Apple on Thursday took down a smartphone app that protesters in Hong Kong use to track police whereabouts, a move that comes one day after Chinese state media criticized the company for acting as an “accomplice” to the pro-democracy movement.
The tech giant is the latest U.S. company to face backlash from the Chinese Communist Party over the ongoing and sometimes violent unrest in Hong Kong, a semiautonomous enclave.
The creators of the withdrawn app, HKmap.live, confirmed the delisting from Apple’s online store to TIME.
The removal is the latest reversal in an ongoing battle over the crowdsourced map, which allows users to report the locations of police, protesters and tear gas. Just last week Apple had approved the HKmap.live app, after rejecting it earlier this month.
In a statement, Apple said it withdrew the app because it had been used to ambush the police and endanger citizens.
“The app displays police locations and we have verified with the Hong Kong Cybersecurity and Technology Crime Bureau [CSTCB] that the app has been used to target and ambush police, threaten public safety, and criminals have used it to victimize residents in areas where they know there is no law enforcement,” the statement said, according to Reuters.
A Twitter account purportedly run by the developers disagreed with the claims. “There is 0 evidence to support CSTCB’s accusation that HKmap App has been used to target and ambush police, [or] threaten public safety.”
The app does not “solicit, promote, or encourage criminal activity,” they added.
Hkmap.live, which debuted a desktop version in early August, continued to load on web browsers Thursday. Previously downloaded versions of the app also appeared to still be working.
“The majority of user review[s] in App Store … suggest HKmap IMPROVED public safety, not the opposite,” the tweets said.
The app removal comes after Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Dailyaccused Apple of enabling illegal behavior in Hong Kong and “not telling right from wrong.”
“Is Apple … opening the door for the violent protesters that are ruining Hong Kong, with the intention of being an ‘accomplice?'” says the strongly worded commentary published Tuesday.
The state media outlet also warned Apple that it may endanger its reputation among Chinese consumers. “This recklessness will cause much trouble for Apple,” it said. “Apple needs to think deeply.”
Apple has joined a growing list of international brands that have had to navigate Beijing’s ire while chasing access to China’s 1.4 billion potential consumers. Last Friday, after Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted support for the city’s protests, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV cut ties with the NBA and announced it would not be broadcasting preseason games on its network.
Earlier this week, video game company Blizzard Entertainment banned a professional Hearthstone gamer after he donned a gas mask and chanted “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of our time,” a slogan commonly chanted by the city’s demonstrators.
Protesters handed out T-shirts and held up signs in support of Hong Kong on Wednesday night when the Washington Wizards hosted a team from the Chinese Basketball Association.
The Wizards beat the Guangzhou Long-Lions 137-98 in a game that included more than a half-dozen protests inside Capital One Arena over the NBA’s ongoing rift with the Chinese government.
Protesters handed out “Free Hong Kong” T-shirts on the street outside the arena before the exhibition game. The protesters, who said they were from Freedom House, held up signs reading, “Shame the NBA,” ”South Park was right” and “Memo to the NBA: Principles over profit! No censorship! USA loves Hong Kong.”
The problems between the NBA and China began after Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey posted a tweet last week that showed support for anti-government protesters in Hong Kong.
A Freedom House spokeswoman said some members were planning to protest inside during the game. A spokeswoman for Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation said the group was planning to hand out T-shirts inside the arena during the game in various sections close to the court.
Inside the arena, there were a handful of disruptions in the crowd.
After the playing of the Chinese national anthem, one fan shouted, “Freedom of expression! Freedom of speech! Free Hong Kong!” Another fan shouted for a free Hong Kong from the second level during the second quarter.
Minutes later, security approached one fan holding up a “Free Tibet” sign and another holding the Tibet flag. Security tried to take the sign, and the fan refused to give it up. Security then followed them from their seats and out of the lower bowl.
Wizards coach Scott Brooks said that he heard one protester at the end of the Chinese national anthem.
“Other than that, I didn’t hear it,” Brooks said. “I was focused on the game.”
Brooks said he didn’t hear any of his players talk about the protests and he never mentioned it to his players.
A Wizards spokesman said in a statement: “The building security staff removed signs tonight in accordance with Capital One Arena’s long-standing signs, banners, posters and flag policy. No fans were asked to leave the game.”
A similar scene played out in Philadelphia on Tuesday during a game between Guangzhou and the 76ers. Two fans were removed by arena security for holding signs and chanting in support of Hong Kong.
CJ Harris had 25 points in the loss for the Chinese team.
PELICANS 127, BULLS 125
Zion Williamson was 12 of 13 from the field for 29 points to help the Pelicans rally from a 23-point deficit.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker made a game-tying 3-pointer with 1:34 remaining before hitting two free throws to seal it for New Orleans (2-0). He finished with 13 points and seven assists, and Jahlil Okafor also scored 13 points.
New Orleans scored 27 points in the first 6:16 of the fourth quarter, finishing with 41.
Zach LaVine hit 10 of 16 shots, with four 3-pointers, for 28 points for Chicago (0-2). Otto Porter Jr. had 16 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
PISTONS 124, MAVERICKS 117
Derrick Rose had 18 points and five assists off the bench, Blake Griffin added 17 points and five rebounds, and the Pistons spoiled Kristaps Porzingis’ debut with the Mavericks.
Luke Kennard was one of seven Detroit (1-1) players in double figures with 19 points, going 5 for 6 from 3-point range. Andre Drummond added 13 points and nine rebounds.
Porzingis and Luka Doncic led the way for Dallas (0-2). Porzingis had 18 points and seven boards in 19 minutes in his first game since tearing his ACL in February 2018, and Doncic added 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals.
HEAT 108, HORNETS 94
Dion Waiters, Davon Reed and Duncan Robinson each made four 3-pointers as the Heat went 15 of 37 from distance in a win over the Hornets.
Waiters scored all of his 19 points in the first half, and Robinson sank his 3s in the third quarter for 12 of his 14 points. Reed also scored 14, going 4 of 5 from deep. The Heat (2-0) closed the first half on a 22-8 run for a 21-point lead.
Terry Rozier scored 13 of his 18 points in the first half for the Hornets (0-2).
MAGIC 97, HAWKS 88
Terrence Ross scored 20 points, making four 3-pointers, to help Orlando top Atlanta. Jonathan Isaac added 13 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals for Orlando (3-0).
Trae Young had 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists, but also turned it over nine times for Atlanta (0-2). Rookie De’Andre Hunter added 13 points.
BUCKS 133, JAZZ 99
Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 22 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez each added 14 points for the Bucks (2-0).
Tony Bradley had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Jazz (1-1). Donovan Mitchell scored 14 points.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the U.S. has moved some of the Islamic State prisoners amid fears some could escape custody as Turkey invades northeast Syria.
Turkey is attacking the U.S.-backed Syrian Defense Forces, a Kurdish force that battled the Islamic State group alongside American troops and now is responsible for guarding thousands of detained militants.
But guarding those prisoners is now expected to be less of a priority for the Kurdish forces as they rush to defend their territory against the invading Turkish military.
Trump told reporters at the White House that some of the “most dangerous” had been moved, but he did not say how many or where they had been taken.
“We’re putting them in different locations where it’s secure,” he said.
In March, Kurdish and U.S. forces cleared the last members of the Islamic State group from what was left of their self-declared caliphate, which once sprawled across a large part of Iraq and Syria.
U.S. officials said operations against remaining members of the Islamic State group are on hold following the invasion Wednesday by Turkey, which sees the Kurds as a threat and is trying to create a buffer zone between the territory held by the SDF and the Syrian border.
Kurdish forces hold thousands of Islamic State fighters in detention centers, and U.S. officials said that some Kurds left the prisons to join the fight but did not flee in large numbers. Officials said a small number of high-profile Islamic State detainees are being relocated, but thousands of others remain in custody and there are no immediate concerns the Kurds will completely abandon the facilities.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said U.S. forces are not out doing patrols looking for Islamic State group fighters because their Kurdish partners are more focused on the Turkish fight.
About 30 to 50 U.S. troops were moved out of the way from two outposts in the border region. There are a number of U.S. forces in other bases just outside the so-called safe zone as well as in Manbij and other locations around the country. They have not been moved but are mainly staying in place to avoid attacks.
There are about 2,500 Islamic State foreign fighters being detained in Syria, along with about 10,000 fighters from Syria and Iraq.
“I’m fascinated by the grandeur, the pompousness, the overmuch,” says Kara Walker. That sensibility fueled the American artist’s latest creation, Fons Americanus—a 13-meter-high fountain unveiled Sept. 30 in London’s Tate Modern museum. With a cast of characters and iconography reflecting the intertwined histories of Africa, Europe and America, Fons Americanus presents the brutality of slavery in a subversively joyful setting.
Walker is known for her ambitious work across mediums interrogating race, sexuality, slavery and identity; her 2014 installation A Subtlety was housed in Brooklyn’s Domino Sugar Factory, attracting over 130,000 visitors to the main giant sphinx sculpture. Fons Americanus is Walker’s fourth site-specific work, and it references classical British artists such as J.M.W. Turner and William Blake, as well as African-American historical figures including Emmett Till and Marcus Garvey.
The artist was inspired in part by London’s Victoria Memorial, a towering, majestic monument to the Queen who commandeered the British Empire. “I just got this jazzy feeling,” she says. “I’m interested in ways allegorical figures are misrepresentative of the thing they’re meant to symbolize.” Tributes to empire in the U.K., like Confederate statues in the U.S., have come under scrutiny in recent years, as observers reconsider how frequently immortalized figures also played key roles in the oppression of others. “Public space creates the opportunity for misinterpretation,” says Walker. “In some ways, I think my work is a misreading of empire.”
The contrast between the fantasy and the reality, the big and the small, forms the basis for Fons Americanus: “This is about the story I could tell with my own hand, which is perhaps second-class, and unseen or unheard,” says Walker, “and the story that is larger than it ought to be, than it has a right to be.” And while some monuments to empire have been dismantled, Walker is more concerned with what will take their place. “Who are we now, and what are we saying now as a people besides removing something?” she asks. “What do we build in its stead?”
Below, Walker explains the inspiration behind the different elements of Fons Americanus.
“It was all about the water, in a way,” says Walker. She was influenced by time spent in Rome, home to the spectacular Baroque Trevi Fountain. Early on, Walker decided that water would be an integral part of the installation and would symbolize the oceans that slaves were forcibly transported across, as well as a metaphorical connection between the shared histories and identities of Africa, Europe and America.
The fountain’s centerpiece references an 1801 propaganda artwork called The Voyage of the Sable Venus from Angola to the West Indies, which depicted the Middle Passage as a joyful journey. “The image of the Sable Venus is so appalling, isn’t it?” says Walker. It’s an icon that has mesmerized the artist for decades; she first referenced it in an early sketchbook when she was in art school, and later used it in her silhouette work. Walker’s Venus spreads her arms atop Fons Americanus and is reinterpreted as a liberated, celebratory priestess, drawing inspiration from Afro-Brazilian culture.
A sea captain partly modeled on Haitian revolutionary leader Toussaint L’Ouverture appears on the front of the pedestal, joined by a kneeling man at his side, symbolic of a once-powerful slave owner now crippled by the rebellion. They are two of several figures overlooking water filled with drowning slaves and infested with Damien Hirst-inspired sharks. In presenting many characters and symbols, Walker wanted to create a “nauseating, miasmic sensation.”
The Shell Grotto
Courtesy TateDetail of Kara Walker’s Fons Americanus
The shell featured in the 1801 Sable Venus artwork is also referenced in the Shell Grotto, a smaller sculpture situated separate from the main fountain. In Walker’s reimagining, the scalloped shell houses the head of a small weeping boy almost submerged in water. He represents the ghosts of Bunce Island in SierraLeone, a colonial slave-trading fortress through which thousands of Africans were transported across the Atlantic.
Fountain’s base
Courtesy TateDetail of Kara Walker’s Fons Americanus
The ridge around the fountain’s base was designed with the public in mind, inviting viewers to engage with the work: sitting is “strongly encouraged,” so the piece can function “like a town square.” The full title of Fons Americanus is painted on the wall of the Turbine Hall, proclaiming that the fountain is in a “delightful family friendly setting.” “I do think that children are my best audience,” she says. “I think the conversation around race and slavery and history and culpability gets harder and harder to discuss as we get older, because we get into the nitty-gritty of what abuse looks like, and what cruelty feels like, and we don’t want to share that with children. But children get it.”
As Turkish warplanes bomb U.S.-backed Kurdish allies in northeastern Syria, the Trump Administration has yet to draw up a strategy to safeguard and maintain the more than 30 detention camps that hold tens of thousands of ISIS fighters, families and sympathizers spread across the region.
The Kurds, part of the U.S.-allied Syrian Democratic Forces, control facilities holding about 11,000 ISIS detainees across northern Syria. They also run a camp for internally displaced persons known as al-Hol, in northeastern Syria, that holds nearly 70,000 people. Among them are thousands of ISIS family members, according to a recent Defense Department Inspector General’s report.
The U.S. military has no plans to take over these camps and, with only about 1,000 total troops inside Syria, is not prepared to do so, U.S. officials told TIME. If the Kurds abandon their guard posts to defend their homes against the Turkish military incursion, thousands of ISIS operatives are likely to escape, U.S. military, diplomatic and intelligence officials have concluded.
Past and present U.S. military commanders have shared that assessment directly with President Donald Trump, but he has rebuffed the warnings and demanded that Turkey take control of the camps, the officials say. Most of the camps remain outside the area that Turkey is expected to occupy, and the Kurds have said they will remain in control over the detainees. But that may prove difficult if fighting in their home territory intensifies. In early 2018, hundreds of Kurds opted to abandon fighting positions against ISIS in eastern Syria to assist Kurdish forces fighting Turkish military in another skirmish in Afrin, in northwestern Syria.
Trump maintains that Turkey can, and will, take over control of the camps as part of their offensive. “Fighting between various groups that has been going on for hundreds of years. USA should never have been in Middle East,” he tweeted Wednesday. “Moved our 50 soldiers out. Turkey MUST take over captured ISIS fighters that Europe refused to have returned. The stupid endless wars, for us, are ending!”
A peaceful handover of the camps to the Turkish military is unlikely, U.S., European, and Middle East officials warn. The threat is complicated, U.S. intelligence officials say, by an unknown number of young refugees that have been radicalized by the abysmal conditions inside the camps and the proselytizing of ISIS members detained there. “If they are released, the task of identifying potential terrorists has been compounded by what’s been happening in the camps,” said one U.S. official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
Even though ISIS militants have lost control of major cities in Iraq or Syria, the terror group’s leadership ranks have proven resilient despite the five years of war. And ISIS has been quick to adapt to new circumstances. No longer capable of seizing and holding territory, the surviving foot soldiers have instead gone back to its guerrilla roots by embedding constellations of sleeper cells in both countries to routinely carry out ambushes, bombings and assassinations. “The fact that (ISIS) is no longer a caliphate doesn’t mean it’s been defeated,” says the U.S. official. “Instead, it’s metastasizing.”
The U.S. has long known the detention facilities are a problem, but has failed to come up with a solution. For two years, the U.S. has pleaded with European and Arab allies to take custody of fighters held in the camps. It’s estimated that about 2,000 of the 11,000 ISIS prisoners are from more than 40 countries other than Syria and Iraq. With few exceptions, the nations refused to accept their countrymen and the United States was repeatedly rebuffed. “There does have to be a Plan B of what comes next,” Michael Mulroy, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East, said Oct. 2 at the Council on Foreign Relations. “I can’t declare what that is today because, quite frankly, we haven’t developed it entirely.”
The U.S. previously learned lessons the hard way after the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the notorious prison at Camp Bucca, which inadvertently came to serve as an incubator for Sunni jihadism. Many ISIS leaders, including Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, initially met there while incarcerated. ISIS ranks were later swollen with fighters who escaped in a series of well-planned prison breaks. In April 2014, the militants helped topple the Syrian provincial capital of Raqqa, which it made its Syrian capital, and eight months later it took over parts of the Iraqi cities of Ramadi and Fallujah. The lightning offensive across Iraq and Syria ultimately resulted in the seizure of territory the size of Britain.
“We better pay close attention to what happens, or what failed to happen, regarding the thousands of detainees that up until now have been in Kurdish custody,” says Michael Nagata, who retired as Army Lieutenant General and strategy director from the National Counterterrorism Center in August. “It’s increasingly becoming hard for me to see the future of these detainees—many of which are no-kidding ISIS terrorists—ending in our favor. If a disaster happens as a result of this population being freed, there’s a big chunk of the world that’s going to blame the United States.”
An international law that largely shields foreign diplomats and their family members from criminal prosecution has come under scrutiny after the wife of an American diplomat left Britain following a crash that killed a 19-year-old man.
But despite growing calls in the U.K. for U.S. officials to waive the woman’s diplomatic immunity protections, such a revocation rarely happens, the State Department says, and experts don’t think this case will be any different.
“It’s highly unlikely that the U.S. will waive immunity,” says Craig Barker, a dean and international law professor at London South Bank University. “I don’t think the special relationship to the U.K. will make an iota of a difference.”
The teen, Harry Dunn, died Aug. 27 in Northamptonshire, England, after a 42-year-old American woman allegedly driving on the wrong side of the road struck him head-on while he was riding a motorcycle, police said. Over the weekend, authorities in Britain revealed that the woman, who has been identified as Anne Sacoolas, was no longer in the country. The news was met with swift backlash, especially since police say she told them she had no plans to leave during the investigation into the crash.
“She’s broken our family,” Dunn’s mother, Charlotte Charles, said in an emotional TV interview this week.
Calls to a number listed for Sacoolas in Virginia did not go through and were met with a constant busy signal.
Under international law, foreign diplomats and family members enjoy certain protections that allow them to avoid prosecution for almost any crime unless the diplomat’s home country waives immunity, according to the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. While it’s not clear whether the woman is fully entitled to these protections, Charles, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and local authorities have all urged U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene.
“This is a tragedy of the largest proportion,” Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold tells TIME. “At the end of the day, there is a special relationship between the U.K. and the U.S. We ask them to treat this as though it was the other way round.”
Immunity is considered a cornerstone of diplomacy and is intended to protect diplomats and their families in hostile environments or from harassment in host countries, according to Scott Anderson, an international law expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., who is also a former U.S. diplomat. Yet many in the general public have long seen the privileges as problematic, allowing diplomats to flout laws as minor as paying for parking tickets. In 1975, when a Barbados ambassador claimed his immunity extended to his dog, which had bitten multiple people in New York, the case was seen as a questionable abuse of the protections.
This week, a new poll found that 84% of Britons and 63% of Americans agree that diplomatic immunity should not be invoked in the case of Dunn’s death. But the process of waiving immunity for diplomats is not simple. In a statement, the State Department said immunity waiver cases are “considered carefully given the global impact such decisions carry” but that “immunity is rarely waived.”
Last year, the U.S. refused to waive immunity for its diplomat, Col. Joseph Hall, when he was accused in Pakistan of killing a motorcyclist after running a red light. Hall left Pakistan, which drew much ire from Pakistani officials who wanted the U.S. to revoke his immunity so he could be criminally charged.
Only the most egregious criminal cases involving malicious conduct seem to have resulted in revocations, Anderson says. In 1997, when Gueorgui Makharadze, a diplomat from the country of Georgia, caused a crash that killed a 16-year-old girl and injured four other people while he was driving drunk in Washington, D.C., Georgian leaders initially claimed immunity for Makharadze, who was the second-highest-ranking diplomat in the embassy at the time. However, they later waived his immunity, at the request of the United States, and allowed the U.S. to prosecute Makharadze. He pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault and was sentenced to seven to 21 years in prison. Makharadze served some of that time in the U.S. before being returned to Georgia, where he served most of the sentence.
After Jairo Soto-Mendoza was accused of killing a man who had mugged his son in London in 2002, the Colombian diplomat claimed diplomatic immunity. Following pressure from British officials, Colombia waived his protections, and Soto-Mendoza had to face trial in London, where a jury acquitted him in 2003.
The circumstances in each case are different, experts say, and it’s impossible to rely on previous incidents to glean future results. Anderson says many factors are considered in every case, including the nature of the crime, the politics between the two nations and even the personalities of the world leaders involved. “There are no set of rules that predict particular outcomes,” Anderson says.
Other international law experts agree and say Trump’s unpredictability could lead to a new precedent. “You just don’t know with Mr. Trump,” Barker says. “Because he could play the humanitarian card. This could be seen as a bit of a feather in his cap.”
(HALLE, Germany) — A heavily armed assailant tried to force his way into a synagogue Wednesday in eastern Germany on Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day, and two people were killed as he fired shots outside the building and into a kebab shop, authorities and witnesses said.
The attacker shot at the door of the synagogue in the city of Halle but did not get in as 70 to 80 people inside were observing the holy day, a local Jewish leader said. Video of the attack was livestreamed on streaming site Twitch, which said it had “worked with urgency” to remove it.
Germany’s top security official, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, said authorities must assume that it was an anti-Semitic attack, and said prosecutors believe there may be a right-wing extremist motive to it. He said several people were injured.
