Let's take a look at the record of the A-10. It killed a cow and killed the F-16 and F-22, which is incredible. Which stupid is driving the F-22 ?😊 pic.twitter.com/tWgwhZiiyx
The floor of the Chembarambakkam reservoir is cracked open, dry and sun-baked. About 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) away, in Chennai, India's sixth largest city, millions of people are running out of water.
Chembarambakkam and the three other reservoirs that have traditionally supplied Chennai are nearly all dry, leaving the city suffering from an acute water shortage, said Jayaram Venkatesan, an activist in the city.
Due to an inability to collect sufficient rain water combined with low groundwater levels, the Tamil Nadu state government has been struggling to provide water to residents.
With the reservoirs dry, water is being brought directly into Chennai neighborhoods in trucks. Every day, hundreds of thousands of residents have no choice but to stand in line for hours in soaring summer temperatures, filling dozens of cans and plastic containers. Indian residents stand around with plastic pots filled with drinking water at a distribution point in Chennai on June 19, 2019.
WNU Editor: For as long as I can remember, when it is summertime in India you have nothing but heat, low water supplies at the beginning of the season, and everyone waiting for the monsoon season to kick in. But India has changed. There are too many people and too few resources to take care of them, and crisis like this one are only going to intensify. On a side note, the prediction is that India will be the most populous state in the world by 2100 .... World Population To Reach 10.9 Billion By 2100 (June 17, 2019). It is not going to happen if there is no water.
A map showing countries ranked by their Global Peace Index, with Afghanistan scoring worst and Iceland best. The bottom 10 countries are listed left and the top 10 right
* Iceland, New Zealand and Portugal were the top three in the Global Peace Index * Afghanistan moved below Syria to come bottom, with South Sudan third-worst * America's ranking also fell as the report's authors cited growing 'polarisation'
Iceland has held its position as the most 'peaceful' nation on Earth, according to this year's Global Peace Index.
In addition, the world's overall 'peacefulness' has improved for the first time in five years - although only marginally.
Afghanistan was bottom of the list, moving below even Syria, while South Sudan, Yemen and Iraq were all in the bottom five.
The report measures the 'peacefulness' of 163 countries with a range of measures including military spending and deaths from conflict and terrorism, as well as an estimated economic cost of violence.
WNU Editor: Russia is less peaceful than Venezuela or North Korea?!?!?!?! This is so bogus. Bit for those who are interested, the Global Peace Index report is here .... Global Peace Index 2019.
More News On The Global Peace Index Report For 2019
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is nothing if not a worker. Despite having held Germany's highest office for the past 14 years, she barely ever shows signs of stress and is known among colleagues for rarely, if ever, taking a sick day.
Which made it all the more concerning when Merkel was filmed visibly shaking during a military ceremony welcoming the new Ukrainian president to Berlin on Tuesday.
Merkel's team was quick to brush off any fears about the Chancellor's ill health. In a press conference after the ceremony, she suggested that it was all due to dehydration. "I've drunk three glasses of water in the meantime, clearly that was what caused it. And in that respect I'm doing much better," she said. Colleagues were quick to point out that Germany is in the middle of a serious heat wave with temperatures reaching 30 degrees centigrade.
US military denies it had aircraft in Iranian airspace amid strained relations with Tehran after last week's oil tanker attacks
US President Donald Trump has been briefed on the details of a missile strike in Saudi Arabia that appeared to come from Yemen, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders has said, as Iran claimed in a separate incident to have shot down a US drone over its territory.
"We are closely monitoring the situation and continuing to consult with our partners and allies," Sanders said on Wednesday, in relation to the Saudi missile strike.
Thousands of President Trump's supporters reveled in the raucous start to his 2020 reelection campaign last night. But around 150 folks in and around Orlando's Amway Center weren't having very much fun at all.
Namely, the agents and officers of the U.S. Secret Service. Because for those public servants and their compatriots across the nation, two factors will make the 2020 campaign a particular protective challenge: scale and emotion.
WNU Editor: This is always my biggest worry about elections. There are so many nuts in the world who see a politician as a tempting target, and would do the unimaginable for the attention.
"Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer had requested that conference attendees not ask questions about aircraft carriers." If this is true, this is pathetic. The world's most expensive ships are fair game for questions ALL THE TIME. Everyone should ask questions. https://t.co/nwOrrQwSty
There is "sufficient credible evidence" Saudi Arabia's crown prince bears responsibility for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and he should be investigated for it, a United Nations special rapporteur said in the first independent investigation into the death.
In a much-anticipated report, released Wednesday, UN investigator Agnes Callamard said that Saudi Arabia was responsible under international law for the "deliberate, premeditated execution" of Khashoggi and current sanctions on some senior officials do not go far enough.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his personal assets abroad should be hit by "targeted sanctions," the report recommends, "until and unless evidence is provided and corroborated that he carries no responsibilities for this execution."
More News On A UN Report Stating That There Is 'Credible Evidence' That The Saudi Crown Prince Was Responsible For The Murder Of Journalist Jamal Khashoggi
* Venezuelans were the largest number of new asylum seekers amid turmoil there * Syrians remained the largest group of displaced people, according to UN report * Launching it, the UN's refugee chief decried 'damaging' anti-immigrant rhetoric
A record 71million people were displaced from their homes because of war, persecution and violence last year, the UN has revealed.
Venezuelans were the largest number of new asylum seekers, amid a spiralling political and economic crisis in the South American nation which has prompted at least 4milloin to flee the country.
Syrian people remained the largest group of displaced people, according to the report which said that many refugees around the world had been displaced for several years.
The annual Global Trends report said the worldwide total had increased by 2million since 2017, adding that the figures were 'conservative' and could be higher.
* China backs N. Korea 'no matter how the international situation changes', Xi says * The statement appeared in a friendship letter penned by Xi a day before his visit * Xi is set to hold talks with Kim Jong-un during the two-day trip from tomorrow * He may try to use his summit with Kim as leverage against Trump, experts say * Kim also wants to strengthen his position against Trump as nuclear talks stall
China's President Xi Jinping has said that Beijing will strengthen and further develop its friendship with Pyongyang 'no matter how the international situation changes'.
The 66-year-old leader of the Chinese Communist Party made the statement in a letter to his 'good comrade' and 'good neighbour', North Korea, one day before his first-ever state visit to the reclusive country.
President Xi also said that the traditional friendship between the two countries had greatly benefited their people and written a much praised tale on the international stage.
WNU Editor: I was surprised on the contents of this Op-Ed. Chinese President Xi is basically telling North Korean Kim Jong-Un to pursue his policies even if they are independent from China. There is no mention of red lines or limits on what Kim Jong-un can do, but the message to pursue an independent direction from China is there. The fact that Chinese President Xi will then be seeing South Korean leader Moon after this summit also tells me that President Xi wants to brief him on what is happening, and what needs to be done to get the denuclearize/reconciliation process going. I can understand why Xi is doing this. If he says any of this at the G20 summit next week (and in the presence of President Trump) he would be losing face. Best to pursue this new policy by giving South Korean leader Moon the credit,and to tell him to grab it. But make no mistake on what is happening. This is a major change in China's policy towards the Korean peninsula, and the 800lb gorilla in the room that no one is talking about and who has made all of this possible is President Trump.
Update: Presidents Xi and Trump talked yesterday (link here). I am sure that after trade, North Korea was the second point that was discussed.
More News On Chinese President Xi Jinping Giving North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un His Support To Solve Korean Peninsula Issues
* Four men named and charged with murder over the shoot-down of flight MH17 * Russians Igor Girkin, Sergey Dubinsky and Oleg Pulatov, and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko were named by Dutch prosecutors Wednesday * Separate research by Bellingcat laid out what role each of the men played in the tragedy, with Girkin at the top of the chain-of-command * MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine in 2014, killing all 298 on board
Four men who international investigators believe are responsible for shooting down MH17 have been named and charged with murder.
The men are Russians Igor Girkin, Sergey Dubinsky and Oleg Pulatov, and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko, all of whom were fighting for Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine when the jet was hit by a missile over the territory in 2014.
A trial will start in March 2020, Dutch prosecutor Fred Westerbeke said, adding that there are no plans to seek extradition, meaning the men will likely be tried in absentia.
Barry Sweeney, the father of one of ten Britons who died on the jet, said: 'It's not going to bring anyone back, but if I found out why it happened, it would bring a bit of closure.'
WNU Editor: These men will never face a courtroom, but this is a necessary legal process to prosecute this case and to maybe bring a little closure for the families by shedding some light on the people responsible for this crime.
More News On Dutch Prosecutors Charging 3 Russians And One Ukrainian For The 2014 Downing Of MH17
A U.S. navy investigator presented what he said was evidence of Iran's involvement in the attacks on tankers near the Persian Gulf, laying out the most detailed assessment that's been made public since the incident raised tensions in the region earlier this month.
Commander Sean Kido, an explosives expert at the Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet, said the attack on the Japanese-operated vessel, the Kokuka Courageous, was carried out by a limpet mine planted on the tanker's body above the water line.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday at a U.S. Naval Forces Central Command facility near the Port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, Kido said his team of investigators was able to recover a magnet used to attach the limpet mine to the skin of the ship. It also retrieved a handprint as well as fingerprints from near the spot where the magnet was found.
* A rocket landed at the headquarters for several global major oil companies, including U.S. giant ExxonMobil, near Iraq's southern city of Basra early on Wednesday, wounding two Iraqi workers, police said. * Police said the rocket was a short-range Katyusha missile that landed 100 metres from the section of the site used as a residence and operations centre by Exxon.
A rocket landed at the headquarters for several global major oil companies, including U.S. giant ExxonMobil, near Iraq's southern city of Basra early on Wednesday, wounding two Iraqi workers, police said.
The rocket hit the Burjesia residential and operations headquarters west of the city, they said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
A security source said Exxon was preparing to evacuate some 20 foreign staff immediately.
Other companies operating at the site include Royal Dutch Shell and Italian Eni SpA, oil officials said.
Police said the rocket was a short-range Katyusha missile that landed 100 metres from the section of the site used as a residence and operations centre by Exxon.
WNU Editor: Everyone is pointing fingers at Iranian backed militias behind these attacks .... Who is targeting U.S. forces and foreign oil companies in Iraq? (Seth J. Frantzman, Jerusalem Post). The problem is that the only ones who are going to get hurt are the Iraqis themselves. This is not how you win friends and allies, but I guess some in Iran have the view that since they cannot sell oil, no one else will.
More News On Foreign Oil Firms In Iraq Being Targeted In Rocket Attacks
US troops in Iraq have been targeted three times in mortars and katyusha rocket strikes since last weekend. The attacks have occurred in the middle of rising tensions between the United States and Iran. While no group has claimed credit for the incidents, Shia militias that are supported by Iran are suspected of carrying them out.
On Saturday, several mortars were fired at the Balad Air Base, which hosts American trainers in central Iraq. Iraqi officials stated that the mortars did not cause any damage, nor were any Iraqi or American personnel reported injured.
Two days later, three katyusha rockets were fired into Camp Taji, just north of Baghdad. Like the Balad Air Base, Camp Taji also hosts American personnel. No damage or injuries were reported in the rocket strikes.
7.4 tons of Venezuelan gold landed in Africa—and then disappeared. The government of President Nicolás Maduro is secretly selling its reserves to stay alive. https://t.co/JhrYJGAG4P
WNU Editor: The article is behind a paywall, but here is the gist of the article ....
.... ENTEBBE, Uganda—The government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is selling off his country's gold reserves. Some of it has passed through a secretive operation in East Africa, a gambit that evades U.S. sanctions. On two early-March flights, at least 7.4 tons of gold with a market value over $300 million moved from Venezuela to a refinery in Uganda, say officials in Venezuela and Uganda, a foreign diplomat and Venezuelan opposition lawmakers, who have concluded Mr. Maduro's government exported the ingots. The gold arrived on a Russian charter jetliner in two shipments at the international airport in Entebbe, says Ugandan national-police spokesman Fred Enanga. The accompanying paperwork identified the ingots, some with stamped labels partially scratched off, as Venezuelan central-bank property, says a senior Ugandan police officer who saw the bars and documents. Flight records show the trips originated in Caracas, Venezuela. The shipments expose one link in a global underground economy many suspect is helping Mr. Maduro cling to power by bypassing the U.S.-dominated international finance system. Washington has recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela's legitimate president, slapped financial and other sanctions on Venezuelan officials and institutions, and threatened penalties for others doing business with the regime.
As Stephen Green from Instapundit puts it, "the real fun is going to start happening when this gold runs out". As to where did the gold finally end up. My gut is telling me that it is in Russia right now.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault won power in October with a promise to cut down on the number of immigrants and refugees admitted to the province each year by 20 percent (AFP Photo/MARTIN OUELLET-DIOTTE)
Montreal (AFP) - The Quebec provincial legislature on Sunday approved a controversial immigration bill that will replace a first-come, first-served standard for accepting migrants with one tied to an applicants' skills.
The law is similar to a proposed plan from US President Donald Trump that would shift his country's visa system from family-based immigration towards bringing in more skilled workers.
The law will attempt to more closely match the skills offered by would-be immigrants with the needs of the labor market in Quebec, Canada's second most-populous province.
Under the new law, some 18,000 applications now on file will be shredded, affecting as many as 50,000 people, many of whom already live in the province.
The 18,000 existing applicants will have to restart the immigration process.
WNU Editor: My cousin's son got his Canadian citizenship only 3 months ago. He applied (with my help) for his status in Quebec in 2013, and his skill is in IT. The Canadian federal government of Justin Trudeau has a different approach towards immigration, and have implemented a project across Canada to test it .... Ottawa picks 11 communities for pilot immigration project (CBC). But what has raised eyebrows is that Quebec has been exempted from this project. No surprises there .... there is a federal election in Canada in 4 months, and open borders does not play well in the Trudeau stronghold of Quebec.
It's time to close the spreadsheets and think differently about the world of energy.
A couple of weeks ago, the International Energy Agency (IEA) released their 176-page report titled, World Energy Investment 2019. I will spare you the read and take you to a quote, buried on page 30 that pretty much sums up what most analysts in the business already know: "Energy investment is misaligned with where the world appears to be heading…"
Energy investment is misaligned with where the world appears to be heading IEA
The gap between what we perceive, what we aspire to, and what is reality is already wider than the Pacific Ocean. And it's getting wider. I look at all the numbers, read all the reports — including the IEA's most recent — and the reality is clear: Investment into renewables has plateaued at best; energy efficiency is treading water; and the proportion of primary energy sources in the world mix — coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear power, hydro and renewables — is barely changing.
Despite all the fire alarms to decarbonize and use less energy, investment dollars into these objectives hasn't budged much in a decade.
WNU Editor: Bottom line. World demand for energy will continue to rise in the coming decades, and fossil fuels will be an integral part of it .... climate change or not.
A strong majority of Russians approve of Stalin's rule, and young adults have never heard of his Great Terror campaign. Now, YouTube star Yury Dud's film about the legacy of Stalinist repressions is shaking the country.
"I don't know about you, but all my life, I've been hearing my parents say: 'Be careful, don't attract unnecessary attention, it's dangerous. And, besides, we're simple people — we don't decide anything.' My parents are wonderful people," says Yury Dud in his film Kolyma: The Home of Our Fear. "But I wanted to understand: Where does the older generation's fear come from? Why are they convinced that acts of courage, no matter how small, are bound to be punished?"
WNU Editor: Russians are not ignorant on who and what Stalin was. To put it bluntly, only the nuts go on TV to defend him. But it is good to see that younger Russians who live on social media are exposed to who he really was. And this effort is successful, as you can tell by the view count in the above video.
IRAN has shot down a US military drone with a surface-to-air missile in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran vowing to defend its "airspace and borders with all force".
ANGELA Merkel sparked fears for her health after she was seen shaking during a military ceremony to welcome the new Ukrainian president to Berlin on Tuesday.
CANADIAN Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has snubbed Queen Elizabeth - who remains the country's head of state - by scrapping a Government policy for royal fans.
DONALD TRUMP's "divide and conquer" tactics against the European Union are doomed to fail as Brussels prepares to "flex its muscles" against the US President's attacks over tariffs, claimed a strategy expert.
DONALD TRUMP used the launch of his reelection campaign in Orlando to unveil a new impression of Hillary Clinton, his opponent in the 2016 Presidential race.
