him and more extremist candidates like him a distinct advantage.
Democracy is about the combination of free speech and transparency. As the old adage goes, sunlight is the best disinfectant, so here are a few ideas that would be more effective than a ban:
Adding a "nutrition label" to political ads offers a more accessible, understandable and consistent way to identify the identities of the funder, their location, their budget and their target audience. This should be easily accessed, in any political ad via one click, just like we know where to find nutrition information on food we buy.
Enhance “consumer beware" acknowledgments so that if digital political ads remain exempt from fact-checking (as they mostly are on television), platforms have a duty to make that clear with visual signals and user education.
Ultimately, decisions about what is permissible political speech and appropriate distribution and targeting is too important to be left to technology platforms and their conceptions of the public interest.
Do we want Google, Facebook and Twitter making the rules for all political ads and being responsible for enforcing them? What we need is a true oversight body — one with teeth. If non-political advertisers make false claims about their own products or those of their competitors, they can be fined by the FTC. This is an acknowledgment, not only that consumers need accurate facts, but also that companies can not police themselves. This is far too much power for them.
This isn't a way to let technology companies off the hook, as there is plenty more they can do as noted above. But we need a truly independent organization overseeing political ads — the rules that govern them and holding organizations accountable to following those rules. Is this the FEC? I'm not sure.
As I write this today, I worry that no agency truly has the capacity or the expertise to create these rules and challenge bad campaign practices. We should remedy this post-haste and get to finding true solutions. The alternative seems easier and even principled to fight for, but the unintended consequences will be swift — a government full of the types of people who we say we don't want.
Stock trading app Robinhood is valued at $7.6 billion, but it only operates in the U.S. Freshly funded fintech startup Alpaca does the dirty work so developers worldwide can launch their own competitors to that investing unicorn. Like the Stripe of stocks, Alpaca’s API handles the banking, security and regulatory complexity, allowing other startups to quickly build brokerage apps on top for free. It has already crossed $1 billion in transactions within a year of launch.
The potential to power the backend of a new generation of fintech apps has attracted a $6 million Series A round for Alpaca led by Spark Capital . Instead of charging developers, Alpaca earns its money through payment for order flow, interest on cash deposits and margin lending, much like Robinhood.
“I want to make sure that people even outside the U.S. have access” to a way of building wealth that’s historically only “available to rich people” Alpaca co-founder and CEO Yoshi Yokokawa tells me.
Alpaca co-founder and CEO Yoshi Yokokawa
Hailing from Japan, Yokokawa followed his friends into the investment banking industry, where he worked at Lehman Brothers until its collapse. After his grandmother got sick, he moved into day-trading for three years and realized “all the broker dealer business tools were pretty bad.” But when he heard of Robinhood in 2013 and saw it actually catering to users’ needs, he thought, “I need to be involved in this new transformation” of fintech.
Yokokawa ended up first building a business selling deep learning AI to banks and trading firms in the foreign exchange market. Watching clients struggle to quickly integrate new technology revealed the lack of available developer tools. By 2017, he was pivoting the business and applying for FINRA approval. Alpaca launched in late 2018, letting developers paste in code to let their users buy and sell securities.
Now international developers and small hedge funds are building atop the Alpaca API so they don’t have to reinvent the underlying infrastructure themselves right away. Alpaca works with clearing broker NTC, and then marks up margin trading while earning interest and payment for order flow. It also offers products like AlpacaForecast, with short-term predictions of stock prices, AlpacaRadar for detecting price swings and its MarketStore financial database server.
AlpacaForecast
The $6 million from Spark Capital, Social Leverage, Portag3, Fathom Capital and Zillionize adds to $5.8 million in previous funding from investors, including Y Combinator. The startup plans to spend the cash on hiring to handle partnerships with bigger businesses, supporting its developer community and ensuring compliance.
One major question is whether fintech businesses that start to grow atop Alpaca and drive its revenues will try to declare independence and later invest in their own technology stack. There’s the additional risk of a security breach that might scare away clients.