Police said in a tweet early Wednesday afternoon that “the suspected perpetrators” had fled in a car after the attacks and quickly reported that one person had been arrested. Officers spread out in force across Halle, a city of 240,000, urging residents to stay at home.
Several hours later, police said there was no longer an “acute” danger to the city and residents could go back into the streets. They gave no details about the person who had been arrested.
Police also didn’t specify why their assessment had changed, but the news agency dpa and the Bild newspaper cited unidentified security sources as saying the evidence points to a lone assailant.
News magazine Der Spiegel, which didn’t cite its sources, said the suspect is a 27-year-old man from Saxony-Anhalt state, where Halle is located.
Rita Katz, the head of the SITE Intelligence Group, wrote on Twitter that 35 minutes of footage of the attacks were posted online, and that the attacker said in English before the shooting that the “root of all problems are the Jews.”
She said it showed the attacker shooting a woman in the street after failing to enter the synagogue, then entering a business and killing another person before fleeing. Twitch said it would permanently suspend any account found to be posting or reposting “content of this abhorrent act.”
The filming of Wednesday’s attack echoed another horrific shooting halfway around the world, when a far-right white supremacist in March killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand and livestreamed much of the attack on Facebook. That massacre drew strong criticism of social media giants for not immediately finding and blocking such a violent video.
The attack was the third to target a synagogue in a year, following attacks in the United States on synagogues in Pittsburgh and Poway, California.
Federal prosecutors, who in Germany handle cases involving suspected terrorism or national security, took over the investigation into the attack in Halle.
A video clip broadcast by regional public broadcaster MDR showed a man in a helmet and an olive-colored top getting out of a car and firing four shots from behind the vehicle from a long-barreled gun. It wasn’t clear what he was shooting at.
Pictures from the scene showed a body lying in the street behind a police cordon, opposite the synagogue, which was about 30 meters (yards), dpa reported.
The head of Halle’s Jewish community, Max Privorozki, told Der Spiegel that a surveillance camera at the entrance of the synagogue showed a person trying to break into the building while there were 70 or 80 people inside.
“The assailant shot several times at the door and also threw several Molotov cocktails, firecrackers or grenades to force his way in,” he said. “But the door remained closed — God protected us. The whole thing lasted perhaps five to 10 minutes.”
Dpa quoted unidentified security sources as saying that an assailant laid home-made explosives outside the synagogue.
A witness interviewed on n-tv television said he had been in a kebab shop when a man with a helmet and a military jacket threw something that looked like a grenade, which bounced off the doorframe. Conrad Roessler said the man then shot into the shop at least once.
“All the customers next to me ran, of course I did too. I think there were five or six of us in there,” Roessler said. “The man behind me probably died.”
“I hid in the toilet,” he said. “The others looked for the back entrance. I didn’t know if there was one. I locked myself quietly in this toilet, and wrote to my family that I love them, and waited for something to happen.”
Police then came into the shop, he said.
Synagogues are often protected by police in Germany. Security was stepped up at synagogues in other cities after the shooting in Halle.
German officials rushed to condemn the attack.
“Shots being fired at a synagogue on Yom Kippur, the festival of reconciliation, hits us in the heart,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Twitter. “We must all act against anti-Semitism in our country.”
Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that “all our country’s citizens of Jewish faith can be sure that we are with them with our whole heart and we will give them all the security that is possible.”
The U.S. Embassy in Berlin said “today’s attack is an attack on all of us, and the perpetrators must be held accountable.”
Police said shots were also fired Wednesday in Landsberg, about 15 kilometers (nearly 10 miles) from Halle but it wasn’t clear whether the two situations were related.
The European Parliament held a moment of silence at the start of its session Wednesday to mark the unfolding situation in Halle.
Manfred Weber, the German leader of the center-right EPP group in the parliament, declared that “anti-Semites and anybody who wants to question freedom of belief are not just our opponents, they are our enemies.”
(BEIRUT) — President Donald Trump says the U.S. does not endorse Turkey’s assault on northern Syria and has made it clear to Ankara that it’s incursion against Kurdish fighters who helped the U.S. battle the Islamic State is a “bad idea.”
In a statement Wednesday, Trump said no American soldiers are in the area being invaded. Earlier, Trump ordered U.S. forces out of the area, prompting criticism that he was abandoning an American ally.
Trump says he does not want the U.S. to fight “these endless, senseless wars.”
He says he will hold Turkey to its commitment to protect civilians and religious minorities, including Christians, and ensure the invasion does not create a humanitarian crisis. He also says Turkey must make sure that IS fighters held captive in Syria remain detained.
(DAKAR, Senegal) — More than 4,000 people have died in Congo this year in the world’s largest measles outbreak, the United Nations children’s agency said Wednesday.
The Central African nation is also battling an Ebola outbreak that has killed about half that number since August 2018.
Since January, more than 200,000 cases of measles have been reported across Congo, UNICEF said. More than 140,000 involve children under 5, who also make up nearly 90 percent of deaths.
“We’re facing this alarming situation because millions of Congolese children miss out on routine immunization and lack access to health care when they fall sick,” said the UNICEF country representative, Edouard Beigbeder. “On top of that, a weak health system, insecurity, community mistrust of vaccines and vaccinators and logistical challenges all contribute to a huge number of unvaccinated children at risk of contracting the disease.”
Health officials are facing many of the same challenges in the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo that has killed more than 2,000 people. Multiple armed groups have been fighting over the mineral-rich land for decades and threatening residents. The insecurity has led to mistrust of authorities, including health workers.
UNICEF said health workers were rushing additional medical kits to help care for more than 110,000 people infected with the measles, a highly contagious and potentially deadly virus. More than 1.4 million children have been vaccinated this year.
The U.N. agency said Congo’s government will launch a vaccination campaign at the end of October to make sure children in every province are vaccinated.
This year’s Nobel Prize for Literature marks a first in the award’s 118-year history. On Thursday, there won’t just be one award announced, but two simultaneously: one for 2018 and the other for 2019. Each winner will receive over $910,000 in prize money and the international acclaim accompanying recognition as a Nobel Laureate.
With winners in previous years including Japanese novelist Kazuo Ishiguro, singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, and Belarusian investigative journalist Svetlana Alexievich, the prize is seen as a celebration of an individual’s contribution to world literature. The unusual move to award two Prizes at once comes after sexual assault allegations and significant resignations in 2017 rocked the Swedish Academy, the institution responsible for administering the Nobel Prize, leading to the cancellation of 2018’s Prize announcement. As the Academy prepares to announce the 2018 and 2019 Laureates, can it rebuild trust in what the prize stands for?
The #MeToo movement blazed through the U.S. entertainment industry in October 2017, before becoming a global rallying cry for survivors of sexual harassment and assault. Countless universities, organizations, and companies faced reckonings over sexual assault and how they should handle allegations. The Swedish Academy, a 233-year-old cultural institution which has been responsible for awarding the Nobel Prize for Literature since its inception in 1901, was no exception. (The Academy is one of Sweden’s Royal Academies, with 18 members elected for life.)
In November 2017, Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter published allegations from 18 women accusing French photographer Jean-Claude Arnault of sexual assault. Arnault and his wife, author and Swedish Academy member Katarina Frostenson, were two of the country’s most prominent cultural figures at the time. After the allegations were published, further reports alleged a conflict of interest regarding an arts club that Arnault and Frostenson ran together, which was subsidized by the Academy. It was also reported that Arnault, now 72, may have been responsible for leaking the shortlist of authors in consideration for the literature prize seven times since 1996 (the shortlisting and selection of the eventual Prize-winner is notoriously secretive).
Long regarded as a forum for elite and intellectual debate, the Academy was quickly overwhelmed by the scandal. Literary scholar Sara Danius, who was the first woman to lead the Academy and was in charge at the time the scandal broke, announced that she too had been sexually assaulted by Arnault. Yet Danius was forced to step down from the Academy by Arnault and Frostensen’s defenders, most notably former Academy secretary Horace Engdahl. Several other Academy members left in support of Danius, who said in August 2018 that “history will not be merciful about what today’s Swedish Academy is encountering, especially not to Mr Engdahl, to the extent he will be remembered at all.”
JONAS EKSTROMER—AFP/Getty ImagesThe Swedish Academy’s Permanent Secretary Sara Danius talks to journalists as she leaves a meeting at the Swedish Academy in Stockholm, Sweden, on April 12, 2018.
Ravaged by infighting, accusations of corruption, and connections with serious sexual assault allegations, the Swedish Academy said in May 2018 that the Nobel Prize for Literature, traditionally announced every fall, was canceled for that year. In October 2018, Arnault was convicted of one count of rape and sentenced to two years in prison, as well as an $11,000 fine; he appealed but two months later, it was denied and he was found guilty of two counts of rape, resulting in $24,000 fine and a 30 month jail sentence.) In its place, several high profile Swedish writers and other cultural figures set up the New Academy prize in literature as a one-off “alternative Nobel” award: Guadeloupean novelist Maryse Condé was announced as the winner in October 2018. Swedish journalist, writer and President of PEN Sweden Jesper Bengtsson says that the Academy’s reputation was “damaged” by last year’s scandal. “It would be stupid to say anything else. But on the other hand, I think it is repairable, although it will take some time,” he says.
Observers say this year’s prize does have the potential to mark a comeback from the events of last year. Having recognized how low trust was in the Academy, several reforms have been made to address ongoing criticisms, many of which existed long before last year’s cancellation. A press release from the Nobel Foundation in March stated that the Academy amended its regulations, elected new members and appointed a new independent committee appointed to help select the eventual prize-winner. The statement also noted that members under criminal investigation or subject to a conflict of interest were no longer part of the Academy. Although the selection process for all the Nobel Prizes are famously secretive, with no shortlist or criteria publicly available, the Literature prize reforms outlined a series of structural changes and a commitment to “greater openness.”
“They had to clean up their house, and I’m glad they’re able to relaunch this year,” says novelist and chair of English PEN Maureen Freely, who was a translator for Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk when he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2006. “I admire organizations that own up to their mistakes and try to do something about them. I far prefer that than the opposite,” she says. Freely, who was part of the judging panel for the 2019 International Booker Prize, says it’s important that some parts of the decision-making for such prizes are kept under wraps. “I prefer it when the rules of a judging panel are transparent, but I also understand how, at a certain point, you can’t let everybody in on every single decision or every single criteria.”
The awarding of two prizes this year has also stoked significant interest in the potential runners and riders. The Nobel Foundation has said that the prizes are an appreciation of an individual’s contribution to literature as a whole; the person does not necessarily need to have released a new work in 2018 or 2019 to become a laureate. “After all, no other prize, with the exception of the International Booker Prize in its early years, recognises the totality of an author’s writing, or transcends all genres,” says Ted Hodgkinson, chair of the International Booker Prize. “So for all its past issues, there’s still scope for it to be an exciting cultural moment of reflection and revelation.”
Observers in the literary industry also see this year as a chance for the Prize to consider wider perspectives. “Now we are looking much more for the global totality,” said Swedish Academy member Anders Olsson in an interview, adding that the prize in previous years had been more Eurocentric and male-oriented. Only 14 women have been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, out of a total of 114 individuals. Awards have gone to Laureates writing in 25 different languages through the award’s history, although 29 have been writers in the English language, making it the majority by far. “Everything seems to be pointing to at least one of the laureates being a woman, perhaps both, and to them being from different continents,” says Hodgkinson. “Given this double announcement, they may both stand alone and chime together as a pair, underscoring the start of a new chapter for the prize.” Among the international names thought to be in the running are Colombia’s Juan Gabriel Vásquez, French writer Annie Ernaux and Poland’s Olga Tokarczuk, along with North American writers Margaret Atwood, Anne Carson and Marilynne Robinson.
For whoever wins the Thursday awards, the impact will stretch far beyond this week. “Prizes have the power to transform the fortunes of a book and recalibrate our understanding and appreciation of an entire literary culture,” Hodgkinson says, referring to Jokha Alharthi’s Celestial Bodies, last year’s winner of the International Booker Prize. And in December, the new laureates will give speeches at the Nobel Prize-giving ceremonies in Stockholm. “I don’t always agree with the choices, but on balance it’s brought some very important voices to world attention,” Freely says. “Because Anglophone writing is so dominant, it runs the risk of closing all its windows, and that’s a shame, particularly for us readers. The Nobel Prize is the leader in efforts to push things in the other direction, and to open the windows.”
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SBI Admit Card 2019 for various SBI careers is available. Candidates those who applied for various SBI vacancy can download your SBI Admit Card. However, we provide you a direct link for each individual SBI vacancy. Also, updates the respective download link immediately after they are out. Furthermore, Check other details like Exam Dates, Details on admit card in the sections below. Also, visit the official website of State Bank of India for more details on SBI Admit Card 2019.
SBI SO Admit Card 2019 – The bank has issued the admit card for the CBT Exam for Specialist Cadre Officers. Hence, the admit card is now available on the official website. Therefore, Eligible aspirants are suggested to download the admit card from the below table. Hence, the bank is decided to conduct the exam on 20th October 2019.
SBI Medical Officer Interview Letter 2019 will be released soon. The Interview Call Letter will be published on its official website. Similarly, the Interview Date will also be announced on the official website. So, Aspirants keep track on your official website to get the SBI Medical Officer Interview Date and Interview Letter. Contenders can check the eligibility from SBI MO Recruitment 2019.
SBI Medical Officer Interview Letter 2019 – Download
State Bank of India Admit Card 2019: for Clerk Main Examination is available now. Hence, the Aspirants who cleared the SBI Clerks Prelims Examination can download the SBI Mains Admit Card below. Furthermore, check the SBI Clerks Prelims Result in our SBI Result page.
SBI PO Admit Card 2019 – State Bank of India announces the SBI PO Mains Exam Call Letter on 20th July 2019. The Candidates those who are eligible can download the SBI Admit Card PO Mains 2019 below. Also, visit the Official Website for any queries. However, just click on the link SBI PO Admit Card below to download SBI PO Mains Exam Call Letter 2019 when available.
State Bank of India has announced the Interview Schedule for the post of Specialist Cadre Officers. Soon, the Bank will release the SBI SCO Interview Call Letter. Download it through Online after its release. The SCO Interview will be held on 18th July and 19th July 2019.
SBI Admit Card for Specialist Cader Officer 2019: State Bank of India announced the Admit card for the Post of Specialist Cader Officer on 05th May 2018. Candidates those who applied for the SBI Careers can start to download their Admit Card. However, we providing you with a direct link to download the SBI Specialist Cader Officer Admit Card 2018. An Applicant needs to have his/her Registration/Roll Number and Date of Birth details to download the SBI Admit Card 2018. Moreover, click on the direct link below to download your Sbi Admit card for Specialist Cader Officer 2018.
SBI Specialist Cader Officer Admit Card 2019 – Click Here
SBI PO Admit Card 2019
Latest SBI Admit card 2018: State Bank of India Released a Notification to fill 2000 PO Vacancies on 20th April 2018. Candidates, those who are applied for the SBI PO Vacancies need to wait up t0 18th June 2018 to download the SBI Call Letter 2018. You can download the Admit Card for SBI PO from the link below. We will update you immediately on 18-06-2018 when SBI PO Prelims Admit Card was out @ sbi.co.in, admit card. However, details like Exam Date, Venue, Time and others will be available on SBI Hall Ticket. Check all your details on SBI Admit card once you downloaded.
SBI Admit Card 2019: Here is great news for all the applicants of the Specialist Officers [Dy Manager (Internal Audit) MMGS-II]. Therefore, the candidates can now download your SBI Exam Admit Card 2018 from the link given below. Also, only the candidates who had applied for the posts only they can download your respective SBI Hall Ticket 2018 @ sbi.co.in. Furthermore, the date time and venue of the examination will be given in the SBI Call Latter 2018 itself.
SBI Specialist Officer Exam Admit Card 2019 – Click Here
SBI Admit card 2017 for Clerk, PO, SO exam is available here. Applicants can Download SBI 2017 admit card for attending the exams. State bank of India Call letter download link activated. Know your SBI exam date and time in State Bank Of India hall ticket. SBI conducts various exams to recruit the candidates for the posts of SO, PO and Clerk. So, aspirants who applied for the SBI Recruitment can download SBI PO Admit card, SBI Clerk Admit card and SBI SO admit card @ www.sbi.co.in
SBI Admit Card 2019 Download – PO/MT, SO & Clerk
Here is the good news for all the candidates who are eagerly waiting for the SBI Hall Ticket 2019. As we know that the State Bank of India is a reputed Bank, So many aspirants interested in working with that Bank. Every year State bank of India conducts exams for filling SBI PO, Clerk, SO jobs. The SBI call letters 2017 are released separately for each exam i.e PO/SO/Clerk.
SBI Clerk Prelims exam qualified candidates are only eligible to download the SBI Clerk Mains hall ticket 2019. In the same way, the SBI PO exam was also conducted in two phases Prelims and Mains. We are providing the SBI 2019 Call letter for all the exams conducted for the year 2017. Download SBI Admit card before appearing for the exam.
Candidates interested in the SBI Jobs have already applied for the SBI recruitment. State bank of India announced the recruitment for the posts of Clerk, Specialist Officer, Probationary Officer. Here we are providing the SBI Admit cards 2019 Download link. SBI is looking for well talented and hard-working candidates to work for its organization. So, candidates get the details of SO, PO, Clerk Admit cards from the below sections.
SBI Admit card release date
Candidates applied for the SBI Exam don’t worry about the Admit cards. Because we are providing the details of State Bank Of India PO/SO/Clerk Admit card. Candidates can download SBI Hall ticket according to the Exam. SBI will release the Call letter one week before the exam date. So, candidates check the SBI Admit card download link on our site recruitment.guru. Admit card can also be downloaded from the www.sbi.co.in official website.
State Bank Of India Call Letters 2017 – www.sbi.co.in/careers
First of all, go to the official website of State Bank of India i.e., sbi.co.in
In the home page, you will find the careers tab.
Later, click on that careers tab.
Under the heading, Latest announcements on the top right side of the page, SBI announcement.
Click on download call letter or click on the direct link.
Now, enter the registration number and date of birth as a password.
Later, Click on the submit button.
Finally, you will get a copy of SBI Admit card.
The procedure to Download the SBI Call letter 2017 for the exams of Clerk, Specialist Officier, and PO is the same. Candidates can get the SBI PO Call letter, SBI SO call letter and SBI Clerk Call letter 2017 here with a single click. Because we have direct links for all those admit cards.
Required details to download State bank Of India Hall Tickets
Registration ID
Date of Birth (DOB)
How can I know SBI Exam Date, Time & Venue
State bank of India clearly mentioned the exam date, venue and exam time in your hall ticket. The SBI Admit card also consists of important instructions which you have to follow to appear for the examination.
SBI Exam Instructions
Must carry SBI Admit card to the Exam Hall.
Applicants need to attend the exam on time mentioned in the hall ticket.
Candidates should strictly follow the instructions given by the invigilator. If anyone violated the rules they will be disqualified from the exam.
Need to Carry original id proof of the candidates along with the Admit card.
Calculators or other electronic devices are not permitted.
Rough work should be done on the sheet provided by the examiner.
About State Bank Of India (SBI)
State Bank Of India (SBI) is a government-owned corporation. It is an Indian multinational, public sector banking and financial services company. To provide the best customer service, the State bank Of India Every year releases the Clerk/SO/PO recruitment notifications. Candidates whose dream is to work with State Bank of India can apply for the various posts through SBI online.
You can also check the exams dates here. Download SBI Admit card 2017 to know your exam time, venue and timing. There are three exams under the State Bank of India. The main aim of SBI is to recruit every year most talented and well-skilled candidates for the government department.
SBI clerk recruitment 2017 is for graduates. So, all the interested candidates have been applied for SBI Clerk Recruitment. The online registration for state bank of India clerk 2019 recruitment is available at www.sbi.co.in/careers. SBI receives a large number of applications from the people every year. To select efficient candidates, it conducts a written test in 2 phases. Those are
Preliminary Examination.
Mains examination.
Those candidates who applied for the SBI clerk online 2017 are now eagerly waiting for the SBI Clerk 2017 Admit Card. Candidates can get the SBI Clerk (Clerical Cadre) Exam Hall ticket 2017 from the official website by entering your Registration ID and Date of Birth (DOB). SBI Clerk Admit card/hall ticket is essential to appear for the exam.
And the SBI Clerk prelims exam qualified candidates are eligible to appear for the SBI Clerk Mains Exams. The SBI Clerk Prelims Admit card and SBI Clerk Mains Admit card 2017 are released separately one week before the exam date. So, keep visiting our site regularly for the latest information regarding the SBI Clerk Admit Card Download Details.
SBI Clerk Admit Card Release Dates & Details
S.No
SBI Clerk Exam Events
Important Dates
1.
Online registration of application form begins
April 2017
2.
Online registration of application form ends
May 2017
3.
Closure for editing application details
May 2017
4.
Online Fee Payment
April to May 2017
5.
Admit Card for Preliminary Exam
May 2017
6.
Preliminary Exam
May/June 2017
7.
Preliminary Exam Result
June/July 2017
8.
Mains Exam
July/August
9.