EGYPT archaeologists uncovered the "missing piece of the puzzle" that confirmed how a 4,500-year-old civilisation was able to build such advanced architecture, a documentary revealed.
MEP Jordan Bardella, vice-president of France's far-right Rassemblement national party, said on Wednesday that today's Europe pitted "patriots against globalists," as he described President Emmanuel Macron's party as the "worst" of all political worlds.
Demonstrations in Hong Kong over the past two weeks have been recognized as likely the largest in the city’s history. Sparked by a proposal to amend extradition laws to allow suspects to be transferred to mainland China for trial, two marches drew extraordinary numbers into the streets for what have mostly been peaceful demonstrations. Organizers say more than a million attended an initial march on June 9, while an estimated 2 million people—out of Hong Kong’s total population of 7 million—joined another one week later.
Critics of the proposed legislation, which the Hong Kong government suspended shortly after a protest ended violently on June 12, fear China would use it to extradite political opponents and dissidents on trumped up criminal charges. Protesters say this will erode the semi-autonomous territory’s cherished freedoms and carry signs that read: “Hong Kong Is Not China! Not Yet.”
The former British colony was returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, and was guaranteed 50 years of effective self-rule that would leave its way of life, and independent judiciary, unchanged. The deal does not expire until 2047, but attempts by Beijing to exert greater control over the territory in the meantime have cast doubt on the integrity of the so-called “one country, two systems” policy.
The looming deadline is particularly troubling for Hong Kong’s youth, who have grown up with liberal values, and expectations, in an international city outside of China’s Great Firewall. “Freedoms, equality before the law and judicial justice are widely shared values among Hong Kong people across generations,” Ming Sing, associate professor of social science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, told TIME. “Beijing’s suppression of those values will invite persistent resistance.”
Indeed, every attempt by Beijing to draw Hong Kong closer since reunification has been met with panic and protest, often led by students. Here’s a brief look at the major flashpoints.
2003: Protests against national security reform
An attempt to introduce anti-subversion legislation drew fierce criticism from Hong Kongers worried that it would infringe on their freedoms. Commonly referred to as Article 23 after the constitutional clause requiring its introduction, the legislation prohibited treason, secession, sedition and subversion against the Chinese government, and outlawed theft of state secrets.
It is believed that more than 500,000 people turned out for a march on July 1, 2003 to oppose it. Following the protest, Michael Tien, chairman of the Liberal Party, abruptly resigned from the government’s Executive Council after his calls to delay a vote on the bill were rejected. Without enough support to pass it, the bill was shelved indefinitely.
“The huge number of protesters compelled a major government party to reverse its support for the bill,” Sing, of HKUST, told TIME. “It’s party chief was apprehensive of the subsequent political instability if the government did not withdraw it.”
2012: Protests against ‘Moral and National Education’
In 2012, authorities attempted to amend the curriculum of the Hong Kong school system to include topics on China’s history and culture and national identity, in a bid to win the hearts and minds of Hong Kong’s younger generations.
Students, parents and teachers across the city rejected the idea. “It was seen as brainwashing of Hong Kong’s youth,” Antony Dapiran, a Hong Kong-based lawyer and the author of a book about the history of protests in the city, told TIME.
Tens of thousands of people attended a protest against the curriculum changes on July 29, 2012.
A group of secondary school students, led by then 15-year-old Joshua Wong, who became an important figure in later protests, formed a group called Scholarism to fight the proposal.
In late August 2012, Scholarism began an occupation around Hong Kong’s government complex. On Sept. 8, 2012, then Chief Executive C.Y. Leung announced that he would give schools discretion on whether to implement the curriculum, rendering it effectively dead.
2014: The Umbrella Revolution for universal suffrage
The 2014 Umbrella Movement was sparked by demands for reform of Hong Kong’s electoral system. Proposals to grant universal suffrage in elections for the city’s leader, but to only allow voters to select from a list of candidates vetted by Beijing, were rejected by protesters, who took to the streets calling for genuine democracy.
The protests gained momentum after clashes between police and mostly young demonstrators who tried to reclaim a public square that was closed off after the 2012 protests against national education. Student protesters occupied the streets around government buildings and office towers in the financial center, choking traffic and rendering major thoroughfares impassable. Occupations also popped up in Causeway Bay—an area popular with tourists and shoppers—and Mong Kok, a blue collar district on the Kowloon peninsula.
The movement got its name from the umbrellas protesters used as shields against police pepper spray. Student-leader Joshua Wong, then 17 years old, became the face of the movement, and was later jailed for his involvement.
The occupiers gained international attention for their politeness. They handed out free food and water to fellow demonstrators, and set up makeshift studying and recycling stations. But they couldn’t quite agree on how to define their demands for democracy. “The reason that the Umbrella Movement is so complicated is that no one could agree what the alternative was,” Dapiran said. “They all had different ideas about what that meant.”
The occupation ended without any concessions from Beijing. Protest-weary students started trickling home, and public opinion slowly turned against the occupation, which caused huge traffic jams and hit the pockets of shop owners whose business was disrupted.
After 79 days, police forcibly removed the remaining demonstrators, who left banners hanging from bridges and signs scattered around their campsites promising “We’ll be back.”
2016: The ‘Fishball Riots’ against a crackdown on street vendors
Named after a popular street snack in Hong Kong, the so-called Fishball Riots were sparked by a government attempt to crack down on unlicensed food vendors in the city’s Mong Kok district. Violence erupted on Feb. 8, 2016, after some 300 people took to the streets and clashed with police., who fired warning shots—an almost unheard of occurrence at Hong Kong protests.
Food hawkers were infuriated when officials tried to shutter their stalls on health and hygiene grounds. But this was not just a fight over food regulations. To many Hongkongers, the fishball hawkers were as emblematic of the city as hotdog vendors are of New York, and the crackdown was seen as an attack on Hong Kong’s way of life. Activists began to rally round the hawkers.
Several protesters were members of so-called “localist” groups, advocating for greater autonomy and self-determination—even independence—for Hong Kong.
Two student activists involved in the demonstrations announced last month they had been granted asylum in Germany. They are believed to be the first political activists from the city to be granted protection by a foreign country, dealing a blow to Hong Kong’s international reputation.
2016: A rally for Hong Kong independence
Thousands of people attended a demonstration outside the city’s government’s headquarters calling for Hong Kong’s complete independence from the mainland in August 2016. It was the first pro-independence protest in the city’s history.
Independence groups began popping up following the 2014 Umbrella Revolution, and the 2016 rally, including the now-banned Hong Kong National Party. People from all walks of life attended the event, which was largely peaceful.
The rally was initiated when the electoral commission banned six pro-independence candidates from running in elections for the city’s legislature. Among those barred was Edward Leung of the Hong Kong Indigenous Party, who was recently sentenced to six years in prison for his role in the Fishball Riots.
The Hong Kong government has intensified its clamp down on independence campaigns in recent years. In September 2018, they declared the Hong Kong National Party an illegal society. In 2018, a foreign journalist was expelled from the city after hosting a talk with one of the group’s co-founders.
Annual: Tiananmen vigils every June 4
Hong Kong is the only place on Chinese soil that hosts an annual ceremony to commemorate the Tiananmen Square massacre, when Chinese tanks rolled into central Beijing to crush a weeks-long student led protest calling for political change. An unknown number of people, believed to be in the hundreds if not thousands, died in the crackdown on June 4, 1989.
While the tragedy has been observed in Hong Kong every year since the first anniversary in 1990, the commemorations ballooned in scale after the 2003 movement against pro-China national security legislation. Each year since then has seen massive attendance at candlelight vigils in the city’s Victoria Park.
This year’s vigil drew record-breaking crowds; organizers say 180,000 people turned out. On the mainland, officials have not acknowledged the event and Chinese censors have wiped out mentions of it online.
(TEHRAN, Iran) — Iran’s Revolutionary Guard shot down a U.S. drone on Thursday amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington over its collapsing nuclear deal with world powers, American and Iranian officials said, while disputing the circumstances of the incident.
The Guard said it shot down a RQ-4 Global Hawk over Iranian airspace, while a U.S. official told The Associated Press the downing happened over international airspace in the Strait of Hormuz. The different accounts could not be immediately reconciled.
Previously, the U.S. military alleged Iran had fired a missile at another drone last week that was responding to the attack on two oil tankers near the Gulf of Oman. The U.S. blames Iran for the attack on the ships; Tehran denies it was involved.
The attacks come against the backdrop of heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran following President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from Tehran’s nuclear deal a year ago. The White House separately said it was aware of reports of a missile strike on Saudi Arabia amid a campaign targeting the kingdom by Yemen’s Iranian-allied Houthi rebels.
Iran recently has quadrupled its production of low-enriched uranium and threatened to boost its enrichment closer to weapons-grade levels, trying to pressure Europe for new terms to the 2015 deal.
In recent weeks, the U.S. has sped an aircraft carrier to the Mideast and deployed additional troops to the tens of thousands already in the region. In From Yemen, Iranian-allied Houthi rebels have launched bomb-laden drones into neighboring Saudi Arabia.
All this has raised fears that a miscalculation or further rise in tensions could push the U.S. and Iran into an open conflict, some 40 years after Tehran’s Islamic Revolution.
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which answers only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said it shot down the drone on Thursday morning when it entered Iranian airspace near the Kouhmobarak district in southern Iran’s Hormozgan province. Kouhmobarak is some 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) southeast of Tehran and close to the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, citing the Guard, identified the drone as an RQ-4 Global Hawk.
The U.S. official told the AP the Iranians fired a surface-to-air missile striking the American drone. The official said the incident happened over the Strait of Hormuz in international airspace. The strait is the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of all global oil moves through.
The official spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity as the information had yet to be cleared for release to the public.
Meanwhile, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Trump had been “briefed on the reports of a missile strike in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
“We are closely monitoring the situation and continuing to consult with our partners and allies,” Sanders said.
The Houthi’s Al-Masirah satellite news channel claimed the rebels targeted a power plant in Jizan, near the kingdom’s border with Yemen, with a cruise missile. Saudi state media and officials did not immediately report a missile strike Thursday.
A Saudi-led coalition has been battling the Houthis since March 2015 in Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest nation now pushed to the brink of famine by the conflict. In recent weeks, the Houthis have launched a new campaign sending missiles and bomb-laden drones into Saudi Arabia.
___
Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
(BEIJING) — The leaders of China and North Korea were talking in the North Korean capital Thursday, with stalled nuclear negotiations with Washington expected to be on the agenda.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sat down for talks in Pyongyang, China’s official Xinhua news agency said, but provided no details.
Earlier, Xi, his wife Peng Liyuan and senior Chinese officials were greeted with a 21-gun salute at a huge arrival ceremony at the airport in Pyongyang.
About 10,000 people stood in tight formation, waving flowers and chanting slogans to welcome Xi, according to Xinhua. Kim and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, met the visiting delegation at the airport.
Xi, who is on a two-day state visit to North Korea, is the first Chinese leader to visit North Korea in 14 years.
The summit comes as both Xi and Kim are locked in separate disputes with the United States — Xi over trade and Kim over his nuclear weapons.
A Xinhua commentary said China could play a unique and constructive role in breaking the cycle of mistrust between North Korea and the U.S. so they can work out a roadmap to achieve denuclearization.
The U.S. is demanding that North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons development before international sanctions are lifted. North Korea is seeking a step-by-step approach in which a step toward its denuclearization would be matched by a concession from the U.S., notably a relaxation of economic sanctions.
China backs what it calls a “suspension for suspension” proposal. Xinhua said both sides “need to have reasonable expectations and refrain from imposing unilateral and unrealistic demands.”
A former North Korean diplomat who defected in 2016 said he thinks Kim wants to give Xi a message to deliver to President Donald Trump when the two meet at next week’s G-20 summit in Japan.
Thae Yong Ho said that Kim may offer some kind of compromise on his nuclear facilities to set up a third summit with the U.S. president. But he cautioned such a move would be only to buy time and not to denuclearize. Thae spoke at a news conference in Tokyo while promoting the Japanese translation of his book.
U.S.-North Korea talks have been stalled since Kim and Trump had their second summit in February in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Experts say Xi will likely endorse North Korea’s calls for an incremental disarmament process.
His meeting with Kim would be their fifth summit since Kim entered nuclear diplomacy with the United States and South Korea early last year.
A banner at the airport welcome ceremony read, “Long Live with Unbreakable Friendship and Unity Formed by Blood,” Xinhua said.
The nations fought together in the 1950-53 Korean War against the United States, South Korea and their allies, but there has been friction in recent years, especially over the North’s relentless push for nuclear weapons.
Xinhua said that people lined up along the way from the airport in Pyongyang to the city, waving flags and flowers and chanting “Long Live the China-DPRK Friendship.” DPRK, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, is the official name of North Korea.
___
Associated Press writers Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this story.
Hong Kong is bracing for more protests as a key deadline approaches for the government to withdraw a divisive extradition bill.
Protesters have issued an ultimatum to the government to cancel the bill by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, local time. The Hong Kong Federation of Students called for Hongkongers to surround the government’s headquarters starting at 7:00 a.m. Friday if the administration fails to comply.
The federation also called for acts of “civil disobedience” in what is fast becoming not just a demonstration against divisive legislation but a push for greater political freedom and a mass repudiation of the territory’s sovereign power, Beijing.
“I urge [Hong Kong’s top official] Carrie Lam to answer those demands by 5:00 p.m. The government needs to face the voice of the people; they need to respond,” prominent democracy activist Joshua Wong, 22, told TIME.
Earlier, he told reporters: “Civil disobedience is the plan.”
Hong Kong’s biggest circulating newspaper, the Apple Daily, gave the protesters’ demands front-page prominence in Thursday morning’s edition. Several versions of the ultimatum have been widely spread online.
An anonymous “Open Letter to All Hong Kongers,” posted in an online forum heavily used by protesters, said that demonstrators were “forced to escalate” and asked “the general public for your understanding and sympathy … This pain is nothing to us: for as long as you stand there, either behind us or beside us, we will face whatever danger is ahead with unflinching hope.”
Protesters began showing up outside Lam’s from the mid-afternoon, holding signs that read “Culprit Carrie Lam.”
“It is quite obvious that the government has lost all its legitimacy to continue,” said lawmaker Fernando Cheung, who was among the crowd. “I think it’s quite clear that the younger generation has given her a deadline.”
“An apology requires action, not just a statement,” said one protester from a parents group, referring to a public apology made by Lam a day earlier. “This is a fake apology, just for show.”
Another protester called on Lam to “Come out here. Come our and speak with us.”
Millions of people took to the streets on the last two Sundays to voice their opposition to proposed legislation that would allow criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial. Hongkongers fear that Beijing would use the extradition law as a political weapon to silence critics and dissidents, destroying the city’s cherished freedoms.
Lam suspended the bill on Saturday after a June 9 march that organizers say was attended by a million people—but an estimated two million people still took to the streets on Sunday to call for her resignation and the bill’s full withdrawal. Others turned out to mourn a man who plunged to his death Saturday night after unfurling an anti-extradition banner from the side of a luxury mall. The man, surnamed Leung, is being hailed as a martyr to Hong Kong’s freedom movement.
Lam called a press conference on Tuesday at which she made a public apology and took responsibility for the debacle. The city’s security secretary John Lee also apologized on Thursday morning for the division the legislation had wrought in Hong Kong. Several protesters arrested by police after a June 12 protest turned violent were arrested without charge.
The tense political climate meanwhile means that lawmakers dare not proceed with a bill that would criminalize abuse of China’s national anthem, which is widely jeered at local soccer matches. Discussion of the bill has been dropped, and debate over a much criticized land reclamation project—the most expensive infrastructure project ever proposed in the city—has likewise been postponed.
Protesters and democratic lawmakers alike say that the suspension of the extradition bill and Lam’s apology are not enough.
“I am deeply disappointed she did not withdraw the bill,” legislator Au Nok-hin told TIME. “There are still many people that will look for a chance to come out and protest again.”
“They blame the protestors who threw stones on June 12. But the one who threw the first stone is Carrie Lam. She’s never stopped,” said lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki, who joined protesters outside Lam’s office on Thursday afternoon.
Further protests are already being planned beyond this weekend. The Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF), a coalition of pro-democracy groups that organized the protest marches, is encouraging Hongkongers to come out en masse on July 1—a politically charged date as it is the anniversary of the city’s handover to Chinese sovereignty.