Alpaca’s top competitor, Interactive Brokers, offers trading APIs, but other services as well that distract it from fostering a robust developer community, Yokokawa tells me. Alpaca focuses on providing great documentation, open-source contribution and SDKs in different languages that make it more developer-friendly. It will also have to watch out for other fintech services startups like DriveWealth and well-funded Galileo.
There’s a big opportunity to capitalize on the race to integrate stock trading into other finance apps to drive stickiness because it’s a consistent, voluntary behavior rather than a chore or something only done a few times a year. Lender SoFi and point-of-sale system Square both recently became broker dealers as well, and Yokokawa predicts more and more apps will push into the space.
Why would we need so many stock trading apps? “Every single person is involved with money, so the market is huge. Instead of one-player takes all, there will be different players that can all do well,” Yokokawa tells me. “Like banks and investment banks co-exist, it will never be that Bank of America takes 80% of the pie. I think differentiation will be on customer acquisition, and operations management efficiency.”
The co-founder’s biggest concern is keeping up with all the new opportunities in financial services, from cash management and cryptocurrency that Robinhood already deals in, to security token offerings and fractional investing. Yokokawa says, “I need to make sure I’m on top of everything and that we’re executing with the right timing so we don’t lose.”
The CEO hopes that Alpaca will one day power broader access to the U.S. stock market back in Japan, noting that if a modern nation still lags behind in fintech, the rest of the world surely fares even worse. “I want to connect this asset class to as many people as possible on the earth.”
We've seen our fair share of shocking headlines recently: tenuous IPOs, the "retailpocalypse" and a fickle market have reset the way we size up subscription businesses. Recurring revenue models have their pitfalls, and 2019 has certainly taught the industry a few lessons.
Next year, retention is set to be a top priority for companies looking to keep customers engaged and drive growth. From niche products to personalization, how companies deliver on and measure the success of their customer experience will separate successful subscription businesses from the next unflattering news story.
These seven trends will emerge to shape the way companies delight and retain customers in 2020.
1. To meet consumer demand, more mainstream brands will experiment with subscriptions
We've all seen articles detailing the financial fall of many brick-and-mortar stores. The retail crunch predicted years ago is coming to fruition as we've watched household names like Sears, Toys R Us and Barney's consider bankruptcy or go up for sale.
Consumers aren't letting up in their preference for convenience; they want easier ways to buy, and that means stores must develop better online experiences and offer subscription options or risk losing revenue. We'll see big brands like Nike and Ikea continue to experiment and expand innovative subscription offerings.
For struggling brick-and-mortar businesses, subscription services could very well be a lifeline to retain a dwindling customer base. The shifting retail industry presents an opportunity for traditional companies to fully embrace recurring revenue models next year — smart organizations will do so.
2. The golden age of niche subscriptions is gone, so fatigue will settle in
We've experienced a rapid period of subscription adoption, with more options launching everyday. And that's led us to a point of max fragmentation where companies and consumers alike are subscribed to so many niche products and services, they can no longer manage or afford new offerings.
Because the proliferation of subscriptions are so vast, specialized products and services will need to do prove their worth or risk being replaced. B2B (project management, martech, ecommerce) and B2C (clothing, streaming, meal delivery) companies alike must offer far better experiences in 2020 than in years past. For B2B organizations, products must be integrated with larger systems to justify their existence. One-off point solutions that silo information and create broken customer experiences will no longer be accepted. And for B2C companies, pricing will have to be spot on as more competition vies for the budgets of consumers who haven't budgeted for increased spending.
Ultimately, not every company will be able to compete in the age of subscription fatigue, so we'll see more consolidation, partnerships and mergers occur in the coming year.
3. Customer retention will become the new frontier for marketers
It's impossible to ignore the IPO press around WeWork, Blue Apron, Uber, Peloton and others. If 2020's tech and consumer unicorns have poor unit economics and aren't turning a profit, they need to prepare to be the next ugly headline. Marketers can be a force for change by focusing on the long-term retention of the customers they acquire. And I believe they'll do so happily. Why?