Final Result
September 2017
SBI SO Admit Card 2017
SBI SO Hall ticket/call letter 2017 is out. Download exam call letter for Specialist officer jobs. As the all applied are ready to download hall ticket, We gave a direct link for SBI SO 2017 Admit card. Applicants can download the SBI Specialist officer Admit card from the official website www.sbi.co.in also. Candidates need to carry your State bank Of India SO hall ticket 2017 to appear for the exam. SBI announces various posts under the Specialist officer to recruit the candidates. So, here are the post Details which comes under SO (Specialist Officer)
Admin Support Officer
Assistant Manager (Systems) – JMGS I
Developer – MMGS II
Infrastructure Architect
Tester – MMGS II
Manager (Statistician) – MMGS III
Assistant Manager (Statistician) – JMGS II
Technology Relationship Manager – MMGS III
Test Lead – MMGS II
Application Architect
Business Architect
Data Warehouse Architect
Enterprise Architect
Technical Engineer
Portal Architect
Technology Architect
Infrastructure Engineer
Civil Engineer
Electrical Engineer
Developer
Network Engineer
Complaint Resolution Officer
IT Risk Manager
IT Security Expert
Project Manager
Business Analyst
Data Scientist
Technical Lead
Innovation Specialist
So, for any post of the State Bank of India Specialist Officier candidates can get the Call letter from the official website. Aspirants can also download the SBI Hall ticket on our page. For the latest information regarding the SBI 2017 Admit card visit our site regularly.
SBI Specialist Officier ( SO) Call Letter Release Dates
S.No
SBI SO Exam Events
Important Dates
1.
Starting Date to Apply Online Application
24th March 2017
2.
Closing Date for Online Registration of Application Forms
10th April 2017
3.
Due Date for Online Payment of Fee
10th April 2017
4.
Last Date for Receipt of the Printout of Online Application
13th April 2017
5.
Final Date to Print Out Hard Copy
25th April 2017
6.
SBI SO Hall ticket Download date
will notify soon
7.
Interview Date
will update soon
SBI PO Admit card 2017
State Bank of India conducts exam every year to recruit candidates for the Probationary Officer posts. And a large number of candidates applied for the PO Posts. And the PO exam was conducted in two phases.
Prelims Exams
Mains Exams
Aspirants who qualified in the Prelims exam are eligible for the SBI Mains exams. So, now all the applicants are eagerly searching for the SBI PO 2017 Admit card. SBI PO prelims exam qualified candidates are eligible to appear for the SBI PO Mains Exams. Both SBI PO Prelims Admit Card 2017 and SBI PO Mains 2017 Admit cards are released separately as per the dates.
Candidates don’t feel tense. Here we are providing the SBI PO 2017 Admit Card Download link. Candidates can also download the SBI PO Hall ticket in 2017 from the official website www.sbi.co.in. Applicants need to carry your State Bank of India PO Admit card to appear for the exam. Aspirants can also check the SBI PO Admit card details on our site recruitment.guru. We update every information regarding the SBI Admit card 2017.
State Bank of India PO 2017 Admit Card Release Date
S.No
SBI Clerk Exam Events
Important Dates
1.
Online registration of application starts
7th February 2017
2.
Online registration of application ends
6th March 2017
3.
Last date for edit of application
6th March 2017
4.
The Last date for taking print of application
April 2017
5.
Last date of fee payment
6th March 2017
6.
Admit card of SBI PO 2017 for pre-exam training April 2017
April 2017
7.
Admit card for Preliminary exam
15th April 2017
8.
Online Preliminary exam dates
April 29,30 and May 6,7 2017
9.
The result of online preliminary Exam
17th May 2017
10.
Admit card for main exam
22nd May 2017 onwards
11.
Online Main Exam date
4th June 2017
12.
The result of Online Main exam
19th June 2017
13.
Download call letter for interview
26th June 2017
14.
Conduct of Group discussion & Interview
10th July 2017
15.
Declaration of final result
5th August 2017
16.
Download of Call letters for Pre-exam training
7th April 2017 onwards
17.
Conduct of pre-exam training
17th April 2017 to 22nd April 2017
State Bank of India (SBI) Hall ticket/ Call letter 2017
Like every year, this year also SBI announced the Recruitment notification for the posts of Specialist Officer, Clerk, and Probationary Officer. The steps to Download the admit card has already provided. The procedure to Download SBI Call letter is same for all the exams. As a large number of Applicants applied for the SBI Vacancies, the official website may become busy after releasing the hall tickets. So we provide a facility to download SBI admit card with a single click on www.recruitment.guru.
Candidates can Download the SBI 2017 Admit card downloaded people can start your revision now onwards. Don’t waste your time for downloading State Bank Of India SO/PO/Clerk call letter. we already have detailed steps for downloading hall tickets. At the same time aspirants can also check the information regarding the Admit cards release date on our site recruitment.guru. So, keep visiting our site regularly for the latest information on SBI Hall ticket 2017.
DAVV Result 2019 released for BA, B.Sc, B.Com, BBA, MA, M.Sc and M.Com Exam on the Official Website. Aspirants those who are interested in downloading the DAVV UG Results 2019 can check out the below section. Get the complete UG PG Semester exam marks through www.dauniv.ac.in result 2019. We advise the students to take the complete details regarding the DAVV mponline Result 2019 from our webpage. Make use of this page to know all the Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyala DAVV Results 2019. Go through the full post to get all the DAVV Result 2019.
DAVV Result 2019 @dauniv.ac.in
देवी अहिल्या विश्वविधालय डीएवीवी परिणाम 2019 Announced. Therefore, students of Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya University its time to check out your DAVV Result 2019. Aspirants those who attend the Annual and Semester Examination conducted by the Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya can check out here to know the DAVV B. Sc B.Com Result 2019-20. The DAVV updates BA, B.Sc, B.Com, BBA, MA, M.Sc and M.Com Results according to semester wise. Subsequently, Candidates can get the direct link to download DAVV Mark List & DAVV Pass List 2019 for all Courses.
That is to say, we will update with the recently released DAVV Results 2019 on this webpage along with DAVV Revaluation Result 2019. DAVV UG PG Exams are conducted successfully and now examiners who have attended the DAVV Exam can check out Semester Result 2019 through Online mode. Above all, we have also provided the direct link to check the DAVV Result Pass List 2019 from the below section.
Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya is a State University whose jurisdiction was initially restricted to Indore city. Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya formerly the University of Indore was established in 1964 by an Act of Legislature of Madhya Pradesh. The University regulates all the schools within the three campuses. There are many other colleges affiliated to the university in Indore division. The university has more than 300 affiliated colleges imparting education at undergraduate and post-graduate levels in basic and professional disciplines. The university has 9000 students in its campus and a total of over 300,000 students in affiliated colleges.
DAVV Supply/Revaluation Result
Students have a chance to apply for the revaluation, if the students may get low marks in the examination, they can apply for the Revaluation results. So again the head of the Examiner will review the answer paper. After revaluation, students may get high marks. Still, if anyone got low marks, they can apply for the Supplementary Examinations. For Revaluation/Supplementary, students should pay the fee. Students can get all the results from this page Regular, Revaluation and Supplementary Results. Moreover, Students of Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyala University, Indore can also get the MBA Results Also. Just we are advising the Students to frequently visit this page to get the latest updates of all DAVV Result 2019.
JNTUA Results 2019 – Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Anantapur has published the JNTUA Semester Exam Results 2019 for various Courses. Students those who have appeared for the Pharm.D III Yr, B.Tech IV & I Yr I Sem Examination will be waiting for the results. Now, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Anantapur has released the results and Students can check this from the official website of the University i.e, jntua.ac.in. Also on this page, we always used to update all the results for Regular/Supply and UG/PG Students. Students can keep connected to this page to get the related details of JNTUA Exam Results 2019.
JNTUA Results 2019
Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Anantapur has successfully conducted the University Examination and now it’s time to declare the results. According to the marks in the examination, we can predict the Student’s performance individually. Currently, the University has announced the results for various courses on a daily basis. Here on this page, we have provided a direct link to download/check the JNTUA Exam Results 2019. Even, we have updated the Upcoming JNTUA Results on this page, the link will be work when the University will officially announce in the official website. Students can find the Upcoming JNTUA Results 2019 along with JNTUA Revaluation Results & More.
Upcoming JNTUA Exam Results 2019
Name of the Exam
Announcement Date
Result Link
Pharm.D I Year (R17) Regular & Supplementary Examinations, July/August 2019
About Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Anantapur
Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Anantapur (JNTU Anantapur) is a state university in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, India. Founded in 1946, it has since 1973 been a constituent college of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, as set by The Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Act, 1972. In 2008 it had received autonomous status by the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological Universities Act, 2008. The University offers various B.Tech and M.Tech Courses.
JNTUA Supply/ Revaluation Results
Students have a chance to apply for the revaluation, if the students may get low marks in the examination, they can apply for the Revaluation results. So again the head of the Examiner will review the answer paper. After revaluation, students may get high marks. Still, if anyone got low marks, they can apply for the Supplementary Examinations. For Revaluation/Supplementary, students should pay the fee. Students can get all the results from this page Regular, Revaluation and Supplementary Results. We request the students to keep connected to this page recruitment.guru to get the latest updates of JNTU Anantapur.
BRLPS Result 2019: Get Community Coordinator, Office Assistant & Other Result, Cut Off Marks, @ brlp.in | Hello Guys!! We have a piece of good news for you!! The Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (BRLPS) has declared the BRLPS qualified candidates list to attend the CBT Exam on 09th October 2019. Candidates who had attended for the Community Coordinator & Other Examination in July 2019, can check and download the Result from the direct link provided below in the table. Aspirants just click on that link and find your results easily.
New Update: The Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (BRLPS) has announced the candidates who have obtained minimum qualifying marks in the CBT exam for BRLPS held on 24th August 2019 & 25th August 2019.
BRLPS Result 2019 – Check Here @ brlp.in
Applicants who are waiting for your BRLPS Community Coordinator Result 2019 can check and download your result from the below link. In the below table we have mentioned the BRLPS Community Coordinator Sortlist. To download your result applicants should enter the BRLPS Admit Card 2019 details. Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (BRLPS) will soon release the BRLPS Office Assistant Result 2019 on its official website. Additionally, we had given the complete details of the BRLPS Cut Off Marks 2019 and the BRLPS Merit List 2019 in the below sections. Furthermore, additional information about the BRLPS CC Result 2019 has mentioned in the below table.
BRLPS Community Coordinator Result 2019 – Overview
BRLPS Result 2019 | Community Coordinator & Other Cut Off, Merit List
Description
Details
Organization Name
Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (BRLPS) (JEEVIKA)
Exam Name
State Project Management Unit Positions, District Project Coordination Unit Positions, Block Project Implementation Unit Positions, State Consultant-MLE & MIS, Accountant, Project Manager (ODF-S Cell), Consultant-SLWM (ODF-S Cell), Consultant-IEC/ CB (ODF-S Cell), Consultant-Technical Sanitation (ODF-S Cell), District Coordinator, District Consultant-CB & IEC, District Consultant-MLE & MIS, District Consultant-SLWM
Applicants who are interested in this BRLPS Vacancy 2019 can keep track of this page to get your results on time. Also, applicants can get all the details from the above table. If candidates wish to check your BRLPS Community Coordinator 2019 Results, everyone can download this from the official website i.e, brlp.in. The BRLPS Community Coordinator list will help the candidates to attend the further rounds of Recruitment. As we know, there are a huge number of candidates are interested in the Jobs BRLPS Inner Community Coordinator.
If the candidates prepare well for the Written Examination, they can clear this round easily. By referring to the BRLPS Community Coordinator Syllabus 2019 applicants can get an idea about the Examination. Through this kind of information, applicants can get some additional knowledge about the BRLPS Cut off Marks 2019. Because the officials will decide the cut off marks depends upon the Written Examination marks and some other categories.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to appear for participating in further stages of recruitment in a phased manner. List of applications received shortlisted applications, dates, and venue of tests for selection, etc. If the applicants’ name will attain into the BRLPS Merit List 2019, they will get more importance at the time of the Interview. All the applicants can get the BRLPS Results, Cut Off Marks, Merit List @ brlp.in.
How to check BRLPS Result 2019?
Initially, click on the official website of the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (BRLPS) using the URL: http://brlp.in/
Now, you will be redirected to the Home Page of the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society.
Applicants can observe the Latest News section on the home page.
Over there, search for the link of BRLPS Community Coordinator Result 2019.
Click on it and enter the required details.
The BRLPS Result 2019 appears on the screen.
Direct link to download BRLPS Result 2019
BRLPS Qualified candidates List held on 25th August 2019
Patna High Court Result 2019- for General Mazdoor & District Judge HJS Mains posts are be available here. Candidates appeared for the General Mazdoor & District Judge HJS Mains exam can check the Patna Court General Mazdoor Results 2019 on the Official Website. So, participants can make use of this page and verify the Patna Court 2019 Results. Even anyone can find the Patna Court General Mazdoor Results 2019 Download links here. We will be updating the latest Upcoming Patna HC Result Link, it will work once the result will be announcing it officially.
Patna High Court District Judge Result 2019: The authority of the Patna High Court conducted the 10th Limited Competitive Examination on 18th August 2019, A huge number of candidates appeared for the examination. Now all the candidates eagerly waiting for the Patna High Court District Judge (Entry Level) Result 2019. Mostly the authority will disclose the Patna High Court Result 2019 tentatively in the month of October 2019. Candidates can download the Patna High Court District Judge Exam Result 2019 from the direct link provided below in the table.
Patna High Court District Judge Result 2019 – Click Here
Patna HC District Judge HJS Final Marks 2019: Patna High Court has been released the result of Patna High Court District Judge HJS on 09th August 2019. The officials have declared the Patna High Court judge Result via online from the official website patnahighcourt.gov.in. As we know that everyone will be waiting for the Patna High Court District Judge HJS Final Marks. Finally, now it gets released Today. Hence check patnahighcourt.gov.in District Judge HJS Merit List 2019 to know your qualifying status.
Patna HC District Judge HJS Final Marks 2019 (Paper I & II ) – Click Here
Patna High Court District Judge HJS Result 2019: Patna High Court has been released the result of Patna High Court District Judge HJS on 22nd June 2019. The officials have declared the Patna High Court Judge HJS Result 2019 via online from the official website patnahighcourt.gov.in. As we know that everyone will be waiting for the Patna High Court District Judge HJS Mains Result, Finally now its get released. Final Written Main Exam Result has been published. Hence check patnahighcourt.gov.in District Judge HJS Merit List 2019 to know your qualifying status.
Patna High Court District Judge HJS Result 2019 – Check Here
Patna High Court General Mazdoor 2019 Result: Patna High Court is going to announce the Admit Card of General Mazdoor (Computer Knowing) Posts. Patna Court Result 2019 is to be released by the board of Patna High Court. Mostly, the officials declare the Patna Court General Mazdoor Results 2019 via online from the official website. So get ready with your login credentials to check the Patna Court 2019 Results. The Patna Court General Mazdoor Results 2019 will be released in the form of pdf called Merit List. Hence check patnahighcourt.gov.in General Mazdoor Merit List 2019 to know your qualifying status.
Patna High Court General Mazdoor Result 2019 – Check Here
Patna High Court Merit List 2019
Patna Court General Mazdoor Merit List 2019 will be released on the official website i.e, patnahighcourt.gov.in All the aspirants who are curious to know the score can verify the Patna Court Selection List 2019 on this page. There will be two Tier procedure of selection comprising Online written Test followed by Interview. Final merit list will be prepared on the basis of performance in Online (written) Test and Interview have taken together.
Here we provide the pdf links of the Patna Court General Mazdoor Exam Merit List 2019. Thus, the exam participants who are unable to find the marks on the official website can download Patna Court General Mazdoor 2019 Qualified List from here. To view the Patna High Court Result along with the merit list, check step by step process given below. Candidates have to obtain minimum marks to get the selection in Patna High Court as a General Mazdoor as per the cut-off criteria.
Steps to download Patna High Court Result 2019?
Visit the Patna High Court Official Website i.e, patnahighcourt.gov.in
Now, Search for the Patna Court General Mazdoor Exam Results 2019 on the screen.
And then, click on the Patna Court Result 2019.
Now, Patna Court Login page will be displayed.
Start filling the necessary details such as Roll Number, Date of Birth, Password in the provided fields.
Now, you will get the Patna Court Exam Results 2019
Download Patna Court General Mazdoor Results 2019.
Finally, take the printed copy of the Patna Court Exam 2019 Results for reference.
Patna Court General Mazdoor Results 2019 Download Links
Patna Court General Mazdoor Cutoff Marks (Available Soon)
APPSC Group 3 Result 2019 – Get APPSC Panchayat Secretary Mains Result 2019 @ psc.ap.gov.in | Are you waiting for APPSC Panchayat Secretary Result 2019? then you can just check this post. The Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission officials had successfully conducted the Main Exam on 26th August 2019. Those candidates who have appeared for the Mains Examination waiting for the result. Moreover, the officials will announce the APPSC Panchayat Secretary Mains Exam Result 2019 in the month of October 2019 (Tentative).
APPSC Group 3 Results 2019 @ Check Here
Applicants can expect the APPSC Group 3 Result 2019 very soon in the official site @ psc.ap.gov.in. Additionally, we have given the quick link to access the APPSC Group 3 District Wise Selection List at the end of the page. Also, Candidates should keep in touch with our page or check the official site frequently to get the APPSC Group 3 Latest Updates. So that you can know more details of the APPSC Group 3 Panchayat Secretary Results 2019. Here on this page applicants can get the APPSC Group 3 Results, we will be updating the latest result link and it will activate at the time of result announcement. Along with the results, applicants can get the APPSC Group 3 Cut off Marks from this article.
APPSC Panchayat Secretary Mains Result 2019 – Details
APPSC Panchayat Secretary Result 2019 | Group 3 Cut Off, Merit List
In Andhra Pradesh state, a huge number of candidates had appeared for the Screening Test. Almost every candidate who had registered/ applied for the exam. Candidates who had competed in the exam can download the APPSC Panchayat Secretary Result 2019 from the official site tentatively in this month.
Moreover, the candidates can check their APPSC Group 3 Mains Result with the help of the Answer Keys. To get hired by the officials, aspirants must qualify all rounds such as Screening Test, Mains Exam, Interview. Candidates who qualify all rounds with good merit to get shortlisted for the 1051 Panchayat Secretary (Group 3) posts.
APPSC Group 3 Cut off 2019
The members of the organization will announce the APPSC Group 3 Cut off Marks from the official website. And every candidate has to score the equal or maximum marks to the Cut Off Marks to get shortlisted for the further rounds. Mainly, we have given the APPSC Panchayat Secretary Cut Off Marks 2019 according to the Category wise.
The APPSC officials are going to announce the APPSC Panchayat Secretary Merit List 2019 in the official site at the time of the Results. These APPSC Panchayat Secretary Merit List 2019 contains the Names, Marks, Admit Card Number of the candidates who score the top or high marks in the Screening Test. Aspirants who qualified in the screening test will be promoted to further rounds of the selection process.
How to check APPSC Group 3 Exam Result?
Visit the official site of the APPSC by using the psc.ap.gov.in
Find the APPSC Panchayat Secretary Result 2019 link in the Results block.
After finding click on it.
Now, enter the details in the login form.
And your APPSC Group 3 Result 2019 will get on the screen.
Download the results along with the Cut Off Marks, Merit List, and Score Card.
Take a hard copy of the AP Panchayat Secretary Group III Result 2019 for future usage.
TN TRB Result 2019 to be Released soon | Get Direct link for TN TRB Computer Instructor Result @ trb.tn.nic.in – The Tamil Nadu Teacher Recruitment Board (TN TRB) has almost ready to announce the TN TRB Exam Result. All the candidates those who have Participated in the TN TRB Computer Instructor Grade 1 Examination can check your result from the direct link provided below in the table. The TN TRB officials will soon announce Computer Instructor Results, Selection List tentatively in the month of October 2019. Along with the Direct link of TN TRB 2019 result we have given some steps to download your result from the official website at trb.tn.nic.in.
Latest Update: TN TRB Computer Instructor Result 2019 will be released in the month of October 2019.
TN TRB Result 2019 @ trb.tn.nic.in
Tamil Nadu Teacher Recruitment Board (TN TRB) will release the result for the Direct Recruitment of the Post of Computer Instructors Grade 1 (PG Cadre) for the year 2019-20. On the basis of the Merit List candidates will be appointed in the respective areas. All the applicants can get the TN TRB Computer Instructor Result 2019 from this page. The TN TRB has conducted the Computer Instructors Grade 1 Examination on 23rd June 2019. Here on this page, we used to update all the latest updated information regarding the TN TRB Computer Instructor Results. Also, we will be updating the result link and it will activate after the official announcement of TN TRB Computer Instructor Results.
All the candidates who have appeared for the Examination can get overview details from the above table. We advise the candidates to keep track on this page to get your TN TRB Result 2019 on time. The TN TRB Recruitment 2019 has announced on a few months back and interested candidates have appeared for this Examination. The Tamil Nadu Teacher Recruitment Board will announce the recruitment every year. This year applicants have appeared for the Examination by 23rd June 2019. All those applicants are eagerly now waiting for the results, we are here to help you out with the TN TRB Computer Instructor 2019.