“I hope there will be no more injuries, no more tragedy,” said Cheung, calling for police restraint.
—With reporting by Laignee Barron, Aria Hangyu Chen and Abhishyant Kidangoor / Hong Kong
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — The Dominican Republic’s lead prosecutor said Wednesday that former Red Sox slugger David Ortiz was not the target of a shooting in a nightclub in his hometown.
Attorney General Jean Alain Rodríguez told reporters the target was another man, dressed similarly to Ortiz, who was seated with the retired baseball star on the night of the June 9 shooting in the capital of Santo Domingo.
Rodríguez said the shooting was orchestrated by a member of Mexico’s Gulf Cartel, who remains on the run. He did not immediately describe a motive.
Ortiz remains hospitalized from the gunshot wound to his back. Doctors in Boston have upgraded his condition from guarded to good.
At the time of the attack, Ortiz was with TV personality Jhoel López and the apparent target, a man named David Fernandez, at Dial Bar and Lounge, which once served as a casual hangout for people getting their cars cleaned across the street. Ortiz was sitting with his back to the street when he was shot once in the back by a bullet that also injured López.
The shooting was carried out by two men on a motorcycle who were followed by several suspects in two cars, authorities said.
Eleven suspects have been arrested, including the alleged shooter identified as Rolfy Ferreyra, aka Sandy, a skinny, tattooed 25-year-old whom U.S. prosecutors said is wanted on armed robbery and gun charges in New Jersey.
Rodríguez said the shooting was orchestrated by a man named Victor Hugo Gomez, whom he described as a member or associate of the Gulf Cartel, one of Mexico’s major drug-trafficking organizations. Officials did not say why Gomez would have targeted Fernandez.
Gomez was believed to be in the United States and was being sought by the Drug Enforcement Administration, said Maj. Gen. Ney Aldrin Bautista Almonte, director of the Dominican Republic’s national police.
The weapon used in the shooting, a Browning Hi Power semi-automatic pistol, was buried in the garden of one of the suspect’s home and was later turned over to police by his mother, according to court documents obtained by The Associated Press.
The other suspects include Joel Rodríguez de la Cruz, aka Squiddy; Reynaldo Rodríguez Valenzuela, aka The Chinaman; Franklin Junior Merán, aka Rubirosa; Porfirio Ayendy Dechamps Vásquez, aka Kid; and Eddy Vladimir Feliz García, aka The Package, who was identified as the alleged motorcycle driver.
Authorities say Garcia was captured and beaten by angry fans after he skidded and fell off his bike as the pair tried to flee. García’s attorney has said his client is an Ortiz fan and had no idea his passenger was going to commit a crime.
Another suspect was identified as Oliver Moisés Mirabal Acosta, aka Papi, whose father accused him of being involved in a gang of hit men and low-level drug dealers. He is accused of driving one of the cars used to stalk Ortiz before he was shot.
Also accused is Gabriel Alexander Pérez Vizcaíno, aka Bone, whom they say was hired by someone who is in prison on unrelated charges to be the liaison between the hit men and the person who paid them. Authorities say Pérez shared a picture of the target as he met the other suspects at a nearby gas station just minutes before the shooting, although they have not specified who was depicted in the picture.
They said Pérez then sold the cell phone used to plan the attack and to distribute a picture of the target to a woman for $180 so he could get rid of the evidence a day after the shooting.
Police are still looking for at least three other suspects: a woman known as The Venezuelan or Red; Luis Alfredo Rivas Clase, aka The Surgeon, who is wanted for a 2018 shooting in Reading, Pennsylvania, and is believed to driving the other used to stalk Ortiz; and Alberto Miguel Rodríguez Mota, whom authorities believe paid the hit men. Authorities have said coordinator of attack was offered 400,000 Dominican pesos, or about $7,800.
Wednesday’s announcement came as Ortiz recovers at Massachusetts General Hospital. Doctors in the Dominican Republic removed his gallbladder and part of his intestine before he was wheeled into an air ambulance sent by the Red Sox and flown to Boston.
Ortiz led the Red Sox to three World Series championships, was a 10-time All Star and hit 541 home runs. The Red Sox retired his number, 34, in 2017, and he has a bridge and a stretch of road outside Fenway Park named after him. He has a home in Weston, on the outskirts of Boston, that he shared with his wife and three children before putting it up for sale.
Although he lives in Boston, the 43-year-old visits the Dominican Republic several times a year. His father and sister live in Santo Domingo.
The Canadian Arctic permafrost is thawing 70 years earlier than expected, a rate shocking a group of scientists who released the findings of their long-term study this month.
A research team affiliated with the University of Alaska Fairbanks observed three sites over a period of 13 years between 2003 and 2016, according to a brief of their findings. Researchers discovered that a series of unusually warm summers triggered the rapid thawing, which is occurring 150 to 240 percent above the average rate between 1979 to 2000.
Bill Cable, a co-author of the study and engineer at the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research in Germany, tells TIME that the primary purpose of the research was to gather baseline measurements in those areas that didn’t have any data regarding permafrost. While Cable didn’t join the project until 2008, he said that no one anticipated finding the results that they did.
“We were all quite surprised when we went back later and saw how the landscape had been transformed,” says Cable.
Throughout the duration of the study, Cable says the researchers would visit the site once every three years, accessing it via a Twin Otter propeller aircraft that is able to land without runways, which was necessary while conducting research in remote areas without commercial airports.
“The amount that the permafrost thawed isn’t surprising necessarily — we see this in other locations. What is surprising is the speed at which this happened, especially for an area that is very cold permafrost,” says Cable. “We found that this really isn’t as stable as we think it is.”
University of Alaska Fairbanks geophysics professor Vladimir E. Romanovsky told Reuters he was also shocked to see that land frozen for 1,000 or more years is thawing so quickly.
“It’s an indication that the climate is now warmer than at any time in the last 5,000 or more years,” he said.
This isn’t the first study to show the Earth’s climate changing faster than expected. A study published in January by the journal Science found that since the 1950s, ocean temperatures have increased much faster than previously anticipated by researchers.
Climate change has become an issue at the forefront for many in the upcoming 2020 presidential election. Former Vice President Joe Biden, former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, and Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington state are among the Democratic candidates who are touting climate change proposals on their campaign trails.
Cable, meanwhile, is skeptical that anything can be done to reverse the effects of what has already happened to the Canadian Arctic permafrost. However, he is hopeful that citizens of the world can make positive changes moving forward to protect the planet.
“I think this really requires a very large effort on a global scale,” he says. “Something that not just one government or one entity can can tackle.”
(LONDON) — The race to become Britain’s next prime minister is down to the final four on Wednesday, as Boris Johnson stretched his lead among Conservative lawmakers and upstart Rory Stewart was eliminated from the contest.
Johnson, a former London mayor and U.K. foreign secretary, won 143 of 313 votes cast in a third-round ballot of Conservative lawmakers. Many fellow Brexit supporters in Parliament have rallied behind his insistence that Britain must leave the European Union as scheduled on Oct. 31.
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Environment Secretary Michael Gove and Home Secretary Sajid Javid trailed well behind, while Stewart came last and was dropped from the race.
More votes on Thursday will winnow the field down to two. The final pair of candidates with the most votes will appear on a runoff ballot mailed to about 160,000 party members across the country.
With Johnson all but guaranteed to be one of the two finalists, Hunt, Gove and Javid are battling for the second spot in the runoff.
The winner, expected to be announced in late July, will replace Theresa May as party leader and prime minister. May stepped down as Conservative leader earlier this month after failing to secure Parliament’s approval for her Brexit deal.
Wednesday’s vote ended the gravity-defying campaign of Stewart, who began as a longshot but sent an electric charge through the race as the “anti-Boris” candidate. He got just 27 votes, fewer than in the second round.
A former diplomat who once walked across Afghanistan and was a deputy provincial governor in Iraq after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, the 46-year-old lawmaker called out his rivals for what he saw as their fantasies and empty promises, and called for compromise on Brexit.
His quirky campaign, which saw him crisscross Britain talking and listening to voters, struck a chord with the public — though was less of a hit with his Conservative colleagues in Parliament.
After the result, Stewart said it had been “the most incredibly wonderful, exciting campaign.”
He said that although he had not managed to persuade his colleagues, the public reaction proved that “pragmatism” and “the center ground” were alive and kicking in politics.
Hunt, who got 54 votes, and Gove with 51 are tussling for second place and the slot of Johnsons’ runoff opponent. Javid straggled in fourth place, with 38 votes.
Many in the party doubt that anyone can beat Johnson, a quick-witted, Latin-spouting extrovert admired for his ability to connect with voters, but mistrusted for his erratic performance, and record of inaccurate and sometimes offensive comments.
Hunt is considered an experienced and competent minister, but unexciting. Javid, the son of Pakistani immigrants, says he offers a common-man alternative to his private school-educated rivals like Johnson and Hunt, although he was a highly paid investment banker before entering politics.
Gove is the sharpest performer and could come out best in head-to-head debates with Johnson, his longstanding frenemy.
Like Johnson, Gove helped lead the campaign to leave the European Union, but scuttled his friend’s bid to become prime minister in 2016 when he unexpectedly withdrew his support and decided to run for the job himself. The move left him with a lingering taint of treachery in the eyes of some Conservatives.
All the candidates to replace May have vowed to succeed where she failed and lead the country out of the EU. They differ widely on how to do that — and critics say none of their plans is realistic.
The EU says it won’t reopen the Brexit agreement it struck with May’s government, which has been rejected three times by Britain’s Parliament. Many economists and businesses warn that leaving without a deal on divorce terms and future relations would cause economic turmoil as tariffs and other disruptions are imposed on trade between Britain and the EU.
Johnson has won backing from the party’s die-hard Brexiteers by insisting the U.K. must leave the bloc on the rescheduled date of Oct. 31, with or without a divorce deal to smooth the way.
The U.K.’s withdrawal, originally set for March 29, has been pushed back twice amid political deadlock in London. Johnson said during a TV debate on Tuesday there would be a “catastrophic loss of confidence in politics” if Brexit was delayed any further.
Javid, like Johnson, says he would try to leave the EU without an agreement rather than delay Brexit beyond Oct. 31. Gove and Hunt both say they would seek another postponement if needed to secure a deal, but only for a short time.
(MOSCOW) — An emaciated polar bear has been sighted in a Russian industrial city in Siberia, far south of its normal hunting grounds.
Emergency officials in the city of Norilsk in a statement on Tuesday warned local residents about a bear that has been spotted in one city district.
Anatoly Nikolaichuk, chief of the local hunting department, told the Tass news agency that the last time a polar bear was seen in the area around Norilsk was more than 40 years ago. He said that local officials will now decide whether they can catch the animal and airlift it back to the north.
Environmentalists say wild animals are suffering from the shrinking hunting environment and the receding ice as the Arctic is getting warmer, and some of them have ventured south in search of food.
(COPENHAGEN, Denmark) — Residents of a Norwegian island where the sun doesn’t set for 69 days of the year want to go “time-free” and have more flexible school and working hours to make the most of their long summer days. People on the island of Sommaroey are pushing to get rid of traditional business hours and “conventional time-keeping” during the midnight sun period that lasts from May 18 to July 26, resident Kjell Ove Hveding said Wednesday.
Hveding met with a Norwegian lawmaker this month to present a petition signed by dozens of islanders in support of declaring a “time-free zone” and to discuss any practical and legal obstacles to basically ignoring what it says on clocks. “It’s a bit crazy, but at the same it is pretty serious,” he said.
Sommaroey, which lies north of the Arctic Circle, stays dark from November to January. The idea behind the time-free zone is that going off the clock would make it easier for residents, especially students, employers and workers, to make the most of the precious months when the opposite is true. Having no clocks “is a great solution but we likely won’t become an entirely time-free zone as it will be too complex,” Hveding said. “But we have put the time element on the agenda, and we might get more flexibility … to adjust to the daylight.”
“The idea is also to chill out. I have seen people suffering from stress because they were pressed by time,” he said.
Sitting west of Tromsoe, the island has a population of 350. Fishery and tourism are the main industries. Finland last year lobbied for the abolition of European Union daylight savings time after a citizens’ initiative collected more than 70,000 signatures.
When M was 7-years-old, her parents told her that she had had an operation as a young infant that meant she couldn’t have children. But, they weren’t telling her the whole story. M (who wishes not to be identified) is intersex, and only found out when she was 22-years-old, happening upon her medical history hidden in a wardrobe at home. “The operative report stated in black and white ‘testicular tissue’,” she says. “I felt wounded to the marrow.”
No Box For Me, a new film premiering in the U.S. at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival on June 19, follows 27 year old M’s journey of self-acceptance and discovery as a young intersex person living in France. Alongside her is Deborah, 25, who is also intersex and writing her university dissertation on the subject. Living in bodies often seen as taboo by western society and western medicine, the film looks at the relationships intersex people have with their bodies and their identities in a world that is not always accepting of those born with a difference.
When Swiss filmmaker Floriane Devigne was first commissioned to create the documentary, she was unsure of how to approach the portrayal of intersex people in a sensitive way. “At first, all I could see were all the pitfalls in treating such a subject,” she tells TIME. “There was a genuine risk of reinforcing stigma and stereotypes, and reducing these people solely to what makes them different, without ever managing to change or at least shake up that representation.”
Devigne decided to explore how intersex people are treated by society, by filming M and Deborah in their ordinary environments over the course of several months, interspersed with home videos and animation segments. “Since society labels intersex as an “anomaly,” and a “disorder,” I thought it was important that I film people who are apparently perfectly “normal,” so that the viewer could identify with them.”
It’s estimated that up to 1.7% of the world’s population are born with intersex traits, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The term is used to describe people born with sex characteristics, including genitals, testicles, ovaries and chromosome patterns, that do not fit binary notions of male or female bodies. Sometimes these differing characteristics may not be apparent at birth, and other variations may not be apparent until puberty, or at all.
Often stigmatized, many intersex people are subject to violations of their human rights. One common practice worldwide is surgical intervention on intersex babies, toddlers and children to make their sex characteristics conform to binary sex stereotypes. It’s one of the film’s challenging themes, as M struggles to come to terms with her body as a result of undergoing a non-consensual surgical procedure when she was younger. Another man featured in the film, who is also intersex and interviewed by Deborah for her dissertation, likens such surgeries to rape, given their invasive nature on the bodies of people unable to consent.
“It’s like a kind of mutilation,” says Devigne. “It takes a lot of time for people to build a life and an identity. It takes a lot of time to understand that it’s unfair to change the body, because society decides that the body of intersex people is not like other people.”
Gradually, M comes to accept her body and her identity through meeting Deborah and other intersex people. Devigne says that for the four young intersex people featured in the film, it was the first time in their lives that they had met another person with a similar background to their own. “Everything became clearer through the birth of the friendship between them,” she says. Deborah and M also look to other intersex people around the world for information, such as intersex American activist Pidgeon Pagonis, whose videos are featured in No Box for Me.
Devigne started making the film three years ago in France, and says that at the time, it was a very taboo subject. While the first person in the U.S. was granted an intersex birth certificate in January 2017, France’s top court that same year ruled against an appeal by a person wanting to be recognized by the state as being of a “neutral” sex.
Now the debate about this subject is high on the agenda. Devigne says that doctors, sociologists and intersex rights activists have used No Box for Me to promote the prohibition of non-consensual operations on intersex babies. “I hope society becomes more accepting of these identities,” Devigne says, “and if the film can help further this, then I am very happy to have made it.”
You are subscribed to email updates from World – TIME. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.
Email delivery powered by Google
Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States
Being smart about things financial can make the difference between a shaky future and a comfortable one. This quintet of Investopedia articles elaborates.
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now
A rainy start to the planting season set farmers week behind schedule. The adverse weather is now acting as a catalyst for higher prices over the weeks or months ahead.
As the world's largest economies get set to meet at the G20 summit, all eyes will be on the U.S and China as the two countries look to settle their trade disputes.
Mutual funds and money market funds are both pools of money invested by professional money managers, but a money market fund invests only in low-risk short-term debt.
Learn the difference between barter systems and currency systems in the trade of goods and services, and why currency systems are preferred over bartering.
Liquidity ratios measure a company's ability to convert its assets to cash. Solvency ratios measure a company's ability to meet its financial obligations.