Security researchers have found several popular Android phones can be tricked into snooping on their owners by exploiting a weakness that gives accessories access to the phone’s underlying baseband software.
Attackers can use that access to trick vulnerable phones into giving up their unique identifiers, such as their IMEI and IMSI numbers, downgrade a target’s connection in order to intercept phone calls, forward calls to another phone or block all phone calls and internet access altogether.
The research, shared exclusively with TechCrunch, affects at least 10 popular Android devices, including Google’s Pixel 2, Huawei’s Nexus 6P and Samsung’s Galaxy S8+.
The vulnerabilities are found in the interface used to communicate with the baseband firmware, the software that allows the phone’s modem to communicate with the cell network, such as making phone calls or connecting to the internet. Given its importance, the baseband is typically off-limits from the rest of the device, including its apps, and often come with command blacklisting to prevent non-critical commands from running. But the researchers found that many Android phones inadvertently allow Bluetooth and USB accessories — like headphones and headsets — access to the baseband. By exploiting a vulnerable accessory, an attacker can run commands on a connected Android phone.
“The impact of these attacks ranges from sensitive user information exposure to complete service disruption,” said Syed Rafiul Hussain and Imtiaz Karim, two co-authors of the research, in an email to TechCrunch.
Hussain and his colleagues Imtiaz Karim, Fabrizio Cicala and Elisa Bertino at Purdue University and Omar Chowdhury at the University of Iowa are set to present their findings next month.
“The impact of these attacks ranges from sensitive user information exposure to complete service disruption.” Syed Rafiul Hussain, Imtiaz Karim
Baseband firmware accepts special commands, known as AT commands, which control the device's cellular functions. These commands can be used to tell the modem which phone number to call. But the researchers found that these commands can be manipulated. The researchers developed a tool, dubbed ATFuzzer, which tries to find potentially problematic AT commands.
In their testing, the researchers discovered 14 commands that could be used to trick the vulnerable Android phones into leaking sensitive device data, and manipulating phone calls.
But not all devices are vulnerable to the same commands or can be manipulated in the same way. The researchers found, for example, that certain commands could trick a Galaxy S8+ phone into leaking its IMEI number, redirect phone calls to another phone and downgrade their cellular connection — all of which can be used to snoop and listen in on phone calls, such as with specialist cellular snooping hardware known as “stingrays.” Other devices were not vulnerable to call manipulation but were susceptible to commands that could be used to block internet connectivity and phone calls.
The vulnerabilities are not difficult to exploit, but require all of the right conditions to be met.
“The attacks can be easily carried out by an adversary with cheap Bluetooth connectors or by setting up a malicious USB charging station,” said Hussain and Karim. In other words, it’s possible to manipulate a phone if an accessory is accessible over the internet — such as a computer. Or, if a phone is connected to a Bluetooth device, an attacker has to be in close proximity. (Bluetooth attacks are not difficult, given vulnerabilities in how some devices implement Bluetooth has left some devices more vulnerable to attacks than others.)
“If your smartphone is connected with a headphone or any other Bluetooth device, the attacker can first exploit the inherent vulnerabilities of the Bluetooth connection and then inject those malformed AT commands,” the researchers said..
Samsung recognized the vulnerabilities in some of its devices and is rolling out patches. Huawei did not comment at the time of writing. Google said: “The issues reported are either in compliance with the Bluetooth specification or do not reproduce on Pixel devices with up to date security patches.”
Hussain said that iPhones were not affected by the vulnerabilities.
This research becomes the latest to examine vulnerabilities in baseband firmware. Over the years there have been several papers examining various phones and devices with baseband vulnerabilities. Although these reports are rare, security researchers have long warned that intelligence agencies and hackers alike could be using these flaws to launch silent attacks.
African on-demand trucking logistics company Lori Systems has raised a Series A round led by Chinese investors Hillhouse Capital and Crystal Stream Capital.