Along with the Results, the applicants will receive the TN TRB Cut off Marks. After announcing the TN TRB Results, applicants will get the Cut off Marks. The marks will decide by the TRB officials based on the TN TRB Examination marks, Number of questions, difficulty level, and others. The officials will be called for the Interview process based on the TN TRB Cut off Marks and TN TRB Merit List.
TN TRB Computer Instructor Merit List 2019
Applicants those who have completed the exam well and getting the High Cut off marks can get the Merit List. The Merit List will be based on the score which the applicants have got from the Examination. Although the Merit list will help the applicants at the time of the interview process. The candidates will call for the Interview based on the TN TRB Merit List. After attending the Interview, if the applicants will get select in all the rounds of interview process they will get an appointment for Tamil Nadu Teacher Recruitment Department.
How to check TN TRB Computer Instructor Result 2019?
Applicants can visit the official website of Tamil Nadu Teacher Recruitment Board (TN TRB) i.e, trb.tn.nic.in
On the home page, candidates can view the TN TRB Result 2019
Click on the TN TRB Result Link
The result page will open, applicants can enter the required details
TN TRB Exam Result pdf will display on your screen
Download or take a print out of the result for further reference.,
TN TRB PG Assistant Results 2019 @ trb.tn.nic.in | Check Qualified Candidates List, Cut Off Marks, Merit List here – The Tamilnadu Teacher Recruitment Board has conducted the Written Test for Post Graduate Assistant/ Physical Education Director Grade I Posts on 27th, 28th, 29th September 2019. So All the exam participants are eagerly waiting for TN TRB PG Assistant Result 2019. Moreover, the TN TRB is going to release the TN TRB PG Assistant Result in the month of October 2019 (Tentatively). Here on this page, we will be updating the latest result link and it will activate at the time of result announcement.
Latest Update: The Tamilnadu Teacher Recruitment Board authority is going to release the TN TRB PG Assistant Result in the month of October 2019 (Tentatively). Tamil Nadu Teacher Recruitment Board has released the Answer keys for Post Graduate Assistant/Physical Education Directors Grade – 1 Posts.
TN TRB PG Assistant Result 2019 – Check Here
Applicants who have appeared for the TN TRB PG Assistants Recruitment Exam can check your results from this article. Tamilnadu Teacher Recruitment Board has conducted the Examination for 2144 Vacancies in 17 different subjects for Post Graduate Assistants / Physical Education Directors Grade-I – 2018-2019. The Roll-Number-wise Mark List of all candidates will be published on the website of Teachers Recruitment Board i.e, trb.tn.nic.in. The selection will be based on two ways like Computer-based examination and document verification. Candidates can check your Result along with the Cut off Marks, Qualified candidates list and Merit List from the below table.
Tamilnadu TRB PG Assistant Result 2019 – Overview
TN TRB PG Assistant Result 2019 | Check Physical Education Director Grade 1 Cut Off Marks, Merit List
Description
Details
Organization Name
Tamilnadu Teacher Recruitment Board
Post Name
Post Graduate Assistant/ Physical Education Director Grade I
TN TRB PG Assistant Result 2019 will be announced by Teachers Recruitment Board, Tamil Nadu at trb.tn.nic.in on Fourth Week of October. Applicants who have attended the examination can download your result from the below link. Also, applicants can check the Tamil Nadu TRB Physical Education Director Cut off Marks. Candidates can check out your TRB Physical Education Director Exam Results Date, Cut Off Marks & Merit List Pdf @ trb.tn.nic.in.
TN TRB PG Assistant Cut Off Marks 2019
Applicants should get the minimum marks to attain into the TN TRB PG Assistant Cut Off Marks 2019. The cutoff marks/qualifying marks will be released for all categories. TN TRB PG Assistant cutoff marks for general, BC, SC, ST, and other categories will be announced. Aspirants need to score the qualifying marks to clear the written test round. If the candidates get the high cut off marks, they will select for the Merit list.
TN TRB PG Assistant/Physical Education Director Answer Key 2019 –Download
TN TRB PG Assistant Results 2019 – Available Soon
TN TRB PG Assistant Exam Cut off Marks & Merit List 2019 –Available Soon
How to check TN TRB PG Assistant Merit List 2019?
Candidates must visit the official website of Tamilnadu Teacher Recruitment Board @ trb.tn.nic.in
On the home page, search the link related to download the TN TRB PG Assistant Result 2019
Click on that link and Enter the candidate details provided in the TN TRB PG Admit Card 2019
Click on the submit button,
Check the TN TRB PED Grade I Result 2019 of the aspirant.
Download the result for further references.
Direct link to download TN TRB PG Assistant Results 2019
CISF Head Constable Result 2019 @ www.cisf.gov.in | Get Direct link for CISF Head Constable 429 Post Result, Cut off Marks here:The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officials will soon announce the CISF Head Constable Result in the month of October 2019 (Tentatively). So the candidates who have participated in the CISF Head Constable Exam 2019 can check and download your result from this page. To help the candidates, we will be updating the latest result link, and it will activate at the time of result announcement.
CISF Head Constable Result 2019 @ Check Here
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officials have conducted the CISF Head Constable Exam to fill up 429 Head Constable Posts. So for this CISF Head Constable Recruitment, a huge number of applicants have been applied and successfully completed their written Examination. All those candidates now waiting to know their CISF Head Constable Exam Result. Here we will help you out with the Exam Result. Along with the Results we have provided some easy steps to download CISF Head Constable Result 2019. After the Result declaration, all the candidates must check with the Cut off Marks. So we have provided a direct link to check your CISF Head Constable Cut off 2019 from the below sections.
CISF Head Constable Exam Result 2019 – Details
CISF Head Constable 429 Post Result | Check Cut Off Marks, Merit List
Candidates those who are waiting for the Head Constable Written Examination Results can get a direct link from the below table. Also, the applicants should clear the Written examination to attend the next two rounds of the Selection process. After the Written examination results, the CISF officials will announce the PET and Medical Exam Schedule on the official website. Along with the results, applicants can get the PET, Medical Exam Dates also from this page. So we advise the applicants to keep track on this page to get your required information. To know more details about the CISF Result 2019, participants must visit the official website.
CISF Head Constable Cut Off 2019
The CISF Head Constable Cut Off Marks 2019 will be decided by the officials of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). The CISF Head Constable Cut Off Marks 2019 means the aspirants should score the minimum cut off marks to get qualified in the CISF Head Constable Exam 2019. Candidates who clear the cut off marks specified by the officials can move to the next level selection procedure.
The CISF Head Constable Merit List 2019 contains the names and register number of the aspirants who scored highest marks in the exam. The officials will release the CISF Head Constable Merit List 2019 in pdf format on the official website. So, applicants can check the from the official website @ www.cisf.gov.in.
How to check CISF Head Constable Exam Result 2019?
Candidates must visit the official website of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) @ www.cisf.gov.in
On the home page, CISF News section available.
Find the CISF Head Constable Result 2019 link.
A new page will open, there fill application number and date of birth details.
The CISF Head Constable Result 2019 appears on the screen.
Check the score obtained and download the result.
Direct link to download CISF Head Constable Result 2019
SSC CGL Result 2019 Final Result Date Announced!! – Check SSC CGL 2017 Final Result Online here | The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) of India has announced the final result date of the SSC Combined Graduate Level (CGL) Examination 2017. As per the Result schedule released on the official website of the SSC, the SSC CGL 2017 Final Result is going to be released on 15th November 2019. Applicants those who have been appeared for this SSC CGL Tier 1 2019 can check and download your results from the official website i.e, ssc.nic.in on 15th November 2019 to check and download your Results.
Latest Update: As per the recent announcement, the SSC CGL 2017 Final Result is going to be released on 15th November 2019. Get Direct link from this article.
SSC CGL 2017 Final Result Date Announced – Check Here
The Staff Selection Commission has conducted the Combined Graduate Level Exam Tier 1 on 04-13th June 2019 and 19th June 2019. The SSC CGL Result has been announced on 20th August 2019. Along with the results, the Mark list has declared on 28th August 2019. As per the latest update, the Staff Selection Commission has announced the SSC CGL 2017 Final Result Date. So, we expect to release the SSC CGL 2017 Final Result on 15th November 2019. Here on this page, we have provided a direct link to check and download your SSC CGL 2017 Final Result. Applicants can get the results just by clicking the link provided below in the table.
The selection procedure of SSC CGL 2018-19 will be consist of four stages i.e. Tier I, Tier II, Tier III & Tier IV. Tier I and Tier II are computer-based exams while tier III and IV are descriptive type exam, computer proficiency test or skill test. The questions will be asked from General Awareness, Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, and English Language. Only those applicants who obtain marks equal to or above the SSC CGL Tier 1 cut off score will qualify the exam.
The SSC CGL Tier 1 Merit list will be declared online on the official website of SSC. We bring you the detailed steps to check your SSC CGL result 2018-19. Applicants will be able to check your SSC CGL result as soon as it gets released on the website by following the steps given below. The SSC CGL Tier 1 Merit list or SSC CGL Tier 1 Result 2018 will have the following details like Name of the Exam, Serial Number, Roll Number of the Candidate, Name of the Candidate, Category Qualifying status of the Candidate (Yes/No).
SSC CGL Tier 1 Cut Off 2019
SSC CGL cutoff is the minimum marks that candidates must secure so as to get through the examination. Candidates should obtain marks higher than or equal to that of the SSC CGL cut off marks in order to move to the next stage. Candidates who clear the SSC CGL Tier 1 Cut off will be eligible to appear for Tier 2. Also if the candidates will see the SSC CGL Tier 1 cut off the previous year, they can get a clear idea about the SSC CGL Tier 1 cut off 2019. The SSC CGL Tier 1 Cut Off Marks depends upon the following factors.
How to check SSC CGL 2017 Final Result?
Visit the official website of Staff Selection Commission i.e, ssc.nic.in
In the home page click on the results tab from the top menu
Select the CGL Section, SSC CGL Tier 1 Result 2019 link will be displayed on your screen
Applicants can click on the result link,
SSC CGL Tier 1 Result 2019 pdf file will be open, Check the results
Download or take a print out of the file for further reference.
Three public-sector lenders — Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India and Syndicate Bank — have taken the first steps in transparently segregating retail loans into their own versions of prime and subprime risk exposure, using third-party credit scores of potential borrowers to offer them different home-financing rates.Under the new external benchmarking regime, Bank of Baroda, for instance, will be using three credit score slabs from the Credit Information Bureau (India) Ltd (Cibil) to price new home loans. Customers with high credit score, defined in excess of 760 out of a maximum 900, will pay 1% lower interest compared with those reporting scores in 675-724 range — the lowest score slab at which loans will be offered.Customers logging scores above 760 will now pay 8.1% on new loans at Bank of Baroda, while those in the third slab will pay 9.1%. The cost of financing for those falling in the middle, with credit scores between 725 and 759, will be 8.35%.These floating rate loans at Bank of Baroda are linked to an external benchmark, and the interest rate would not depend upon either the quantum or duration of loans. All three lenders will use credit scores provided by Cibil.With the RBI now allowing high-street banks to charge a credit risk premium over external benchmarks to compute effective interest rate, credit scores of borrowers are expected to become even more crucial in determining retail mortgage costs. From October 1, banks have adopted external benchmarks for pricing their new floating-rate retail loans.In the future, credit scores through the life of a loan will be as important as those recorded at its approval. On a Rs 50 lakh loan carrying an interest of 9.1% per annum, a 100 bps downward revision can reduce equated monthly instalments (EMI) by Rs 3,380 and total interest outgo by nearly Rs 10 lakh over 25 years.Rates to Fluctuate"If, after one year, the borrower improves her credit score, the risk premium will go down. Conversely, it could go up if a borrower's credit score drops below 760," said Virendra Sethi, head, Mortgages and Other Retail Assets, Bank of Baroda.Similarly, Syndicate Bank, which is merging with Canara Bank as part of the broader reorganisation of public sector financiers, has decided to increase the credit risk premium if a borrower's Cibil score were to drop by more than 50 points. "Interest rates could also change based on the deterioration in credit profile — if the borrower has delayed EMI payments for more than 30 days three times in the preceding one year," said Mrutyunjay Mahapatra, MD and CEO, Syndicate Bank.Union Bank of India, which is expected to be the lead bank in a proposed three-way merger, will charge 10 bps more to customers with credit scores below 700. Besides Cibil, there are other credit information companies such as Equifax, Experian and CRIF Highmark generating scores to assess borrower creditworthiness. These scores are based on data provided by banks and other participants on borrowers' payment track record on earlier loans and utility bills, among other things. 71513414 In case of Cibil, these scores range from 300 to 900, with 900 indicating a high level of creditworthiness and 300 pointing to the exact opposite.To be sure, Citibank has already adopted the three-month Treasury bill yield as its benchmark, while other lenders are using the repo rate."In the past nine months, 100% of our home loan customers have chosen the Tbill-linked loans over MCLR-linked loans. They recognise that an external benchmark is easy and simple to understand," said Rohit Ranjan, Head, Secured Lending and CitiBusiness, Citibank India.Some banks have stuck to an internal credit assessment, while others have chosen to use external credit scores. State Bank of India (SBI) will adhere to its internal risk grading approach. SBI categorises borrowers into six risk grades (RG), ranging from one to six, across salaried and non-salaried groups. Borrowers in the RG 4-6 bands will have to shell out 10 bps more than others.ICICI Bank has said that interest rates for customers will vary in line with the bureau score, but hasn't provided other details.Industry-watchers say that internal grading models for loan pricing might not pass the transparency test."Ideally, banks should use a verifiable scoring model or adopt external credit score mechanisms, such as Cibil, to ensure there is complete transparency in their offerings," said Vipul Patel, founder and CEO, Mortgageworld.in, a mortgage advisory firm.
Countries around the world, including India, will get more power to tax big multinationals such as Google, Apple and Facebook doing business within their borders under a proposed overhaul of decades-old rules. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has proposed to expand government rights to tax multinationals, especially big internet firms, by releasing a methodology for such taxation.The development is a shot in the arm for India which has proposed its own regulations on taxation of digital companies. "With the OECD report also supporting the right to tax, one would now have to see if and when the CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes) finalises the profit attribution rules. This together with the significant economic presence (SEP) amendment could impact several digital companies operating in India," said Ajay Rotti, partner at Dhruva Advisors.The move implies digital companies around the world will have to pay more tax, though the quantum in India is yet to be decided. The government has already come out with an SEP framework whereby it can tax digital companies in India even if they don't have a permanent establishment. This essentially means that companies which do not have even a single employee or office in India too can be taxed. A few months back, CBDT had come out with its own rules on how to go about taxing multinationals in India. These, as of now, are proposals and will have to be notified to become a law, said tax experts.Companies such as Facebook, Google, Twitter, LinkedIn and Airbnb have reached out to tax experts, seeking an opinion on the OECD proposals and its impact on their India revenues.'Greater Tax Certainty'According to a senior lawyer present during one such conference call late Wednesday evening, the global firms are looking to either create domestic companies or relocate employees outside India."Up till now, tax treaties would override any other domestic law but the way the developments are happening, India would be able to tax sales generated domestically," the lawyer said. "Now the tax department can take the role of India employees, sales, consumer base and other factors into account, apart from tax treaties to determine permanent establishment." This would eventually mean additional taxes. Permanent establishment is a concept in taxation that determines the jurisdiction in which taxes will have to be paid.The OECD expects the first sign of whether there is broad political support for its proposals next week when G20 finance ministers discuss them at a meeting in Washington.The overhaul would have an impact of a few percentage points of corporate income tax in many countries with no big losers apart from big international investment hubs, OECD head of taxation policy Pascal Saint-Amans said.While that means countries like Ireland or offshore tax havens could suffer, countries with big consumer markets like the United States or France would benefit from the shakeup. 71513237 The proposals in the consultation paper of OECD create a new nexus rule (largely dependent on sales) that would not depend on physical presence in the user/market jurisdiction. Also, the proposals go beyond the arm's-length principle for allocation of profits by using formulae-based apportionment, say tax experts."The unified approach also seeks to deliver greater tax certainty for both taxpayers and administrators by suggesting a three-tier profit allocation mechanism. India's draft report on profit attribution gives weightage to sales and users," said Amit Maheshwari, partner, Ashok Maheshwary & Associates LLP."India was always free to tax these companies. But in this current economic slowdown, the OECD proposal may enable the government to bring a new tax regime by which digital companies may be taxed," said advocate Virag Gupta, author of the book 'Taxing Internet Giants'.The government said last year that global digital companies have a large consumer base in India but don't pay enough taxes domestically. There is a global push to bring these digital giants under the ambit of local taxes. Many such companies deliberately base themselves in low-tax jurisdictions like Ireland. "We need to quantify transactions between companies and their clients or their parent along with the number of consumers," said a government official. "This is a complex subject and we have to be mindful not to catch smaller players and keep the focus on large fish," he added.France adopted its own national tax on digital companies this year, sparking US threats of tariff on French wine and adding to global trade tensions. Meanwhile, companies are facing increased uncertainty about their tax bills as countries challenge arrangements to pay tax in countries like Ireland rather than where their markets are. Apple is locked in an EU tax dispute over profits booked in Ireland which could cost the iPhone maker $14 billion. Meanwhile, Google agreed last month to pay more than $1 billion to settle a tax case in France. Amazon, which has been asked by the EU to pay about 250 million euros in back taxes to Luxembourg, said the OECD proposals were an "important step forward".
MUMBAI: The Indian automotive market is heading to its worst halfyearly decline in a couple of a decades and the steep decline in sales by industry leaders is pulling down the market. These market leaders have shouldered the burden of the slowdown, which they hope is bottoming out.The Indian passenger vehicle market is estimated to have declined over 25%, the commercial vehicle market 20% and two wheelers over 15%. This may pull down the entire automotive market for FY20 into the lower double digits.Maruti Suzuki, Hero MotoCorp and Tata Motors, the respective leaders of their segments, are the ones posting the steepest decline in top five vehicle makers in their respective category. Maruti Suzuki's sales slid more than 25%, Hero MotoCorp's contracted 15% and Tata Motors' volumes slipped by a quarter.What has added to the pain is a prolonged nature of the current slowdown, which no one saw coming. "Commercial vehicle sales mirror the economic growth of the country. Various structural changes like changes in the axle loading norms and freight rates going down have affected CV consumption," said Rajan Wadhera, president - automotive of Mahindra & Mahindra, who is also the current SIAM president. 71513812 The last 2-3 years have seen a raft of regulations in emissions and safety along with increasing commodity prices boosting passenger vehicle prices by 15-20%. Factors such as the non-availability of finance, increasing registration and insurance costs have also raised the cost of acquiring a car.If the rising congestion, increased adoption of shared mobility and rising cost of ownership impacted the passenger vehicle market, the rural slowdown has added to the misery of the price-sensitive two wheelers segment, which has already seen a rise of 15% in acquisition price. And as for commercial vehicles, it has been a triple whammy of axle load norms, efficiency improvement in GST and slowing consumption.With core sectors shrinking, there is no positive sentiment to spend. Consequently, the sentiment against buying a car is very strong, says Wadhera.However, the head of Mahindra's automotive business said car makers are seeing better retail pick up in September and October due to heavy discounts and festive sentiment. Companies are already seeing an inventory correction owing to the retail pick-up, said Wadhera, who feels that wholesale will continue to see a decline due to BS-IV to BS-VI transitioning and as inventories get controlled. The two wheeler industry is still under severe stress, led by high channel inventory, financing constraints, and weak consumer sentiment. Hero Moto Corp saw a 17% drop in sales. Experts say, Hero has not been able to correct inventories.However all is not bleak for some players. Inventory correction and focus on exports helped Bajaj Auto, which saw sales fall by a relatively modest 5.7%, the lowest in the auto industry.Commercial vehicles sales have been steeper than passenger vehicles. This is worrying, but a revival will happen from the fourth quarter when pre-buying kicks in, said Mahantesh Sabarad, head, retail research, SBI cap Securities.Some bold government announcements as well as a slew of festive season offers have auto majors hoping to turn the bend over the next couple of months. That some new launches such as the Seltos as well as MG Hector have resonated well with customers, has sparked hopes.RC Bhargava, chairman, Maruti Suzuki, said the passenger vehicle industry is heading towards the bottom of a downward cycle and sales are unlikely to decline further starting with the festive season. And if the market leader Maruti feels so, can the others be far behind in echoing this optimism?