The job of both Nasdaq market makers and NYSE specialists is to maintain orderly financial markets; any difference in their roles reflect the nature of their respective exchanges.
The world is getting smaller every day. Companies are making it easy to do business around the world and you are no longer limited to what's available in your local market.
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now
Most currency traders avoid the limelight, but a select few have risen to international stardom. The five most famous forex traders share common virtues such as strong self-confidence.
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now
Index funds, at their best, offer a low-cost way for investors to track popular stock and bond market indexes. But not all index funds are created equally.
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now
Choosing the right indicators can be a daunting task for novice traders. It's a much easier process when they focus their effects into five categories.
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now
Understand the difference between inter vivos trusts and testamentary trusts and discover how estate planning can offer tools to establish and maintain effective control over cash.
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now
Understanding the differences between bond funds and bond ETFs can help investors choose the instrument that is best for building a diversified bond portfolio.
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now
Life estates and irrevocable trusts can help individuals looking to apply for Medicaid. These estate planning tools allow major assets, such as homes, be put in a trust that splits ownership of the property.
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now
Understand more about the Coca-Cola company and the PepsiCo company. Learn about the key similarities and differences that make both companies successful.
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now
If California was a nation, it would be the world's fifth largest economy at $2.7 trillion a year. The combined economies of the three biggest East Coast metro areas is roughly equal to California's.
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now
OJEE Result 2019 Declare Today!!! As per the latest updates, the Odisha Joint Entrance Examination Cell will release the OJEE Result for both Offline and Online Exams is expected to be declared today, i.e. 19th June 2019. The Candidates those who have been appeared for the OJEE Examination can check their OJEE Result from the official website i.e, ojee.nic.in. The OJEE result 2019 will be declared in the form of the Rank card containing the individual scores of the candidates. Here we have provided a direct link to check the result, it will be work once the OJEE Result will Publish it by officially.
OJEE Result 2019
Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) Cell will declare OJEE 2019 results for online and offline exams by Wednesday on its official website ojee.nic.in. Candidates who appeared in the entrance exam(s) conducted by the Cell for admission to various undergraduate and postgraduate courses can check their results on the official website. The OJEE 2019 results will be declared at the concerned published at the concerned department in Odisha Secretariat. The paper-based OJEE 2019 test was held on 18th May 2019 while the OJEE 2019 computer-based test was held on 8 & 9th June 2019.
Written Test – 18th May 2019 Online Test – 8 & 9th June 2019
Result Date
19th June 2019 – Result Link will be available Below
Official Website
ojee.nic.in
OJEE Cell will issue rank cards to candidates who qualify in the test. Candidates who fail to qualify the exam or who submitted a blank OMR sheet will not be given any rank. The Skill Development and Technical Education Department were quoted making a statement to a leading media agency where he said that Odisha JEE Main Result for both online and offline exams will be declared today. Here on this site, anyone can find the OJEE Syllabus, Students can make use of this from our page. OJEE Result 2019 will consist of Overall scores and Rank obtained by Candidates in the exam.
All the candidates who qualify the OJEE Entrance Test will be issued a Rank Card. However, no rank card will be issued to the candidates who failed to qualify in the entrance exams. OJEE will also prepare a Merit list of all the qualified Candidates. The Admission of the candidates to various courses will be through the counseling rounds conducted by OJEE. The Counseling procedure for the candidates & the OJEE Lateral Entry Seats will be based on their order of Merit list. The OJEE Merit lists 2019 will be issued on the basis of ranks obtained by the candidates. OJEE Merit list 2019 & Odisha JEE Main Result will be released separately for each course.
OJEE Rank Card 2019 | OJEE Merit List 2019
OJEE Cell will issue rank cards only to candidates who will qualify the exam. Candidates who fail to qualify the exam, or who submitted blank OMR sheet will not be given any rank (not even the last rank). OJEE Result Rank card will consist of Candidate' Roll Number, Application Number for OJEE 2019, OJEE paper details i.e. subject, date of exam, etc, Overall Marks in OJEE 2019, Rank obtained by the candidate and OJEE 2019 qualifying status. After the Merit list & Rank Card declaration, the Students will be called for the Counseling process to select the Courses. We advise the Students to keep connect on this page to get the upcoming announcement from the OJEE by officially.
Steps to download Odisha JEE Entrance Exam Result 2019
Visit the Odisha Joint Entrance Examination official website i.e, ojee.nic.in
In the home page, Click on OJEE 2019 Result
On the fresh page, log in with your OJEE 2019 Roll Number, your date of birth and enter the security code
Click on submit button to view OJEE 2019 Result.
OJEE Result 2019 will be displayed on the screen.
Download or take a print out of the result for further reference.
ESAF Previous Papers is available here. Candidates who are interested can start their preparation can grab the Evangelical Social Action Forum Bank Board Model Papers along which are solved on our site. In addition to this, you can also get the ESAF Exam Solved Papers in the Pdf format available @ esafbank.com completely for free. You don’t have to pay for this in order to avail the previous papers.
ESAF Model Papers – Evangelical Social Action Forum Board Test Pattern 2019
Subject
Total Marks
Duration
Reasoning
75 marks
1 hour
Computer Awareness
Data Analysis and interpretation
General/Economy/Banking Awareness
English Language
Before attending the exam it becomes very much necessary to look through the previous exam papers. It gives knowledge about how the questions might appear and how to manage time for each section. This exam consists of an objective type of questions. There is no negative marking in any section. So refer to the solved exam papers before the exam dates. Once you solve the solved papers, you will arrive at many ideas on how to solve a question in different ways. Make use of this opportunity very well and prepare for the upcoming ESAF exams. We will also keep you updated about the exam date. So keep visiting this page for any information.
Here we have given the direct links to download the ESAF Previous Papers. All the aspiring candidates can afford to download the previous papers at free of cost. We have also provided the exam pattern above all for your reference. Make sure that you make the best use of our site, in turn, making excellence yours.
TNPSC VAO Question Paper download links are available here. Hence the participants of Village Administrative Officer exam can check the TNPSC VAO Previous Papers here. Get TNPSC VAO previous year question paper free download links here. For further go through the official website @ www.tnpsc.gov.in
TNPSC VAO Previous Papers
Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) has recently released various posts for the Village Administrative Officer posts. Candidates who have applied for the given posts can get here the complete TNPSC VAO model question paper. Go through the below sections to get an overview of the TNPSC VAO Recruitment 2019.
Candidates who are searching for Village Administrative Officer previous papers need not worry. As we have updated the latest TNPSC VAO exam question paper with answers in detail. Download the previous papers from the below sections.
SIB Previous Year Question Paper for Probationary Officer (PO), Probationary Clerk (PC), Legal Officer, Fire & Security is available here. Candidates who are in search of South Indian bank Previous Question Papers with answers pdf can find here. Hence, click on the link and download the free South Indian Bank PO Question Papers Pdf here.
South Indian Bank Probationary Officer Previous Papers
The South Indian Bank Recruitment Question Papers for Probationary Officer is updated here. Hence, applicants of South Indian Bank Probationary Officers Recruitment 2019 can find the Previous Year Question Papers, Model Solved Papers Pdf. Going to appear for the SIB PO Exams then download the SIB PO Exam Papers with Solutions and start your preparation.
South Indian Bank PO Previous Question Papers with Answers Pdf
SIB Probationary Legal Officers Previous Papers for free download is updated on this page. Therefore, applicants who are going to appear for the South Indian Bank Exam 2018 can refer those carefully. We have tried to update the Last 5 Year South Indian Bank PLO Model Question Paper. Also, you can visit the official website of South Indian Bank to download the SIB Probationary Legal Officers (PLO) Exam Papers available in Pdf format @ southindianbank.com.
South Indian Bank PLO Previous Papers – Overview
Description
Details
Total Vacancies
09
Name of the Posts
Probationary Legal Officers (PLO)
Category
Previous Papers
SIB Previous Year Question Paper for Probationary Legal Officers – Model Papers with Answers Pdf
SIB Probationary Security Officers (PSO) & Probationary Fire & Security Officers Previous Papers is updated here. Hence, applied candidates can check and download the South Indian Bank PSO Model Papers. The SIB Probationary Security Officers Previous Year Papers are important to refer if you want to score good marks in the written examination. Therefore, go through the following links and download the South Indian Bank Probationary Fire & Security Officers Exam Papers in the Pdf format.
South Indian Bank Previous Question Papers – Overview
Description
Details
Total Vacancies
07
Name of the Posts
Probationary Security Officers (PSO) & Probationary Fire & Security Officers
Category
Previous Papers
SIB Previous Year Question Paper for PSO – Exam Model Papers Pdf
South Indian Bank Previous Question Papers for Clerk
SIB Probationary Clerk Previous Papers for free download is updated on this page. Therefore, applicants who are going to appear for the South Indian Bank Exam 2019 can refer those carefully. We have tried to update the latest South Indian Bank Clerk Model Question Paper. Also, you can visit the official website of South Indian Bank to download the SIB Probationary Clerk Previous Papers available in Pdf format @ southindianbank.com.
South Indian Bank Clerk Previous Question Papers – Overview
BSF Syllabus for Constable (Tradesman), SI, Head Constable and other is available on our page. Applied for the BSF Recruitment 2019? Then you are in the right place. Here we provide you the clear details about the Border Security Force exam syllabus and written test pattern for various posts like Group B & C, Sub-Inspector(SI), Constable (Tradesman), Constable GD, JE & other. However, the applicants of the BSF Recruitment are advised to check the details carefully and start preparing for the BSF written examination 2019.
Check the BSF Previous Year Question Papers from our page. Where we provide you with a direct link to download the BSF SI, JE, Constable & Other Posts Study Material and Model Question Papers. Also, download the free Last 5 Years BSF Previous Question Papers Pdf.
BSF Constable (Tradesman) Syllabus 2019 Pdf
Border Security Force (BSF) released notification to fill up 1763 Constable (Tradesman) posts under different trades like Tailor, Cobbler, Cook, Carpenter, Washer Man, Barber, Waiter, Sweeper, Water Carrier &, etc. There are many applicants who have applied for this post already & are searching for the latest Border Security Force (BSF) Constable (Tradesman) syllabus & exam pattern 2019 pdf. Job Seekers who are preparing for the written test of BSF Recruitment 2019 can get detailed Syllabus for BSF Constable, exam pattern, previous papers & others.
Schedule Tribes/ Adivasis of all states Union territories including Nagas and Mizos.
Male – 162.5 cms Female – 150 cms
Male – 76-81 cms Female – Nil
Candidates belonging to the states of Sikkim, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir, and Leh & Ladakh regions of J&K. Men who belong to Garhwalis, Kumaonis, Gorkhas, Dogras, Marathas
Male –165cms Female – 155 cms
Male – 78-83 cms Female – Nil
All Other States and Union Territories
Male – 167.5 cms Female – 157 cms
Male – 78-83 cms Female – Nil
BSF PET (Physical Efficiency Test) Exam Pattern 2019
The candidates qualified in PST will take PET Test.
Male
5 Kms Running Race within 24 minutes
Female
1.6 Kms Running Race within 8.30 minutes
Border Security Force (BSF) Constable Tradesman Trade Test
Candidates who qualify in PST, PET & Documentation round will be selected for the Trade Test.
Trade test will be only qualifying in nature.
The test will be based on skill/qualification required for each trade.
Border Security Force (BSF) Written Exam Pattern 2019
Subject
No of Questions
Marks
General Awareness/ General Knowledge
25
25
Elementary Mathematics
25
25
Aptitude
25
25
Hindi / English Basics
25
25
Total
100
100
The exam mode will be of Objective type questions.
Duration of the exam will be 2 Hours.
The exam papers can be answered either in Hindi or English.
Later on, Medical Examination will be taken after which Final merit list will be announced according to which posts will be allotted.
Download BSF Constable Tradesman Exam syllabus 2019 Pdf
The applicants who are searching for detailed BSF Constable Tradesman Syllabus can check under this section. Here we have listed syllabus subject wise using which you can prepare for the exam easily.
General Hindi/English
Ability to understand correct English
Basic comprehension and writing ability
error recognition
fill in the blanks
Vocabulary
Spellings
Grammar
Sentence Structure
Synonyms
Antonyms
Sentence Completion
Phrases and Idiomatic use of Words, etc.
General Awareness/General Knowledge
History
Geography
Socio-Economic development of Himachal Pradesh
Knowledge of current events of National and International importance
Experience in their scientific aspects
Modern History (From 1857 onwards) of India, Indian culture, Indian Polity, Indian Economy, Geography of India.
BSF Group B & C Syllabus 2019 for the various posts has been released recently for the various applicants. Candidates can apply for 114 vacancies for posts like Jr. Flight Engineer, Const (Asstt Mechanic/ Cleaner) Group C & Other. Applicants who are preparing for the written examination of BSF Recruitment 2019 can get here the complete details of BSF Group B & C Syllabus, Previous Papers & Other.
BSF Head Constable Syllabus & Exam Pattern Details 2019
The Border Security force Head Constable exam 2019 is of objective type questions. The MCQ type written exam is of 02 hours. In the written exam MCQ, there will be 100 questions for 100 marks. The first phase of the exam will written test followed by PST, PET & Documentation, Descriptive written test and then finally Medical Examination.
Border Security Force (BSF) Head Constable (HC) Exam Pattern 2019
Subject Names
No. of Questions
Max. Marks
Arithmetic
100
100
Mathematics
General awareness
General Knowledge
The MCQ written exam is of 2 hours which contains 100 questions for 100 marks, where each question carries 1 mark.
Negative Markins: For every 2 marks MCQ question, 0.50 marks will be deducted for every wrong answer.
BSF Head Constable Exam Syllabus 2019
Hindi & English
Antonyms
Sentence structure
Vocabulary
Spellings
Fill in the blanks
Idioms and phrases
Detecting Mis-spelt words
Spot the error
Shuffling of sentence parts
Grammar
Synonyms
Shuffling of Sentences in a passage
One word substitutions
Cloze passage
Comprehension passage etc
For complete syllabus click on the link given below
For the BSF Group B & C Examination 2019, there will be two papers. The Paper – I will be an Objective Type with Multiple Choice Questions and the Paper – II will be a conventional type i.e. It will be a descriptive paper with a total of 10 questions. Check the below exam pattern know about the types of questions and the maximum marks.
Check BSF Group B & C Exam Pattern 2019 – Paper I
Subject Names
No. of Questions
Max. Marks
General Intelligence & Reasoning
25
25
General Awareness
25
25
General Engineering (Civil)
50
50
Total
100
100
Duration of the exam is 2 hours.
BSF Group B & C Exam Pattern 2019 – Paper II
Topic Names
Total Questions
Maximum Marks
General Engineering (Civil)
10
100
The exam mode is of conventional type
Duration of the exam is 2 hours.
Candidates who will be selected from Paper – I and Paper – II need to undergo a Personal Interview Round. Aspirants can go through the syllabus provided below to prepare well for the upcoming examinations-
BSF Sub Inspector (GD) Syllabus 2019 for the Written Examination is updated Below. However, the applicant who is looking for the BSF Syllabus can check the details from the table following. Hence, go through the BSF SI Syllabus and Exam pattern details and download the free pdf. Also, don’t forget to download the free BSF Previous Year Question Papers, Study Material pdf.
BSF Sub Inspector GD Exam Pattern & Syllabus Details 2019
Generally, the first state of Border Security Force Barthi is written Examination. However, BSF SI GD Selection is also having the written Examination. Hence, the aspirants can check the Section wise Subjects and Topic Wise Syllabus details below. Furthermore, visit the official Border Security Force Website for more details.
S.No
Subjects
1
General Intelligence & Reasoning
2
Comprehension and Communication Skill
3
Numerical Ability
4
General Awareness & Professional Knowledge
Questions: Objective Type Multiple Choice Questions.
Border Security Force Syllabus for Junior Engineer/Sub Inspector (Electrical) Group-B is updated. The Border Security force is going to hire the Engineering Graduates who belongs to Electrical streams. However, the applicants of BSF JE Recruitment 2019 can check the details below. Furthermore, check the section wise BSF JE Syllabus and Exam Pattern details here. Also, download the free BSF Junior Engineer Syllabus pdf from the link given.