Lori Systems is not disclosing the amount of the Series A. DealStreet Asia reported the round amount at $30 million earlier Friday, but Lori Systems’ CEO Josh Sandler would not confirm that. That figure was “something lost in translation” and “a mischaracterization of the raise,” he told TecCrunch on a call.
The company issued a clarification to initial reporting in a Medium post. On the reason for the non-disclosure, “Lori has never released fundraising details as we feel it is a vanity metric that distracts from what matters most: our mission of lowering the cost of goods in frontier markets," Lori Systems co-founder Jean-Claude Homawoo told TechCrunch.
Founded in Kenya in 2016, the company provides mobile-based on-demand trucking logistics services through an Uber -like network of drivers and merchant partners. Lori Systems has operations in East Africa in Kenya and Uganda.
“We are using the round to ramp up operations, build up our technology, and hire a best in class team…that can drive a global revolutions in logistics,” Lori Systems CEO Josh Sandler said.
The company recently hired Nigerian Uche Ogboi from EchoVC to become its CFO and former Quona Capital associate Efayomi Carr.
Lori Systems won Startup Battlefield Africa in 2017.
Bumble, the popular and profitable dating and networking app built around the ethos of women calling the shots on how connections get made and developed, has made a deal for some independence of its own.
Andrey Andreev, the founder of Badoo, the controversial London-based company that owns a series of dating apps and was the main backer and builder of Bumble, is selling to Blackstone his entire stake in MagicLab, the company that owned both Bumble and Badoo (and other dating apps), and will step away from the business. Whitney Wolfe Herd, Bumble’s founder, becomes the CEO of the whole company, retaining much of her stake in the business in the process. We understand that stake is at about 19%.
The deal values Bumble and the wider business — which is profitable — at $3 billion.
Blackstone also will be making an investment in the company as part of the deal.
“This transaction is an incredibly important and exciting moment for Bumble and the MagicLab group of brands and team members. Blackstone is world-class at maximizing the success of entrepreneur-led companies, which presents a tremendous opportunity. We are very excited to build the next chapter with them,” said Wolfe Herd in a statement. “I am honored to take on the role of CEO of the group. I will strive to lead the group with a continued values-based and mission-first focus, the same one that has been core to Bumble since I founded the company five years ago. We will keep working towards our goal of recalibrating gender norms and empowering people to connect globally, and now at a much faster pace with our new partner.”
Bumble is consistently in the top 10 of lifestyle apps in the U.S., according to App Annie data. The WSJ reports that Bumble now has some 75 million users, although Apptopia’s figures are a little more conservative: it notes that aggregated, lifetime downloads of Bumble are about 52 million, while lifetime in-app purchase revenue is about $335 million. March 2019 was its best month ever for IAP revenue with $14.1 million, and over the past six months, Bumble has averaged 1.5 million downloads per month, Apptopia’s Adam Blacker told TechCrunch. (The download figure doesn’t include web-based signups.)
But while Bumble has been growing at a healthy clip — in addition to being profitable, MagicLab had revenue growth of 40% annually — the transaction caps off a tumultuous time at the corporate level for the company.
Almost exactly a year ago, Andrey Andreev had been talking about a future IPO for Badoo in the U.S., listing on Nasdaq. The bigger company at the time also included the eponymous Badoo app, which itself now has 450 million users, as well as a number of others targeting more specific communities (for example, older people), and it was altogether expecting to make some $400 million in revenues in 2018.
Within that bigger picture, Bumble was easily the high-profile jewel in the crown, especially in the high-visibility market of the U.S., where Badoo had hoped to list.
Badoo prior to that had reportedly turned down a $450 million offer for Bumble from Match (some have reported that Match might have offered as much as $1 billion or more for it) — a strange twist in a long saga between the two. (In brief: Match is the company that owns Tinder and had been locked a series of different lawsuits with Bumble: Wolfe Herd had previously been a Tinder co-founder and left under acrimonious circumstances. Andreev had previously met Wolfe Herd and then approached her to start Bumble under his wing in the wake of that departure.)