NEW DELHI: Amid a soft employment outlook, direct-selling firms including leader Amway increased hiring sharply over two years, with jobs in the industry not requiring high educational qualifications or seed capital investments.The total number of direct sellers employed by these firms rose to 5.7 million in 2018-19 from 5.1 million in 2016-17, equivalent to the addition of 800 people every day during this period, Indian Direct Selling Association treasurer Vivek Katoch said, quoting a report by the industry body."While 2.7 million women were associated with various direct selling companies in 2016-17, the number increased to 2.85 million in 2018-19. This translates to over 200 women joining the industry every day over the last two years," Katoch said.The percentage of women direct sellers at Amway India, the maker of Nutrilite supplements and Artistry cosmetics, went up to 65% in 2018-19 from 55% two years earlier, CEO Anshu Budhraja said. 71511261 "Participation of women in the workforce, especially in tier-2 and tier-3, is seeing incremental growth. Women, operating from within their homes, are supplementing family incomes, which is a very positive pattern," Budhraja said. IDSA represents about two dozen companies including Amway, Oriflame, Tupperware and Modicare.The Rs 1,900 crore company has started selling home air purifiers to leverage the potential of a nascent but rapidly growing segment. Budhraja said there has been higher volume growth in the health, nutrition and beauty segments, while sales in categories such as personal and homecare products have slowed. "We have seen a mixed bag in terms of consumption. Growth has tapered off in mature markets, but smaller tier-2 and 3 markets are continuing to grow," he said.IDSA estimated overall sales of direct selling companies at Rs 13,080 crore in 2018-19, an increase of 12% over the previous year. In 2017-18, sales in the industry were estimated at Rs 11,670 crore. The association said in the report that wellness products such as weight management supplements, energy bars and drinks contributed over half of sales, followed by cosmetics and personal care products.According to a Reserve Bank of India Consumer Confidence Survey, 52.5% of the respondents said the employment situation in the country had worsened and 33.4% said it would get worse in the coming year. Over 26% said incomes had decreased.
MUMBAI: The Indian automotive market is heading to its worst halfyearly decline in a couple of a decades and the steep decline in sales by industry leaders is pulling down the market. These market leaders have shouldered the burden of the slowdown, which they hope is bottoming out.The Indian passenger vehicle market is estimated to have declined over 25%, the commercial vehicle market 20% and two wheelers over 15%. This may pull down the entire automotive market for FY20 into the lower double digits.Maruti Suzuki, Hero MotoCorp and Tata Motors, the respective leaders of their segments, are the ones posting the steepest decline in top five vehicle makers in their respective category. Maruti Suzuki's sales slid more than 25%, Hero MotoCorp's contracted 15% and Tata Motors' volumes slipped by a quarter.What has added to the pain is a prolonged nature of the current slowdown, which no one saw coming. "Commercial vehicle sales mirror the economic growth of the country. Various structural changes like changes in the axle loading norms and freight rates going down have affected CV consumption," said Rajan Wadhera, president - automotive of Mahindra & Mahindra, who is also the current SIAM president. 71513812 The last 2-3 years have seen a raft of regulations in emissions and safety along with increasing commodity prices boosting passenger vehicle prices by 15-20%. Factors such as the non-availability of finance, increasing registration and insurance costs have also raised the cost of acquiring a car.If the rising congestion, increased adoption of shared mobility and rising cost of ownership impacted the passenger vehicle market, the rural slowdown has added to the misery of the price-sensitive two wheelers segment, which has already seen a rise of 15% in acquisition price. And as for commercial vehicles, it has been a triple whammy of axle load norms, efficiency improvement in GST and slowing consumption.With core sectors shrinking, there is no positive sentiment to spend. Consequently, the sentiment against buying a car is very strong, says Wadhera.However, the head of Mahindra's automotive business said car makers are seeing better retail pick up in September and October due to heavy discounts and festive sentiment. Companies are already seeing an inventory correction owing to the retail pick-up, said Wadhera, who feels that wholesale will continue to see a decline due to BS-IV to BS-VI transitioning and as inventories get controlled. The two wheeler industry is still under severe stress, led by high channel inventory, financing constraints, and weak consumer sentiment. Hero Moto Corp saw a 17% drop in sales. Experts say, Hero has not been able to correct inventories.However all is not bleak for some players. Inventory correction and focus on exports helped Bajaj Auto, which saw sales fall by a relatively modest 5.7%, the lowest in the auto industry.Commercial vehicles sales have been steeper than passenger vehicles. This is worrying, but a revival will happen from the fourth quarter when pre-buying kicks in, said Mahantesh Sabarad, head, retail research, SBI cap Securities.Some bold government announcements as well as a slew of festive season offers have auto majors hoping to turn the bend over the next couple of months. That some new launches such as the Seltos as well as MG Hector have resonated well with customers, has sparked hopes.RC Bhargava, chairman, Maruti Suzuki, said the passenger vehicle industry is heading towards the bottom of a downward cycle and sales are unlikely to decline further starting with the festive season. And if the market leader Maruti feels so, can the others be far behind in echoing this optimism?
KOLKATA | MUMBAI: Consumers can look forward to good deals for their Diwali shopping with smartphones, consumer electronic and apparel brands rolling out steep discounts in brick-and-mortar retail chains as well after offering similar deals in online marketplaces to beat the overall slump that's affecting their business this year.Brands such as OnePlus, Xiaomi, Realme, TCL and Kodak are matching prices of their products in retail stores as they did in the online sales last week, while LG has further dropped television prices, four senior industry executives said. Discount on smartphones and televisions is up to 30% than the usual selling period, while Future Group andLifestyle said they were able to match apparel prices this year despite online discounting."This year, discount on television and smartphone are at their peak with brands taking the price route to woo customers across categories," said Pulkit Baid, director at Great Eastern Retail.Mumbai's leading chain Kohinoor Electronics director Vishal Mewani said average discount on electronics and smartphones is more than 6-10% this year in offline stores as no brand wants to take any chances this Diwali.Chinese smartphone maker Realme India CEO Madhav Sheth said the brand is giving offers — both online and offline — which may vary from time to time, but are maintaining equal benefits for the customers.Consumer goods makers and retailers have been cautious about this year's festive season business due to a slowing economy, lack of new jobs and poor consumer sentiment in urban and rural India over the past three quarters. Smartphone and television sales growth has come down this year, while apparel business has posted lower growth for over three quarters.Television maker Vu Technologies CEO Devita Saraf said there was an option for retailers to buy some of the online specific large screen models and then decide the end-consumer pricing accordingly. Apparel retailers said they are running higher discount on private brands and old merchandise at par with online.71511279 "Brands have realised that there is no point having disruptive pricing for just one channel since it affects their overall sales, especially at standalone stores," said Vasanth Kumar, managing director at Lifestyle International, the country's biggest department store chain. "While this kind of price parity helped generate demand across channels, discounting is restricted to old merchandise in our stores," he said.Leading electronics chain Vijay Sales director Nilesh Gupta said brands have realised that they have to keep both online and offline together and hence are offering similar discounts. "This is helping to drive sales," he said.Future group founder Kishore Biyani said online sale is largely restricted to mobile phones which as a category is heavily skewed towards ecommerce. "However, bulk of apparel sales is still at physical stores and we grew by strong high teens in the category. Also, it was driven entirely on new merchandise," Biyani said, who runs chains such as Big Bazaar, Central and Brand Factory.The executives said brands typically do not offer discount during Diwali since it is a full price selling period, but this year there is a fear that offline business may not pick up after heavy online discounting last week.
By Lananh NguyenThe bathtub epiphany that led Warren Buffett to pump $5 billion into Bank of America Corp. after the financial crisis has been retold many times. Now, a new detail is emerging in the Wall Street fable.In an interview with Bloomberg Television, Bank of America Chief Executive Officer Brian Moynihan recalled how Buffett initially tried to reach his company with a proposal eight years ago. The legendary investor called a public phone line and was rebuffed."He got into the call centers and asked to speak to me and of course they don't transfer everybody who calls the call centers to the CEO's line," Moynihan said in an interview for broadcast on "The David Rubenstein Show: Peer to Peer Conversations." Yet the deal still came together within hours.Moynihan's version expands on Buffett's own descriptions of the wildly profitable bet he arranged for his Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Buffett has said he was bathing when he got the idea but that he'd never called Moynihan directly before.The day the investment was announced in August 2011, Buffett told CNBC he asked his assistant to contact Moynihan's assistant to get the CEO's private number. But according to Moynihan, it was Berkshire's finance chief who ultimately made a connection by reaching out to one of the Wall Street firm's investment bankers."And he basically said, 'Brian, I want to make an investment in your company.' And I said to him, 'We don't need the capital,'" Moynihan recalled. "And he said 'I know, that's why I'm calling. You need stability, you need an imprimatur, and the capital will do you good.'"Buffett's purchase of the bank's preferred stock and warrants helped shore up confidence in the lender as it faced losses tied to subprime mortgages. As the share price quadrupled over the years, Buffett added to the stake to make it Berkshire's second-largest holding, now worth more than $26 billion.
By Chandan Taparia NSE Nifty managed to hold the 11,100 level in the initial hour of the session on Wednesday and witnessed sustained buying in the second half to extend gains towards 11,320. The index gained nearly 200 points to form a big bullish candle on the daily scale and negated the formation of lower top and lower bottom on the lower time frame. Nifty has respected its 61.8 per cent retracement of the entire upmove from 10,762 to 11,695. Now the index has to hold above 11,250 to extend its move towards 11,400-11,450, while on the downside, major support is seen at 11,100. On the options front, maximum Put open interest (OI) was at 11,000 followed by 11,200 strike, while maximum Call OI stood at 11,200 followed by 11,500 strike. Put writing was seen at 10,600 followed by 11,200 strike, while Call writing was seen at 11,200 and then 11,300 strike. Option data suggests a wider trading range between 11,000 and 11,600 levels. India VIX moved down by 3.79 per cent to 17.15. Nifty Bank opened positive and witnessed sustained buying interest throughout the session. It retested previous breakout zone and bounced back sharply by gaining more than 1,000 points. The index also negated its lower highs formation after seven trading sessions and formed a pattern similar to Morning Star candlestick on the daily scale, which implies that bulls are ready to move higher. Now, till the index holds above 28,250, it could extend gains towards 29,000 and then 29,250, while on the downside, supports are seen at 28,500 and then 28,250. Nifty futures fell 1.79 per cent to 11,362. Builtup of long positions were seen in Just Dial, Berger Paints, Siemens and ACC, while shorts were seen in Nalco, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, RBL Bank and Jubilant FoodWorks. (Chandan Taparia is Technical & Derivative Analyst at MOFSL. Investors are advised to consult financial advisers before taking an investment calls based on these observations)
Chinese handset companies plan to strengthen their accessory business to drive revenue and profitability in India after having captured a majority share of the smartphone market.Xiaomi, the biggest smartphone seller in India, has been building its accessory and internet of things (IoT) ecosystem business on top of its handsets and smart TV products. Realme and OnePlus are preparing to amplify their focus on accessories, while Vivo is set to enter the segment next year."In 2020, we want to be a tech lifestyle brand and not just a smartphone brand," Madhav Sheth, chief executive officer at Realme India, told ET. "We will keep on exploring various categories… We will get into different accessory segments. We already have general accessories like chargers and cables."Sheth said accessories could be a bigger revenue opportunity for Realme in 2020. "My target is 5% of total revenue by 2020," he said.India's market for accessories such as cables, earphones, chargers and power banks is expected to be close to ?9,577 crore in 2019, but 70% of the market is grey and unorganised, according to industry estimates. The market is expected to reach $4 billion (over ?28,000 crore) by 2026.OnePlus, which is India's largest premium smartphone seller, is looking to enter new categories of accessories. Carl Pei, co-founder of OnePlus, told ET that the accessory business is doing well for now, but the company can do better."We need to invest more of our attention to it and create more innovative products. Over the last two years, it has become more business as usual. So, if we were to spend more time and effort, I think we can break through once again," Pei said.Analysts said profitability is higher in the accessory business, with margins of as much as 35%, and handset companies can use the opportunity by launching their own branded products."With smartphone players coming up with their own set of accessories, users are getting an option to extend their engagement with these companies. There is huge profitability in the accessories business with profit margins ranging from 30% to 35%," said Faisal Kawoosa, founder analyst at techArc.Karn Chauhan, an analyst at Counterpoint Technology Market Research, said margins can range from 15% to 30%, depending on the category of accessories.Pei said selling a phone case or cover has a larger margin percentage than a phone.Kawoosa said focus on the accessory business comes from the Apple mindset of having an entire ecosystem in terms of both software and hardware. Besides, Samsung has been able to showcase this not just in India, but globally.Raghu Reddy, head - categories and online sales, Xiaomi India, said the company's accessory business in India is off to a great start."Xiaomi's popularity in the smartphone and smart TV business trickles down to its accessory and ecosystem products," he said.Vivo, which is India's third-largest handset brand, plans to introduce accessories next year, just before commercial 5G services are expected to start in India, said Nipun Marya, head of the marketing strategy at Vivo India. It already sells regular accessories including earphones, chargers and cables in India.Realme's Sheth said it has started manufacturing some of its accessories locally and plans to make them all in India to ensure quality and faster availability.Xiaomi manufactures power banks, T-shirts, chargers and cables locally."As and when the other categories grow for us, we would evaluate local manufacturing for the same," Reddy said.
NEW DELHI: Amid a soft employment outlook, direct-selling firms including leader Amway increased hiring sharply over two years, with jobs in the industry not requiring high educational qualifications or seed capital investments.The total number of direct sellers employed by these firms rose to 5.7 million in 2018-19 from 5.1 million in 2016-17, equivalent to the addition of 800 people every day during this period, Indian Direct Selling Association treasurer Vivek Katoch said, quoting a report by the industry body."While 2.7 million women were associated with various direct selling companies in 2016-17, the number increased to 2.85 million in 2018-19. This translates to over 200 women joining the industry every day over the last two years," Katoch said.The percentage of women direct sellers at Amway India, the maker of Nutrilite supplements and Artistry cosmetics, went up to 65% in 2018-19 from 55% two years earlier, CEO Anshu Budhraja said. 71511261 "Participation of women in the workforce, especially in tier-2 and tier-3, is seeing incremental growth. Women, operating from within their homes, are supplementing family incomes, which is a very positive pattern," Budhraja said. IDSA represents about two dozen companies including Amway, Oriflame, Tupperware and Modicare.The Rs 1,900 crore company has started selling home air purifiers to leverage the potential of a nascent but rapidly growing segment. Budhraja said there has been higher volume growth in the health, nutrition and beauty segments, while sales in categories such as personal and homecare products have slowed. "We have seen a mixed bag in terms of consumption. Growth has tapered off in mature markets, but smaller tier-2 and 3 markets are continuing to grow," he said.IDSA estimated overall sales of direct selling companies at Rs 13,080 crore in 2018-19, an increase of 12% over the previous year. In 2017-18, sales in the industry were estimated at Rs 11,670 crore. The association said in the report that wellness products such as weight management supplements, energy bars and drinks contributed over half of sales, followed by cosmetics and personal care products.According to a Reserve Bank of India Consumer Confidence Survey, 52.5% of the respondents said the employment situation in the country had worsened and 33.4% said it would get worse in the coming year. Over 26% said incomes had decreased.
That old book in your attic may not be worth much to you, but it might be worth a lot to a potential buyer. For instance, a rare first edition of Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of Species" was auctioned off for $150,000 in 2011.[1] Even if you don't have this kind of treasure on your hands, once you've identified your copy's edition and publication details, you can assess its market value. Start by examining the book and referencing online resources. If you'd like additional input, enlist the help of an appraiser. Remember that your book's monetary value depends on the market and what a buyer is willing to pay.
Refer to the book's title page and copyright page for key information. Make note of the full title of the publication and the author's name. Then look for the imprint details, namely the publisher's name and the city and date of publication, as well the copyright registration date.[2]
Gently open the book to the first page. Pass any blank pages and the half-title page, if there is one, which contains only the name of the book. Following these, you will find the title page. Turn to the reverse or the following page for the copyright page.
Don't rely on the dust jacket or binding to find the information you need, since these elements may not be original to the pages within. Even if they are, the information they provide may be incomplete.
Determine the edition details of your copy. Many book collectors prize first editions and other rare editions. Check the title page and copyright page to see if your book is a first edition, a revised edition, or a limited edition. These details, which may impact the value of your copy, are usually printed along with the other key identifying information.[3]
Some first editions display the words "First Edition" on the title page, but many don't. You may have a first edition book if you only see a single publication date.
You can identify a reprint if you see multiple publication dates listed. Reprints often include the word "Printing" (as in "Second Printing") or "Edition" (with an ordinal number other than "First").
In some cases, a book may be reprinted by a publisher other than the publisher who originally published it. It may be described as "First (publisher name) Edition" to indicate that the press is not the original publisher of the work.
Match your book's details with a record in an online catalog. Armed with your list of key identifying information, compare what you know about your copy with the official publication history of the book. Visit an online catalog such as World Cat, the National Union Catalog (NUC), or a print or digital author/subject bibliography that has been published about your book's author or topic. Search by the author, title, and imprint details until you find a record that precisely matches your copy.[4]
These catalogs include a different entry for each known and suspected edition of a book title.
You'll be able to see where your edition fits within the title's overall publication history. This will help you understand how old it truly is.
Use this catalog information to determine how rare your copy is. While determining the number of private owners is difficult at best, you can look up how many copies are held in public, corporate, and collegiate libraries. Search your copy in World Cat, NUC, or another online reference and you'll be able to see how many copies of that edition are accessible and where they're held.
As with most collectible items, the fewer copies that exist, the more valuable each individual remaining copy is.
Ask a librarian to help you look up your book in an online catalog if you're having trouble.[5]
Confirm the completeness and condition of the book's pages and plates. Look to the catalog record that matches your book to see how many pages and illustrations (often called plates) it should contain. Gently examine your own book to see whether it contains all of the pages and plates it originally contained. Look carefully at your book to see whether the pages are stained, discolored, creased, or torn and how any edge treatment like gilding has held up.
Refer to antiquarian terminology to accurately define the damage. For example, brown splotches are known as "foxing."[6]
Condition and completeness both impact the monetary value of an old book.
Note any damage to the book's binding. Determine how secure the binding is and whether or not the front and back boards of the cover are firmly attached to the spine. Look carefully at the condition of the binding stitches and glue.[7]
A book without its original binding is also incomplete.
If your book isn't terribly rare, a copy in worse condition will always be of less value than a similar copy in a better condition.
Examine the physical condition of the cover and dust jacket, if applicable. Check to see if the outer cover and spine are faded, ripped, or warped in any way.[8] If you have a 20th-century book, check to see if it still has its original dust jacket. Assess the condition of the dust jacket and note any tears, creases, or discoloration.[9]
The absence of a dust jacket from a book that originally came with one may significantly decrease its value.
Summarize the book's overall physical condition in antiquarian grading terms. Refer to antiquarian guides to confidently define your copy's condition. Commonly-used terms include "fine" or "like new," meaning the book is in near-perfect condition with no visible defects. Terms including "very good," "good," "fair," and "poor" indicate increasing levels of defectiveness. Note the details about your book's physical condition as it relates to the grade you've assigned it.[10]
Regardless of condition, refer to your book as an "ex-library copy" if it contains library markings or originated at a library.
Use "binding copy" to refer to a book whose pages are in decent condition but which requires a new binding.[11]
Keep in mind that especially old or rare books may still be highly valuable even with considerable damage.
Gather evidence of your book's provenance to increase its value. Your book's provenance, or the history of who owned it in the past, can have an impact on its value, particularly if it belonged to a notable owner. Check for a bookplate with the owner's name, a handwritten signature, or an author's autograph mentioning the owner's name.[12]
If your book came with a compelling story, try to track down documentation proving this lineage to be true. Look into family records or consult people who knew the previous owner for confirmation.
Have your book formally appraised by a qualified expert. If you desire tax incentives or insurance coverage for your book, you'll need to get a formal appraisal. Appraisals can be done by a certified book appraiser or informally by a dealer in second-hand or rare books. America (ABAA), the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB), or the International Society of Appraisers (ISA).[13] Track down an appraiser in your area so that they can examine the physical book.
Appraisals typically cost a fee, often to cover services as well as insurance, so be prepared for this investment.
If you're not able to find an appraiser in your area, send detailed photographs of the book. Snap pictures of the front and back of the title page, the first and last text pages, the outer covers, and the spine, as well as any other aspects the appraiser asks for.
Librarians typically don't provide appraisal services.
If your book contains a signature, an appraiser will be able to authenticate it for you. Depending on the book and signature, the presence of a signature may significantly increase the value of your book.
Consult a recently-printed reference guide for your book's estimated value. A number of printed references to collectible books exist. Find one related to your book's subject or author at a library or within the collectibles section of a bookstore. Depending on how the reference guide is organized, your book may be listed by alphabetically by author or title, or chronologically by publication date. Refer to the guide's table of contents and index to locate the listing you need.
Be sure to refer to the most recent version when possible, as book values fluctuate.
Refer to Allen and Patricia Ahern's "Collected Books: The Guide to Values" for details on first editions.
Look to "American Book-Prices Current" and "Book-Auction Records," 2 reference guides for prices old books fetched at auction. The semiannual "Bookman's Price Index" summarizes the information from book dealers' catalogs to produce its list of prices.[14]
Search online book resellers to see what your book could sell for. Search your book's details on the websites of booksellers, such as Abe Books, BookFinder, and AdALL, and auction sites like eBay to see what others are currently charging or paying for copies like yours.[15]
If you don't see many results for your exact copy, this may either be due to its limited popularity or its scarcity. Consider consulting an antiquarian if you can't find much online.
Set up an account and try to sell or auction off your book through one of these sites if you'd like.[16]
Remember that the book's monetary value equals what a buyer is willing to pay. Despite what a catalog, online reference, or appraiser may tell you, the actual amount you'll get for selling an old book depends on what your buyer is willing to pay for it. Consider these estimates as educated guesses, not determinations. Know that many factors will impact the amount of cash you'll be able to get for your copy.