Description
Details
Post Name
Junior Engineer/Sub Inspector (Electrical)
No. of Vacancies
36
Category Name
Syllabus
Exam Date
Update Soon
BSF Exam Pattern & Syllabus for JE 2019
The Border Security force is going to conduct the written Examination as a part of Stage-I in the selection process. Hence, the applicant of BSF JE Recruitment 2019 can check the details below and download the Pdf for more detailed information about the BSF Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2019 for Junior Engineer Vacancy.
Border Security Force JE Syllabus for Paper-I
S.No
Subjects
No of Question
1
General Intelligence & Reasoning
25
2
General Awareness
25
3
General Engineering (Electrical)
50
Questions: Objective Type MCQ’s.
Marks: Each Question Carries One Mark.
Maximum Marks for Paper-I is 100.
BSF JE Syllabus for paper-II
S.No
Subjects
No of Question
1
General Engineering (Electrical)
10
Maximum Marks for Paper-II is 100.
Where 12 Questions will be given from which 10 has to be answered by the Contenders.
The BSF SI Syllabus (Civil) is Updated below. However, Engineering Graduate who is looking for Career in Border Security forces can use this Opportunity. Check the details of BSF SI Syllabus Civil and Exam Pattern and start Your Preparation.
Description
Details
Post Name
Sub Inspector (Civil)
No of Vacancies
103
Category Name
Syllabus
Exam Date
Update Soon
Border Security Force Exam Pattern & Syllabus (Civil)
There will be two papers I & II in the written Examination. Where the BSF Syllabus and Exam Pattern for Both papers are as listed below. Download the BSF Syllabus Pdf for SI (Civil) from the link at the end.
Border Security Force (BSF) Syllabus for Paper-I
S.No
Subjects
No of Question
1
General Intelligence & Reasoning
25
2
General Awareness
25
3
General Engineering (Civil)
50
Questions: Objective Type MCQ’s.
Marks: Each Question Carries One Mark.
Maximum Marks for Paper-I is 100.
BSF SI Syllabus for paper-II
S.No
Subjects
No of Question
1
General Engineering (Civil)
10
Maximum Marks for Paper-II is 100.
Where 12 Questions will be given from which 10 has to be answered by the Contenders.
BSF Syllabus 2019 for the Post of Constable GD is available here. The Border Security Force recently announced the huge vacancy count of 16,984. Hence, if you not yet applied here is the BSF Recruitment Notification and Application Link details. However, we updated the latest BSF Syllabus for Constable CBT Examination. Have a look at the BSF Syllabus & Exam Pattern in the sections below. Also, download free BSF Constable Syllabus Pdf from the link below.
Description
Details
Job Designation
Constable (General Deputy)
No. of Vacancies
16,984
Category Name
Syllabus
Exam Date
Update Soon
BSF Constable Exam Pattern 2019
The Border Security Force is conducting the Computer Based Test for the Candidates who applied for Constable Posts 2019. Hence, check the CBT Exam Pattern, Subjects, and Marks allocated Section wise in the table below. Also, check the section wise syllabus details and download the free Pdf below. Furthermore, visit the official Border Security Force website for more details.
BSF CBT Test Pattern – Constable GD
Subject
No of Question
Marks
General Intelligence & Reasoning
25
25
General Knowledge & General Awareness
25
25
Elementary Mathematics
25
25
English/Hindi
25
25
Total
100
100
The questions will be Objective Type only.
Exam Duration will be 1 Hr 30 Mins.
Computer Based Test will be conducted in English & Hindi Languages Only.
BSF Syllabus 2019 Pdf
Border Security Force Syllabus – General Intelligence & Reasoning
Analogies
Similarities & Differences
Spatial Visualization.
Spatial Orientation
Visual Memory
Discrimination
Observation
Relationship Concepts
Arithmetical Reasoning & Figure Classification
Number Series
Non-Verbal Series
Coding & Decoding Etc.
BSF Constable Exam Syllabus – General Knowledge & Awareness
Current Events
India and its neighboring Countries.
Sports
Culture
History
Economics
Geography
General Politics
Indian Constitution & Scientific Research Etc.
Border Security Force (BSF) Syllabus Pdf – Mathematics
Kerala Teacher Eligibility Test (KTET) Syllabus Category 3,2 2019 Pdf is provided here. Interested candidates can download the syllabus pdf along with exam pattern by using the link given on this page. You can also visit our website for more updates regarding Kerala TET Exam Notification 2019, admit card & result details. However, read the entire article to get complete information related to Kerala Teacher Eligibility Test syllabus of category 1,2,3, & 4 with additional details.
KTET Syllabus 2019 – Category 1,2,3,4
Kerala KTET Recruitment 2019notification released by the Government of Kerala education Board to fill up various Teacher vacancies. As per information, a huge number of candidates have applied for the exam 2019 through online. Now Candidates will be in a hurry searching for the Kerala TET Exam Syllabus & Exam Pattern 2019 for category 1,2,3,4.
Candidates who are interested in the Government Jobs of Kerala or Teacher Jobs can check the details below and start your preparation for Kerala TET Exam 2019. However, the latest syllabus & exam Pattern is available on our website. Also, candidates can download Kerala TET Syllabus pdf from this page which is more fastly accessible compared to others.
The aspirants have to undergo 3 stages of the recruitment process to get selected from the Kerala Teacher Eligibility Test 2019. Stages are as follows:
Written Test.
Skill Test (Teaching Methodology Test).
Personal Interview.
Kerala TET (KTET) Exam Pattern 2019
The Exam Pattern for the Kerala TET exam paper is as follows, The KTET Exam Pattern for Category 1, 2, 3, and 4 is updated in the sections following. The applicants are advised to go through the respective KTET Syllabus and Exam Pattern Category wise. Later, download the KTET Syllabus Category wise at the end of the article.
Child Development and Pedagogy (relevant to age group 6-11)
30
30
Mathematics
30
30
Environmental Studies
30
30
Language-I (Malayalam/Tamil/Kannada)
30
30
Language-II (English/ Arabic)
30
30
Total Marks
150
150
Kerala KTET Syllabus & Exam Pattern for CATEGORY – 2 (for Upper Primary classes)
Topic
Number of Questions
Number of Marks
Child Development and Pedagogy (relevant to age group 11-14)
30
30
(a) For Mathematics and Science teachers: Mathematics and Science or (b) For Social Science Teachers: Social Science or (c) For any other teachers (a) or (b)
60
60
Language-I – Malayalam/ Tamil/Kannada/English
30
30
Language II-(Other than Language I) Malayalam/English
30
30
Total Marks
150
150
KTET Syllabus & Exam Pattern for CATEGORY – 3 (for High School classes)
Topic
Number of Questions
Number of Marks
Adolescent Psychology, Theories of Learning and Teaching Aptitude
The Kerala TET Written exam consists of the following features:
The Exam is of Objective type i.e it consists of Multiple Choice Questions.
The paper consists of 150 Questions.
The exam is conducted for a total of 150 Marks.
Kerala Teacher Eligibility Test (KTET) Syllabus 2019 Pdf Download
The Kerala TET Syllabus Category wise is given below. The KTET Syllabus Pdf is also available for download Category wise.
KTET Syllabus for Category I (Class I to V)
Paper-I:
CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND PEDAGOGY
Child Development and Learning.
Concepts of Inclusive education and understanding children with special needs.
Learning and pedagogy.
MATHEMATICS
Numbers.
Geometry.
Measurements.
Pedagogy Nature of Mathematics.
Place of Mathematics in Curriculum.
Mathematics – Trends and Developments.
Approach to Mathematics Learning.
The teaching of Mathematics – Strategies and Methods.
Learning Materials in Mathematics.
Mathematics Learning – Evaluation.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Family.
Water.
Agriculture.
Diseases.
Food.
Jobs.
Public Institute. Energy.
Animal world.
Plants.
First aid.
Solar system.
Air.
Light.
Pedagogy.
Science.
Aims of learning science.
Scientific process.
Different process skills.
Characteristics of science teaching.
Evaluation strategy in science classes.
The role of a science teacher.
Learning Aids.
Unit analysis.
Pedagogic analysis.
Analysis of the primary Science curriculum.
Action Research.
Evaluation system.
Paper-II: LANGUAGE I – MALAYALAM/KANNADA/TAMIL
Reading comprehension – Prose.
Reading comprehension –Poem.
Pedagogical aspects of Kannada Language – Class 1 to 5.
History of Language, Literature, and Culture.
III Paper: LANGUAGE II – ENGLISH/ARABIC
Language Comprehension.
Grammar.
Comprehension passage.
Verbal ability.
Pedagogy of language development.
KTET Syllabus for Category-II ( class VI to VIII)
Paper-I: CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND PEDAGOGY
The concept of development and its relation to learning
Socialization Process
The concept of child-centered and Progressive Education
Critical perspective of the construct of Intelligence
The individual difference among learners
Nature of prior learning
Inclusive Education
Learning and Pedagogy
Cognitive Process and Emotions
Motivation and Learning
Personality and adjustment
Paper-II: LANGUAGE I – MALAYALAM/ENGLISH/TAMIL/KANNADA
MALAYALAM/ENGLISH
Language Comprehension
Pedagogy of Language Development
TAMIL
Reading Comprehension – Prose
Reading Comprehension – Poem
Pedagogical aspects of Mother tongue education – Class – VI-VIII
Language Literature and Culture.
KANNADA
Reading Comprehension – Prose.
Reading Comprehension – Poem.
Pedagogical aspects of Kannada Language – Class 6 to 8.
Language Literature and Culture.
III Paper: LANGUAGE II – MALAYALAM/ENGLISH/HINDI/ARABIC/URDU/SANSKRIT
MALAYALAM/HINDI/ENGLISH
Language Comprehension.
Pedagogy of Language Development.
ARABIC
Pedagogy of language development.
Language comprehension.
Grammar.
Verbal Ability.
URDU
Language comprehension.
Grammar.
Pedagogy of language development.
SANSKRIT
Language Comprehension.
Pedagogy of Language Development.
Paper-IV: SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS & SOCIAL
SCIENCE
Germination of seed.
Cell.
Diseases.
Pollution.
Cardiovascular system.
Cellular equilibrium.
Plant reproduction.
Animal nutrition.
Human nervous system.
Agriculture.
Ecosystem.
Biodiversity
Transparent and opaque objects.
Magnetism.
Energy.
Basic concepts of force.
Metals.
Cosmetics.
Chemical reactions and its classification.
Pedagogy.
MATHEMATICS
Arithmetic.
Average.
Percent.
Exponentiation.
Algebra.
Geometry.
Quadrilaterals.
Pedagogy.
Mathematics – Trends and Developments.
Place of Mathematics in Curriculum.
Nature of Mathematics.
Mathematics Learning – Evaluation.
Learning Materials in Mathematics.
Learning of Mathematics – Strategies and Methods.
SOCIAL SCIENCE
History.
Geography.
Economics.
Political Science.
Social Science.
Pedagogy.
KTET Syllabus for Category-III (Class VIII to X)
Paper-I: ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY, THEORIES OF LEARNING & TEACHING APTITUDE
Adolescent Psychology.
Theories of Learning.
Teaching Aptitude.
Paper-II: LANGUAGE I – MALAYALAM/ENGLISH/TAMIL/KANNADA
Comprehension.
Vocabulary.
Grammar.
Communicative functions.
III Paper: SUBJECT SPECIFIC AREAS
MALAYALAM/ENGLISH
Pedagogical understanding.
Content, Concepts, and Ideas.
Vocabulary.
Grammar
TAMIL
Pedagogical Understanding.
Concepts and ideas (contexts).
KANNADA
Pedagogical Understanding.
Concepts and ideas (contexts).
HINDI
Pedagogy of Language development.
Concepts & Contents.
ARABIC
Pedagogical understanding.
Content, Concepts, and Ideas.
Vocabulary.
Grammar.
URDU
Pedagogical understanding.
Content, Concepts, and Ideas.
Vocabulary.
Grammar.
SANSKRIT
Pedagogical understanding.
Content, Concepts, and Ideas.
PHYSICAL SCIENCE
Wave motion.
Light.
Force and pressure.
Gravitation.
Electricity and Magnetism.
Electronics.
Motion etc.
CHEMISTRY
Atoms and Molecules.
Metals.
Solutions.
Colloids.
Nature of matter.
Physical changes and Chemical changes.
Separation of Mixtures.
Non-metals.
Chemical Bonding.
Pedagogy.
MATHEMATICS
Arithmetic.
Algebra.
Trigonometry.
Geometry.
Pedagogy etc.
KTET Syllabus for Category IV
(For Language Teachers, Specialist Teachers & Physical Education Teachers)
Arabic.
Hindi.
Sanskrit.
Urdu.
Physical Education.
Drawing.
Sewing.
Music.
Direct Link to Download Kerala TET Syllabus
Here are the direct links to download the KTET Syllabus 2019 Pdf. Click here and download the Latest KTET Syllabus Category Wise to prepare for K-TET Exam 2019 without any trouble.
Kerala Teachers Eligibility Test (KTET) is an examination conducted for the local candidates of Kerala. Through Kerala TET examination the candidates who are eligible for Primary School teachers are selected. However, the KTET exam consists of four categories for various teacher Vacancies depending upon the subject and classes. The Kerala TET is conducted every year by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).
South Indian Bank PO Clerk Syllabus for Probationary Officer (PO), Clerk, Probationary Legal Officers (PLO), Probationary Security Officers is available here to download. Candidate can also check for exam and exam pattern details along with the South Indian Bank PO Clerk Syllabus Pdf free download link. Have a look at SIB exam previous year question paper for Clerk & PO that would help in the preparation of the exam.
South Indian Bank PO Clerk Syllabus 2019 Pdf
South Indian Bank Syllabus 2019 Pdf download links are available here. Interested applicants can get the South Indian Bank PO Clerk Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2019 on this page. Using the Syllabus, you can obviously get to know the topics to read. Moreover, you can also check www.southindianbank.com to be clear about the South Indian Bank Exam Pattern, Exam Dates, and so on.
It's true that countless numbers of candidates are applied for the South Indian Bank Exam. So, check both the South Indian Bank Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2019 before preparing for the written test. Go through the entire article to find the South Indian Bank PO Clerk Syllabus in Pdf format.
Searching for South Indian Bank PO Syllabus 2019 pdf? Perfect!!! Download it now and start your preparation today itself. The SIB Probationary Officer Syllabus is essential for the applicants who have applied for the above job. To make your search easy, we have also updated the South Indian Bank Probationary Officer Exam Pattern 2019 here. Moreover, you can visit the official website @ www.southindianbank.com to download the South Indian Bank PO exam pattern & syllabus2019 pdf.
South Indian Bank Probationary Officer Notification Details 2019
Question Paper will be in only the English language.
Duration of the written exam is 140 minutes.
There will be 1/4 penalty for wrong answers.
SIB Probationary Officer Syllabus
Detailed South Indian Bank PO Syllabus pdf is given under this section. Nothing much has changed from the previous South Indian Bank PO Syllabus 2018 Pdf. The syllabus is same as that of last year. For subjectwise syllabus details, check the list given below. However, continue reading further to get syllabus pdf link to download and refer during the preparation of the exam.
South Indian Bank PO Reasoning Syllabus
Statement – Conclusions
Number, Ranking & Time Sequence
Alphabet Test
Theme Detection
Statement – Arguments
Series Completion
Clocks & Calendars
Alpha Numeric Sequence Puzzle
Situation Reaction Test
Arithmetical Reasoning
Eligibility Test
Logical Venn Diagrams
Analogy
Mathematical Operations
Logical Sequence of Word
Inserting The Missing Character
Direction Sense Test
Logic
Coding-Decoding
Data Sufficiency
South Indian Bank English Language Syllabus 2019
Grammar
Articles
Synonyms
Vocabulary
Sentence Completion
Fill in the Blanks
Idioms & Phrases
Subject-Verb Agreement
Tenses
Word Formation
Verb
Comprehension
Conclusion
Unseen Passages
Adverb
Passage Completion
Sentence Rearrangement
Antonyms
Error Correction
Theme detection
SIB Syllabus – Banking Awareness
Countries / currencies
History of Banking
Current Affairs of last six months especially with reference to Banking Industry
Awards & Honors Sports
Marketing
Books & Their Authors
Indian Constitution Questions
Questions on Indian Economy
International Economy
UNO
Agriculture
Finance
Banking Terms
RBI Functions, Fiscal-Monetary Policies
SIB PO Syllabus – Computer Aptitude
Averages
Quadratic Equations
Data Interpretation
Percentages
Time & Distance
Simplification / Approximation
Ratio & Proportion
Time & Work
Profit & Loss
Number Series
Pipes & Cisterns
Problem on Ages
Probability
Simple and Compound Interest
Partnership
Mixture & Allegation
Mensuration
South Indian Bank PO Data Analysis & Interpretation Syllabus 2019
Tabular graph
Pie charts
Miscellaneous Topics
Data Sufficiency
Radar Graphs
Permutation and Combination
Line charts
Line Graph
Tables
Probability
Bar Graphs
Mixed Graphs Download South Indian Bank PO Syllabus – Click Here
South Indian Bank Probationary Legal Officers (PLO) Syllabus
South Indian Bank PLO Syllabus 2019 Pdf is here to download along with exam pattern. Applicants can download South Indian Bank Probationary Legal Officer Exam Syllabus topics, Previous papers. Check the detailed South Indian Bank PLO Syllabus 2019 Pdf and Exam Pattern on this page. Moreover, you can also get the direct South Indian Bank PLO Syllabus 2019 Pdf download links here. Get details of South Indian Bank Syllabus and Exam Pattern in the below section.