While a bold IPO was an interesting prospect, things took a turn for the worse this summer, when an expose in Forbes painted a bleak picture of misogyny and sleaze at the parent company, headed by an eccentric and oblique leader — not the image that Bumble wanted to project, and definitely not the image that would have read well on Wall Street.
“We're excited to invest in MagicLab, which is a pioneer in the fast-growing online dating industry. They have a highly talented team and strong set of platforms, including Bumble, which was built on a commitment to inclusion and female empowerment,” said Jon Korngold, head of Blackstone Growth (BXG), in a statement. “This partnership is a perfect example of Blackstone's ability to use its scale, long-term investment horizon, and deep bench of operational resources to help entrepreneurs take advantage of transformational growth opportunities in order to create global industry leaders over time."
As with Wolfe Herd and Blackstone, Andreev does not address this aspect of the story in his statement on the sale, focusing instead on making a good return on his investment to fuel building more apps ahead.
“Blackstone presented MagicLab with a great opportunity to further develop the brands and platform, and I am confident Blackstone will take MagicLab to the next level in terms of growth and expansion. I am incredibly proud of the company, and of how we have connected millions of people around the world,” he said. “At MagicLab, I have had the pleasure of working with some of the best and most talented entrepreneurs. My aim now is to ensure a smooth and successful transition before I embark on a new business venture in search of innovative leaders with new and exciting ideas. I am grateful for all the support of my partners and employees over the years as we couldn't have gotten to this point without them. I wish MagicLab and Blackstone every success.”
Wolfe Herd defended Badoo and Andreev through the bad press, but now with the divestment, it seems that there was more at play with a bid to extricate Bumble out of that relationship.
To learn more about the next wave of consumer startup investment outside Silicon Valley, I'm speaking to leading B2C-focused investors in various hubs about the trends they’re excited about right now.
Recently, I shared the responses from several London-based investors; today, we spoke to eight of New York's top consumer VCs:
Rebecca Kaden, Partner at Union Square Ventures
David Tisch, Founding Partner at BoxGroup
Anu Duggal, Founding Partner at Female Founders Fund
Craig Shapiro, Partner at Collaborative Fund
Jeremy Levine, Partner at Bessemer
Beth Ferreira, Partner at Firstmark Capital
Graham Brown, Partner at Lerer Hippeau Ventures
Eric Reiner, Partner at Sinai Ventures
Chris Paik, Partner at Pace Capital
Consumer health and banking startups were recurring areas of interest, and there’s a sense that apps and product brands which provide a deeper sense of community are an untapped opportunity.
Rebecca Kaden, Partner at Union Square Ventures
At USV, we are focused on opportunities that broaden access by leveraging technology to increase value and decrease cost in big buckets of consumer spend. In doing so, we are looking for ways to make products and services previously available to a select segment available to many more. In particular, we have been investing in areas of consumer health where the delivery mechanism not only makes the care more convenient but also more affordable and higher quality; products and platforms in financial services that change the traditional underlying model to drive financial health for a mass customer; and opportunities that create new access to education both for kids and lifelong learners.
Within each of these segments, I’ve been very interested in how new communities are forming inside products–users that come for a specific offering are forming allegiance and increasing engagement by interacting with other users. I think that is a trend we will only see accelerate.
David Tisch, Founding Partner at BoxGroup
People are bored on their phones, not of their phones. I am most excited to meet founders working on consumer apps that bring happiness and fun to a mass consumer audience, as I continue to believe we are in the early days of mobile and the app store is not dead.
These apps may look like a game, they may be a game, or they may be a new feed, but TikTok, Twitch, HQ, Yolo and other Snap app kit apps, Tinder and others have shown consumers want new apps, the barrier for adoption and retention is just very high. All apps and games have a half-life, creating something with a very long one is really hard, but the demand is sitting on the phone scrolling thorough feeds, waiting for some new fun. We are excited about apps that allow people to interact with others in different ways, in new worlds, using new hardware, or new interfaces.