Buyer demand may fluctuate according to trends in the market or fluctuations in personal interests.
A famous title, the work of a well-known author, or a book about a popular subject may be more valuable due to popularity or less valuable due to oversaturation in the market.
Hold onto your book if you're not comfortable selling it. You only have one chance to cash in on the market value of your book. If you feel as though your book is worth more than what others are willing to pay for it at any given moment, just hang onto it. After a few years, the value may increase.
It's also okay to hold onto a book that has significant personal or sentimental value for you. This type of book, even if it's not worth much money, can be priceless.
You may also wish to donate your book to a library or archive. Contact the acquisitions department to discuss whether or not you can make a donation.[17]
Store your book safely and securely in a cool, dry environment away from dust and natural light. Consult an archivist or antiquarian for storage advice if you're not sure how to protect your book.[18]
If you're listing your book for sale online, be sure to clearly describe and/or photograph all signs of damage. Be truthful in your assessment and don't over-exaggerate the quality of your copy.[19]
Handle your book with clean and dry hands to avoid transferring any dirt and skin oils to the pages or covers.[20]
Avoid spreading the pages open and flat. This will damage the book's binding. Instead, prop up the covers using a soft pillow or V-shaped book support.[21]
Medical professionals use finger splints to treat sprained, broken, or dislocated fingers. It's important to seek medical attention for a finger injury, but you may need to apply a temporary splint in some situations. Assess the injury to determine if it requires immediate medical attention. Then, apply a temporary splint and first aid until you can see someone. After that, follow your doctor's instructions for how to care for the splint and your injured finger.
Assess the injury and stop using the finger immediately. It's important to stop using the finger for anything after you injure it. No matter how you got the injury, stop what you're doing and assess the injured finger. Seek immediate medical attention if your finger:[1]
Feels numb or you cannot move it
Hurts, especially in the bones over the joints
Has red streaks extending from the injury
Has been injured before
Is cut or broken and the bone is visible
Place the finger against a splint or clean popsicle stick. If you have a minor sprain, you can splint it until you can see a doctor. Buy a splint in the first aid section of a drug store or use a straight, hard object. Choose something that is about the same length or slightly longer than the finger. A clean tongue depressor or popsicle stick works well. Once you have a splint, press it against the underside of the injured finger and hold it there gently. Don't squeeze the finger or apply pressure to the injured area.[2]
Make sure to position the splint so that it is under the injured joint.
Wrap medical tape above and below the point of injury. Next, secure the splint to the finger by wrapping medical tape around it 3 times at 2 separate points. Wrap medical tape around the finger at the base of the fingernail and above the knuckle next to the hand. Make sure that the tape is snug, but still loose enough to ensure good circulation.[3]
If you don't have medical tape, you can also use regular clear tape.
Apply ice to the injured finger to reduce pain and swelling. Wrap an ice pack in a towel or paper towel and press it against the injured finger. Ice the finger for 10 to 20 minutes, and then remove it from the ice pack. Then, wait for the skin to return to its normal temperature before icing it again. This will take about 1 to 2 hours.[4]
If you don't have an ice pack, a bag of frozen corn or peas also works well. Just wrap it in a clean cloth or paper towel first.
Take ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain. If the finger hurts, take an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. This will help you to get some relief. Make sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions for how much to take and how often to take it.[5]
Keep in mind that the pain should start to subside after the first 24 to 48 hours. However, if the pain is worse or isn't improving, call your doctor.
Keep your hand elevated above the level of your heart. Holding your affected hand above the level of your heart will help to reduce swelling. Prop your hand up on a pillow while you're seated or lying down, or hold it up near your shoulder while you're standing.[6]
See a doctor for an injured finger as soon as possible. If you have a sprained or broken finger, call you doctor or visit an urgent care center for treatment. Your healthcare provider will assess the injured finger and apply an appropriate splint for the location and type of injury. They may also need to realign the finger before placing it in a splint, but they'll give you a local anesthetic to numb the finger first.[7]
The sooner you get treatment for a sprained or broken finger, the better. Depending on the severity of the injury, it may take up to 3 to 4 months to heal. But delaying treatment can delay healing and lead to other complications, such as a skin infection.
Get X-rays to determine what type of injury you have. Your doctor will likely order X-rays to see if the finger is broken, dislocated, or sprained. This can help them to determine what type of splint will work best and whether they need to realign the bones before applying a splint.[8]
Let the healthcare professional apply a splint to your injured finger. After your doctor reviews the X-rays, they can determine what type of splint will work best and apply it. There are different types of splints and your doctor will choose the best option depending on the location and type of injury. Some common types include:[9]
Aluminum U-shaped splint for a distal phalangeal fracture
Dorsal extension block splint for a joint dislocation[11]
Get a tetanus shot and antibiotics if the finger was cut. If you cut your finger, your doctor will likely recommend a tetanus shot to protect you against tetanus. They may also recommend a topical or oral antibiotic to prevent a skin infection.[12]
Discuss surgical options with your doctor if the injury is severe. If your finger is severely injured, it may not heal properly without surgery. Discuss surgical repair options with your doctor if they recommend surgery. However, keep in mind that this is uncommon. Most finger injuries heal well with a splint in about 4 to 8 weeks.[13]
Cover the splint with a plastic bag when you bathe. It's important to keep the splint clean and dry. Cover your whole hand with a plastic bag whenever you take a shower or bath. Place a plastic bag over your hand and then secure it at your wrist with a rubber band. Use your other hand to wash yourself and angle your hand so that water won't get into the bag.[14]
Remove the plastic bag right after you finish your shower and pat your hand and the splint dry if needed.
Wear the splint for as long as your doctor advises. It may take up to 8 weeks for your finger to heal depending on the severity of the injury. Keep the splint on during the day and at night until your doctor tells you it's okay to stop wearing it. Not wearing the splint as instructed can lead to delayed healing or re-injury of the finger.[15]
Check your finger daily to ensure that you have good circulation. If you notice that your finger is an unusual color or if it feels numb, tingly, or painful, the splint may be too tight. Remove the splint by pulling or cutting off the tape and contact your doctor as soon as possible.[16]
See your doctor if the splint feels uncomfortable. Never try to trim a splint on your own. If the splint feels uncomfortable or if it has rough edges that are irritating you, call your doctor and make an appointment. They can trim or adjust the splint for you to make it more comfortable.[17]
Bunting is a festive decoration that involves stringing together colorful fabric or paper triangles. It is the perfect addition to any celebration, special occasion, gathering, or everyday setting. Instead of purchasing the bunting at your local craft or party store, you can easily make your own. Gather fabric or paper that incorporates your favorite colors, patterns, or textures. Then stitch together a bunting made of fabric if you are comfortable using a needle and thread, or glue the paper triangles to a string for a quick and easy craft.
Draw an equilateral triangle on a piece of paper. This will be the template you use to create each triangle for the bunting. Use a thicker piece of paper for the template, like cardstock or even cardboard, if you want the template to be sturdier.[1]
If you have a different size triangle in mind, make the template to fit that vision. You can make the template triangles as large or as small as you like. Maybe you want narrow triangles so the long points move freely in the wind, or maybe you want to alternate between small and large equilateral triangles to create depth.
Use scissors or a paper cutter to cut out the template. Carefully and slowly, cut the triangle out when using scissors. Since this triangle will be your template, any wobbles or divots within the straight lines of the pattern will show up in each triangle you trace. If you have a paper cutter, use that to cut clean, straight lines.[2]
Select a flag design that will complement the occasion or setting. Liven up your bunting by choosing a handful of colors or a distinct pattern. Break up flags with busy patterns, like stripes or floral designs, with complementary solid-colored flags. Make the bunting the focal point of the setting by having each flag be a different color covered in glitter.[3]
If this is a permanent bunting for your room, play off some of the colors or textures that already exist within the room. Maybe purple and silver are prominent colors in your room. Incorporate different shades of those colors into the bunting, and add some silver glitter to make it pop.
Bunting for a baby shower could be calming tones like a mix pastel blue, green, pink, and yellow. Alternate the color of the flags, and maybe even make some of the flags with white polka dots to add contrasting texture.
Select a material that fits the setting and your timeframe. Think about whether or not the setting for the bunting is inside or outside, and determine how much time you want or have to spend creating it. Fabric bunting can be used both inside and outside but may take a while to put together if you have never sewn before. Paper bunting is easy to assemble, but won't withstand rainy weather if hung outside.[4]
Pin each corner of the template to a straight edge on your fabric. Working across your fabric from one side to the other will reduce fabric waste, and will allow you to make more triangles. This is less important if you are using small pieces of fabric, like tea towels. Make sure that the edges of the fabric are straight when using them as a guide for the template; otherwise, you will end up with wobbly looking flags. For uneven edges, pin the template away from the edge or trim the edges to straighten them.[5]
If you have a large piece of fabric, fold the fabric in half before pinning the template to it. This will allow you to save time by cutting 2 flags at once.
The amount of the fabric you use can vary greatly depending on how large your template is and how many flags you want to make. Ideally, make your template first and decide approximately how many triangles you want to make before purchasing the fabric. Those measurements will help you determine how much fabric you will need.
Choose a simple fabric like a cotton-polyester blend for making the bunting. Silks or other fancy blends may be difficult to sew. Using fabrics that have a print or color on both sides instead of just one side will also save you a lot of time while sewing.
Cut around the template using pinking shears. The saw-toothed edges of the pinking shears will keep the cut edges of your fabric from fraying. Purchase these online or at a local craft or fabric store.[6]
Instead of pinking shears, use fabric scissors that have a straight edge or a rotary cutter. Keep the fabric taut, and cut it slowly to keep the edges from tearing or fraying. If you decide to use a rotary cutter, place a board underneath the fabric so you do not damage the surface you are working on.[7]
Repeat the process until you have a desired number of flags. The flags can be close together or spread out, so the number of flags you need to make greatly depends on the look you want to achieve. Start by making 6 to 10 flags. After you arrange them, you can always cut out more.[8]
Cut double the amount of triangles for fabrics with single-sided designs. Not all fabrics have a given pattern or color on both sides. To keep the bunting uniform, you will need to stitch together 2 triangles to create a single flag. This way, the pattern or color will visible on both sides. So if you wanted 6 flags, you will need to cut 12 triangles, and stitch them together in pairs.[9]
To do this, layer and pin 2 triangles together so that the pattern is facing inwards.
Use a straight stitch to sew 2 of the triangle sides together. If you are not using an equilateral triangle, this would be the 2 longer sides. Accomplish this by using a sewing machine or a needle and a thread. Leave approximately a seam around the flag.
Remove the pins and then push the point of the flag through the unstitched side so that the pattern is right-side out. Press the flag down until it is smooth. Don't worry about stitching the final side to the triangle, as it will be covered with bias binding tape. Repeat this process until all of your flags are completed.
Arrange the flags along the bias binding tape so they are evenly spaced. Place the first flag at least in from the end of the tape—this will be one of the ends used to hang the bunting. Then have fun playing with the spacing of the flags. The flags can be close together so the points are touching, or drastically spread apart. Once you place the last flag, leave another of excess tape on the end before you cut it.[10]
If you can't decide on a measurement, aim to have at least of space between each flag.[11]
It is easier to arrange and adjust the spacing of the flags on the tape before you cut it. This way, you have the option to increase or decrease the spacing without worrying about the length of the tape.[12]
If you had to stitch your flags, place the unsewn end of the flag along the tape. This will later hide and seal the open end of the flag.[13]
Fold the binding tape over each flag and secure it down with pins. Crease the fold with your fingernail or the edge of a ruler as you place the pins. This will create a crisp line and work out any visible bumps between the layers of fabric.[14]
Use a straight stitch to sew the binding tape to the flags. Stitch this by hand, or run it through a sewing machine. Remove the pins as you stitch the binding tape over each of flags. This way the pins don't fall out as you handle the rest of the bunting.[15]
Hang the bunting as is or add additional decorations to each triangle. For a minimalistic or everyday look, hang the bunting as is. The colors and subtle patterns will make a nice decoration for any room. If the bunting is for a celebration, add shapes or letters to each of the triangles.[16]
Consider spelling out someone's name on the bunting, or display a simple message like, "Happy Birthday!" or "Welcome Home!"
Fold a piece of paper in half to create a crease that will support the string. Any color or detailing on the paper should be visible on the outside. Press in the crease with your fingernail or the edge of a ruler. When folded, the piece of paper should still be able to support the size of the template you made. To do this, choose a piece of paper that's at least double the size of your flag template.[17]
To save yourself some time, make the size of your flag fit an existing paper size. For example, a standard piece of scrapbook paper that is will make 2 equilateral triangles that are around. Making your template for a triangle will eliminate a lot of tedious measuring later on.
If you want to reuse your paper bunting for different events, use a thick paper like cardstock or scrapbook paper. Thicker paper won't crease or tear as easily as printer or construction paper.
Place your template against the folded edge of the paper and trace it. Make light pencil marks that can be easily erased. If you are worried that the pencil will not erase well, refold the paper so that the design is facing inward before tracing the template. Depending on the size of the paper and the size of your template, you may garner 2 flags from each page.[18]
Repeat this process until you have traced a desired amount of flags.
Cut out the traced triangles but make sure not to cut the folded edge. Use scissors or a paper cutter to do this. If you use scissors, be careful to not deviate from the stenciled line, as divots and curved lines will be visible on your bunting when you display it.[19]
Slip the flags over the string and leave some space between each flag. Hang the folded crease over the string so the pattern or color is visible on both sides. Have fun playing with the spacing between the flags. Spread the flags far apart from each other, or place them close together. Once you decide on a distance, use a ruler to make the spaces even.[20]
In order to hang your bunting, leave about of excess string on each end before cutting it.[21]
Place 2 glue dots inside each flag to secure them to the string. Put 1 glue dot in the center of the crease and 1 at the point of the triangle. Stick the glue dot along the crease so that it overlaps the string. Then carefully press the triangle closed to secure it. The glue dot on the string will keep the triangle from falling off or sliding. Instead of glue dots, you can also double-stick tape.[22]
Repeat this process until all of your flags are secured and sealed.
Decorate the flags with letters and shapes to further personalize it. Consider adding someone's name or a personalized message onto the bunting. This is a great detail to add if you are using your bunting for a holiday or celebration.[23]
If you want a minimalistic look or if you chose a paper with a fun pattern and don't want to cover it up, hang the bunting as is.
If you do not want to create your own template, feel free to print out the above plain or decorative template provided. Use the plain template to trace triangles onto fabric, or print several copies of the plain template and color each one with a different design.
Don't limit yourself to using just fabric and paper. Have fun experimenting with different bunting mediums. If you learn how to knit, you can knit bunting triangles. Or utilize your baking skills and turn triangular cookies into a bunting display.
If you had to slip a couple AAs into your smartphone every morning to check your email, browse Instagram, and text your friends, chances are the mobile revolution would not have been quite so revolutionary. Fortunately the rechargeable lithium-ion battery was invented — a decades-long task for which three men have just been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
The prize this year honors M. Stanley Whittingham, John Goodenough, and Akira Yoshino, all of whom contributed to the development of what is today the most common form of portable power. Without them (and of course those they worked with, and those who came before) we would be tied to even more wasteful and/or stationary sources of energy.
Lead-acid batteries had been in use for nearly a century by the time people really got to thinking about taking things to the next level with lithium, a lightweight metal with desirable electrical properties. But lithium is also highly reactive with air and water, making finding suitable substances to pair it with difficult.
Experiments in the ’50s and ’60s laid the groundwork for more targeted investigations, in particular Whittingham’s. He and partner Fred Gamble showed in 1976 that lithium ions, after donating electrons to produce a charge, fit perfectly into a lattice of titanium disulfide — where they sit patiently (in their “van der Waals gaps”) until an electron is provided during recharging. Unfortunately this design also used a lithium anode that could be highly reactive (think fire) if bent or crushed.
John Goodenough and his team soon developed a better cathode material (where the lithium ions rested) with a much higher potential — more power could be drawn, opening new possibilities for applications. This, combined with the fact that the metallic lithium anodes could be highly reactive (think fire) if bent or crushed, led to increased research on making batteries safe as well as useful.
In 1985 research by Akira Yoshino led to the discovery of several materials (whose names won’t mean anything to anyone without domain knowledge) that could perform as well while also being able to be physically damaged and not cause any major trouble.
Many, many improvements have been made since then, but the essentials of the technology were laid out by these teams. And soon after lithium-ion batteries were shown to be safe, capacious, and able to be recharged hundreds of times, they were found in laptops, medical devices, and eventually mobile phones. Today, after three more decades of enhancements, lithium batteries are now taking on gasoline as the energy storage medium of choice for human transportation.
The three scholars whose work most powerfully advanced this technology from theory to commercial reality were awarded equal shares of this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry, each taking home a third of the million and, more importantly, the distinction of being recognized in historic fashion.
Waymo, the autonomous vehicle business under Alphabet, sent an email to customers of its ride-hailing app that their next trip might not have a human safety driver behind the wheel, according to a copy of the email that was posted on Reddit.
The email entitled “Completely driverless Waymo cars are on the way” was sent to customers that use its ride-hailing app in the suburbs of Phoenix.
Both the early rider program and Waymo One service use self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivans to shuttle Phoenix residents in a geofenced area that covers several suburbs including Chandler and Tempe. All of these “self-driving rides” have a human safety driver behind the wheel.
A driverless ride is what it sounds like. No safety driver behind the wheel, although a Waymo employee would likely be present in the vehicle initially.
Waymo could not be reached for comment. TechCrunch was able to confirm that the email went out to members of Waymo’s early rider program. The email is posted below.
Waymo, formerly known as the Google self-driving project, first began testing its technology in 2009 in and around its Mountain View, Calif., headquarters. It’s been a slow and steady roll ever since. The company has expanded its test area to other cities, spun out into its own business and iterated the vehicle design and the sensors around it.
Waymo opened a testing and operations center in Chandler, Arizona in 2016. Since then, the company has ramped up its testing in Chandler and other Phoenix suburbs, launched an early rider program and slowly crept toward commercial deployment. The early rider program, which required vetted applicants to sign non-disclosure agreements to participate, launched in April 2017.
In December, the company launched Waymo One, a commercial self-driving car service and accompanying app. Waymo One signaled that the company was starting to open up its service. Members of the early rider program were transferred to the Waymo One, which allowed them to bring guests and even talk publicly about their rides. More recently, Waymo opened another technical service center in the Phoenix area in preparation to double its capacity and grow its commercial fleet.
While driverless Waymo vehicles have been spotted periodically, they have never been used to shuttle the general public. The introduction of driverless vehicles would be milestone for the company.
And yet, there remains a number of questions. It’s unclear how many of these driverless rides there will be or the what constraints Waymo will place on them. It’s likely that these will operate in more simple, controlled environments for months before it expands to more complex situations.
Up until now, commercial satellites have essentially been disposable. Even the massive, multi-ton ones that can have service lives spanning a decade or more eventually just become so much space trash once they’re out of fuel, or they experience some kind fo terminal mechanical failure. A new spacecraft built by Northrop Grumman and launched aboard a Russian Soyuz today (via Space.com) could change all that, however.
The MEV-1, as its known, is a satellite service spacecraft, which has the specific mission of meeting up with Intelsat 901 in orbit and lending it use of its orientation thrusters to put it back into an ideal target orbit – thus extending the useful life of the 18-year old satellite by as many as five years. Once it has succeeded in putting Intelsat 901 back on track, it’s very possible the MEV-1 could do the same thing for yet another orbital satellite running low on its own propellant supply.
In fact, Northrop Grumman says that the spacecraft is itself designed for a 15-year useful life, and can dock and undock multiple times, providing “well in excess of” 15-years of mission extension to geosynchronous satellites around 4,400 lbs in size while docked with said satellite.
That should mark a new era for commercial satellite operation, leading to further decreased operating costs, and therefore more access for startup and smaller companies to take part. Northrop’s MEV-1 is basically a space tug, but even that can as much as double the life of some geosynchronous satellites – which means a lot more potential revenue for not too much more cost, if the MEV-1 serves multiple customers who share the cost of its development and launch. Think of it as satellite servicing-as-a-service, or a SsaaS model for space tech companies.
Other satellite servicing projects are in the works, and could benefit companies like Orbit Fab, the so-called ‘gas stations in space’ startup that was a finalist in our Battlefield competition at TC Disrupt last week. Orbit Fab is working on a simple refuelling system for satellites to use in space, so that the servicing craft wouldn’t need to actually dock and propel the satellite it’s working with, just connect and transfer some fuel. Other potential business opportunities could lead from in-space commercial orbital spacecraft servicing, including upgrading satellites with new modules and sensors from different customers to maximize the return on the investment of their original design, build and launch.
Ensuring politicians in the 2020 election stay truthful is hard work, so Facebook has decided it’s going to sit this one out.
Joe Biden’s campaign team sent a letter to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, COO Sheryl Sandberg and global elections policy chief Katie Harbath that essentially called on the company to take down a Trump campaign ad that made debunked claims regarding the Biden family’s relationship with Ukraine. Facebook responded to that letter today with their own letter to Biden saying that the company’s policies prevented it from making judgment calls on the veracity of speech in political advertisements. The New York Times has a full run-down of the situation.