SIB PLO Notification Details 2019
Description
Details
Name of the Organization
South Indian Bank
Number of Vacancies
09
Name of the Post
Probationary Legal Officers (PLO)
Category
Syllabus
South Indian Bank Probationary Legal Officers Exam Pattern
Name of the Subjects
Sections
Max Marks
Total Time Allotted
Reasoning
Part A (Objective Section)
15
15 Minutes
English Language
15
15 Minutes
Legal Aspects of Banking
40
30 Minutes
General/ Economy/ Banking Awareness
15
15 Minutes
Data Analysis & Interpretation
15
15 Minutes
Legal Case Studies
Part B
100 ( 4*25)
60 Minutes
Total
200
150 Minutes
There will 1/4 negative marks for each wrong answer in Part A section.
The Part A Exam consists of 100 Questions. Part B Exam Consists of 04 Questions.
The test will be available in English only.
SIB PLO Exam Syllabus
Aspirants who have applied for South Indian Bank PLO Recruitment 2019 can know the Syllabus of PLO from the description provided below.
South Indian Bank PLO Reasoning Syllabus
Data Sufficiency
Data Interpretation
Non-Verbal Reasoning
Analytical Reasoning
Logical Reasoning
Puzzles Verbal Reasoning
South Indian Bank English Language Syllabus 2019
Synonyms
Sentence Arrangement
Completion Active and Passive Voice
Spotting Errors
Substitution
Para Completion
Idioms and Phrases
Error Correction (Phrase in Bold)
Joining Sentences
Fill in the blanks
Error Correction (Underlined Part)
Transformation
Sentence Improvement
Passage Completion
Spelling Test
Prepositions Sentence
Antonyms
General English
SIB Syllabus – Banking Awareness
Geography
Sports
Rivers, Lakes, and Seas
Environmental Issues
Biology
Famous Places in India
Indian Economy
Famous Days & Dates
Inventions and Discoveries
Artists
Literature
General Science
Famous Books & Authors
Indian Parliament
Countries and Capitals
Civics
Indian Politics
Heritage
Tourism
Current Affairs
Indian History
South Indian Bank PLO Legal Aspects of Banking Syllabus
Legal Aspects of Banking consists of 4 Modules
Module – A.
SIB Module – B.
Module – C.
Module – D.
SIB Module – A Syllabus
Constitutions of Banks
What are Banks
Types of Banks
Regulator of Banks
What is Banking Ombudsman
Interests, Payment Systems
Module – B Syllabus
Responsibilities of Paying/ Collecting Banks
Indemnities
Bank Guarantees
Letter of Credits
Types of Credit Facilities
Secured and Unsecured Loans
Deferred Payment Guarantee
SIB Module – C Syllabus
SARFAESI ACT 2002
Banking Ombudsman Scheme 2006
DRT Act
Bankers books evidence Act 1891
Legal Services Authorities Act
Consumer Protection Act
Module – D Syllabus
Contracts of Indemnity
Contracts of Bailment
Partnership Basics
Contracts of Pledge
Contracts of Agency
Types of Companies
Contracts of Basics
South Indian Bank PLO Data Analysis & Interpretation Syllabus 2019
Data Interpretation (Bar Graph, Line Chart, Tabular, Caselet, Radar/Web, Pie Chart)
Inequalities (Quadratic Equations)
Number Series
Approximation and Simplification
Data Sufficiency
Miscellaneous Arithmetic Problems
Download South Indian Bank PLO Syllabus – Click Here
South Indian Bank PSO Syllabus: Candidates can check the South Indian Bank PSO Syllabus Pdf on this page. Here, we have given the South Indian Bank Probationary Security Officer and Exam pattern in a detailed manner. Also, check the last 5 years South Indian Bank PSO Question Papers. Start preparing for the exam using the South Indian Bank PSO Exam Syllabus 2019 Pdf. Interested and eligible candidates can also visit the official portal of South Indian Bank PSO @ www.southindianbank.com to know more about the South Indian Bank PSO Syllabus Pdf.
SIB South Indian Bank PSO Notification Details 2019
Description
Details
Name of the Organization
South Indian Bank
Number of Vacancies
07
Name of the Post
Probationary Security Officer (PSO)
Category
Syllabus
South Indian Bank Probationary Security Officers (PSO) Exam Pattern
Name of the Test
No of Questions
Max Marks
Time allotted
Reasoning & Computer Aptitude
40
50
40 minutes
General/ Economy/ Banking Awareness
40
50
20 minutes
English Language
40
50
40 minutes
Data Analysis & Interpretation
40
50
40 minutes
Total
160
200
140 minutes
There will be 1/4 negative marks for each wrong answer.
The test will be in the English Language.
SIB PSO Syllabus 2019
South Indian Bank PSO Reasoning Syllabus
Data Sufficiency
Data Interpretation
Non-Verbal Reasoning
Analytical Reasoning
Logical Reasoning
Puzzles Verbal Reasoning
South Indian Bank English Language Syllabus 2019
Synonyms
Sentence Arrangement
Completion Active and Passive Voice
Spotting Errors
Substitution
Para Completion
Idioms and Phrases
Error Correction (Phrase in Bold)
Joining Sentences
Fill in the blanks
Error Correction (Underlined Part)
Transformation
Sentence Improvement
Passage Completion
Spelling Test
Prepositions Sentence
Antonyms
General English
SIB Syllabus – Banking Awareness
Geography
Sports
Rivers, Lakes, and Seas
Environmental Issues
Biology
Famous Places in India
Indian Economy
Famous Days & Dates
Inventions and Discoveries
Artists
Literature
General Science
Famous Books & Authors
Indian Parliament
Countries and Capitals
Civics
Indian Politics
Heritage
Tourism
Current Affairs
Indian History
South Indian Bank PSO Data Analysis & Interpretation Syllabus 2019
Data Interpretation (Bar Graph, Line Chart, Tabular, Caselet, Radar/Web, Pie Chart)
Inequalities (Quadratic Equations)
Number Series
Approximation and Simplification
Data Sufficiency
Miscellaneous Arithmetic Problems
Download South Indian Bank PSO Syllabus – Click Here
South Indian Bank PO Clerk Syllabus is updated here for reference. Candidates who have applied for South Indian Bank Recruitment can refer and download the SIB Syllabus Pdf along with the Exam Pattern. You can download the syllabus from the link provided for free of cost. Also, interested applicants can visit the official website of South Indian Bank @ southindianbank.com for detailed South Indian Bank Clerk Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2019.
Latest South Indian Bank PO Clerk Syllabus 2019 Details
Description
Details
Name of the Organisation
South Indian Bank
Name of the Posts
Probationary Clerks
No. of Vacancies
North Zone – 75
SouthZone – 310
Category
Syllabus
SIB Probationary Clerk Exam date
26th July 2019
Official website
www.southindianbank.com
Selection Process:
Candidates will be selected based on various tests and their Performance.
Online Test.
Personal Interview.
SIB Probationary Clerk Exam Pattern 2019
Name of the Subjects
No. of Questions
Maximum Marks
Time Duration
General English
40
50
40 Mins
Reasoning & Computer Aptitude
40
50
40 Mins
Data Analysis & Interpretation
40
50
40 Mins
General/ Economy/Banking Awareness
40
50
20 Mins
Total
160
200
140 Mins
The medium of exam will be English.
There will be a ¼ penalty for wrong answers.
Here, we have updated the Latest South Indian Bank Probationary Clerk Exam Pattern. Hence, applicants need to prepare well by referring to the South Indian Bank PO Clerk Syllabus 2019. Also, this year the sectional time limit has been introduced in the online exam of South Indian Bank Clerk.
South Indian Bank Clerk Syllabus
The South Indian Bank PO Clerk Syllabus 2019 has been explained here. Therefore, check it carefully and download it for better understanding. Also, check South Indian Bank Previous Papers for Probationary Clerk Exam 2019.
Reasoning Ability Syllabus for SIB Clerk Exam 2019
Seating Arrangement.
Puzzles.
Inequality.
Syllogism.
Input-Output.
Data Sufficiency.
Logical Reasoning.
Blood Relations.
Distance & Direction.
Series based questions (Alphanumeric/ Numeric/ Alphabet).
Alphabet Test.
Order and Ranking.
South Indian Bank PO Clerk Syllabus for Aptitude
Number Series.
Simplification / Approximation.
Data Interpretation.
Quadratic Equations.
Average.
Profit & Loss.
Simple and Compound Interest.
Time & Work.
Time & Distance.
Partnership.
Ratio & Proportion.
The problem on Ages.
Probability.
Mensuration.
Mixture & Allegation.
Percentages.
Pipes & Cisterns.
Averages.
South Indian Bank PO Clerk Syllabus for the English Language
Reading Comprehension.
Cloze Test.
Spotting Errors.
Sentence Improvement/ Correction.
Para Jumbles.
Sentence/ Para Completion.
Sentence Connectors.
Fill in the blanks.
Vocabulary based questions (Synonym-Antonyms, Misspelt words, Idioms & Phrases, etc).
General Awareness Syllabus for South Indian Bank PO Clerk Syllabus
Banking and Financial Awareness.
Static General Awareness.
Current Affairs.
Important Dates and Dates.
Countries and their Capital & Currencies.
Important National & International Organizations and their Headquarters.
ISRO Recruitment 2019 Notification – Apply Online for 41 Technician B, Draughtsman B, Catering Attendant & Other Vacancies: The Latest advertisement LPSC/01/2019 was released by Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre which is under Indian Space Research Organization on 19th June 2019. As per this notice, 41 Technician B, Draughtsman B, Catering Attendant & Other vacancies are to be filled. In order to fill up these Jobs in ISRO LDC, candidates must have passed 10th/SSLC/SSC NAC in relevant Trade from NCVT. Job seekers on fulfilling these requirements can start applying online from 19th June 2019 through the direct link given below.
Selection of the most suitable candidates will be done based on written examination, skill test, and interview. After final selection, candidates will be placed in LPSC Units located at Valiamala near Thiruvananthapuram and at Bangalore, Karnataka. To know more details about ISRO Career Opportunities, please visit www.isro.gov.in
Eligibility Criteria for Jobs in ISRO Recruitment 2019
Candidates who are willing to apply for jobs in Indian Space Research Organization Recruitment 2019 can check eligibility details below. Make sure you meet all listed eligibility conditions before applying.
Read on to know ISRO requirements,
ISRO Educational Qualification:
Technician B:
Fitter – SSLC/SSC pass + ITI/NTC/ NAC in Fitter Trade from NCVT
Electronic Mechanic – SSLC/SSC pass + ITI/NTC/ NAC in Electronic Mechanic Trade from NCVT
Refrigeration & AirConditioning Mechanic – SSLC/SSC pass + ITI/NTC/ NAC in Refrigeration & Air-Conditioning Mechanic Trade from NCVT
Turner – SSLC/SSC pass + ITI/NTC/ NAC in Turner Trade from NCVT
Machinist – SSLC/SSC pass + ITI/NTC/ NAC in Machinist Trade from NCVT
Welder – SSLC/SSC pass + ITI/NTC/ NAC in Welder Trade from NCVT
Plumber – SSLC/SSC pass + ITI/NTC/ NAC in Plumber Trade from NCVT
Draughtsman B:
Mechanical – 10th/SSLC/SSC pass + ITI/NTC/ NAC in Draughtsman (Mechanical) Trade from NCVT
Heavy Vehicle Driver “A”:
Pass in 10th/SSLC/SSC/Matric/10th Std
5 years experience, out of which minimum 3 years as Heavy Vehicle Driver and the balance period driving experience of Light Motor Vehicle.
Must possess HVD license and Public Service Badge, if statutory
Light Vehicle Driver “A”:
Pass in 10th/SSLC/SSC/Matric/10th Std.
3 years of experience as a Light Vehicle Driver.
Must possess valid LVD license.
Catering Attendant 'A:
10th/SSLC/SSC pass
ISRO Age Limit:
Age Limit to apply for ISRO Recruitment is as follows,
For Catering Attendant:
Maximum Age Limit – 25 Years
For Others:
Maximum Age Limit – 35 Years.
Age Relaxation:
For SC/ ST Candidates – 05 years
OBC Reservation – 03 Years
Selection Process for ISRO Jobs:
Written Examination
Personal Interview
Skill Test
Application Fee:
As per the norms
ISRO Salary:
Name of the Post
Salary
Technician ‘B’
Level -3, Rs. 21,700 – 69,100/-.
Draughtsman ‘B’
Heavy Vehicle Driver ‘A’
Level-2, Rs. 19,900 – 63,200/-.
Light Vehicle Driver ‘A’
Catering Attendant ‘A’
Level-1, Rs. 18,000 – 56,900/-.
How to apply ONLINE for ISRO Recruitment 2019
Download the Official Notification and read all the details. Once done, then follow the below-given steps to apply for the vacancy. The Online Application will be available until 02nd July 2019.
Step 1: How to fill the ISRO Online Application Form 2019
Click on the apply online link provided below.
Enter your full name, gender, age, category, nationality, and other details.
Step 2: Upload Photograph and Documents
Upload scanned copy of your recent photograph and other necessary documents
NOTE:
Uploaded photo should clearly show the face of the applicant.
The background should be white or any other light color.
The eyes should be clearly visible and not covered by dark glasses.
Applications in which the applicant cannot be clearly identified using the uploaded photo will be considered invalid.
Maximum file size permitted is 40 KB.
Uploaded image should be JPG/JPEG.
The Height and Width (resolution) of the photo should each be greater than or equal to 95 px & less than or equal to 100 px.
The length of the file name (including extension) should be less than or equal to 25.
The filename should have only alphabets and numbers.
If you want to change your photo, please browse and select a new photo.
Applicant should ensure that only virus-free image is uploaded. In case, any malware is detected in the uploaded photo, the application will be considered as invalid.
Step 3: Final Submission
Finally, verify the filled details and hit on SUBMIT button.
After successful submission of the application form, take a print out of application form for future use.
Important Dates for www.isro.gov.in 2019 Notification
Firstly, the Indian Space Research Organisation took formation in 1969. After the formation, It took superseded the erstwhile INCOSPAR. Vikram Sarabhai was a key person to develop the Indian Space Research Organization. ISRO’s mission to provide the Nation with space-based services and also to develop the technologies in order to achieve the same independently. Throughout the years, ISRO worked hard and became one of the six largest space agencies in the world. It looks after the largest fleet of communication satellites (INSAT) and remote sensing (IRS) satellites, that cater to the ever-growing demand for fast and reliable communication and earth observation respectively.
RPSC RAS Admit Card 2019 – State Service of RAS/ RTS Competitive Exams has been Scheduled by the Board of Rajasthan Public Service Commission. Moreover, the RPSC Call Letter will be issued to the candidates who got eligible scoring in the Preliminary Examination. Hence, RPSC Admit Card has been announced in the Official Website. The RAS Mains Admit Card has been released on 18th June 2019. But, Candidates can get the direct link to download the Hall Ticket from this article.
RPSC Admit Card 2019
Rajasthan Public Service Commission has conducted the Preliminary Exam on a few days back. Now, its time to download the mains admit card from the below-provided link. Hence, download the RPSC RAS Mains Exam to write the RPSC RAS Exam. Moreover, Aspirants should download it before the exam date. Check the RPSC Hall Ticket once it downloaded. Start downloading the RAS Admit Card which has been announced on 18th June 2019.