Anu Duggal, Founding Partner at Female Founders Fund
With the rise of the sober curious movement, we invested in Kin Euphorics, offering consumers a sexy option to an alcoholic drink, creating a social experience around a non-alcoholic beverage that doesn't exist in the market today. With beer sales decreasing five years in a row, brands like Heineken are offering alcohol-free alternatives catering to this growing audience.
With the decline of religion, we have seen the rise of what we call the "rise of the alternate community." Consumers are looking for ways to connect online and offline based on specific interests. Examples of this in our portfolio include The Wonder, a membership model for familyhood, Peanut, a social network for modern motherhood, and Co-Star, an astrology app.
Last month, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) general partner Chris Dixon announced at TechCrunch Disrupt that the VC firm would run a free crypto startup school. And the company is officially launching its school today. Applications are now open and you have four weeks to apply.
With this initiative, a16z wants to democratize cryptocurrencies. Dixon and the a16z team has been involved in the cryptocurrency/blockchain space for seven years, and the firm now wants to share some of its learnings with entrepreneurs.
This way, it could give a boost to the crypto community, which could create investment opportunities for a16z down the road — a16z says clearly that participating in the crypto startup school doesn’t mean you’ll receive an investment from a16z. It also positions a16z as a thoughtful investor when it comes to crypto startup investments — not just for participants of the crypto startup school but for the crypto community at large.
The a16z Crypto Startup School will be a seven-week program that starts February 21, 2020. The program is free and a16z doesn't take any equity.
Lectures will take place in Menlo Park, so you have to be based in Silicon Valley or willing to spend a couple of months there. And because a16z knows that it can be challenging to move to another country just to attend this program, the firm will also be recording all lectures. Anyone will be able to watch videos and download curriculum materials later.
Here's a sneak peek of the course outline:
What are Crypto Networks, and Why Do They Matter?
Blockchain Computing Primitives: Cryptography and Consensus
Overview of Application Development Tools
Applications: Today and 2025
Crypto Business Models
Cryptoeconomics
UX, Product Development and Security
Go-to-Market Strategy and Developer Relations
Community Participation and Governance
Regulatory Landscape and Considerations
Guide to Fundraising
As you can, it's a mix of lectures purely focused on cryptocurrencies as well as broader startup 101 lessons (fundraising, go-to-market strategy, etc.).
The program is looking for 20 to 25 teams, which should represent approximately 40 participants. You should have prior experience when it comes to building software products, but you don't need to be a crytpo expert. Participants can expect 12 to 15 hours of lectures, workshops, mentorship and networking opportunities per week.
At the end of the course, participants will showcase a project idea or a prototype during a demo day.
Hello and welcome back to Equity, TechCrunch's venture capital-focused podcast, where we unpack the numbers behind the headlines.
This week we did something just a little bit new. Kate was in studio at TechCrunch’s SF HQ. Alex was in his dork cave in Providence. And we had a guest in the studio as well. We’ve done similar setups before, but never with video all around. So, welcome to a slightly new chapter in Equity’s production history (all praise to Chris for making it work, video will be out today on TechCrunch’s YouTube page).
Our guest this week was the excellent Sarah Smith from Bain Capital Ventures. Before she turned to writing checks, Smith worked for both Quora and Facebook. Her fun fact? She’s an avid and competitive player of board games.
First up we dug into one of Kate’s latest, a piece looking at the influencer space, venture investments into it and what’s next for the power of the Instagram-famous.She highlights startups like Influence, Cameo, Karat and more.
Next up, Deserve raised $50 million from Goldman Sachs, making the round something that was worth touching on. Later, Alex spoke with the company’s CEO and picked up more context, but what matters for today is that Deserve is doubling-down on its credit card fintech service, not doing what other companies that handle money are up to — namely, trying to become neobanks at high speed.
Speaking of which, why is every fintech or finservices startup becoming a bank? Partially because they can, partially because it can be lucrative and partially because, we found out, it’s a way to juice customers that they’ve already paid to acquire. Want to make your CAC expenses look more efficient? Stretch out that LTV!
And then we spent a minute on Uber’s results, which proved better than expected but wound up being poorly received.