Facebook isn’t alone in this manner; Fox News is remaining fair and balanced on the issue as well. CNN refused to run the ad.
Political campaigns are messy, so America’s largest content company — with more content moderators than any publication in the country — is leaving it to the free press to debunk what it’s getting paid to broadcast. But it’s not that Facebook wants to keep raking in stupid amounts of advertising dollars. It’s that the company is grounded in a “fundamental belief in free expression,” they say.
Here’s a quote from the company’s letter to Biden’s team: “Our approach is grounded in Facebook’s fundamental belief in free expression, respect for the democratic process, and the belief that, in mature democracies with a free press, political speech is already arguably the most scrutinized speech there is.”
I’m sorry, what? Facebook’s “respect for the democratic process” should raise eyebrows given how its products have been used in some highly publicized scenarios. But how does a platform that’s been abused so much to the detriment of democratic processes feel like it deserves to rattle that phrase off as another PR talking point?
If Facebook just wants to allow politicians to spout mistruths and conspiracy theories without fact checks on its platforms as status updates from their personal pages, then some of these claims could be taken more seriously, but Facebook is getting paid to push these messages to its users. It’s algorithmically deciding where these messages go based on parameters set by the campaigns via a system it designed.
Before you sound off, yeah, political advertising isn’t anything new. I am well aware that TV channels and newspapers have carried messy attack ads and hauled in the advertising revenues for decades, but Facebook is a platform designed around scale. Scale has allowed the company to tap massive revenue streams, but it’s also opened up the company to critiques. The company has learned to respect this scale after sizable amounts of external pressure were applied, but they’ve always defaulted to dated comparisons when it’s profitable to them.
Newspaper and TV political ads are painted with a wider brush and are subject to more stringent laws, but there’s a responsibility in Facebook’s precise ad-targeting that the company still doesn’t seem to respect. The company has the tools to push out judgment calls on content, and it could still do so on a case-by-case basis. Some truths are buried in more nuance than others, but by painting all political claims in its same bath of indifference to truth, Facebook is abusing its scale and creating a platform where a politician’s speech is exempt, as if political leaders aren’t the ultimate primary sources on politically contentious matters.
Political advertising legislation is going to take far too long to catch up to the current landscape of technology platforms — it would be nice if we could trust Facebook to stay at a moral forefront that isn’t legally mandated. Twitter and YouTube aren’t immune to this same criticism either, but Facebook is operating in broad daylight, believing that they can reverse engineer a free expression mission statement to prevent responsibility-free revenues from leaking out.
Facebook hired me to head Elections Integrity ops for political ads. I asked if we could scan ads for misinfo. Engineers had great ideas. Higher ups were silent. Free speech is b.s. answer when FB takes $ for ads. Time to regulate ads same as tv and print.https://t.co/eKJmH7Sa7r
The Richard Branson-backed small satellite launch operation Virgin Orbit wants to be the first to dedicate a mission to bringing commercial CubeSats to the “Red Planet,” the company announced today. Working with Polish satellite company SatRevolution, Virgin Orbit has established a consortium along with a group of Polish academic institutions to jointly work on at least one, and as many as three, small satellite launches to Mars, with the first expected to happen as soon as three years from now.
The consortium is working to follow in the footsteps of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s MarCO mission from 2018, which saw two smaller satellites successfully launched to Mars. The group’s early studies have suggested that even satellites as small as 50 kg (around 110 lbs), or potentially even smaller, can provide meaningful and useful research, including imagery collection, from both Mars and its orbiting body, Phobos. These satellites could provide key info about the atmospheric composition of Mars, or even scouting for underground water, Virgin Orbit says.
Warsaw-based SatRevolution has experience in the commercial space industry, and in April this year sent Poland’s first commercial nano satellite into orbit. The universities involved, which include the AGH University of Science and Technology, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology and many others, all have experience in space industry research, as well. The plan is to launch the spacecraft developed by the universities and SatRevolution aboard Virgin’s LauncherOne rocket, which takes off from a converted 747-400 Virgin has retrofitted for the process.
Virgin Orbit is aiming to have its first orbital rocket launch later this year, and is currently going through the final round of testing before that happens. The company ran a successful drop test earlier this year, during which it let a non-functional rocket fall from the wing of the 747 launcher aircraft in a key test, and it has been signing contracts to launch from the U.K. as early as next year.
Pinterest is the latest tech company to introduce a “Lite” version of its mobile application to meet the needs of users in emerging markets. With Pinterest Lite, launched on Monday, users will benefit from a faster download and an app that takes up less storage space on their mobile device, the company says.
Pinterest previously offered a Pinterest Lite app on Google Play, but this app was pulled a year ago, according to data from App Annie.
The new Pinterest Lite app is actually Pinterest’s Progressive Web App (PWA) that’s been made available to Google Play users as a download, the company tells TechCrunch.
This is a project that’s been underway for some time, according to a post last year on Pinterest’s Engineering blog. There, the company acknowledged that its mobile web experience had been “terrible” and in need of an update.
In July 2017, Pinterest formed a team to rewrite the mobile web app from scratch as a PWA. It said this would offer a better experience for people in low-bandwidth environments and on limited data plans.
The Pinterest Lite mobile app is available today to Android users in Peru, Argentina, Colombia, Chile and Mexico, and clocks in at a tiny 1.4 MB. The main Pinterest app’s size varies by device on Android, but is significantly larger. On iOS, it’s 143.1 MB, for comparison’s sake.
“The goal is to bring Pinterest to everyone around the world so they can discover inspiration related to their interests wherever they might be,” a Pinterest spokesperson said, when reached for comment about the Pinterest Lite launch.
Pinterest is now one of many top publishers who offer a “Lite” version of their flagship apps.
Offering a Lite app is a baseline requirement these days for competing in emerging markets.
Pinterest, in particular, has been working to expand its global footprint, and recently reported international revenue was up 199%, to $24 million in Q2, and international monthly users were up 38% to 215 million, out of a total of 300 million users. However, the U.S. continues to drive the majority of Pinterest’s revenue, contributing $153 million of the total $261 million reported in Q2.
Homeland Security’s cybersecurity division is pushing to change the law that would allow it to demand information from internet providers that would identify the owners of vulnerable systems, TechCrunch has learned.
Sources familiar with the proposal say the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), founded just less than a year ago, wants the new administrative subpoena powers to lawfully obtain the contact information of the owners of vulnerable devices or systems from internet providers.
CISA, which warns both government and private-sector businesses of security vulnerabilities, privately complained of being unable to warn businesses about security threats because it can’t always identify who owns a vulnerable system.
The new proposal would allow CISA to use its new powers to directly warn businesses of threats to critical devices, such as industrial control systems — typically used in critical infrastructure. These systems are highly sensitive and are increasingly the target of hackers to disrupt real-world infrastructure, like the power grid and water supply.
By law, internet providers are not allowed to share their subscriber data without first receiving a legal demand, such as a subpoena, that can be issued from a federal agency without requiring the approval of a court. Lacking those powers, CISA has to rely on its federal law enforcement partners to use their powers to identify owners of vulnerable systems. Law enforcement can only serve subpoenas during an investigation. But CISA says it is still obliged to warn owners of vulnerable systems, even if there is no investigative interest.
The move is likely to spark fresh debate over how much responsibility the federal government has to proactively warn private-sector businesses about possible vulnerabilities in their defenses.
Jake Williams, founder of Rendition Infosec and former NSA hacker, called the move a “huge power grab,” and warned that the proposed new powers are flawed and could be misused.
“I cannot fathom that this will not be used in a way that lawmakers who are drafting the legislation will not have intended,” he told TechCrunch.
Tarah Wheeler, cybersecurity policy fellow at New America, also said technical challenges of the proposals were flawed.
“When you have traffic originating from a botnet, those IP addresses can be made to appear to be coming from anywhere, which means it can be used as an incredibly thin pretext for the government to knock on someone’s door,” she said.
CISA’s request for administrative subpoena powers is not unusual in government. Many federal departments and divisions use these subpoena powers to obtain information from private businesses. But these powers remain controversial, not least because they can be used to obtain large amounts of information without any judicial oversight.
The FBI uses its own controversial administrative subpoena powers to secretly demand subscriber data from phone companies and tech giants. The courts continue to question the legality of these so-called national security letters (NSLs).
A CISA official speaking to TechCrunch on background said that the proposals, which have already been submitted to Congress, would ensure that businesses would be “more motivated” to take action if the advisory came directly from government. The official said the agency was working with lawmakers to prevent any overreach or potential abuse of the authority.
Adam Comis, a spokesperson for the House Committee on Homeland Security, which oversees CISA, did not return a request for comment.
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Julie Yoo has joined Andreessen Horowitz as its newest general partner. She will make investments out of the venture capital firm’s bio fund, which closed on $450 million in 2017.
Yoo spent the last eight years as a co-founder and chief product officer of Kyruus, a venture-backed healthcare provider matching tool. She’s joins as a16z’s 17th GP; the firm hired David George, who focuses on late-stage deals, and Anish Acharya, who specializes in fintech deals, as GPs earlier this year.
More notably, Yoo becomes the fourth female general partner at a firm that for years had only men at the top of its ranks. The Slack investor hired its first-ever female GP, Katie Haun, in June 2018 to lead its crypto efforts alongside Chris Dixon. Longtime a16z investors Connie Chan and Angela Strange were later promoted to GP.
Yoo joins Vijay Pande and Jorge Conde on a16z’s biotech investment team. The trio will focus on life sciences, synthetic bio and broader health tech.
a16z’s newest general partner, Julie Yoo
"As we’ve focused on these three areas we’ve realized it’s a pretty broad opportunity,” Conde tells TechCrunch. “We wanted to find a GP that had the phenotype of what we look for in all of our GPs … and someone who has deep operating expertise that knows how to build companies.”
Before co-founding Kyruus, Yoo was the vice president of product at Generation Health, a CVS-acquired health management company. In her first role as a venture capitalist, Yoo says she will identify investments in companies transforming access to our healthcare system.
"We are an extension of the phrase ‘software is eating the world,’ ” Yoo tells TechCrunch. “We are focused on software eating care delivery and everything that flows from that.”
Among a16z’s health and bio investments is Devoted Health, which helps Medicare beneficiaries access care through its network of physicians and tech-enabled healthcare platform. Other investments in the space include Freenome, a liquid biopsy diagnostics platform; Apeel, which makes a kind of plant food-based barrier for fruit that aims to replace wax coatings; a care coordination network called PatientPing; and BioAge Labs, a company that's trying to find drugs that extend humans' health span through machine learning and biomarkers that speed up the discovery process.
"If Silicon Valley is going to keep telling itself the story that the only uses of their technology will be the most optimistic, the most hopeful, the most salubrious, the most prosocial," New Yorker staff writer Andrew Marantz told me in Part 1 of this recent conversation for Extra Crunch, "you can try to rebut that logically, or you can just disprove it by showing a very glaring counterexample. If somebody is going around and saying, ‘all swans are white,’ you can argue against that logically, or you can just show them a black swan."
In part 2 of our conversation below, we discuss the Alt-Right and White Nationalists in tech and politics; Silicon Valley spirituality today; competing philosophies of tech ethics; and more.
Greg Epstein: If you look at the alt-right later that year and in 2017, I myself spent a lot of time poring over these figures like Richard Spencer and Gavin McInnes, and their videos, and their writings, and whatever thinking, ‘These guys are really taking over our society right now.
The Daily Crunch is TechCrunch’s roundup of our biggest and most important stories. If you’d like to get this delivered to your inbox every day at around 9am Pacific, you can subscribe here.
Apple's decision to greenlight an app called HKmaps, which is being used by pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong to crowdsource information about street closures and police presence, is attracting the ire of the Chinese government.
Specifically, an article in Chinese state mouthpiece China Daily attacks the iPhone maker for reversing an earlier decision not to allow the app to be listed on the iOS App Store.
With Uber Pet, riders will pay a “small surcharge” for the privilege of taking their pets with them. And drivers will have the option of avoiding trips with non-service animals by opting out of Uber Pet trips.
Twitter finds itself in the same boat as Facebook, which last year was caught using phone numbers and email addresses — given to Facebook to secure users’ accounts — for targeted advertising.
A larger screen and access to a keyboard makes learning to code on the desktop significantly easier than on mobile. For example, in the desktop app Google is able to put columns for the instructions, the code editor and the results next to each other.
Even India's biggest festive season, featuring blinding marketing blitzkrieg and heavy discounts from Amazon India and Walmart's Flipkart, has failed to escape the pains of a slowing economy.
The reMarkable tablet is a strange device in this era of ultra-smart gadgets, with a black and white screen meant for reading, writing and sketching — and nothing more. (Extra Crunch membership required.)
Apple has booted from the App Store cannabis-promoting app Social Club after it devolved into a place where users were openly posting drugs for sale, and it became filled with photos of various drugs, guns and weaponry, racist content, memes, gore videos and adult and child pornography, according to its users. The app is inexplicably still live on Google Play.
Social Club first launched on July 15, 2019, and during its life saw 455,000 downloads across both iOS and Android devices, according to data from Apptopia.
The app was part of a larger collaboration between Joshua Otten, the co-founder of cannabis lifestyle brand PRØHBTD and CEO of content services agency RONIN, and rapper and Cookies dispensaries owner, Berner. The founders announced in an August press release their plans for “Social Club TV,” an over-the-top cannabis network featuring series about marijuana like “Marijuana Mania,” “HighTech,” “Pot Pie” and others.
The Social Club mobile app, meanwhile, was designed to offer a home for cannabis content and, most importantly, marijuana-related advertising, to flourish outside of Instagram, where such content is currently banned.
However, the Social Club app promoted itself not just as a place for sharing photos of cannabis, but rather a “zero-censorship community,” which clearly invited abuse.
According to a tweet from Berner, who was responding to NYT Styles reporter Taylor Lorenz’s comments about the chaos raging in Social Club, the app had been “attacked.”
I feel like we were attacked . I don't see how overnight the app completely changed , sad , scary and wack . Cleaning it up now
— Berner (@berner415) October 9, 2019
“I don’t see how overnight the app completely changed, sad, scary and wack,” he said. “Cleaning it up now.”
But the app wasn’t so much attacked as it was poorly designed. There was seemingly no moderation or image recognition technology in place on Social Club, giving users a rare look at what it would be like if social media had no limitations or rules.
As designed, the app was also very much an Instagram clone, offering the ability to post photos, comment and browse a “Discover” page to find interesting content.
There, you’d come across a large number of marijuana photos, as intended, as well as pictures of cash, guns and other modified weapons, a wide range of other drugs (particularly pills), porn, memes and spam. Some of its content, like the child pornography, is illegal. And some of its users were openly selling drugs in the app, as well.
How is @AppleSupport allowing this social network (currently no.1) for selling drugs to be on @AppStore
things on social club 1. porn 2. weed 3. sex 4. marijuana 5. sexual memes 6. cannabis 7. horny niggas expressing that they're horny 8. drug dealers 9. did i mention niggas are horny a lot 10. potheads
Since its launch, Social Club soared up the charts on the App Store, becoming the No. 12 top-ranked app on the U.S. App Store across both apps and games, and the No. 5 top-ranked app. Social Club isn’t as popular on Google Play, where it’s the No. 70 top app and No. 132 overall.
According to an Instagram story post by Berner, Social Club is now “temporarily” off the App Store because “a weirdass porn community attacked the app.” He said the app is adding an image recognition system to help it identify and remove the problematic content, including the numerous photos of pills being posted for sale.
He also shot down rumors that Social Club “was working with the feds” and warned people (using a lot of expletives) that it was really stupid to be posting drugs for sale on social media using your phone in the first place. That being said, he promised Social Club wouldn’t look at its users DMs.
Toys “R” Us is back online, thanks to a new deal with Target. Tru Kids, the parent company that acquired the defunct toy chain following its bankruptcy, has announced the relaunch of the ToysRUs.com website as it begins the process of opening its retail stores across the U.S. As a part of its comeback strategy, the Toys “R” Us website’s product pages will redirect to Target.com when consumers click the “buy” button to make an online purchase.
The retailers didn’t discuss the terms of the deal, but a revenue-sharing agreement is clearly involved in a scenario like this, given the mutual benefits. Toys “R” Us would be able to quickly establish cash flow from the still top-ranked, well-established domain name toysrus.com, while Target could get an influx of new sales from shoppers who visited ToysRUs.com, unaware of the toy chain’s bankruptcy and relaunch.
In addition to redirecting online shoppers to Target, the new website also features articles and videos about the latest toy trends and hot brands, plus in-depth product reviews, hot toy lists and other brand experiences. These will be available on the Toys “R” Us website itself. Only when a customer is ready to make a purchase will they be sent over to Target for checkout.
The site’s “Buy” button is also clearly labeled so there’s no confusion at checkout. In Target’s red-and-white brand colors, it reads “buy now at [target].com” where the word “Target” is replaced with the Target logo icon.
Target shoppers sent to Toys “R” Us get the same benefits they would if shopping directly — meaning, they can place orders for delivery, curbside or store order pickup, and can earn loyalty points with Target Circle, or get 5% by paying with a Target REDcard.
The new partnership between the retailers isn’t only focused on redirecting consumers’ traditional e-commerce product sales, however.
Target says it will also fulfill online sales when Toys “R” Us opens its first experiential retail stores later this fall in Houston, Texas and Paramus, N.J.
Tru Kids had previously announced a deal with tech startup b8ta to create a modernized toy store experience featuring things like STEAM workshops, a treehouse for kids to play in, theaters for movies and games, and a way for brands to showcase their products in a more interactive environment.
At these stores, guests who want to purchase items that aren’t available in the store itself will be able to place their order with a store associate that gets fulfilled through Target.com.
“Target's leadership in toys, digital and fulfillment are an unbeatable platform for ToysRUs to reconnect with their fans while we introduce them to the ease and convenience of shopping at Target,” said Nikhil Nayar, senior vice president of merchandising at Target, in a statement. “By applying our capabilities in a new way with ToysRUs, we can serve even more toy shoppers, drive new growth, and build on our toy leadership,” Nayar added.
The new deal with Toys “R” Us isn’t the only significant toy-related partnership Target has made in recent weeks. At the end of August, the retailer announced an agreement with Disney that sees it opening mini Disney stores within its retail stores, where shoppers can buy toys, apparel, collectibles, home items and more. Twenty-five Disney “shop-in-shops” are open now and dozens more are planned for 2020.
“Our U.S. strategy is to bring back the ToysRUs brand in a modern way through a strong experiential and content-rich omnichannel concept,” Tru Kids CEO Richard Barry, a former Toys “R” Us exec, said in a statement about the Target partnership.
“The foundation of that strategy requires the help of a retail industry leader and Target is the ideal retailer to support a new ToysRUs shopping experience, which is designed to provide families with endless ways to discover, play and enjoy toys. Target will help us deliver on that experience with its toy assortment, digital strength and ability to deliver orders to shoppers in a matter of hours,” he said.
Working photographers, and enthusiasts who just love taking plenty of pictures, know that even the biggest SD cards can sometimes fill up, especially when you’re working with large file sizes, shooting both JPG and RAW, and shooting 4K video. The solution? A good mobile backup drive. There are a number of options out there that fit the bill, but the newly released Gnarbox 2.0 might be the best of them all, because it works like a miniature independent photo computer in addition to packing speedy SSD storage on board.
This is the second generation of Gnarbox’s backup solution, and while I used the original HDD-based version to great effect for a long time, the 2.0 version adds a ton of useful features, including super-fast SSD storage ranging from 256GB to 1TB in capacity, a new OLED display that makes it even easier to use in the field, and a removable battery that means you can pack spares to stay powered up and ready.
Simple, no fuss backup
It’s not the fanciest feature that the Gnarbox 2.0 offers, but it might be the one you use most: Quick and painless backup of SD cards. There’s an SD port on the device itself that can transfer at speeds up to 75MB/s, and it has USB-C ports that can transfer direct from cameras or from card readers at up to 350MB/s, depending on their transfer capabilities. When you plug in an SD card or camera, you get an option on the screen to totally back up the contents of the attached drive with one click, which makes it incredibly easy to dump and delete and clear space to keep shooting.
During a nine-day trip that included two events and a vacation to shoot, I made frequent use of this feature. Shooting with the new Sony A7R IV in both RAW and JPG, even my 128GB SD + 64GB SD backup cards filled up pretty quickly, but I would just slide one of the cards into the Gnarbox’s slot and hit the backup button before changing venues and it’d be fully backed up within a few minutes.
In my experience, this process has been rock-solid reliable, and gives me effectively 10x the space for a shoot versus just relying on my cards alone (I don’t typically have a similar-sized backup SD card on the road, let alone 10). By default, the Gnarbox 2.0 stores all your media in backup folders organized by capture date, too, which makes them super easy to sort through once you get back to base.
A mobile review and rating machine
Once all that great capture content is on your Gnarbox 2.0, you can also very easily connect to the drive using Gnarbox’s mobile apps to either review what you’ve got or go through and rate your photos quickly to make easier the process of working through them once you’re installed at your workstation.