Rajasthan Public Service Commission is going to conduct the examination in the declared Exam Centers. Hence, All the Aspirants who had completed the initial process of selection from RPSC Recruitment Board. The first process of selection had been completed by conducting the Preliminary exams. Moreover, the selection process has yet to complete by conducting the RAS Mains Exam. Let, all the candidates check to the RAS Exam Pattern from the below section. Make use of it and prepare for the RPSC mains exam 2019. Get a clear view of the RPSC Admit Card after downloading it.
Name of the Applicant.
Exam Date, Time & Centre.
Post Applied for.
Application or Registration Number
Father Name and
Important Instructions.
RAS Exam Pattern 2019
Rajasthan Public Service Commission completes the RPSC recruitment process in two exams i.e. Preliminary and Mains Exam. The RAS Mains exam will be held on 25th June & 26th June 2019. Similarly, Candidates who have applied for the post of Various State Service and State Subordinate Service Officers. Hence, get RAS mains exam pattern from the below section.
RPSC Exam will be of 4 papers. The maximum marks will be 200 Marks. From the below table you can get the Subjects which you want to cover for the RPSC RAS Mains Exam 2019.
Paper
Subject Name
Maximum Marks
Paper I
General Studies-I
200 Marks
Paper II
General Studies-II
200 Marks
Paper III
General Studies-III
200 Marks
Paper IV
General Hindi and General English
200 Marks
The maximum duration to complete the examination is 3 Hours.
The Question paper will be Descriptive/ Analytical.
An examiner must take all the papers listed below which will also consist of question paper of brief, medium, long answer, and descriptive type questions.
Rajasthan PSC Preliminary Exam qualified candidates will receive the RPSC Hall Ticket. Candidates carry the RAS Admit Card for the RAS Exam. Hence, if any mistakes are done while downloading the RPSC Hall Ticket inform to the official authorities immediately to make changes with the admit card. Meanwhile, no candidates will be allowed for the exam if they are failed to bring their RPSC Admit Card. Likewise, candidates will be strictly disqualified for the RAS Exam if Invigilator found mismatches in the hall ticket details as in the original ID proofs. So, Candidates must carry any one of the ID proof for the exam.
Aadhar Card
College ID
Ration Card
Driving License
PAN Card
Voter ID
Any Valid ID Proof Issued By Gazetted Officer
Bank Passbook
Passport
How to Download RPSC Hall Ticket 2019-20
Click on “RPSC RAS Admit Card” Link.
Get Admit Card page will open.
Enter the Application Number and DOB.
Enter the Captcha given on the page.
Click on to the Get Admit Card button.
An RPSC Admit Card page will open.
Fill all the details in the admit card as in the application form.
After completion check out with the details entered.
Now, go to the download option.
Take a print out of the RPSC RAS Admit Card and carry for the exam.
NEW DELHI: The investigation wing of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has sought details of agreements between smartphone makers and Google or its group companies as the anti-trust regulator deepens its probe into allegations of misuse of market share by the Android operating system (OS). This follows the European Union having fined Google over abuse of Android's market dominance last year.The CCI director general has issued letters to several handset makers including Samsung, Xiaomi, Karbonn and Lava, seeking information on terms and conditions of agreements with Google. The CCI also wants to know if Google imposed any restrictions on using the company's mobile apps and services over eight years beginning April 2011.It has also sought details of "licence fee or royalty payments made to Google for using Android OS and Google mobile services on a yearly basis, from April 2011 till March 2019".ET has seen a copy of the CCI letter to companies, which was sent last month.69867299 The companies were given two weeks to respond as the ongoing investigation is "time bound". While the companies confirmed receipt of the notice, they declined to comment.The regulator began its probe into Google's operating system in mid-April following complaints that Android — which had 99% share of the Indian market as of March 2019 — was blocking out others. Google has said that it will work with the watchdog. People aware of the matter said Google executives will likely be called to appear before the regulator as part of the inquiry.This is the second such investigation for the Mountain View, California-headquartered company in India.Rs 136-cr Fine in 2018In February 2018, the CCI had imposed a Rs 136-crore fine on Google India for search bias and abusing its dominant position on a complaint filed in 2012.Google was asked to pay $5 billion (Rs 35,000 crore) by European Union regulators last year after they found it guilty of abusing Android's market dominance on three counts — bundling the search engine and Chrome app into the OS; blocking phone makers from creating devices that run forked-versions of Android; and making payments to certain large manufacturers and mobile network operators to exclusively bundle the Google search app on handsets.Other details sought by CCI include the annual sale of devices by operating system (OS) for brands, smartphones and tablets between 2011 and 2019. It has also asked for information on mobile application distribution, anti-fragmentation, Android compatibility or any other agreement with Google or any of its units in the same period. Companies wanting Google apps have to sign an anti-fragmentation agreement, which means they can't pick and choose what apps to offer from the suite of products.Handset makers will also have to share information on their own app stores, the number of apps they feature, yearly investment on R&D, maintenance and upgradation of app stores and yearly revenue in the same period. The CCI has also asked whether the app stores of rivals can be installed on smartphones and sought details on this.
The Economic Advisory Council (EAC) to the Prime Minister refuted former chief economic advisor (CEA) Arvind Subramanian's assertion that India's GDP was overestimated between FY12 and FY17. It said there seems to have been a "hurried attempt to draw conclusions" about India's complex economy and its evolution, relying more on private agencies such as Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) while raising doubts about Central Statistics Office (CSO) data.The EAC, in a detailed paper, asserted that India's GDP estimation methodology is on par with its global standing as a major and responsible economy while highlighting that Subramanian used 17 high-frequency indicators, but ignored the representation of the services sector (60% in GDP) and the agriculture sector (18%) in the analysis. The report is the latest attack on Subramanian's findings, which were published last week by the Center for International Development at Harvard University."If anything, the weakness of Dr Subramanian's attempt to suggest that the growth numbers are over-estimated confirms that the estimation process is robust to spurious criticism," it said. "The fact of the matter is that India's GDP methodology is consistent with internationally accepted standards and is in a continuous process of improvement."The paper, authored by economists Bibek Debroy, Rathin Roy, Surjit Bhalla, Charan Singh and Arvind Virmani, said the former CEA had overlooked tax data. "For anyone who reads Dr Subramanian's paper, it is evident that he trusts CMIE but distrusts CSO... This blind trust in a private agency (CMIE) and blind distrust in a government institution that has served India (CSO) appears unwarranted for a neutral academic," it said. Subramanian admits, the EAC noted, that "the results in the paper are by no means the final word." However, the sweeping conclusions and broad policy implications he lays out seem to suggest that India needs to be alarmed, the EAC said.Subramanian, who stepped down as the chief economic advisor last year, said in the research paper that India's economic growth rate had been overestimated by about 2.5 percentage points between FY12 and FY17 due to a change in methodology for calculating GDP. Subramanian served as the CEA in the finance ministry for nearly four years from October 2014. His paper, entitled 'India's GDP Mis-estimation: Likelihood, Magnitudes, Mechanisms, and Implications,' comes as concerns have been raised in various quarters about official economic data.The EAC paper said a majority of the 17 indicators used by him have been taken directly from CMIE, which is not a primary source of information but collects it from different sources. 69861815 The paper said Subramanian chose to overlook tax data, arguing that "we do not use tax indicators because of the major changes in direct and indirect taxes in the post-2011 period, which render the tax-to-GDP relationship different and unstable, and hence make the indicators unreliable proxies for GDP growth."Unlike many indicators, the EAC said tax data is not collected through surveys or by agencies through arcane techniques. These are hard numbers and should be an important indicator of growth, it said."Further, there have been no major changes in tax laws until the end period in the author's analysis (March 31, 2017). GST was introduced on July 1, 2017," it said. The author's logic of not using tax data appears to be a convenient argument meant to avoid inconvenient conclusions based on hard facts, the report said.India's GDP estimation is by no means a perfect science, the EAC admitted. But it pointed out that Subramanian as CEA had presided over government economists and statisticians and is aware of the magnitude and complexity of the exercise involved in computing growth figures for the continent-sized, highly diverse, emerging economy."To consider attempting to approximate GDP of such a country on the basis of some correlations and four variables using simplistic econometric techniques and challenging the existing edifice of data collection is not only demoralising to those dedicated personnel but also technically inappropriate," it added.The process is better than it used to be and efforts are under way to improve it even further, the EAC said. The government had earlier said the base year of the GDP series was revised from FY05 to FY12 and released on January 30, 2015, after adaptation of the sources and methods in line with the System of National Accounts 2008.The new methodology introduced in 2015 is a testament to India's intent to adopt the most modern global standards to accurately report its economic data, the EAC observed. India's direction and pace toward the goal of accurate National Income Accounting is worthy of praise, it added. The complexity of computing GDP gets compounded in an emerging country of the size of a continent and highly diverse products ranging from agriculture produce to sophisticated satellites.
NEW DELHI: The investigation wing of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has sought details of agreements between smartphone makers and Google or its group companies as the anti-trust regulator deepens its probe into allegations of misuse of market share by the Android operating system (OS). This follows the European Union having fined Google over abuse of Android's market dominance last year.The CCI director general has issued letters to several handset makers including Samsung, Xiaomi, Karbonn and Lava, seeking information on terms and conditions of agreements with Google. The CCI also wants to know if Google imposed any restrictions on using the company's mobile apps and services over eight years beginning April 2011.It has also sought details of "licence fee or royalty payments made to Google for using Android OS and Google mobile services on a yearly basis, from April 2011 till March 2019".ET has seen a copy of the CCI letter to companies, which was sent last month.69867299 The companies were given two weeks to respond as the ongoing investigation is "time bound". While the companies confirmed receipt of the notice, they declined to comment.The regulator began its probe into Google's operating system in mid-April following complaints that Android — which had 99% share of the Indian market as of March 2019 — was blocking out others. Google has said that it will work with the watchdog. People aware of the matter said Google executives will likely be called to appear before the regulator as part of the inquiry.This is the second such investigation for the Mountain View, California-headquartered company in India.Rs 136-cr Fine in 2018In February 2018, the CCI had imposed a Rs 136-crore fine on Google India for search bias and abusing its dominant position on a complaint filed in 2012.Google was asked to pay $5 billion (Rs 35,000 crore) by European Union regulators last year after they found it guilty of abusing Android's market dominance on three counts — bundling the search engine and Chrome app into the OS; blocking phone makers from creating devices that run forked-versions of Android; and making payments to certain large manufacturers and mobile network operators to exclusively bundle the Google search app on handsets.Other details sought by CCI include the annual sale of devices by operating system (OS) for brands, smartphones and tablets between 2011 and 2019. It has also asked for information on mobile application distribution, anti-fragmentation, Android compatibility or any other agreement with Google or any of its units in the same period. Companies wanting Google apps have to sign an anti-fragmentation agreement, which means they can't pick and choose what apps to offer from the suite of products.Handset makers will also have to share information on their own app stores, the number of apps they feature, yearly investment on R&D, maintenance and upgradation of app stores and yearly revenue in the same period. The CCI has also asked whether the app stores of rivals can be installed on smartphones and sought details on this.
NEW DELHI: Private sector lender IndusInd Bank and Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd (BFIL) Wednesday said their merger will be effective from July 4.The National Company Law Tribunal on June 10, 2019 approved the Scheme of Arrangement among BFIL, IndusInd Bank and Induslnd Financial Inclusion and their respective shareholders and creditors.IndusInd Bank in October last year decided to acquire the country's leading micro-finance player BFIL, which was previously known as SKS Microfinance.The boards fixed Thursday, July 4, 2019 as the effective date of the scheme, when the NCLT order will be filed by the bank, BFIL and IFIL with the jurisdictional Registrar of Companies.Besides, the Boards Wednesday have decided to take on record and publish consolidated financial results for the quarter ending June 30, 2019, on July 12, 2019."July 4, 2019 shall also be the Record Date, following the effectiveness of the scheme, for determining the shareholders of BFIL who shall be entitled to receive shares of the bank, as consideration pursuant to the Scheme," both the companies said in regulatory filings.In accordance with the scheme, Bharat Financial shareholders will get 639 shares of the bank for every 1,000 held.The scheme also contemplates a preferential allotment of share warrants to the promoters of the bank in accordance with the scheme, it said."Each share warrant, upon exercise, shall entitle the Promoters to one Equity share. The Share Warrants shall be issued to the Promoters of the Bank at Rs 1,709 per warrant, which has been determined in accordance with the applicable SEBI regulations, and is confirmed by the NCLT order," it said.Pursuant to the scheme, the Promoters of the bank will pay an amount equivalent to 25 per cent of the aggregate consideration for the share warrants on the effective date.All the employees of BFIL will become part of Induslnd family and M R Rao, currently MD and CEO of BFIL, will become the MD & CEO of IFIL, it said.
MUMBAI: In line with its strategy to invest in Indian real estate, American private equity major Blackstone has struck agreed to buy nearly 0.7 million sqft of office space in One BKC from the city-based developer Radius, for a reported Rs 2,500 crore, making it the largest deal in the country's office space.With around USD 10.4 billion investments in the country since 2005, Blackstone is the largest global investor in the domestic realty market with an exposure of over USD 5.4 billion and the One BKC deal is the largest in the office space segment to date.While Radius has confirmed the deal with Blackstone, it refused to divulge details including valuation.Blackstone has been pumping money across sector and of the total investment, USD 6.6 billion were pumped in the past four years alone.Its real estate division has so far committed nearly USD 5.4 billion across 33 investments in the country, of which it has committed USD 4 billion towards acquiring Grade A commercial office buildings and invested the rest in retail, hotel and residential assets.In April, Blackstone announced its plans to acquire a majority stake in packaging company Essel Propack for Rs 3,211 crore, and in February it bought 97.7 percent stake in Aadhar Housing Finance by buying out Wadhawan Global Capital and DHFL for Rs 3,000 crore.And in May, Blackstone along with its partner Embassy has also launched the country's first real estate investment trust 'Embassy Office Parks REIT', which raised Rs 3000 crore.Besides the Embassy Group, Blackstone has also partnered with developers like Salarpuria Sattva Group, Indiabulls Real Estate, Panchshil Realty, and K Raheja Corp, among others.Under the present deal with Radius, Blackstone has agreed to buy nearly 7 lakh sqft of space at One BKC, the most sought after central business district in the megapolis. The property has around 1.5 million sqft and Blackstone is snapping up nearly half of the built-up space, making it the largest office space deal in the country to date.Spread across 2.5 acres, One BKC houses many leading names such as Bank of America, Trafigura, Cisco, Facebook, Amazon, ICBC, Shree Cement, Motherson Sumi, Hitachi and ICICI Prudential, among others.As per reports, Radius will use the proceeds from the deal to repay Rs 1,600 crore it has taken from Indiabulls Housing Finance for the project.