Glad you guys came back for another episode, we’ll see you soon.
Lyft has another year of building out its autonomous driving program under its belt, and the ride-hailing company has been expanding its testing steadily throughout 2019. The company says that it’s now driving four times more miles on a quarterly basis than it was just six months ago, and has roughly 400 people worldwide dedicated to autonomous vehicle technology development.
Going into next year, it’s also expanding the program by adding a new type of self-driving test car to its fleet: Chrysler’s Pacifica hybrid minivan, which is also the platform of choice for Waymo’s current generation of self-driving car. The Pacifica makes a lot of sense as a ridesharing vehicle, as it’s a perfect passenger car with easy access via the big sliding door and plenty of creature comforts inside. Indeed, Lyft says that it was chosen specifically because of its “size and functionality” and what those offer to the Lyft AV team when it comes to “experiment[ing] with the self-driving rideshare experience. Lyft says it’s currently working on building out these test vehicles in order to get them on the road.
Lyft’s choice of vehicle is likely informed by its existing experience with the Pacificas, which it encountered when it partnered with Waymo starting back in May, with that company’s autonomous vehicle pilot program in Phoenix, Ariz. That ongoing partnership, in which Waymo rides are offered on Lyft’s ride-hailing network, is providing Lyft with plenty of information about how riders experience self-driving ride-hailing, Lyft says. In addition to Waymo, Lyft is currently partnering with Aptiv on providing self-driving services commercially to the public through that company’s Vegas AV deployment.
In addition to adding Pacificas to its fleet alongside the current Ford Fusion test vehicles it has in operation, Lyft is opening a second facility in addition to its Level 5 Engineering Center, the current central hub of its global AV development program. Like the Level 5 Engineering Center, its new dedicated testing facility will be located in Palo Alto, and having the two close together will help “increase the number of tests we run,” according to Lyft. The new test site is designed to host intersections, traffic lights, roadway merges, pedestrian pathways and other features of public roads, all reconfigurable to simulate a wide range of real-world driving scenarios. Already, Lyft uses the GoMentum Station third-party testing facility located in Concord, Calif. for AV testing, and this new dedicated site will complement, rather than replace, its work at GoMentum.
Meanwhile, Lyft is also continually expanding availability of its employee self-driving service access. In 2019, it increased the availability of self-driving routes for its employees three-fold, the company says, and it plans to continue to grow the areas covered “rapidly.”
Alibaba is doubling down on its logistics affiliate Cainiao, two years after acquiring a majority stake in the firm. The Chinese giant said today it would invest an additional 23.3 billion yuan (about $3.33 billion) to raise its equity in Cainiao to 63% (from 51%).
In a statement, Alibaba said it will subscribe newly issued Cainiao shares in its latest financing round and also purchase equity interest from a certain, unnamed Cainiao shareholder.
Cainiao was co-founded by Alibaba in 2013 to bring organization in Chinese logistics, particularly around e-commerce deliveries. And it has delivered: Today Cainiao powers a significant volume of Alibaba’s logistics needs in the nation.
The affiliate, which reported $680 million revenue in the quarter that ended in September, matches riders, deliveries and warehouses, underpinning the logistics side of e-commerce platforms Taobao and Tmall in the same way Alipay underpins the payments side, analysts say.
Department store owner Intime Group, conglomerate Fosun Group and a number of other logistics firms also own stakes in Cainiao.
In 2017, Alibaba bumped its stake in Cainiao to 51% from 47%, and at the time committed to spend more than 100 billion yuan ($14.3 billion) to expand the logistics business over five years.
The Chinese technology group has tightened its grip on the logistics sector in the nation in recent years. Earlier this year, the company purchased nearly 15% stake of STO Express. As of earlier this year, Alibaba also owned about 10% of ZTO, 11% of YTO and 27.9% of Best Logistics.
Express delivery and logistics companies are crucial for e-commerce firms, Alibaba said last year. According to the firm, more than 50.7 billion parcels were distributed by e-commerce companies in the nation last year.
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