There are two apps from Gnarbox available right now, including Gnarbox Safekeep and Gnarbox Selects. Safekeep gives you access to all your device’s settings and can act as a file browser for shuttling photos between apps. But Selects is probably what you’re going to be using most — it not only offers fast RAW previews (compatible with every major camera’s RAW formats) but also lets you quickly add ratings, keyboard tags and more to make sure your collection is primed for edit when you get back to your desktop.
With Selects, you can review either files on the Gnarbox SSD itself, or on attached memory cards or storage media (so yes, you can use this with something like a Samsung T5 if you’re already using that as a backup solution). All this info will then show up in applications like Adobe Lightroom to expedite your workflow.
This can shave hours off the process of organizing your photos, as it means you can do the rating and reviewing upfront without having to wait for everything to import and then trying to recall what you were going for with the shoot in the field after the fact.
Easy sharing from the field
Speaking of saving time, the Gnarbox 2.0 also helps you move more quickly from capture to sharing, which is incredibly useful if you’re working on a live event or doing photojournalism of something happening in the moment. The device supports Lightroom mobile out of the box, meaning you can navigate to it as a source for a new collection and move files over directly when connected to your phone or tablet. This makes it awesome for adding quick edits to RAW files, exporting finished JPGs and sharing directly to social apps and websites.
With Apple’s new iOS 13 file system changes, the Gnarbox 2.0 can also be addressed as a mass storage device, so you should be pretty wide open in terms of options for working with various editing software. This is also great for mobile video workflows, as Gnarbox 2.0 works just as well for storing video capture as well as photos.
Home workstation companion
The Gnarbox 2.0 is great on the go, but it’s also perfect for plugging in as a home work drive once you’re back from the shoot. I’m reviewing the 1TB version, so the amount of available on-board storage is a big advantage here, because it can essentially provide all the space you need to give you all of your working files in one place.
As mentioned, it supports high-speed USB-C transfer, which makes working with the files directly from the drive on your main workstation much more pleasant. That also means you don’t necessarily have to move things over local to get to work, which saves you a step and spares your computer’s disk space.
Gnarbox 2.0 switches to USB Mass Storage mode pretty easily, using the on-board OLED menu system. You do need to make this switch manually however, because by default the USB-C port that it uses to make the computer connection is used for charging the Gnarbox’s battery. Once you’re in that mode, however, it’s as easy as connecting Gnarbox 2.0 to your computer and navigating to it as you would any other connected mass storage device.
Photos on the drive are organized by capture date, as mentioned (you can customize how it creates its folder structure if you want) and you can select it as an import target in any photo-editing software, like Lightroom or Capture One.
Bottom line
Gnarbox has taken their time to create a thoughtful and thorough successor to their original product with the Gnarbox 2.0. It’s a unique blend of field photo server and mini computer, made more versatile with clever touches like the removable battery packs and dust/splash resistance. Ultimately, there really isn’t anything in the market that can compete with the Gnarbox 2.0 on everything it provides, though devices like WD’s My Passport Wireless Pro and the LaCie Rugged Boss SSD can offer some key parts at lower prices, depending on your needs.
At $899 for the 1TB version I reviewed, ($499 and $599 for the 256 and 512GB versions, respectively), the Gnarbox 2.0 clearly isn’t for everyone. It’s a professional tool for a professional workflow, and it’s priced as such. That said, the value it provides for busy photographers who need a companion storage solution with utmost flexibility for working both at home and on the road is definitely going to make it worth the cost of admission for some.
European Union Member States have published a joint risk assessment report into 5G technology which highlights increased security risks that will require a new approach to securing telecoms infrastructure.
The EU has so far resisted pressure from the U.S. to boycott Chinese tech giant Huawei as a 5G supplier on national security grounds, with individual Member States such as the UK also taking their time to chew over the issue.
But the report flags risks to 5G from what it couches as “non-EU state or state-backed actors” — which can be read as diplomatic code for Huawei. Though, as some industry watchers have been quick to point out, the label could be applied rather closer to home in the near future, should Brexit comes to pass…
Back in March, as European telecom industry concern swirled about how to respond to US pressure to block Huawei, the Commission stepped in to issue a series of recommendations — urging Member States to step up individual and collective attention to mitigate potential security risks as they roll out 5G networks.
Today’s risk assessment report follows on from that.
It identifies a number of “security challenges” that the report suggests are “likely to appear or become more prominent in 5G networks” vs current mobile networks — linked to the expanded use of software to run 5G networks; and software and apps that will be enabled by and run on the next-gen networks.
The role of suppliers in building and operating 5G networks is also noted as a security challenge, with the report warning of a “degree of dependency on individual suppliers”, and also of too many eggs being placed in the basket of a single 5G supplier.
Summing up the effects expected to follow 5G rollouts, per the report, it predicts:
An increased exposure to attacks and more potential entry points for attackers: With 5G networks increasingly based on software, risks related to major security flaws, such as those deriving from poor software development processes within suppliers are gaining in importance. They could also make it easier for threat actors to maliciously insert backdoors into products and make them harder to detect.
Due to new characteristics of the 5G network architecture and new functionalities, certain pieces of network equipment or functions are becoming more sensitive, such as base stations or key technical management functions of the networks.
An increased exposure to risks related to the reliance of mobile network operators on suppliers. This will also lead to a higher number of attacks paths that might be exploited by threat actors and increase the potential severity of the impact of such attacks. Among the various potential actors, non-EU States or State-backed are considered as the most serious ones and the most likely to target 5G networks.
In this context of increased exposure to attacks facilitated by suppliers, the risk profile of individual suppliers will become particularly important, including the likelihood of the supplier being subject to interference from a non-EU country.
Increased risks from major dependencies on suppliers: a major dependency on a single supplier increases the exposure to a potential supply interruption, resulting for instance from a commercial failure, and its consequences. It also aggravates the potential impact of weaknesses or vulnerabilities, and of their possible exploitation by threat actors, in particular where the dependency concerns a supplier presenting a high degree of risk.
Threats to availability and integrity of networkswill become major security concerns: in addition to confidentiality and privacy threats, with 5G networks expected to become the backbone of many critical IT applications, the integrity and availability of those networks will become major national security concerns and a major security challenge from an EU perspective.
The high level report is a compilation of Member States’ national risk assessments, working with the Commission and the European Agency for Cybersecurity. It’s couched as just a first step in developing a European response to securing 5G networks.
“It highlights the elements that are of particular strategic relevance for the EU,” the report says in self-summary. “As such, it does not aim at presenting an exhaustive analysis of all relevant aspects or types of individual cybersecurity risks related to 5G networks.”
The next step will be the development, by December 31, of a toolbox of mitigating measures, agreed by the Network and Information Systems Cooperation Group, which will be aimed at addressing identified risks at national and Union level.
“By 1 October 2020, Member States – in cooperation with the Commission – should assess the effects of the Recommendation in order to determine whether there is a need for further action. This assessment should take into account the outcome of the coordinated European risk assessment and of the effectiveness of the measures,” the Commission adds.
For the toolbox a variety of measures are likely to be considered, per the report — consisting of existing security requirements for previous generations of mobile networks with “contingency approaches” that have been defined through standardisation by the mobile telephony standards body, 3GPP, especially for core and access levels of 5G networks.
But it also warns that “fundamental differences in how 5G operates also means that the current security measures as deployed on 4G networks might not be wholly effective or sufficiently comprehensive to mitigate the identified security risks”, adding that: “Furthermore, the nature and characteristics of some of these risks makes it necessary to determine if they may be addressed through technical measures alone.
“The assessment of these measures will be undertaken in the subsequent phase of the implementation of the Commission Recommendation. This will lead to the identification of a toolbox of appropriate, effective and proportionate possible risk management measures to mitigate cybersecurity risks identified by Member States within this process.”
The report concludes with a final line saying that “consideration should also be given to the development of the European industrial capacity in terms of software development, equipment manufacturing, laboratory testing, conformity evaluation, etc” — packing an awful lot into a single sentence.
The implication is that the business of 5G security will need to get commensurately large to scale to meet the multi-dimensional security challenge that goes hand in glove with the next-gen tech. Just banning a single supplier isn’t going to cut it.
Last year, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore had a small viral sensation on its hands with the release of Ikea Bot. The robot did laps around its inept human counterparts by autonomously assembling an Ikea chair in less than nine minutes.
That same team is behind NTU spin-off Eureka Robotics, which this morning debuted Archimedes, a six-axis robotic arm designed to pick up and manipulate optical lenses and mirrors. The functionality is decidedly less YouTube video-friendly than its furniture-assembling predecessor, but there's probably a lot more money to be made in optics.
Archmides is capable of handling multiple-sized lenses and mirrors and loading them into a tray in order to be coated. Introducing a robotic arm into the process can help eliminate defects introduced by human interactions. The challenge, of course, is to create a robotic arm that can handle such delicate objects without damaging them in the process.
"With Archimedes, we have taken accuracy to the tens-of-micron level," company co-founder and NTU Associate Professor Pham Quang Cuon said in a release tied to the news. "Its accuracy of placing objects is within a tenth of a millimetre, yet it does so with the gentleness of a human touch, made possible by our control algorithms."
The robot debuts this week at a robotics trade event in Southeast Asia.
FedEx and Walgreens are partnering to make online returns more convenient, in a move that’s part of a growing trend where brick-and-mortar retailers cater to the needs of e-commerce shoppers in order to increase foot traffic at their stores. Under the new agreement, consumers will be able to drop off their online returns at thousands of Walgreens locations nationwide. They’ll also be able to print their return shipping label in the store, if need be.
The partnership involves the use of the FedEx Returns Technology platform, which allows online vendors and retailers to send customers a return code via email. The customer can then take that code to the participating Walgreens location to get their label printed for them.
FedEx says it’s providing the printing equipment, related technology and training materials to the Walgreens locations. However existing Walgreens store staff will be the ones who actually do the printing — not FedEx employees.
The new partnership is an expansion of an existing relationship between the two companies. In 2017, Walgreens announced a long-term alliance with FedEx to offer drop-off and pickup services at its U.S. stores. However, it did not actually assist with label printing — the packages would need to be ready to ship.
The new partnership addresses what remains one of the biggest challenges associated with shopping online. Many customers don’t have access to a working printer, or are out of ink or paper, which makes printing a return label a hassle. And studies have shown that consumers prefer to take their online returns to a store, rather than shipping them back themselves. In fact, as many as 75% of U.S. internet users said they would prefer that course of action, according to a study cited by eMarketer.
Brick-and-mortar retailers have been quick to capitalize on this trend to meet their own needs in terms of boosting foot traffic at a time when more of their customers are shopping from home.
“Our service offering with FedEx has been very well received by our customers, and implementing this latest technology in our stores will deliver even greater convenience to meet the needs of today's customer,” said Richard Ashworth, president of operations at Walgreens, in a statement. “This is especially meaningful heading into the holiday season as more customers shop for gifts online and we're able to offer safe, secure package pickup and drop-off services.”
Deal terms were not disclosed.
The move comes shortly after FedEx exited its ground and express delivery contracts with Amazon in order to focus on the wide range of e-commerce opportunities outside of the dominant online retailer, as well as the opportunity to serve international e-commerce retailers, it said at the time.
The new offering will begin rolling out in early November, ahead of the peak holiday shopping season.
We're still very much in the collaboration phase of autonomous driving, since it's looking still quite a ways off from being anything consumers can use on the regular. That means there’s plenty of opportunity for things like the new “Autonomous Vehicle Computing Consortium” (AVCC) announced today. This industry group includes Arm, Bosch, Continental, GM, Toyota, Nvidia, NXP and Denso, collecting top automakers along with some of the leading chipmakers and tier 1 suppliers in automotive today.
The group’s goal is to work together in order to “solve some of the most significant challenges to deploy self-driving vehicles at scale,” which pretty clearly translates into putting together the collective efforts of some of those who stand to gain most from autonomy becoming a commercially viable technology, in order to speed up said commercialization. While self-driving has been an area of intense investment and focus in the past few years, it still has a ways to go before these companies can start really reaping the rewards of their investments in terms of revenue-driving businesses.
So what will they actually do to achieve this goal? Step one will be setting up a set of recommended specs, essentially, outlining what size, temperature, power consumption and safety standards AV system architectures and computers should adhere to. The idea is that by arriving at some baseline standards, the group will be better able to move from prototyping, which is expensive and low-volume in terms of output, to manufacturing and deploying AVs at the scale where they’ll truly become a viable commercial enterprise.
There’s more to this industry collaboration than just figuring out the specs range for systems, however: Participating companies will “study common technical challenges,” as well, meaning they’ll be putting their heads together to overcome the major, fundamental tech challenges that still act as hurdles to be overcome in getting self-driving vehicles on the roads.
And, of course, though the initial founding group includes only those companies listed above, this new group is also open to new members.
Uber is piloting a new feature that lets U.S. riders alert drivers that a pet will be coming along, the latest effort from the company to appeal to a broader audience and become the one-stop shop for transportation, meals and other services.
The feature, called Uber Pet, will be available beginning October 16 in Austin, Denver, Nashville, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Tampa Bay. Riders will pay for the privilege of taking their pets with them through what Uber describes as a “small surcharge.” And drivers will have the option of avoiding trips with non-service animals by opting out of Uber Pet trips in the driver preferences menu in the app.
Uber says it will pay drivers “a significant portion of that surcharge,” on top of their standard trip earnings.
The company emphasized that Uber Pet does not replace their service animal policy. Riders with service animals are not expected or required to use Uber Pet, and can select from any number of ride options without paying the surcharge.
Instead, Uber Pet was designed for riders who are pet or non-service animal owners. Uber expects cats and dogs will be the most common animals on Uber Pet trips.
Uber Pet is another example of the company making efforts to become the app behind every aspect of its users’ lives, namely through transportation and meal delivery. Uber unveiled last month a number of changes across its products designed to achieve that very goal.
"We want to be the operating system for your everyday life," CEO Dara Khosrowshahi at the time. "A one-click gateway to everything that Uber can offer you."
Apple’s decision to greenlight an app called HKmaps, which is being used by pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong to crowdsource information about street closures and police presence, is attracting the ire of the Chinese government.
An article in Chinese state mouthpiece, China Daily, attacks the iPhone maker for reversing an earlier decision not to allow the app to be listed on the iOS App Store — claiming the app is “allowing the rioters in Hong Kong to go on violent acts” (via The Guardian).
HKmaps uses emoji to denote live police and protest activity around Hong Kong, as reported by users.
The former British colony is a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China that’s been able to maintain certain economic and and political freedoms since reunification with China — under the one country, two systems principle. But earlier this year pro-democracy protests broke out after the Hong Kong government sought to pass legislation that would allow for extradition to mainland China. It’s policing around those on-going protests that’s being made visible on HKmaps.
The app’s developer denies the map enables illegal activity, saying its function is “for info” purposes only — to allow residents to move freely around the city by being able to avoid protest flash-points. But the Chinese government is branding it “toxic”.
“Business is business, and politics is politics. Nobody wants to drag Apple into the lingering unrest in Hong Kong. But people have reason to assume that Apple is mixing business with politics, and even illegal acts. Apple has to think about the consequences of its unwise and reckless decision,” the China Daily writer warns in a not-so-veiled threat about continued access to the Chinese market.
“Providing a gateway for ‘toxic apps’ is hurting the feelings of the Chinese people, twisting the facts of Hong Kong affairs, and against the views and principles of the Chinese people,” it goes on. “Apple and other corporations should be able to discern right from wrong. They also need to know that only the prosperity of China and China's Hong Kong will bring them a broader and more sustainable market.”
The article takes further aim at Apple — claiming it reinstated a song which advocates for independence for Hong Kong and had previously been removed from its music store.
We’ve reached out to Apple for comment.
A few days ago the company was getting flak from the other direction as Western commentators piled on to express incredulity over its decision, at the app review stage, not to allow HKmaps on its store. The app’s developer said Apple App Store reviewers had rejected it citing the reasoning as “the app allowed users to evade law enforcement”.
"Your app contains content – or facilitates, enables, and encourages an activity – that is not legal … Specifically, the app allowed users to evade law enforcement."@Apple assume our user are lawbreakers and therefore evading law enforcement, which is clearly not the case.
Yet, as many pointed out at the time, the Google-owned Waze app literally describes its function as “avoid police” if you take the trouble to read its iOS listing. So it looked like a crystal-clear case of double standards by Cupertino. And, most awkwardly for Apple, as if the US tech giant was siding with the Chinese state against Hong Kong as concerned residents fight for their autonomy and call for democracy.
We asked Apple about its decision to reject the app at the App Store review stage last week. It did not provide any comment but a couple of days afterwards a spokesman pointed us to an “update” — where the developer tweeted that the iOS version was “Approved, comming soon!” [sic].
It's on App Store now https://t.co/bLjjN6yXpA There will not be any further comments on this matter unless status changes. We understand @Apple have many business considerations, but since they already make thing right I don't see any point to keep pressing.
At the time of writing the iOS app remains available on the App Store but the episode highlights the tricky trade-offs Apple is facing by operating in the Chinese market — a choice that risks denting its reputation for highly polished corporate values.
The size of the China market is such that just “economical deceleration” can — and has — put a serious dent in Apple’s bottom line. If the company were to exit — or be ejected — from the market entirely there would be no way for it to cushion the blow for shareholders. Yet with a premium brand so bound up with ethical claims to champion and defend fundamental human rights like privacy Apple risks being pinned between a rock and a hard place as an increasingly powerful China flexes more political and economic muscle.
Wider trade tensions between the US and China are also creating further instability, causing major operating headaches for Chinese tech giant Huawei — with the Trump administration pressuring allies to freeze it out of 5G networks and leaning on US companies not to provide services to Chinese firms (leading to question marks over whether Huawei’s smartphones can continue using Google’s Android OS, and suggestions it might seek to deploy its own OS).
The going is certainly getting tougher for tech businesses working from East to West. But it also remains to be seen how sustainable Apple’s West-to-East democratic balancing act can be given heightened and escalating geopolitical tensions.
Even India's biggest festive season, featuring blinding marketing blitzkrieg and heavy discounts from Amazon India and Walmart’s Flipkart, has failed to escape the pains of slowing economy.
Online retailers in India sold goods worth $3 billion in the six-day festive sale that concluded last week, growing at an impressive 30% since last year, according to research firm RedSeer. The catch? A year before, the growth rate stood at 93%.
Forrester projected online retailers in India to generate about $4.8 billion in sales between September 25 and October 29. Satish Meena, an analyst at the research firm, said about 80% of these projected sales — $3.84 billion — were expected to occur between September 29 and October 4.
For Amazon India, which has invested more than $5.5 billion in the nation, RedSeer's findings are more troublesome. According to the research firm's estimate, Flipkart — together with e-commerce businesses Jabong and Myntra that it owns — commanded 63% of the market share during the festive season. Amazon India settled with just 22%.
An Amazon spokesperson in India declined to comment on the finding, but expressed concerns with the way RedSeer conducts its surveys. The spokesperson said these "speculative reports … lack robust and credible methodology."
Amazon India did not share its internal findings, but volunteered to cite a Nielsen's survey of 190,000 users in 50 cities. Per Nielsen, Amazon commanded 51% of all transactions during the festive sales, 42% of all orders, and 45% of all "value."
The spokesperson added that "this event has been our biggest celebration ever." The company received orders from 99.4% postal codes in India, and saw participation of more than 65,000 sellers from 500 cities. "Over 88% new customers came from small towns," the spokesperson said.
Flipkart did not respond to a request for comment.
Many in India have been watching the e-commerce sales as a test to see if it could kickstart the slowing consumer spending in the nation. The sales, leading up to the Hindu festival of Diwali, has traditionally been the season of lavish and reckless consumption in India.
And for Amazon and Walmart, a lot was riding on this festive season. The first half of this year has been slow for Amazon and Flipkart in India, said Meena. The e-commerce giants were subjected to disruptive changes in local e-commerce policy earlier this year, which forced both to delist hundreds of thousands of goods overnight from their marketplaces.
At a conference last week, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross expressed concerns over some of India’s recent regulatory changes, saying that India has become one of the most protectionist nations in the world. Indian newspaper The Economic Times reported last week that Amazon had cut investment in its India business by a third this year. Citing the report, Ross said disruptive policy changes influence the way global giants see the Indian market.
But disruptive policies is only one of the causes of concerns for international giants. India's economy has slowed to a six-year low. Forrester's Meena said the sales last week was the time when both Amazon and Flipkart could have bounced back. According to industry reports, e-commerce businesses generate nearly a third of their annual sales in India during this festive season.
But even as the growth rate has slowed, Meena said the fact that both these companies, along with other online retailers, were able to generate so much in sales is good news for them.
"Overall 2019 has been a slow year for e-commerce," he told TechCrunch in an interview. "Two things are clear, though. One is that there remains a big opportunity for e-commerce in India. Second, consumers from smaller cities and towns are increasing their online spending."
In the meantime, both Amazon and Flipkart have steered clear of sharing any meaningful internal data. Flipkart said that its marketplace had registered "2X sales growth." The company said it had seen "3X transaction growth" and electronics grew over "70% from tier 2+ cities." Amazon said "fashion grew 5X" and beauty items saw "7X" jump in sales.
The companies have never disclosed exact figures, so it is impossible to fathom how one should assess this growth.
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