Oil prices were highly volatile last week and ended with a negative bias as demand variable outweighed the rising political tensions in the Middle East. Data from China showed that factory output slowed to its weakest pace on record last month, adding to pressure on the country to unleash further fiscal and monetary stimulus as the trade war with the US remained unresolved. Other sectors of China's economy showed more resilience in May, with retail sales growing 8.6 per cent up from 7.2 per cent in the previous month. The pace of industrial sector growth, down from 5.4 per cent in April, was in effect the weakest reading since the data series began in 1995. CFTC data showed that hedge fund managers continued to liquidate long positions at the fastest rate since the Q4 of 2018 due to rapidly increasing fears about a global economic slowdown. Inventory reportData from EIA showed that US crude supplies for the second week, by 2.2 mbpd against the expectations for a drawdown of about 481,000 barrels. US stockpiles now stand at 485.5 million barrels, the highest level since July 2017. This is 8 per cent above the five-year average for this time of the year. Meanwhile, data from the US showed that the number of active oil and gas rigs fell again this week, as the overall rig count reaches the lowest point since February 2018. The total number of active oil and gas drilling rigs in the United States fell by six according to the report, with the number of active oil rigs falling by one to reach 788 and the number of gas rigs decreasing by five to reach 181. IEA monthly reportMonthly report from IEA slashed its estimate for global oil demand growth for the second consecutive month, citing intensifying trade concerns amid fears of a global recession. IEA projected oil demand growth to reach 1.2 mbdp this year. That's a downward revision of 100,000 bpd from the IEA's previous projection. Global oil demand is estimated to have risen by just 250,000 bpd YoY in first quarter of 2019, reflecting the lowest annual growth since the fourth quarter of 2011. Looking beyond the end of 2019, IEA forecast global oil demand growth to rebound to around 1.4 million bpd in 2020. While in its first estimates for 2020 the IEA sees oil demand accelerating, this is more than matched by output gains from nations outside OPEC+. The IEA cited various reasons for slowing global oil consumption, including a warm winter in Japan, a slowdown in the petrochemicals industry in Europe, tepid gasoline and diesel demand in the United States and the worsening trade outlook. Even the Opec expects lower demand in the second half for the crude it produces. The Middle East dominated group after data showed that its oil output slipped to a 5-year low in May. It comes at a time when Opec and its allied partners are considering whether to extend a six-month deal to hold down output. Middle East tensionsCrude jumped after the US blamed Iran for attacks on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman last week, but struggled to hold those gains despite fears of a broader military confrontation in the Persian Gulf and the potential for trade disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. More than one-third of the world's seaborne crude oil is shipped through the strait. Since there was no major supply disruption or an escalation of military activity in the region, the short-covering rally fizzled and there was no follow-through to the. Therefore till there is military response to the attacks, which would lead to actual supply disruptions, any gains are likely to be limited. Natural GasNatural gas prices ended the week on a positive note, in anticipation of the return of hotter temperatures late in the month. The data from EIA showed that domestic supplies of natural gas rose by 102 Bcf against an expectation for a build of 110 Bcf. There are no hurricanes reported in the Atlantic and the weather is expected to be mild over the next two weeks keeping cooling demand stable. The forecasts of weather are pointing towards hotter days ahead which continue to provide support to the prices. There was a hotter shift in the European weeklies, hinting at hotter chances in the eastern half of the nation into the first half of July. ConclusionMarket is expecting the status quo to continue from Opec and its partners, but there is a growing possibility that the tension will only rise. Even if Russia does not appear at the Opec meeting, the nation will loom large over the discussions. This week the Federal Reserve will reveal more about the state of the US economy. While hopes that the Federal Reserve will lower interest rates have kept equity prices near record levels, the excess supply and negative momentum indicators continue to keep commodities under pressure.
By Shawn Donnan , Rich Miller , and Katherine Greifeld President Donald Trump has already given the global economy trade wars. Now there are signs he may be gearing up for a currency war, too.With a series of tweets on Tuesday aimed at the European Central Bank and an announcement by Mario Draghi, its president, that he was prepared to cut interest rates further below zero in response to Europe's slowing growth, Trump made a rare American presidential intervention into another economy's monetary policy."Mario Draghi just announced more stimulus could come, which immediately dropped the Euro against the Dollar, making it unfairly easier for them to compete against the USA. They have been getting away with this for years, along with China and others,'' he tweeted. Later, he added: "German DAX way up due to stimulus remarks from Mario Draghi. Very unfair to the United States!''It was not the first time Trump has blamed currency manipulation overseas for a strong dollar that raises the cost of US exports. He has already become unique among recent American presidents in a shift away from the "strong dollar'' policy of his predecessors. 69859190 By targeting Draghi directly and responding in real time to an overseas central bankers' policy pronouncement, Trump was dialing up the heat -- just as his own Federal Reserve was gathering in Washington to decide on rates in a decision expected Wednesday. Coming just days ahead of a summit with other Group of 20 leaders in Japan, the salvo served to highlight his administration's increasingly aggressive currency policies and the place he sees for them in his trade arsenal. German DAX way up due to stimulus remarks from Mario Draghi. Very unfair to the United States!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 1560867772000 "They are preparing the ground, they are laying out the potential tools they may have at their disposal,'' said Cesar Rojas, global economist at Citigroup Global Markets Inc., though he added "we're not at a currency war just yet.'' Finance ministers and central bankers this month agreed that a currency war -- a tit-for-tat push at times of slow economic growth to actively weaken foreign-exchange rates in order to boost exports -- is in no one's interest. They reaffirmed commitments made in March 2018 to refrain from competitive devaluations. Last month, the US Treasury increased the number of economies it scrutinizes to 21 from 12 and expanded its watch list from four to nine, adding countries such as Ireland, Italy and Singapore under new tougher criteria. It again refrained from labeling China a manipulator.The Commerce Department on May 23 proposed allowing US companies to seek trade sanctions against goods from countries with "undervalued'' currencies, though it said it did not intend to target independent central banks or their monetary policy decisions. The administration has also been pushing to include currency provisions carrying the threat of sanctions in new US trade agreements.There are plenty of economists who argue the US should take a more forceful approach to addressing currency manipulation by trading partners. Some have even called for a 21st century Plaza Accord, the 1980s agreement that saw countries including Japan agree to engineer a devaluation of the dollar under pressure from the Reagan administration.Top PriorityIn a paper released this week, Brad Setser, a former US Treasury official now at the Council on Foreign Relations, argued that "countering currency intervention by foreign governments should be a top priority of US international economic policy.'' If nothing else, other countries' manipulation hurts the US's ability to use exports to recover following economic downturns, he wrote. In an interview on Tuesday, however, Setser said that Trump's ECB intervention was misplaced, largely because Draghi's comments were aimed at domestic conditions."Most of the world recognizes that the ECB has failed to meet its inflation target and that with a slowing European economy there is pressure on the ECB to ease policy,'' he said. Worse, Trump's intervention could be seen as its own form of market manipulation, Setser said, and "feeds into a building narrative in Europe that the US is a rogue actor under a rogue president.''Trump has defied convention in a number of other ways, including his repeated criticisms of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for raising interest rates. He asked White House lawyers earlier this year to explore his options for removing Powell as chairman.Joseph Gagnon, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and another advocate of stronger US currency policy, said the world was in an "uneasy peace'' over currencies with China and other G-20 countries having in recent years accepted a US push to refrain from competitive devaluations. In a June 6 note, Gagnon and a co-author said interventions by countries to weaken their currencies to affect their trade balance fell in 2018 to the lowest level since 2001.But the G-20 commitments are weak and "if there's a global downturn, a global recession, countries would be very tempted to violate these terms and try to claim special circumstances,'' he said. "There's really no regime in place to sanction them or hit them, except the US might do something.''Trump may have some legitimate reasons to grumble. The "Big Mac" approach to gauging currency valuations shows the euro is about 15% too cheap. Since Trump launched his trade wars, China's yuan has also fallen against the dollar, prompting the president to complain that it was undermining the impact of his tariffs and his efforts to raise pressure on Beijing. Expensive CurrencyA Fed index puts the value of a dollar at a record high against a basket of its peers 69859290 Those currency moves are widely seen as related to the weakening of the European and Chinese economies and a global economy that is looking increasingly fragile thanks in part to Trump's trade wars. The fear, however, is that Trump's anger over the currency shifts could also help fuel further trade actions, including tariffs he has threatened to impose on imported cars and parts from the EU but put on hold for 180 days.A drop below 1.10 for the euro-dollar rate could inflame Trump's temper and make him more likely to impose those auto tariffs, according to Jens Nordvig, the founder of Exante Data LLC. The rate fell as low as 1.1181 on Tuesday after Draghi said additional stimulus may be needed and Trump levied his latest Twitter missive.
NEW DELHI: The investigation wing of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has sought details of agreements between smartphone makers and Google or its group companies as the anti-trust regulator deepens its probe into allegations of misuse of market share by the Android operating system (OS). This follows the European Union having fined Google over abuse of Android's market dominance last year.The CCI director general has issued letters to several handset makers including Samsung, Xiaomi, Karbonn and Lava, seeking information on terms and conditions of agreements with Google. The CCI also wants to know if Google imposed any restrictions on using the company's mobile apps and services over eight years beginning April 2011.It has also sought details of "licence fee or royalty payments made to Google for using Android OS and Google mobile services on a yearly basis, from April 2011 till March 2019".ET has seen a copy of the CCI letter to companies, which was sent last month.69867299 The companies were given two weeks to respond as the ongoing investigation is "time bound". While the companies confirmed receipt of the notice, they declined to comment.The regulator began its probe into Google's operating system in mid-April following complaints that Android — which had 99% share of the Indian market as of March 2019 — was blocking out others. Google has said that it will work with the watchdog. People aware of the matter said Google executives will likely be called to appear before the regulator as part of the inquiry.This is the second such investigation for the Mountain View, California-headquartered company in India.Rs 136-cr Fine in 2018In February 2018, the CCI had imposed a Rs 136-crore fine on Google India for search bias and abusing its dominant position on a complaint filed in 2012.Google was asked to pay $5 billion (Rs 35,000 crore) by European Union regulators last year after they found it guilty of abusing Android's market dominance on three counts — bundling the search engine and Chrome app into the OS; blocking phone makers from creating devices that run forked-versions of Android; and making payments to certain large manufacturers and mobile network operators to exclusively bundle the Google search app on handsets.Other details sought by CCI include the annual sale of devices by operating system (OS) for brands, smartphones and tablets between 2011 and 2019. It has also asked for information on mobile application distribution, anti-fragmentation, Android compatibility or any other agreement with Google or any of its units in the same period. Companies wanting Google apps have to sign an anti-fragmentation agreement, which means they can't pick and choose what apps to offer from the suite of products.Handset makers will also have to share information on their own app stores, the number of apps they feature, yearly investment on R&D, maintenance and upgradation of app stores and yearly revenue in the same period. The CCI has also asked whether the app stores of rivals can be installed on smartphones and sought details on this.
There are enough jobs in the bottom of the pyramid in staffing, facility management, security and BPOs where the monthly salaries range between Rs 15,000 and Rs 20,000, says Subrata Nag, Group CEO, Quess Corp. Excerpts from his interview with ETNOW. Despite the 38% revenue growth in FY19, Quess Corp stock has corrected 51% last year. What are the reasons we could attribute to that?I am trying to find out the reasons for that because if you go by the financial results, the balance sheet of Quess Corp has fundamentally not changed. Actually it has been improved over the last one year. I am not sure why the market is behaving the way it is behaving now as far as our stock is concerned. But whatever be the price, we accept that. Our primary job here is to keep our growth momentum intact. As you rightly said last year we grew 38% and our EBITDA also grew 31% and that mostly came from organic growth. We did not do any major acquisition last year and our margin and the cash conversion, the working capital you raised, actually did very well. We were able to reduce our DSO level substantially and increase our cash conversion which was 31% last year to almost 43% this year. Last fourth quarter, it was almost 50%. At the same time, we are able to reduce our debt level by Rs 200 crore over the last year. All the financial parameters are looking very encouraging and the market will notice that and the stock will bounce back in the near future, but I leave it to the market. Our job is to run an efficient organisation which delivers a profitable growth and throws up a lot of cash.Reports are indicating that there is a strong job creation prospect. What is your outlook for the year ahead? Which sectors will drive the majority of demand and the quality of jobs that we need?There was a lot of chatter that we have jobless growth. We do not subscribe to that at Quess because day in and day out, I see a lot of demand in the job market. Today we employ almost 3,20,000 in all our businesses and at any moment I can hire another 5-10% more people because of my demand I have from the customers and the supply I am able to make to that there is always a gap at least 5-7 or 10%. So be in the southern market, western market or NCR region there are enough jobs. We primarily work at the bottom of the pyramid -- in staffing, facility management, security, BPO segment jobs where the monthly salaries range between Rs 15,000 and Rs 20,000. At that level, if somebody is telling you that they are not getting a job, I do not think that is true. There are enough jobs in these segments and I see tremendous growth in those segments. Last year itself we hired almost 100,000 people and when I have 300,000 plus, I have an attrition of almost 30%. So you can understand the kind of growth there is in the service sector. Jobs will be coming primarily in the service sector going forward, in the staffing business, facility management, security service business and in the BPO segment. These are the segments where as we have seen a lot of momentum and post demonetisation and GST, there has been a rapid formalisation of the economy. A large part of our Indian economy is in the informal segment and the formalisation of the informal sector has expedited to a large extent in the last couple of months. Still in the Indian scenario, 80-85% of business are in the unorganised segment and with the emphasis from the government on the compliances and the technology today, and mobile handset penetration, people are getting more aware of their compliances. Those days have gone when you could run the business in a non-compliant way. That is actually helping us. Companies in the organised segment, in order to grow and to expand market share are getting more business from the unorganised segment and companies are also understanding the benefits of flexi staffing and working with the organised players. Are you saying is joblessness is more prominent when it comes to unskilled labour?Though there is a slowness in high end IT services or in some segments of the IT services or manufacturing or engineering, the white collar jobs, in the blue collar segment, ample jobs are currently available, jobs which give you a salary of between Rs 15,000-20,000 per month. Okay so it is the other way round then. Also let us talk about your company. You have made some acquisitions in the recent past namely Monster, DigiCare and now Allsec Technologies. How are you seeing the synergies flow through?I will take the Allsec first. Allsec is our second acquisition in the BPM segment and this is the segment we have identified as a growth engine. Allsec has a unique combination. actually it has an international exposure deliveries entering US and Manila along with Indian centres and also very strong and vibrant practices.It is a great compliment to our current business which we have with the Tata Sons as a JV. Connect and Allsec together will give us a great platform to build a large BPO or BPM business in the coming years. This business also has a very good margin. We are working our overall margin a shade less than 6% but Allsec works as a 20% plus margin. So, it will help us to increase our margin also. Coming to DigiCare this is a very small, fledgling business we acquired a year back. But this is a part of the story what we have been working that the formalisation of economy. In today's India, every household needs repairing services for fridge, ACs, TVs and DigiCare is actually right in that space. We would like to build a pan India service and maintenance and service platform which will help people to get at a phone call any service about these household appliances. This is just around Rs 200 crore. It took us some time but now we have expanded and today we have almost 250 centres across India. There is a long way to grow and this can be a large business for us in the coming days. As far as the Monster is concerned, it is the second largest job portal in India and though it had last couple of years lost its mojo a little bit, but in the last one year after we took it over in February 2018, we have been trying to build this portal from the bottom up and bringing it in the mobile. Any guidance or revenue profit growth forecast that you are anticipating in terms of policy from the budget this time?We have been growing last 10 years almost 45% CAGR I think we will able to keep that growth momentum I am sure on that. As far as the budget is concerned, we are looking to the new labour reforms that we have been hearing about. We are expecting new policies there and also on the corporate side, we are expecting a cut in corporate tax. A reduction in tax will help an organisation like us to a great extent and we also want a rationalisation of the GST filing. These are our expectations from this budget.
Molestation at PG: UberEats delivery boy in Ahmedabad arrested Officials from city crime branch and the local police station were assigned to nab the accused, who was arrested from his house in Naroda later
Maharashtra: Public Accounts Committee raises alarm over govt land transactions Expressing concern about instances where details of property-related documents were manipulated at the backend, the committee has also called for audit trail protocols to be strengthened.
IPS officer Rajnish Rai who took on govt is now faculty at IIM-Ahmedabad Rai was appointed an assistant professor in the public systems group on May 6, 2019.
Private body to aid Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority in probing illegal extensions Earlier the job was given to the internal Mhada staff, says Uday Samant, the president of Mhada, but because of limited staff, the work was getting prolonged.
Gujarat: Cyclone Vayu brings rain in 240 talukas, but temperature to soar again Vayu cyclone, that was feared to bring disaster in the state, actually turned out to be a blessing.
DNA EXCLUSIVE: Affordable housing will be our priority, says Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who was the leader of the Opposition, was recently inducted as a Cabinet Minister with Housing Ministry portfolio.
Rape case against CPI(M) leader's son: Mumbai Police reach Kerala Police sources says, when contacted Binoy, his phone was switched off, which fuelled the suspicion of him escaping the country to avert arrest
Mumbai: 'Bogus' kids in care centres, funds gypped Public Accounts Committee points to loopholes in institutes, find 75K such children wasting government money
Heatwave spike ozone level in Delhi, NCR: CSE CSE study shows that this summer, when the mercury levels were rising, the average ozone levels exceeded the prescribed standard on 28 days, as compared to 17 days during the same period in 2018
IAS officer Vinita Bohra moves Gujarat High Court to drop name from poll case Bohra, the general observer, and returning officer Dhaval Jani were made respondents in the case by the High Court, after it found 'glaring violations' of the Election Commission's guidelines in the counting of votes.